to be as

The new Labor Government has hit the ground running to make sure its presence is felt in the heartland of Penrith.

Deputy Premier Prue Car and Member-Elect for Penrith Karen McKeown visited Penrith Public School last Thursday morning to serve breakfast to students.

Car, who will also serve as Minister for Education and Early Learning, as well as being the Member for Londonderry confirmed the Government’s pledge to support the food relief charity Foodbank.

“We reiterate our election commitment to provide a further $8 million to Foodbank to extend the breakfast program across the state of NSW,” Car said.

“It’s so important that these children can make sure they are going into the school day with full tummies ready to concentrate on the wonderful learning ahead of them here every day at Penrith Public School.”

With the funding allowing the delivery of more than 1.5 million healthy breakfasts, Foodbank NSW and ACT CEO John Robertson said it will also allow another 500 schools to take part in the School Breakfast 4 Health program over the next four years.

“What this additional funding will mean is that 1,000 of the most disadvantaged schools across the state are going to get access to the school breakfast program,” Robertson declared.

“A program that feeds kids a healthy breakfast in the morning, a program that makes sure kids are coming to school because they know that they are going to get fed, and a program that engages students in the whole education process from the minute they walk in the door, and it keeps them here.”

A foundational school in the breakfast club, Penrith Public School Principal Chantal Beltran has seen positive impacts in the five years that it has been running at the school.

“Our attendance rates have been positively affected, behaviour has been positively impacted and our kids at Penrith Public School start the morning ready to engage and ready to learn,” Beltran said.

“Thank you again for the opportunity to be a part of this program, our kids have truly benefited from it.”

Wasting no time in getting out in the community and delivering commitments is important to McKeown.

“It’s really important that we get on with what we promised to do, and I think that the Government has actually shown that they are willing to do that,” McKeown said.

“Here we are just a matter of days [after the election] and we have already rolled up our sleeves, put on our gloves and served breakfast and we are going to get on with the job.”

Talking to teachers at the school, Car said the main priority moving forward will be addressing the cause of why so many teachers are leaving the profession.

“We know we come to government amongst a chronic teacher shortage and people on Saturday made their vote count with voting for a Labor Government that will be focused on getting teachers into the classroom and keeping teachers in our classrooms,” she said.

“If we are going to actually do something about the declining education outcomes then we need to get more of our wonderful qualified teachers in front of children here at Penrith Public School and across the state.”

The Sydney Royal Easter show brings visitors, participants, and judges from far and wide each year for the best of the best in entertainment, agriculture, and food. When it kicks off this week at Sydney Showground, Penrith will well and truly be represented, with local veteran and novice competitors set to show off their stuff.

Glenmore Park’s Jackson O’Mara has been woodchopping ever since he was four-yearsold, inspired by his Dad and his pop. Now, at 12-years-old, Jackson will be achieving a long-term goal by competing in the Junior Development program section of the Sydney Royal Woodchopping & Sawing Competition. For Jackson, this is a dream come true. “I’m just really excited to compete,” he said. In preparation for the competition, Jackson has been competing in other shows around the state including just down the Northern Road at Camden Show, as well as keeping up his fitness through football and cardio training.

Though he admits he probably won’t take out first prize this time around, being the youngest male entered, Jackson says he’s just looking forward to the experience, and to work towards his goal of being a World Champion by age 18.

Jackson’s Dad, Luke O’Mara, couldn’t be

Easter Show is the culmination

prouder of his progress and says it’s all about the experience.

“You’re not there to win, you’re there to compete and get a new experience,” he said.

“Hopefully he makes the finals, but we’ll see what happens!”

Joining Jackson for her second rodeo is 22-year-old Brittany Jones, who is entered in the Beef Cattle Paraders and Beef Cattle RAS Youth Show.

Jones first discovered an interest in cattle whilst studying agriculture at Caroline Chisholm College, before going on to join the show team at Western Sydney University. It was from there that she met up with the stud she’s working for now – Raydon Park Limousins.

Having worked alongside the team for just over a year, Jones has been splitting her time between her home in Kingswood, and Mulloon. Despite doing shows almost every weekend, she admits she can’t wait to come back to the Easter Show.

“I did the Easter Show last year, and it was my first time doing Sydney, so it was very exciting,” she said.

“This year is my second time. I feel like I sort of know what I’m doing now, so it’s really, really good.”

Though she doesn’t have any personal goals this time around, Jones says she’s doing it for her team.

“They’re dispersing at the end of this year,

years of hard work, dedication and a passion to compete

which is a bit upsetting, so I want to do the best for them. That’s my goal,” she said. But, there are plenty of local Easter Show veterans taking part this year – four of which live on the same street.

Beth Skybinsky, Lisa Martin, Naomi Brincau and Kerry King all live on one street in Castlereagh, and will be competing in this year’s Easter Show, with Skybinsky and Martin entered into the Sydney Royal Dog Show, and Brincau and King competing in the Breeds, Hacks & Harness section of the Sydney Royal Horse Show.

For Martin, who has been doing the Show for upwards of six years, knowing that there are other competitors on her street is definitely a unique coincidence.

“In Castlereagh, we’ve got about three streets to our suburb,” she said.

“We’re a very tiny little suburb, and our street is not long, so it’s quite funny to have four people!”

Martin and Skybinsky have known each other for a little while through their breeding and showing of toy poodles and chihuahuas respectively.

Skybinsky will be returning to the show this year after taking a break of eight years with an imported smooth coat boy from America, who she says is ready to strut his stuff.

“I would like to win Best of Breed, but I have no specific goals,” she said.

“We’ve got some of the best dogs in Australia coming to compete, so I just want to see how he goes!”

King, a registered Clydesdale and Gypsy Cob breeder, will also be returning to the show this year after a short break – despite having shown horses for over 20 years. Having retired her last horse after her last show in 2017, she couldn’t be more excited to be returning with a new Clydesdale this year who is just two-years-old. However, this comes with a legacy to uphold.

“My eldest Clydesdale that I have here, who’s 26-years-old, was Supreme Champion as a two-year-old. She’s got her name up in gold on the champion board at the Showgrounds,” she said.

“It would be nice to place, but she’s only a youngster, and we’re probably up against a lot of stiff competition, so we’ll take our chances!”

Despite this, the Show is about more than just competing for Brincau, who will be showing ponies this year.

“I love Sydney Royal, it’s probably my favourite Royal,” she said.

“It’s just got a really good atmosphere there, you meet lots of new people and we sleep there overnight. The nightlife there is also really fun!”

The Sydney Royal Easter Show will be on at Sydney Showground until April 17. For more information, visit eastershow.com.au.

More Royal Easter Show coverage: See page 56.

Administration

Penrith Office Civic Centre, 601 High Street. St Marys Office Queen Street Centre, 207-209 Queen Street.

Contact Centre Open 8.30am-4pm. Mon-Fri. 4732 7777 PO Box 60, Penrith NSW 2751 council@penrith.city

Council’s services are accessible via the online portal at my.penrith.city

Services

Waste Services 4732 7777

Illegal Dumping Contact the EPA hotline on 131 555 and ask for the RID Squad (Regional Illegal Dumping Squad.

Graffiti Hotline Freecall 1800 022 182

Meeting Dates

1 & 29 May – 7pm Online via penrith.city (Ordinary Meeting) penrith.city.council penrithcouncil penrithcitycouncil penrithcitycouncil penrith.city visitpenrith.com.au

Take your chemical waste to the right place

Chemical CleanOut

New Location

Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 April 9am-3.30pm | The Kingsway Playing Fields carpark, Werrington penrith.city/events

Council Briefs

● The Penrith Civic Centre, St Marys Council Office and Penrith City Library’s three branches will be closed during the Easter long weekend from Friday, 7 April and reopening on Tuesday, 11 April 2023.

The Library’s book chutes will also be closed over the long weekend. Library members can still access the online catalogue at library.penrith.city

You can still lodge queries and access online services via our Online Services Portal.

● Council’s 2023 Local Celebration Awards are an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the people in our community who go above and beyond, who dedicate their time to make Penrith a great place to live, or who work tirelessly for the benefit of others.

Do you know someone who could be Penrith’s next Young Citizen of the Year? We know there are some amazing young people in Penrith who are making a big difference, and we need your help to shine a light on these unsung heroes. Give them the recognition they deserve by nominating them for the 2023 Local Celebration Awards.

Find out more about the award program and how to nominate at penrith.city/local-celebration-awards

● Council’s free Microchipping Day for Penrith cats and dogs is back! Visit our Animal Services team on Saturday, 22 April 2023 at Ridge Park Hall in Oxley Park between 9am and 12pm where your cat and dog can be microchipped for free.

A range of local animal services will also be there on the day offering free health checks and answering any of your questions For more information about the day, visit penrith.city/events

● Penrith residents can look forward to reduced congestion and improved safety and connectivity along Dunheved Road as planning for the $128 million Dunheved Road Upgrade nears completion. Funded by the Australian Government’s Infrastructure Investment Program, this upgrade is an essential investment in Penrith’s infrastructure to ensure Dunheved Road can cater for current and future traffic demands. An updated 3D video showcases the improvements planned along the 4-kilometre corridor between Richmond Road and the Christie Street/Werrington Road intersection.

View the video and learn more about the upgrade at: yoursaypenrith.com.au/dunhevedroadupgrade

Construction is expected to start later this year, and the upgrade is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.

● Council invites residents to have their say on the Draft Cranebrook Overland Flow Flood Study which is on public exhibition from Thursday, 6 April 2023 to Friday, 5 May 2023.

The study area includes the suburbs of Cranebrook, Northern Penrith and parts of Castlereagh and Cambridge Gardens. The study has been developed in accordance with the NSW Flood Prone Land Policy and aims to help us better understand, plan for and manage the risk of flooding across the catchment.

View the draft study at the Your Say Penrith website yoursaypenrith.com.au/cranebrookfs

Integrated Developments

Penrith City Council have received Development Applications in respect of the subject properties. The consent authority for these Development Application is Penrith City Council.

• Charles Raneri DA23/0208

Lot 20 DP 248614, 3 Shelley Road, Wallacia

Change of use from dwelling house to dual occupancy and Strata title subdivision x 2 lots

The proposal is Integrated Development. The application seeks concurrent approval from the NSW Rural Fire Service.

The development application referred to in this notice and supporting documentation accompanying the subject application may be inspected at the locations listed below at any time during ordinary office hours, in the period from Monday, 10 April to Monday, 24 April 2023.

Any person may, during the exhibition period, make a submission in writing to Penrith City Council, in relation to the development application. Where a submission is made by way of an objection, the grounds of objection are to be specified in the submission. The submission is to include Council’s reference number DA23/0208.

For any queries relating to the proposal:

Please contact Wendy Connell on 4732 7908.

• Sanjaykumar Natverbhai Patel

Lot 28 DP 1194171, 10 Angophora Avenue, Kingswood Construction of a detached dual occupancy with Strata subdivision x 2 lots

DA23/0210

The proposal is an Integrated Development. The application seeks approval from the NSW Rural Fire Service.

The Development Application referred to in this notice and supporting documentation accompanying the subject application may be inspected at the locations listed below at any time during ordinary office hours, in the period from Monday, 10 April 2023 to Monday, 24 April 2023.

Any person may, during the exhibition period, make a submission in writing to Penrith City Council, in relation to the Development Application. Where a submission is made by way of an objection, the grounds of objection are to be specified in the submission. The submission is to include Council’s reference number DA23/0210.

For any queries relating to the proposal: Please contact Nick McMaster on 4732 8578.

• Meridian Homes (Aust) Pty Ltd

Lot 2144 DP 1220918, 140 Tedbury Road, Jordan Springs

DA23/0165

Semi-Detached dwellings x 2 and 2-lot Torrens title subdivision penrith.city

The proposal is an Integrated Development. The application seeks approval from the Rural Fire Service.

The Development Application referred to in this notice and supporting documentation accompanying the subject application may be inspected at the locations listed below at any time during ordinary office hours, in the period from Monday, 10 April 2023 to Monday, 24 April 2023.

Any person may, during the exhibition period, make a submission in writing to Penrith City Council, in relation to the Development Application. Where a submission is made by way of an objection, the grounds of objection are to be specified in the submission. The submission is to include Council’s reference number DA23/0165.

For any queries relating to the proposal: Please contact James Heathcote on 4732 8378.