Western Weekender Feb 13

PANPA 2014 NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP

weekender the western FRI 13 FEB 2015 • Issue 1190

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Wanderers win!

PROUDLY INDEPENDENT

B U S I N E S S T I PS Advice, tips and profiles on the best local businesses p.30-31

Miracle escape from crash No serious injuries as out of control car crashes into South Penrith house

Breakthrough comes in Penrith p.33

Bishop visits UWS p.16 SOUTH CREEK Council says creek is back to normal after scare p.6

Paramedics and police at the scene of the crash on Tuesday night. Photo: Chris Bennett KATHERINE TWEED

@ktweed_

F

our people miraculously walked away from the scene of a crash without serious injuries, after a car careered into a South Penrith home on Tuesday night.

A vehicle, containing a 37-year-old female driver and two children, was travelling along Lindridge Street at about 6.50pm on Tuesday when it dramatically lost control.

The vehicle swerved, mounted a kerb and

continued across the front lawn of a home, where a woman was inside, before it collided with the corner of the house. Officers from St Marys Local Area Command attended the scene to find the house had received extensive damage.

In response, police breath tested the driver of the vehicle and the test returned a negative result.

She was taken to hospital for further medical checks and mandatory testing after being assessed by Ambulance Paramedics at the scene.

There were no serious injuries received as a result of the incident.

“A 15-year-old girl who was travelling in the car did not require further medical treatment, and a nine-year-old boy, also in the vehicle, sustained minor injuries,” a police spokesperson said on Tuesday night.

“The female occupant of the house was in a back room at the time of the crash, and while shaken, was not injured.”

Police are still investigating the incident and ask that anyone with information, who has not yet contacted them, call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Crime

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Shot fired on busy Jamison Road Police launch major investigation after house is targeted in shooting

Photo: Jason Donnelly

Police investigating the shooting on Jamison Road. Photo: Jason Donnelly KATHERINE TWEED

@ktweed_

shooting that occurred on Jamison Road last weekend remains unsolved, with police still searching for the perpetrator and a vehicle that was seen in the area at the time.

A number of people were inside their home on Jamison Road, Penrith, which is in close proximity to a local school, on the evening of Friday, February 6, when

A

at about 10pm, a shot was fired at the home. Officers from Penrith Local Area Command were called to the scene and began investigations immediately.

A crime scene was established. “Initial investigations suggest that a single shot was fired at the home following an altercation outside,� a police spokesperson said.

No-one was injured during the incident.

Police on Tuesday said that they are still on the hunt for the unknown person

or persons involved and are looking for a vehicle they believe may provide some answers. “A car, described as a small white hatchback, was seen on Jamison Road around the time of the incident, and police believe the occupants may be able to assist with inquiries,� the spokesperson said.

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A driver attempted to flee from police during an attempted vehicle stop in St Marys before crashing into a parked vehicle on Wednesday afternoon.

The incident occurred on Christie Street at St Marys just after 1pm.

The vehicle came under notice of highway patrol police for not displaying number plates.

When the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver refused to pull over.

Police lost sight of the vehicle as it travelled east on Christie Street but after a short time came across the vehicle after it had collided with the parked vehicle.

The driver and passengers from the vehicle were then held by police at the scene.

Paramedics and fire rescue also attended the location with paramedics assessing the driver.

Both vehicles involved in the collision suffered significant damage.

No further details were available when the Weekender went to print late on Wednesday.

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troy.dodds@westernweekender.com.au

New government, same problems: Abbott is unlikely to survive as PM Tony Abbott is a dead man walking.

The Liberal Party has now descended into a farce similar to that offered by Labor during the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years, and it will only continue in the months ahead.

To suggest that the defeat of the spill motion on Monday ends the speculation and distances the Liberal Party from their Labor predecessors is wrong.

The Liberals may not have dumped their firstterm leader on Monday, but they did everything but. In fact, the 39 members who voted for the spill motion essentially voted for more instability and ever-growing speculation.

Abbott needs a career-defining political moment to save him. Pressing the reset button on his leadership style will not be enough.

Finding such a moment in a limited space of time will not be easy.

The focus for Abbott needs to be on winning over the public, not his parliamentary colleagues.

After all, an improvement in the polls will most likely keep his internal critics at bay.

It’s a hard task for Abbott given it seems that so many in the Canberra press gallery don’t like him, hence the message sent to mum and dad voters is often coated with vitriol Laurie Oakes seems to be a significant critic and has huge influence given Nine’s dominance in news across the country. It’s a big issue for Abbott given so many people get their political news from a 90 second wrap on the evening bulletins.

So what does Abbott do?

Some have suggested a weekly address to the nation, others say he should dump Joe Hockey as Treasurer and some want Chief of Staff Peta Credlin gone.

Whatever he does, he needs to find a way to put the focus back on Bill Shorten and the Opposition. After watching Question Time on Monday, I’m even more convinced of that.

the western weekender WW10514

Shop 23, Tattersalls Centre, 510-534 High Street, Penrith 2750

Suite 2, 42-44 Abel Street, Penrith NSW 2750 P (02) 4722 2998 • F (02) 4731 6255 www.westernweekender.com.au www.facebook.com/westernweekender www.twitter.com/wwpenrith

Don’t put up with cracked floors, walls, pavement or driveways any longer!

TROY DODDS @troydodds

Abbott is a dead man walking

Shorten was ranting and raving about the instability of the Liberal Party, obviously hoping the public forget that he is the architect of leadership chaos.

Shorten was front and centre during the RuddGillard-Rudd years, often calling the shots as a party powerbroker.

Now, we’re expected to believe that he’s the best alternate to take our country forward.

Abbott was right in Question Time on Monday when he said he wouldn’t take lessons from a man who “backstabbed two Prime Ministers”.

Let’s not forget that Shorten was elected Opposition Leader with just 52 per cent of the overall vote (ALP membership and Caucus combined).

A whopping 59 per cent of the ALP membership didn’t even want Shorten as Opposition Leader.

He can not speak with an ounce of credibility when it comes to talking about the backing of your colleagues.

Abbott is right when he speaks about delivering on his core promises such as stopping the boats, cutting the carbon tax and dumping the mining tax.

Giving Prince Phillip a knighthood should never be considered in the same league as a pink batts scheme that led to the deaths of young men.

But that’s the kind of comparison that Abbott faces, and the Canberra press gallery seem happy to play the game.

Abbott has also backflipped on promises and made some awful calls, but as I wrote a few weeks ago, it should be up to the people who voted at the 2013 election to get rid of him if they see fit.

Abbott needs to somehow get the train back on the track, correcting his own ways, selling his message better and breaking through the sometimes unfairly tough Canberra press gallery.

What happened on Monday in the Liberal Party Room and in the chamber later was a joke.

And not a very funny one at that.

Advertising: penrithsales@westernweekender.com.au Editorial: troy.dodds@westernweekender.com.au Printed by: Spotpress Pty Ltd CIRCULATION: 59,400 [CAB Audit November 2014]

Editor: Troy Dodds • Journalists: Nathan Taylor, Katherine Tweed, Dale Drinkwater, Kate Reid Photographer: Melinda Jane Production Manager: Irene Adams • Production: Alana Christanga, Maddy Searle • Administration: Karlee Hansen Sales Manager: Simon Gould • Sales Executives: Paula Allsopp, Ali Elali, Andrew Harris, Linda Lewis, James Miller, Gina Perrin, Katie Grasso, Howard Cox

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Police

Major crackdown on drivers behaving badly on local roads @ktweed_

olice are cracking down on drivers practicing unsafe behaviours on the roads through a number of high-visibility operations.

The first, Operation Saturation, commenced on Saturday, February 7, and will continue running until Wednesday, February 18, in an attempt by police to drive down the road toll in NSW. Police are hoping that their increased presence on the road will encourage drivers not to speed, drink drive and take part in other dangerous behaviours to avoid the risk of being caught in the act.

Thousands of people have been breath-tested during the operation and hundreds of speeding tickets have been handed out.

“Despite the presence of highly-visible highway patrol cars and motorcycles, there are some motorists that continue to put their lives and the lives of their passengers and other road users at risk,” said Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley.

“Operation Saturation is about putting all of our available resources on the roads in order to deter poor driver behaviour as

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Phone: (02) 9833 2913 Address: Shop 1/159 Queen St, St Marys 2760 Email: mulgoa@parliament.nsw.gov.au Mail: PO Box 138, St Marys NSW 1790

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Police are ramping up their patrols of local roads well as prosecute those that are doing the wrong thing.”

During Operation Saturation on Wednesday, February 11, police conducted a one-day blitz on offences in and around school zones.

Operation Compliance focused on drivers using mobile phones, speeding and ignoring children’s crossing rules in school zones.

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They are also conducting random drug tests, which can result in immediate licence suspension or imprisonment.

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the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

Tanya Davies MP Member for Mulgoa a

Police maintain visible presence KATHERINE TWEED

5

Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

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Environment

Dead fish and ongoing questions Council says South Creek is back to “normal condition” after contamination scare KATHERINE TWEED

@ktweed_

outh Creek, once the lifeblood of the local fishing community and an important part of the area’s river system, has been tainted by a deadly concoction that was killing scores of fish and putting the local community at risk.

Since late January the creek, which runs through a number of local suburbs including St Marys, had been showing signs of contamination and cropped up at least 50 dead fish.

Recent water tests show the creek is now clear of any dangerous chemicals but the local community is in uproar, deeply upset by the death of the fish and many hold worse concerns of lasting repercussions that could pop up further downstream.

None are more upset than the local fishermen and women who frequent South Creek, like Dale Ward who visits the creek to fish multiple times a week.

“That creek is a special creek to so many people on so many different levels as well as fishing,” he said.

“It’s quite important for this creek to flourish and to have a healthy ecosystem as it is part of a river system that stretches 70km from Camden until it empties into

S

Dale Ward remains concerned about the condition of South Creek the Hawkesbury River at Windsor.”

Mr Ward noticed the contamination on January 18, just a day after an oil recycling business in Dunheved Business Park, which is adjacent to the creek, went up in flames.

“The water quality was disgraceful, it had a film of oily substance across the top,

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and had a chemical residue in the air that burnt my eyes and nose. I was absolutely hurt by the fact that fish were floating, and this beautiful creek was in such a condition,” he said.

Through social media the news of the contamination spread quickly and reached fishing enthusiasts from as far as

Queensland and Victoria, sparking major concerns.

“They are all shocked that this place is being treated the way it is. Not to mention the oyster farmers downstream who are angry that this might affect their oyster spawn,” Mr Ward said.

“I think people need to realise how important this creek is, not just to fishermen but to the environment and the river systems in general. After all it is one of Sydney’s biggest flood plains. It needs to be cleaned up and rectified so it doesn’t happen again.”

Penrith Council is still conducting an investigation into the cause of the contamination, focusing on the possibility that chemicals and oil from the Dunheved fire had leaked into the river system.

Council oversaw the flushing of the creek with more than 90 megalitres of water in an attempt to dilute possible contamination after the incident.

Recent water tests from South Creek suggest that the contamination has ceased.

“The latest testing has been analysed and the results are that the creek is now back to its normal condition. There are no further concerns for downstream users,” a Council spokesperson said.

Police snapshot Man tries to bring drugs into local correctional facility

Penrith: Man steals digital cameras from High St shop

A man has been handed a Court Attendance Notice for allegedly introducing drugs to a jail after coming face to face with a drug dog at a local correctional facility.

The man, a 42-year-old from Emerton, attended a local correctional facility for the purpose of visiting an inmate.

The person was allegedly approached by a drug detection dog, who indicated that the man was in the possession of an illegal substance.

The man was searched and it is alleged that an amount of cannabis was found.

The man will appear before court for charges of ‘introduce drugs to a jail’ and ‘possess prohibited drug’.

He will appear before Penrith Local Court on March 2.

A man is set to appear before court after allegedly stealing a number of products from a local electronics store.

At about 12.40pm on Saturday, February 7, police arrived at an electronics store in a local shopping centre on High Street, Penrith in relation to a stealing incident.

It is alleged that a 42-year-old male entered the store, selected two digital cameras and left without paying for them.

Police attended and were notified of the incident before locating the alleged offender a short time later.

The property was recovered and the man was charged with ‘stealing’.

He will appear before Penrith Local Court on March 2 to face charges in relation to the incident.

Penrith: Man handed caution after cannabis discovery

Penrith: Shop warned over questionable items

A 24-year-old Emerton man has been handed a cannabis caution after police sprung him at a local reserve.

Police allege that the man was sitting in a car at about 1.50pm on Saturday, February 7, which was stationary near Weir Reserve, Penrith. They had cause to speak to him and approached the vehicle. Police located some green vegetable matter, which they allege was cannabis. The man was handed an official caution.

Police have warned the owners of a local tobacconist after discovering it was selling illegal glass water pipes, which are often used to administer illegal drugs.

At about 2.15pm on Saturday, February 7, police officers acted on information received, which alleged that a local tobacconist in Station Street, Penrith, was selling glass water pipes.

Upon visiting the store in question, police issued the owner with a warning.

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Leadership woes Lindsay MP Fiona Scott won’t confirm whether or not she voted for or against a spill motion on the Liberal leadership.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott retained his job after the spill motion was defeated on Monday morning.

Without specifically naming Mr Abbott, Ms Scott said she supports the Prime Minister.

“I don’t want to dwell on the past few days, which have been tough for the party,” Ms Scott said.

“However, I reiterate the point I made on ‘Lunchtime Agenda’ [on Sky News] last Friday when I said, ‘I support the Prime Minister’. I continue to support the Prime Minister and a government that continues to support the people of Lindsay.”

Mr Abbott remains under intense pressure to retain the country’s top job.

Fire

Body discovered after house fire No suspicious circumstances, but police can’t confirm how man died

Timetable concern Transport Workers’ Union NSW Secretary Michael Aird has hit out at inaction by the Baird Government on unsafe and unworkable bus timetables in Penrith, after a Government survey showed passenger dismay at continuously late buses was high in the local community.

Mr Aird said the poor results didn’t come as a surprise to local bus drivers, who are under constant pressure to drive unsafely to meet the impossible timetables.

“Bus drivers shouldn’t be forced to choose between sticking to a timetable and running late, or pushing the limits of safe driving just to keep on time. It’s not fair on drivers and it’s not safe for passengers,” Mr Aird said.

Fire crews on the scene of the blaze last Thursday. Photo: Dean Asher KATHERINE TWEED

@ktweed_

he St Marys local area was shocked last week when a house fire on Kalang Avenue resulted in the discovery of the body of a local resident.

Emergency services rushed to the property just after 7am on Thursday, February 5, after receiving calls that the house was on fire.

Police, Fire and Ambulance officers arrived at the scene to find the home

T

well alight. Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished the blaze and a search of the building was conducted.

The search resulted in the discovery of the body of a man toward the rear of the home.

“The gentleman involved is yet to be formally identified. He is believed to have been an occupant of the home,” said St Marys Local Area Command Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Barry Vincent.

Police established a crime scene and

began investigations into the incident and the death of the man.

“At this stage enquiries are still continuing into the incident,” Detective Inspector Vincent said.

“There doesn’t appear to be any suspicious circumstances but we are still carrying out investigations.”

Police are also not yet able to confirm whether the man died as a result of the fire.

Anyone with information is urged to contact local police.

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OUR ADVOCACY PRIORITIES - 2015

NEWS

Council is taking the opportunity to talk to candidates for the State election about key projects that will help our City grow and prosper.

CONTACT US

Visit www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au for more information

ADMINISTRATION Penrith OfďŹ ce Civic Centre, 601 High Street.

Opening Hours: 8.30am–4pm. Mon–Fri. St Marys OfďŹ ce Queen Street Centre, 207–209 Queen Street.

Opening Hours: 8.30am–4pm. Mon–Fri. Switchboard Open: 8.30am–5pm. Mon–Fri. P: (02) 4732 7777

COUNCIL BRIEFS s Penrith is one of Sydney’s most dynamic, visionary Cities. We know that by realising our potential as a Regional City, we’ll create a better Penrith, which means a better NSW. Council is taking the opportunity to talk to candidates ahead of the

E: council@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au

SERVICES Waste Hotline: Freecall 1800 734 735

PUBLIC NOTICE Community Access Bus and Home & Community Care Bus (Wheelchair access) Applications are now being called for the use of the Community ACCESS BUSES IN 0ENRITH #ITY FOR THE PERIOD !PRIL TO *UNE

March State election about key projects that will help our City grow

Applications must be received no later than Friday, 6 March 2015.

and prosper.

These applications will be assessed by Council and applicants will be notiďŹ ed of the outcome.

F: (02) 4732 7958 Write to: PO Box 60, Penrith NSW 2751.

These include: s -ORE COMMUTER PARKING

For further information regarding fees, application forms and conditions of hire, please call 4732 7837.

s )MPROVED - INTERSECTIONS AT -ULGOA AND 4HE .ORTHERN 2OAD s %XPRESS TRAIN SERVICES TO AND FROM 0ARRAMATTA s #REATING A #ITY FOCAL POINT AT THE .EPEAN 2IVER s 5NLOCKING JOB OPPORTUNITIES

DEVELOPMENT CONSENT/S DETERMINED Pursuant to Section 101 of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act, the schedule below lists applications recently determined by Penrith City Council.

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

s -ORE ACCESS TO CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS

GrafďŹ ti Hotline: Freecall 1800 022 182

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Details of these determinations are available for public inspection free-of-charge during Council’s normal business hours at the Civic Centre, 601 High Street, Penrith.

For more information search ‘Advocacy’ on Council’s website.

Approved Development Applications

MEETING DATES Council Meetings 23 February 2015 – 7.30pm (Ordinary Meeting)

the western weekender Âť Friday 13 February 2015

SPEAKING UP FOR PENRITH

PENRITH

s 7IDENING -ULGOA 2OAD TO SIX LANES BETWEEN THE - AND *ANE 3TREET s #ONlRMING 0ENRITH AS THE LOCATION FOR THE 7ESTERN 3YDNEY stadium

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forward for Penrith and its residents.

iWork@Penrith will cater for 40 people at a time and is open extended hours through the use of a swipe card access system.

It is ideal for commuters, tradies or anyone who would work from home.

For more information or to register your interest visit iworkpenrith.com.au s Move over St Valentine because 14 February is also Library Lovers’ Day and Penrith City Library is celebrating by asking patrons which books you love and why. The responses will be displayed in the library.

Library Lovers’ Day is a chance for everyone to reconnect with the library and share the library love.

Penrith City Library is located at 601 High Street, Penrith or call 4732 7891 for more information.

s Quadro Pty Ltd DA14/1579 Lot 3460 DP 1191642 (No. 1) Voyager Court, Jordan Springs Dual occupancy and strata subdivision s Ancon Development Group Pty Ltd DA14/1345 Lot 3380 DP 1191640 (No. 23) Mason Way, Jordan Springs Attached dual occupancy and strata subdivision s Luddenham Management Pty Ltd DA14/0866 Lot 221 DP 270417 (No. 10) Twin Creeks Drive, Luddenham Stage 1 construction of Twin Creeks resort accommodation including 24 motel rooms and associated car parking s Quadro Pty Ltd DA14/1579 Lot 3460 DP 1191642 (No. 1) Voyager Court, Jordan Springs Dual occupancy and strata subdivision Disclosure of Political Donations or Gifts Development Applications are displayed at the Penrith Civic Centre.

By law, reportable political donations or gifts must be disclosed by anyone lodging a planning application to Council. Call 4732 7649 or visit penrithcity.nsw.gov.au Viewing of Development Applications The above development determination/s may be inspected between 8.30am and 4pm Mondays to Fridays (except Public Holidays) at Council’s Civic Centre, 601 High Street, Penrith. OfďŹ cers of Council’s Development Services Department will be able to assist with your enquiries.

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Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

10

Business

New work hub could prove a game changer DALE DRINKWATER

@daledrinkwater

esidents can spend less time in the car and work closer to home at a new Government-funded work hub that’s now open in Penrith’s CBD. The work hub, named iWork@Penrith, was officially launched this week by Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres, Penrith Mayor Ross Fowler and its Operations Manager Ben Givney-Martin.

The unique space is open to all business types, from ‘tradies’ to IT professionals, to work in a new age office environment that is being recognised around the world.

Mr Martin outlined that it’s not always best for a business operator to work from home, and iWork@Penrith provides a real office environment.

“Working at home isn’t always the best answer. It’s always when you need it most that the Internet cuts out or the printer runs out of ink, at this work space, someone is here to fix it for you,” he said.

The office features sit down and stand up desks, a conference room, two soundproof rooms for private phone calls and a range of office services like blue print printers.

An iWork membership is like a gym membership, with a 24-hour swipe card

R

that notes times you enter and leave, information that Mr Martin said can be sent to businesses to check employees are working.

However, Mr Martin highlighted its main focus is to get the lengthy commuter off the roads and direct funds back into local businesses.

“At our core, we are trying to target the commuter. Every hour in traffic is an hour away from their family,” he said.

“This way they stay local, eat local, play local and buy local.”

Cr Fowler said it was a tremendous innovation to offer an office environment close to home no matter where your office is based.

“It’s going to improve the social fabric of society and make a difference to the community and work life balance,” he said.

“Turning commuters into telecommuters will mean less traffic on our roads and less environmental damage.”

The State Government invested $94,000 into the concept, that Mr Ayres said is a part of an initiative to improve the state’s productivity.

“We’ve committed $1.5 million to establish five hubs – three in western Sydney and two on the Central Coast,” he said.

Ben Givney-Martin, Stuart Ayres and Hub Manager Elise Pearson at the iWork@Penrith launch on Tuesday. Photo: Melinda Jane

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Council holds great vision for our city. That vision was re-affirmed last week when Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop met with Council, business, health and education leaders in a round table discussion.

Penrith is a regional city with an economic catchment of more than 500,000 people and, in the next couple of decades, that will grow to more than one million people. Penrith has been a growth city for many decades and this has offered us an unique opportunity to look back on the nature and the success of that growth.

Western Sydney represents the third largest economy in Australia and adds over $90 billion to the GDP. But while our region is already an economic powerhouse for the nation, the productivity of our city can be further lifted.

Our regional economy could be more balanced with a higher percentage of jobs in the sectors of the future – finance, creative industries, food and agribusiness, ICT and the digital economy, education, research and professional services. These encouragingly, are the sectors where Penrith Council is facilitating commercial

investment to deliver more local jobs.

We are beginning to see interest from investors in development proposals in Penrith particularly in the proposed Sydney Science Park in Luddenham.

Undoubtedly, Australia is rich with a range of commodities but it is the commodity of human capital that matters most in the 21st century. It is high growth areas like Penrith that have those people. Importantly we are energetic and diverse, with a richness of experience and skills.

Council has as its number one priority the economic development of the region, including lifting personal productivity, growing skills, pursuing sectors of the future, attracting international investment and marketing our region to the world.

We require a global vision for our high growth region, backed up with action by the three levels of government, the private sector and the international capital, institutional and real estate markets. To this end we continue to investigate new and innovative ways to develop our relationships with our international partners.

ROSS FOWLER OAM Mayor of Penrith

11 the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

SATURDAY, 21 FEBRUARY

TIME: 6PM UNTIL LATE WHERE: REGATTA PARK River Road, Emu Plains

Kids activities will be available from 6pm including CircusWorks, Face Painting and the Mobile Playvan, with the feature film, Madagascar 3 starting at 8pm.

penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/events WW15395

Friday 13 February 2015 ÂŤ the western weekender

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Badgerys Creek Airport

the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

Strong public consultation needed Labor candidate concerned about Western Sydney Airport Environmental Impact Statement DALE DRINKWATER

@daledrinkwater

tate Labor candidate for Mulgoa Todd Carney has highlighted concerns over the guidelines for the Western Sydney Airport Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), released by the Department of Environment.

Mr Carney expressed the importance that the full report should be released and all relevant information is available amid ongoing community concerns over public consultation.

“We’ve got to make sure the full report is released and not just bits and pieces that the government wants, to make sure that they can jam this through,” he said.

“If you look at the full guidelines report, there’s a section there that talks about the minister being able to separate sections off to put out to public exhibition.”

The ‘Guidelines for the Content of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement’ under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act of 1999, contains information facilitating Mr Carney’s concerns. It states, “Specific instructions regarding publication requirements will be provided as part of the Minister’s direction to publish”.

S

A spokesperson from the Department of Environment said there are limited exceptions, but outlined they are only in cases of clear commercial confidence that makes it detrimental to publish, or if there’s information that is critical to protect the environment.

The spokesperson said the findings of the report are generally released in their entirety.

Mr Carney accepts there are some elements of the EIS that will need to remain confidential, but said anything related to the impacts on the environment or people’s daily lives needs to be disclosed.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Warren Truss, said the Australian Government is committed to ensuring that a new, robust and rigorous environmental assessment is completed and that the community is consulted and informed.

“The Australian Government has employed a team of experienced contractors led by GHD to undertake the environmental assessment,” he said.

Mr Truss added that the Government will design and implement a community consultation program for the assessment

Labor Candidate for Mulgoa, Todd Carney including the release of a draft EIS. An online statement from the Department of the Environment said ultimately, the project would have “two parallel runways”, with “facilities capable of handling up to 70 million passenger

movements per year” and “be operational 24 hours per day.”

Mr Carney supports the concept for a western Sydney airport but remains firmly against 24-hour operation of such a facility.

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Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

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State Election 2015

Government’s promise to firefighters Commitment to boost Rural Fire Service with upgrades and more resources DALE DRINKWATER

@daledrinkwater

he Cumberland Rural Fire Service will see four years of extra resources under a re-elected Baird State Government, Mulgoa MP Tanya Davies announced on Monday.

Ms Davies visited the Fire Control Centre in Regentville to announce the state-wide commitment of additional resources for NSW rural firefighters, and said Mulgoa knows the danger of bushfires all too well.

Ms Davies announced a crucial upgrade to the state’s firefighting artillery to include the trial of cutting edge Large Air Tankers that can be used by the local service.

“These tankers can hold between 15,000 litres and 40,000 litres of water or fire retardant at a time, making them an invaluable resource in fighting fast-moving and dangerous bush fires,” she said.

RFS Inspector, Justin Back, said there’s a lot more logistics to the Large Air Tankers than their incredible capacity that holds more than the famous ‘Elvis’ helicopter by tens of thousands of litres.

“The air crane, Elvis, holds about 12,000 litres – so that’s on the smaller scale,” he said.

T

State Mulgoa MP Tanya Davies speaks with members of the Rural Fire Service

“With the larger tankers, we have to look at where they can land, their capacity... and how they work on flat lands and grass lands as opposed to mountainous terrain such as the Blue Mountains.”

Inspector Back said on the ground commitment is just as important, as fire trails are often destroyed by wet weather and extensive maintenance is costly.

“Unfortunately we get a lot of 4WDs and motorbikes that get in and chew up our fire trails in the off season, then we are unable to use them,” he said.

“We have to go in with machinery and fill them. We have to bring in sandstone, grade it and make sure drainage is right so works don’t cause more issues.

“We also have to put in gates where there are none and install standard signage across the state so when we deploy firefighters they know where they’re going.”

In addition, the State commitment includes a focus on additional hazard reduction activities, improving the fire trail network, investing in four regionallybased firefighting training centres with one in western Sydney, and connecting the public to bush fire information such as the ‘Fires Near Me’ app.

Your thoughts? Email news@westernweekender.com.au.

News in Brief As students and teachers settle into the new school year, outgoing State Member for Londonderry Bart Bassett has welcomed new principals and other school leaders.

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Organised Crime Squad detectives have arrested two men in the Sydney CBD and charged them in relation to a hydroponic cannabis house located in Glenmore Park.

Just before 9am on Tuesday, detectives executed a search warrant on a home at Darug Avenue, Glenmore Park, where they located 96 cannabis plants growing in four rooms and more than 2kg of loose cannabis.

The drugs seized have an estimated potential street value of more than $190,000.

About 1.30pm, Organised Crime Squad detectives arrested two men, aged 43 and 24, at an office block in the Sydney CBD.

work teaching, guiding and fostering the skills and talents of children,” Mr Bassett said.

“So I welcome the new deputy principal at Oxley Park Public School, the instructional leader at St Marys North Public School and wish them a fulfilling, productive year ahead.’’

The NSW Government has implemented reforms to improve the quality of teaching across the State.

People leaving school this year will need to achieve three band five HSC results if they want to be employed as a teacher in a NSW school.

“The goal is clear: to ensure that every NSW student is a successful student, with the opportunity to achieve the best possible results at school,” he said.

Both men were charged with cultivation of a prohibited plant (greater than commercial quantity).

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Anyone who has information about the house or the men is urged to contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

15 the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

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16 Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

Education

Bishop visits UWS to praise international study links DALE DRINKWATER

@daledrinkwater

oreign Minister Julie Bishop has personally congratulated the University of Western Sydney (UWS) on its commitment to driving innovation and education in our country.

Ms Bishop joined Federal Member for Lindsay, Fiona Scott and UWS Vice Chancellor Barney Glover at the Kingswood Campus last week, to recognise the several projects at the heart of the university’s international focus.

UWS will this year send 190 students to the Indo-Pacific under the $100 million New Colombo Plan (NCP), a revised version of the original Colombo plan, that assists Australian students to study and live in the 38 countries we previously received students from.

Ms Bishop said she was proud the program, that funds Australian students to go to regions like Thailand, Japan and Singapore to work or intern in a business or organisation, was now implemented.

“We were bringing students to Australia to undertake education in our universities in record numbers, but... it struck me that something was missing,” she said. “[Foreign] education ministers informed me that we didn’t send students back to their countries to learn

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“We needed to put in place connections at the university level to ensure the study that students did while they were overseas was recognised in their qualifications back here.”

Maryam Noori, 20, from St Marys studies Business and Law at UWS, and said the overseas business trip she just returned from was a life changing one.

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Community

$600,000 goal to help sick kids at Westmead Children’s Hospital

The ANZAC Dinner Dance is coming up KATHERINE TWEED

Taleigha-Rose Musico has been a patient at Westmead Children’s Hospital KATHERINE TWEED

@ktweed_

ou would be hard pressed to find a local resident who doesn’t personally know, or know by association, a child who has needed the services of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

With this in mind, the hospital is calling on local people to volunteer their time on Bandaged Bear Day on Friday, March 6, to help sell merchandise and collect donations in the Penrith area.

Overall, the organisation needs 500 volunteers to offer to take part if they are to have any hope of raising the $600,000 target for this year’s Bandaged Bear Day. With the funds, the hospital will be able to purchase vital medical equipment, fund vital research and maintain the special environment of the grounds, which is essential to the wellbeing of children and parents spending time at the hospital.

Penrith mum, Emma Orwin, knows only too well the importance that donations have to the hospital after spending months in various wards watching over her daughter Taleigha-Rose Musico, who was born with half a heart.

Though there was only a 40 per cent chance she would survive, Taleigha-Rose is now four-years-old and has just started pre-school.

“Without donations we wouldn’t have had the service that we had, or that we have at the hospital,” Ms Orwin said.

“They could always use more staff, more beds or more equipment – I have

Y

“You can help us continue delivering the very best care and treatment and give the priceless gift of childhood back to sick kids”

seen myself how crowded, how full-on it gets there.”

She said that more donations would mean that the hospital could purchase more equipment that would really make a difference to families.

“We were lucky enough to have access to a little portable heart monitor when we were in the ward, which meant that I was able to take my daughter home for a little while. They only had two in the ward because they cost over $1000 and that meant that only two families could use it at a time,” Ms Orwin said.

“We were able to use it in between surgeries when we weren’t sure whether she would pull through, so it was really nice to be able to take her home and spend time with her there.”

Gilly Paxton, Director of Community Relations and Marketing at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, said that the support of the community is essential to the workings of the hospital.

“The Children’s Hospital at Westmead treats tens of thousands of sick children every year and we want nothing more than to get them back home and enjoying their childhood again, but we can only do this with the community’s support,” Ms Paxton said.

“By volunteering on Bandaged Bear Day or holding a fundraising event in March, you can help us continue delivering the very best care and treatment and give the priceless gift of childhood back to sick kids.”

For more information, visit www.bandagedbear.org.au.

@ktweed_

With the centenary of ANZAC quickly approaching, preparations for Penrith’s Dawn Service are well underway.

To raise money to assist in preparations for the event, Penrith RSL Sub-Branch, with the help of Penrith CBD Corporation, is holding an ANZAC Dinner Dance, where local residents can dance the night away in remembrance.

The event is set to take place at St Marys Band Club on April 17, with tickets going on sale next week.

“We are holding this event for two reasons. Firstly, it’s to celebrate the coming together of Australians for the remembrance of the 100th Anniversary of ANZAC and it is also to raise funds to go towards the equipment needed this year for the Dawn Service,” said Penrith CBD Corporation CEO, Gai Hawthorn.

“We expect a good crowd this year. The past few years we have seen many locals, in fact there were around 4000 last year, attend the service at 5.45am for 6am and then go into the Penrith RSL for a free breakfast.

“With the centenary this year, we are expecting bigger crowds and want everyone to see the service on large screens. The costs is an extra budget expense for the Sub-Branch so we hope to raise funds on the night towards this.”

There will be live entertainment by Little Pattie, who entertained troops during the Vietnam War; Nicki Gillis; Swing Katz, who will be giving swing dance demonstrations; and local swing band Big Swing Band, on the night as well as games and memorabilia.

The CBD Corporation, which has offered Penrith RSL Sub-Branch free assistance in this instance after deeming their cause a worthy one, is calling on local people to get involved.

The purchase of tickets will help to raise funds but the organisation is also looking for some event sponsors and for local businesses to donate raffle prizes.

The prizes will add to the two 50’’ TVs and four $250 vouchers donated by Penrith Homemaker Centre.

To offer assistance or purchase tickets, contact Gai Hawthorn at the Penrith CBD Corporation on 4722 5556.

Tickets cost $85 and include a twocourse meal, drinks and entertainment.

Doors open at 6.30pm.

19 the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

Locals urged to support Bandaged Bear Day

Dance the night away in St Marys

Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

20

dear weekender...

History

email: news@westernweekender.com.au post: Suite 2, 42-44 Abel Street, Jamisontown 2750

Waste of money?

Indonesia has spent billions buying warships, submarines, planes, missiles, tanks and armaments as an attack capacity, so who are they planning to attack?

Australia has been subsidising these expenditures with years of massive millions in uncontrolled foreign aid. Australia must immediately stop this rort of taxpayers’ money, this borders on treason funding a foreign power to be able to attack Australia.

G J MAY, VIA EMAIL

Park is a failure With the imminent closure of one of High Street’s long standing retail shops, I think it is time that Penrith City Council and Penrith CBD Corporation admit that the Pop Up Park has failed to bring more people to the far end of High Street. You never see anyone other than local shop assistants spending time in the park during the day and, to make matters worse, it is hard to find parking and get into the shops you want to get into when there are events held in the park. Not to mention that Penrith CBD Corp think that it is reasonable to allow food and beverages to be sold by “market” vendors during the day while local cafes and restaurants are still open for business.

On numerous occasions, as I have walked through the park in the morning, I have seen broken bottles on concrete blocks, presumably left behind by unknown people

using the park as a place to drink alcohol at night. How many more businesses need to close before something is done about this farce?

C PETERSON, VIA WEBSITE

Local seniors invited to free talk on ancient Egyptian art at U3A

Stadium decision looms Vote buying at its best (Stadium decision looms, Western Weekender February 6).

Keep it up, surely there is more you can do for Penrith, like extra Public Housing, putting more funds into hospitals and schools, just to name a few things that the voters of Penrith really need.

HELEN BALL, VIA FACEBOOK

Stadium not needed We don’t need a new stadium. We need the NSW Government to not sell the electricity networks which is where the money for this initiative is coming from. I’d rather the money made on electricity be spent keeping costs down.

TRACEY YOUNG, VIA FACEBOOK

Political soap opera Tony Abbott surely cannot survive much longer in the top job as Prime Minister. I find it very sad that Australian politics has become a real-life version of a political drama on television. When will politicians just get on with running the country and stop worrying about the soap opera?

TREVOR DALEY, VIA EMAIL

The Western Weekender reserves the right to edit letters for the sake of accuracy and space.

For more information, see our public notices section.

Lucy Bantermalis will be presenting a talk at U3A next week. Photo: Melinda Jane KATHERINE TWEED

@ktweed_

he mysteries of ancient Egypt have long been pondered by historians and enthusiasts alike and with a special talk taking place at the University of the 3rd Age (U3A) next week, it is time for local seniors to reflect on the ancient civilisation.

Lucy Bantermalis has spent years of her life studying history, spending much of that time focusing on ancient Egypt, and is preparing to share her knowledge with U3A members on Tuesday, February 17.

Her lecture, which has come as a result

T

of meticulous research, is based on the topic ‘Ancient Egyptian Art: what it all means’.

The lecture will break down the topic of ancient Egyptian art and will look specifically at colour interpretation and symbolism but, in addition, the lecture will also touch on some of the architecture and broader history of the ancient civilisation.

The talk is part of a series which will be presented once a term.

For information about this free event for seniors, contact the U3A Penrith on 4722 3405 or come down on the day from 1pm at 3 Castlereagh Street, Penrith.

COUNCIL SNAPSHOT Council has deliberated on the idea of holding Council polls for future matters of significant social impact.

Council has previously used community surveys, public hearing posts, social media, its website, workshops and submissions to assist with the consultation process on significant issues. Councillor Maurice Girotto requested the report in reference to recent issues that sparked controversy and wanted answers on how Council could progress to the next step. “What went wrong the end of last year is lack of community input... how can we counteract anything like that again so we can be seen as professional,” he said. The report has identified that the cost of conducting a poll for major issues is “prohibitively high due to the resources required in meeting the provisions outlined in the [Local Government] Act”. A poll would need to be run similar to that of a general election, with polling officials, advertising and hiring premises quoted by a contractor at $600,000.

LOCAL RADIO

Congratulates all the Winners

The Kingswood Park Rehabilitation Project to rehabilitate an area of the critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland will be undertaken

by Total Earth Care Pty Ltd. Council was successful in their application for funding from the Environmental WW7338

Trust NSW of $80,000, taking the total budget to $140,000. Total Earth Care’s tendered price is significantly less than the budget, at $91,318 excluding GST, and any identified savings will be returned to Council’s Grants Reserve. The tenderer has a proven track record and underwent a rigorous selection process where they showed a comprehensive understanding of the project to revive the vegetation damaged by vehicles, erosion and weeds.

Council has teamed up with the Rural Fire Service to revise the Bushfire Prone Land map that covers the whole Penrith LGA. The revision comes with new requirements to acknowledge grassland areas and their capabilities of carrying fires into residential areas. The revision affects land owners that wish to lodge a development application on their property, who will now have to undergo a property risk assessment on land that is mapped as bush fire prone. After assessment, a Bushfire Attack Level is nominated, and Bushfire Protection Measures are determined. A revised map can be accessed via the Council’s website, or you can grab a hard copy at Council’s Penrith and St Marys offices. For further information call 4732 7991.

21 the western weekender Âť Friday 13 February 2015

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Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

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Health

Vaccinations remain a hot topic Lindsay MP Fiona Scott urges local families to ensure their children are fully vaccinated DALE DRINKWATER

@daledrinkwater

accinations are a hot topic with both sides of politics highlighting the importance of immunisation against preventable diseases from children to the elderly.

Federal Member for Lindsay, Fiona Scott is urging the 15,000 families in the electorate to ensure their children are fully immunised, after alarming figures showed that western Sydney has the highest rate of not fully immunised children under five-years-old.

“I ask all families to please immunise their children,” Ms Scott said.

The local member said current records show that 3,594 children under five-yearsold are not fully immunised, and are mixing with a volatile cocktail of rising incidences of whooping cough and going back to school.

“Make no mistake, diseases like whooping cough can kill a baby,” Ms Scott affirmed.

“I also want to reassure families that the world’s leading health experts agree that immunisation is safe.”

Meanwhile, State Opposition Leader Luke Foley announced a plan to rectify

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immunisation issues, by allowing trained pharmacists to administer adult influenza vaccinations under a Labor Government.

He said the decision is a preventative health measure that will reduce health costs and relieve the pressure on doctors and hospitals.

“Since their introduction, vaccinations have saved millions of lives and influenza is the classic vaccine-preventable disease,” Mr Foley said.

“The public health imperative is that we must get more people vaccinated – and a pharmacist offers a safe, convenient and cost-effective way of delivering that outcome.”

Healthy 18 to 65-year-olds will be able to arrive at a pharmacy and be vaccinated for a standard fee.

“The best way to protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly and pregnant women is to vaccinate the healthy people around them,” Mr Foley said.

Currently, vaccinations in NSW can only be administered by doctors and nurses.

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance recommends annual influenza vaccinations for people over six-months-old, even though the level of protection is varied depending on the vaccine matching strains circulating.

Lindsay MP Fiona Scott is urging families to ensure their children are fully immunised

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23

Community

Need someone to look after the kids? Knott The Sitters Club may be what you’ve been searching for DALE DRINKWATER

@daledrinkwater

ant your child looked after for free? Join the real life baby sitters club ‘Knott The Sitters Club’.

Formerly the Werrington Baby Sitters Club, the group changed its name to expand across suburbs and more importantly their children didn’t like getting called babies.

Club coordinator, Ann Panitz, said the group works on a debit and credit system, meaning your kids can get sat for free, encouraging members to spend more quality time with their partners.

“Our club is great for couples that want to have a night out without the kids and without the extra expense of paying for a sitter or inconveniencing a family member,” she said.

Mrs Panitz joined the club 14 years ago and admitted she enjoys watching girly movies that she can’t watch with her two sons and husband.

“I wanted to watch ‘21 Dresses’ for so long but the boys wouldn’t let me,” she said.

12 year member Sheryl Vine said looking after other people’s children isn’t hard because the kids don’t give you the fuss

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Ann Panitz (back right in black) with members of the Knott The Sitters Club and their children they give their own parents “The kids actually ask me if Ann can come over and look after them because they have fun,” Mrs Vine said.

“Most kids go to bed at 8.30pm so you’ve got a couple of hours to relax, you get to sit and read a magazine or watch a movie once they’re in bed, have a bit of you time.”

Mrs Vine said it’s a great concept because you can relax as it’s other mums looking after your children, not a teenager.

The group is very organised with a secretary role that rotates between members after their three month meetings.

The secretary is in charge of organising the sits, and monitoring the amount of

debit and credited hours to each member, to determine who takes the next sit.

Now with only seven members, Knott The Sitters Club is calling on new families to join the group at their next meeting on March 3.

Anyone interested should email panitz24@tpg.com.au or call 0419 219 572.

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the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

Meet the real life baby sitters club

24 Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

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Valentine’s Day

Health

Happy couple to enjoy a special day at Hopewood Health Retreat

Response teams to assist in caring for those with dementia KATHERINE TWEED

@ktweed_

he Federal Government has announced the development of a new program designed to support aged care residents experiencing severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. $54.5 million over the next four years will be invested in the development of Severe Behaviour Response Teams, which are mobile teams of specialists who can provide immediate advice and support to aged care providers caring for people who are showing signs of the most severe symptoms of dementia.

Alzheimer’s Australia welcomed the announcement.

“This is a great initiative that will be welcomed by everyone who is aware of the difficulties associated with dementia and aged care. Announcements of this kind provide much needed national leadership in tackling dementia,” said Graeme Samuel, President of Alzheimer’s Australia.

The organisation’s CEO Carol Bennett agreed.

“This is a good result for people with dementia and their families. It is even better that this measure has been developed in consultation with the sector and consumers,” she said.

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Alan and Gabrielle Moran won our recent Valentine’s Day competition NATHAN TAYLOR

@natetaylor87

errington Downs resident Alan Moran and his wife Gabrielle are the lucky winners of the Weekender’s Hopewood Health Retreat and Day Spa Valentine’s Day competition.

The happy couple won the prize, valued at $249, after Mr Moran wrote in with his most embarrassing Valentine’s Day story.

Mr Moran’s most embarrassing Valentine’s Day, which happened around 20 years ago, was a day full of disasters which included flight and phone dramas, dinner and accommodation mishaps and,

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to top it all off, a run-in with the police.

“There was no romance that evening or for the next couple of days until my Valentine realised that I did love her,” Mr Moran said.

“Yes, I have learned a lot of lessons from those experiences on that fateful Valentine’s Day.” Mr Moran and his wife won a prize pack worth $249 that includes a facial and a massage treatment plus lunch and access to all facilities, activities and classes at Hopewood Health Retreat and Day Spa. We can only hope Mr and Mrs Moran’s Valentine’s Day is drama-free this Saturday, February 14.

Dementia is a serious health concern The first phase of the program is expected to commence nationally later this year.

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27

SHOW ‘n’ SHINE Sunday 22nd February

Permit #T15/01

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For more information, please contact:John Cornish:- Blue Mountains Hot Rod Club 0416 208 730 or, Hotrod.34@hotmail.com Matt Atkins:- McDonald’s 0408 984 695 or, matkins@gartongroup.com.au

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the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

Rai s for ing Fu the nds Ne R MH pea C n F a Ro om mily ®

Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

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29

Community

the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

Helping those in need e rysVill ag .au /St Ma e.c om sVi llag StM ary

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Westcare’s Andrew Paech is delighted to have received new funding DALE DRINKWATER

@daledrinkwater

enrith not-for-profit organisation WestCare has provided continuous support to the city’s most vulnerable for over 25 years, and now the NSW Government has rewarded them.

WestCare will receive almost $15,000 to continue their ongoing community work after their successful application to the Community Building Partnership Program.

The organisation provides emergency fresh and frozen foods to people in need, and dedicated the funding towards upgrading their commercial refrigeration and freezers.

Assistant Director, Andrew Paech, said he was delighted to receive the grant as it increases WestCare’s capacity to store frozen and fresh food, and meet increasing local needs.

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“The largest thing we do is the Emergency Food Service, rather than feeding meals to people, our main focus is fresh food and groceries to families in need,” he said.

“Fresh food is extremely valuable to us because at times we are restricted and there’s nothing better than fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh milk.

“We also distribute and process energy and utility bill vouchers, and around 40 of our 100 volunteers work in emergency relief service every month.”

Mr Paech said they are currently in talks with companies to make sure they get the best deal to maximise the investment made possible by the grant.

“The existing units are old domestic units and this will replace at least four of those units and possibly more, which is awesome,” he said.

The $14,513 cheque was handed over by Penrith MP Stuart Ayres last week.

stop in the name of love Bring your love to our FREE photo booth & WIN 1 of 10 $100 Jewellery Vouchers!

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Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

30

BUSINESS OF THE WEEK

SPONSORED CONTENT

Old school values in a new school world

E

mpower Church opened in its new location last week, and it sure was grand.

Relocated from Cranebrook and freshly renovated, Empower Church’s new Jamisontown residence is three times the size of its predecessor.

The new building is 1,100 square metres with a massive kids room and cafe, but Lead Pastor Peter Kinsella said it’s not about a flashy new building.

“Church really isn’t about the building but about the experience.

The real heart of our church is to serve the city of Penrith and to make a difference. We want to help transform the reputation of our city by transforming people,” he said.

Ps Peter said he is aware of the stereotypes many people have of Penrith and that “people often make jokes about people who come from ‘The Riff’”.

“When people joke with me about that, I’m okay with it because it reminds me of why our church exists – to serve and make a difference in this city,” he said.

Empower Church

4/5 Production Place, Jamisontown 4722 8489 penrith@empowerchurch.com.au empowerchurch.com.au/penrith

Empower Church focuses on being relevant and connecting to the culture around them.

“We are aware that often churches can struggle to relate or connect with people in today’s culture. We are modern, we believe in old school values in a new school world, and work hard on how we can impart Christian values to the next generation,” Ps Peter said.

“We have drums, electric guitars and lighting; it’s a different experience to a traditional church experience, a different expression of Christian values. When they hear the music, it is similar to what they’re already listening to.”

The church has a range of programs from playgroups, student and young adult as well as men and women events.

They also run a Work for the Dole program aimed at assisting unemployed people with experience and gaining employability skills.

To discover more about Empower Church, contact the church office on 4722 8489.

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BUSINESS TIPS

31

More than just words: What you say and think matters

Michelle Grice // Founder of Shel Design

Michael Todd // Small Biz Connect Advisor Penrith Valley BEC

W

omen who start their own business often enter pursuits that are male dominated – and being a business owner in general has traditionally been the realm of men.

Some of us have felt (or still do feel) like we have to adopt male traits in order to make an impact and find success. This is often because many of our role models or predecessors in our chosen field are male.

But while you might feel pressure to do this, in the long run it is not going to work if you try to be someone you’re not.

Your customers will know you are not being authentic and you are unlikely to see success in your business because you are not able to use your strengths and abilities.

For example, if you are naturally friendly and like to put people at ease, but the ‘traditional’ way of interacting with customers is purely to ‘talk business’, don’t be afraid to be yourself.

Of course there is always a balance – spending half a consultation making light conversation is not the best use

of yours or their time! Stereotypically, women tend to include emotional factors when making decisions.

This can be really valuable – I have written recently about listening to your gut instinct, and that is definitely important!

But if you find that many or all of your decisions are based on how you feel, you may find yourself making poor decisions.

For example, we can all feel anxious, scared or apprehensive about a change in direction.

But if we listened solely to those emotions, we would never achieve anything!

Finally, despite what we (or others) might be thinking, it is OK to fail.

So many women that I know in business place enormous pressure to get everything ‘right’ and ‘perfect’. But I think most of us know, it is from our mistakes and failures that we learn the most.

So be brave, surround yourself with other brave women, curb your perfectionism and rise to the challenge!

You can do it!

E

very single thought you allow in your mind has a ripple effect on not only the way you act but the things you experience in your life.

Negativity exists in many places. We all do it. It’s unavoidable sometimes. Every business has faced this at some point or another, whether it’s on a smaller scale or has become a part of the culture.

“Not possible.” “I can’t.” These are thoughts that make it very difficult to be successful in your working environment.

If you approach your business with an attitude of “I can” and “I will,” you can change the path of your success.

If you’re one of the negative voices you hear the most, this has to change.

Pay attention to the words you think and say. They are more powerful than you think. If you don’t think you’re going to be successful, you won’t be.

If the people closest to you are the least supportive, sometimes it’s because they don’t understand the reality of what you’re trying to do. So sell them on it.

If you can’t sell the people closest to you on the idea that your business is viable, you’re probably going to struggle to sell anybody.

Even if you’re on your own in business you can’t do it all alone.

If you’re serious about your success then find a mentor or hire an advisor to guide you down the right path.

Not only will they give you a fresh perspective, they can often find you success quicker.

If you are an employer, you need to create success in an environment where you have all different types of personalities in one place who are experiencing different realities.

There are many factors that play into someone’s happiness with his or her work environment. But the change starts with you.

If you take responsibility for your own actions and attitude every single day, you are going to overcome things that weigh you down.

If you have staff or colleagues, believing in them can also have a positive impact.

No matter how inexperienced they might be, or what the circumstances are, when you begin to believe that people can achieve, they start to believe in themselves.

They start to achieve.

Looking for a new challenge in 2015?

Hix Group is a Penrith based Trades Services company employing more than 60 staff across a range of trades including Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Services, CCTV/Security & Carpentry/Maintenance.

We have secured a number of new contracts for 2015 and require new team members in a range of capacities to join us as we expand. We pride ourselves on supporting the local community so are seeking “Local people for our local jobs” WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING ROLES AVAILABLE: • LICENSED ELECTRICIAN/ DATA TECHNICIAN

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• FIRE SERVICES TECHNICIAN With a range of experience across testing, inspection, maintenance and repairs including Extinguishers, Pumps, FIP, EWIS, Hose Reels, Fire Doors.

Be a Licensed Carpenter who is an “all-rounder” willing to undertake all aspects of domestic & commercial maintenance, repairs, general cleaning & co-ordination of other trades requirements for domestic, strata and commercial works

• WAREHOUSE / STOREMAN An energetic “all rounder”, with Forklift licence & knowledge in the construction field, to provide warehouse and stores assistance for our technicians and management.

• APPRENTICE ELECTRICIANS 1st & 2nd Year Apprentices also required - must have HSC (including Maths), Manual driver’s licence & may have undertaken a pre-apprenticeship or schools-based apprenticeship

We offer employment to local people across all ages, so if you hold a “White Card”, Driver’s Licence and the relevant qualifications and experience, please forward your resume now or call for more information: Lea Hicks,General Manager - lea@hix.com.au Phone : 4721 7500

WW15927

Your solution to professional trades & services

the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

Don’t try to be someone you’re not in business

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NATHAN TAYLOR @natetaylor87

N

ew Mazda6 has received a range of stylish interior and exterior upgrades adding to the prestige that Mazda’s flagship model is renowned for.

After winning numerous global awards including a podium placing in the 2013 World Car of the Year, New Mazda6 is even more appealing.

The Mazda6 exterior, like the New CX-5, has taken the next step in its design evolution, adding an updated front end that offers a stronger look and greater flow thanks to the addition of five horizontal fins that run through to Mazda-first LED headlamps.

Including fog and rear combination LEDs and the addition of newly designed 19 inch five spoke wheels, there are two striking new Mazda6 colours, Sonic Silver Metallic and Titanium Flash Mica.

While the exterior changes offer a bolder and tauter design, it is the premium interior upgrades that elevate Mazda6 even further.

New Mazda6 now features MZD Connect, Mazda’s next-generation in-car connectivity system, which includes a seven inch touch screen display operated by a centrally located commander control knob, an electric park brake and Active Driving Display.

Initially revealed on Mazda3, the Active Driving Display is mounted above the meter hood and provides vehicle speed and other important real time driving information.

With prices recently dropping, the Mazda6 Sport starts from $32,540.

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WANDERERS

weekender

Ante Covic thrilled with first win p.39 NATHAN TAYLOR

@natetaylor87

t may have taken them 14 games but the Western Sydney Wanderers have finally notched up their first win of the season, and it all happened in front of a bumper crowd right here in Penrith.

It was the first time the Wanderers took an official A-League fixture to Penrith’s Sportingbet Stadium and more than 12,500 supporters weren’t left disappointed with their heroes snapping a 13-game winless streak to defeat Wellington 2-0.

The elusive win had been a long time coming for the Wanderers, longer than many would’ve ever imagined considering their success in the AFC Champions League late last year.

Speaking after the game, which was played in 35 degree temperatures, Wanderers coach Tony Popovic said he was pleased with the win but wouldn’t be doing any acrobatics to celebrate the occasion.

“It’s one win in 14… you won’t see me doing cartwheels about that,” he admitted.

“It’s nice to sit here after a win especially after last week [against Melbourne City].

Last week we were very very poor, the poorest we’d been since we started the club.

“The players were a little bit nervous towards the end of the game trying to hold on, that probably comes from not having won a game, but overall we’re delighted.”

Despite the Wanderers welcoming back Socceroo heroes Tomi Juric and Matthew Spiranovic into the line-up, it was former Socceroo Nikita Rukavytsya who got Western Sydney on the board first midway through the opening half.

With the Phoenix pushing hard for an equaliser for most of the second stanza, it was the Wanderers who prevailed with an injury time goal by Brendon Santalab in the 90th minute to put the game out of Wellington’s reach.

The Wanderers will be hoping to do it all again this Saturday when they take on the Jets in Newcastle at 5pm. A Wanderers win will see them leap frog the struggling Jets into ninth spot.

I

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Wanderers win at Penrith Stadium The Wanderers celebrate a goal against Wellington. Photo: Melinda Jane

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Friday 13 February 2015 ÂŤ the western weekender

34

Rugby League

Cleary juggles busy NRL pre-season â&#x20AC;˘ Panthers play Warriors this weekend â&#x20AC;˘ Idris, Mansour out of opening game â&#x20AC;˘ Merrin on the radar NATHAN TAYLOR

@natetaylor87

enrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has spoken for the first time this pre-season about his sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preparations for the upcoming 2015 season including this weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first major trial against the Warriors in New Zealand.

Cleary revealed up to a dozen players wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take the field this Saturday in Rotorua due to surgery recovery and other commitments including the NRL All Stars game, which takes place tonight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taking the strongest side we can,â&#x20AC;?

Cleary told the media on Wednesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a few players who are playing in the All Stars (Matt Moylan and Tyrone Peachey) plus quite a few still returning from injury. There are about a dozen guys who wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be playing.â&#x20AC;?

One player who certainly wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be making his return from knee surgery this weekend will be Panthers halfback and captain Peter Wallace. Although, his partner in crime Jamie Soward will suit up despite also undergoing off-season ankle surgery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jamieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playing this week â&#x20AC;Ś and Peteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s looking good for next week, although he is

P

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary speaking to the media on Wednesday. Photo: Melinda Jane coming on this trip,â&#x20AC;? Cleary said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have another big trial against the Eels next week and the guys that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play this week will play next week.â&#x20AC;?

Other players who wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be available

during Penrithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pre-season campaign include Jamal Idris, who underwent back surgery last month, and Josh Mansour, who also had off-season shoulder surgery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jamalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surgery was recent and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be

struggling to make Round 1. Josh Mansour also wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be playing Round 1,â&#x20AC;? Cleary revealed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I expect us to be very competitive to start the season but I guess youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to be at your best and everyone is in the same boat.â&#x20AC;?

Meanwhile, Cleary commented on reports that the Panthers were in the market to sign State of Origin representative forward and St George-Illawarra Dragons star Trent Merrin.

Cleary said the club was â&#x20AC;&#x153;always looking at high quality playersâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our recruitment policy, our mandate is to develop our own players and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on very nicely. But from time to time weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always going to look out for something we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grow,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Panthers five-eighth Jamie Soward was also asked if he was trying to recruit his former Dragons teammate to the club. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Na, I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spoken to Mez at all,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fantastic guy and obviously a big talent, having played for NSW the last couple of years.â&#x20AC;?

The Panthers will take on the New Zealand Warriors this Saturday, February 14 in Rotarua. Kick off is at 1pm with the game to be shown live on FOX Sports 5.

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Panthers re-sign star in the making One of rugby league’s brightest young prospects remains at Penrith until at least the end of 2016 NATHAN TAYLOR

@natetaylor87

he Penrith Panthers have re-signed one of rugby league’s brightest young talents.

Last week the club announced the re-signing of promising local junior Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to a new one-year deal.

He’ll remain at the Panthers until the end of the 2016 season.

He was off-contract at the end of 2015.

After lighting up the junior grades for many years, the 19-year-old made his first NRL appearance back in Round 5 last year, scoring two tries on debut.

With injuries to key players throughout the season, Watene-Zelezniak earned himself one of Penrith’s vacant wing spots – a position he made his own in the lead-up to the 2014 NRL Finals.

“I’m truly grateful and blessed that the Panthers want to keep me on for another year. I’m really looking forward to putting in 100 per cent for the club, and I can’t wait to get out on the field with the boys,” Watene-Zelezniak said.

“I want to thank Ivan, Gus and Justin for giving me this opportunity, and I want to thank the members and Panthers fans for all their support.”

T

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has re-signed with Penrith. Photo: Melinda Jane

Panthers CEO Justin Pascoe said the club was keen to invest in players like WateneZelezniak.

“As an organisation we are thrilled that Dallin is extending his contract with us.

He is an exceptional young man who continually demonstrates a maturity beyond his years,” he said.

“As an individual, Dallin has a lot ahead of him both on and off the field and we are confident that we can continue to provide him with the platform required to continue his growth, both as a footballer and person.”

Panthers boss Phil Gould, who has been a long time admirer of the youngster, said Watene-Zelezniak still had his best years ahead of him.

“Dallin is another of the outstanding young talents who have graduated through our junior league and development pathways. I see great things ahead for him,” he said.

Watene-Zelezniak’s new one-year contract extension came as a surprise to fans who were expecting the talented winger to be sewn up for a lot longer.

However, the Weekender understands a possible Mormon Mission in 2017 is still on the cards and could be behind the decision in signing a short term deal.

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Rugby League

Friday 13 February 2015 « the western weekender

36

Basketball Star on the rise: Adam Lulka proves he’s got what it takes NATHAN TAYLOR

@natetaylor87

is basketball idols are Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone, two NBA hall of famers who used their height to become two of the best to ever play the game.

Adam Lulka has the height at 201cm tall and if his achievements at 16 are anything to go by, who knows what this kid will turn out to be.

Last week the Year 11 student, who is a member of the Penrith Basketball Association, was named in the NSW Metro U18 Men’s team to compete at April’s Australian Junior Championships in Ballarat.

It will be the third time in Lulka’s short career that he’ll be representing his state against some of the best young players in Australia.

“It’s an honour to be selected to play for NSW and I always feel very proud to play for my state,” Lulka said.

“I’m looking forward to testing myself against the best players in Australia and seeing how I match up against them.”

Lulka currently plays in Penrith’s U18 Division 1 team and is also a development player for their Waratah Youth League team.

H

Last year the centre/power forward was named the 2014 Panthers Junior Representative Player of the Year, an achievement Lulka said was down to pure hard work and determination.

“It was a great honour to be acknowledged for all the hard work I had put in throughout the season,” he said.

“It was truly gratifying and humbling to be considering by the Penrith Association.”

Surprisingly, he’s only been playing the game competitively for five years but is already making a huge impact on the sport locally and nationally.

If Lulka continues playing the game like his legendary idols, Rodman and Malone, then it’s certainly possible Australian basketball could have another star on its hands.

“Rodman and Malone were great rebounders and both had a major inside presence offensively and defensively. I feel my strongest skills are just that – rebounding and posting up,” Lulka explained.

“My short term goal is to win gold at the upcoming Nationals in Ballarat but my long term goal is to play in Europe.”

We’ll be sure to keep an eye on Lulka’s future endeavours but we may need a ladder to see.

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Around the grounds CRICKET: Penrith are in the box seat during their Round 12 match against UNSW in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition. Playing in a two-day match away from home, Penrith batted first scoring 8/340 before stumps ended play. Penrith’s Kishen Velani was superb with the bat scoring 96. Penrith will likely return to the crease this Saturday morning to add to their total before hopefully getting on with the job of dismissing UNSW during the rest of the afternoon.

BASEBALL: The Penrith Panthers have enjoyed mixed results during the latest round of the NSW State Baseball League season.In their midweek Round 17 clash against Manly, the Panthers lost in a tight one 5-4.

However, in a much better performance last Sunday, Penrith beat the Eagles comfortably 6-2. Penrith sit in fourth on the ladder and will play the seventh-placed Central Coast Marlins in this week’s final regular season round.

FOOTBALL: The Western Sydney Wanderers Y-League side have continued their losing ways, going down to Perth 2-1 at Marconi Stadium.

The Wanderers will travel to Newcastle this Sunday afternoon to play the eighth-placed Jets at Magic Park. Western Sydney have slipped to ninth position on the Y-League ladder.

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BASKETBALL: Penrith Panthers star

and Glenmore Park girl Tahlia Tupaea has reached another milestone in her illustrious career after she was selected in the Australian U19 Women’s team for the 2015 World Championships, to be held in Russia this July. This will be Tupaea’s third world championships after gaining selection in the U19 team to Lithuania as a 16-year-old back in 2013 and then captaining the U17 Women’s team in the Czech Republic last year.

Meanwhile, Penrith and Sydney Kings players Angus Brandt, Madol Chol, Ben Kearins and Nic Pozoglou will be at the Penrith Basketball Stadium today, February 13. The boys will be talking to the crowd and trying to meet as many young players as they can. The boys will also take part in a 3 on 3 scrimmage with students from St Dominic’s College as well as members of the public.

NETBALL: The Penrith District Netball Association (PDNA) is hosting a Junior Representative 11-years-old to 15-years-old Age Group Only Carnival on Sunday, March 29 from 8.30am. For more information contact the PDNA office.

RUGBY LEAGUE: The Junior Representative Rugby League season gets underway this Saturday afternoon with the Penrith Panthers taking on the Canberra Raiders at Sportingbet Stadium. Harold Matthews kicks off at 1pm while SG Ball begins at 2.30pm.

37 the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

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38

MOTOR RACING

Giants put faith in Ward and Davis CALLAN Ward and Phil Davis have been appointed co-captains of the Greater Western Sydney Giants for the fourth consecutive year.

Tom Scully and Heath Shaw have been re-appointed vice-captains, with 2014 Kevin Sheedy Medallist Shane Mumford rounding out the leadership group.

The Giants’ player leadership group was determined by the playing group and coaches.

Apart from the retirement of defender Stephen Gilham, the leadership group is unchanged from 2014.

Head Coach Leon Cameron congratulated the players on their re-appointments.

“To go into our fourth year with a virtually unchanged leadership group speaks volumes about the stability and maturity of the club and is a tremendous endorsement of our leaders,” he said.

“Callan and Phil have developed into outstanding young leaders on and off the field and are ably supported by Tom, Heath and Shane.

“As we have done in previous years, we will continue to develop the next group of emerging young leaders so they are equipped with the skills to play a significant leadership role at the club in the years to come.”

Sieders hopes switch from Ford to Holden will be enough to secure championship success NATHAN TAYLOR

L

@natetaylor87

ocal V8 Ute racer David Sieders will switch from Ford to Holden this year in a bid to win his first Australian V8 Ute Series champi-

onship.

The 30-year-old, who has finished outright second three times (2011, 2012 and 2014) and outright third once (2013), will make the move to the lions’ den after a career-long association with Ford vehicles.

“With the exception of the Lotus Cup and a couple endurance races in a HQ, I’ve been racing Fords since I started racing, and I guess it’s just time for a bit of a change,” Sieders said.

“I have done quite a few laps to help compare the Holdens in the past few years, and we’re pretty confident that this change might be enough to finally break through for that elusive series title.”

The change of make will also see a change in racing number for Sieders, as he is set to throwback to his original car number of three, after five seasons of running number eight.

“Number three was the number that my dad used in the Super Truck Series when I started racing and I kind of grew attached to it then,” Sieders said.

David Sieders is making the switch to Holden “I’ve used ‘three’ in karting, Formula Ford, Lotus and hopefully it’ll be a good bit of luck.”

Sieders is expected to get his first laps in his new Holden this weekend ahead of the series opener on the Adelaide Street

Circuit for the Clipsal 500.

“A new car makes you feel a bit like the kids at Christmas with a new toy… I’m pretty excited about getting behind the wheel and getting to know how it handles before we start racing,” Sieders said.

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LEAGUE

Ante Covic First win was a huge relief

FOOTBALL

How much of a relief was it to finally break the winning drought?

I think when it gets to the stage when you haven’t won in a long time, it can really play on your mind. I think it’s more letting go of those shackles that we’ve had on for such a long time now.

Our performance wasn’t what you’d expect from us but we battled hard, worked very hard for each other and got the three points.

I don’t think we were too fussed how well or how poorly we played, it was all about getting back on track and getting back into a positive frame of mind. 13 games without winning plays on your mind and it’s nice to get rid of that.

The side looked hungry and excellent in defence, what do you believe the boys got right in that game against Wellington and were there nerves towards the end?

If you look at this game as opposed to the Melbourne City game, everyone scrambled in defence when they were attacking, and that was the pleasing thing. We had a lot of belief we would walk away with the three points but we need to start finishing

off teams. When that second goal went in, that was a huge relief.

I think we deserved the win because we put the effort in. We can really build on this.

considering we have a 100 per cent record there. It’s a nice field, a nice stadium and the fans are close by. Parramatta is our home but if another opportunity comes up again like that then why not?

There was a very healthy crowd at Penrith on a hot Sunday afternoon, what was the atmosphere like on the pitch?

It was very warm but we were probably lucky for the majority of the game the sun was behind the clouds – it felt like it was roasting our skin. The players were exhausted after the game as it was a little bit of a heavy pitch, it was a bit spongey.

The players worked their backsides off and were spent by the end of it. In saying that, it was a great atmosphere, the fans came out like we knew they would, and to have 12,500 come to our home away from home was fantastic. Through the hard times that we’ve had they’ve been around for us as well. It was great for them to finally see a win.

A win against the Newcastle Jets this weekend will see you leap frog them on the A-League ladder. How confident are you that you can keep this going?

This win will build confidence, for sure!

Newcastle have had their fair share of problems and it’s been well documented what’s been going on over there.

But sometimes when you’re in that siege mentality, you can be very hard to beat.

We’re not expecting to go there and for them to roll over and die. We’re expecting a tough game but we know the quality of our squad and we shouldn’t be fearful of any team.

We can’t underestimate Newcastle, they are one point above us but it would be nice to get off the bottom of that table… I hate looking at that table the way it looks like now.

But we have to be switched on, we can’t expect things to fall into our lap.

Would you like to see another game played in Penrith in the future?

I suppose that wouldn’t be a bad idea

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Changes to the 40-20 rule and scrums will be trialled in Friday night’s Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match at Cbus Super Stadium.

NRL Referees Elite Performance Manager Tony Archer said all scrums would be moved to the centre of the field in the match.

Mr Archer also said any kick of 40 metres or more which finds touch will give possession to the kicking team.

He said both changes were designed to allow more attacking opportunities for both sides and would potentially ensure a more exciting contest.

The attacking team will have the choice of which side the ball is fed into scrums. Meanwhile, the lock from the attacking team will not have to bind in scrums.

“With significant space and attacking opportunities on both sides of the scrum, we hope that there will be ample opportunities for the team in possession to attack immediately from the scrum win,” Mr Archer said.

“While this remains a trial of the change, we wanted to test this in a high-quality pre-season match and the All Stars presents us with that opportunity.”

The changes have been discussed by the NRL Competition Committee over the past 12 months. The scrum rules were trialled in a Holden Cup pre-season match in 2014, but Mr Archer said it was important to also test it in a top-level match.

the western weekender » Friday 13 February 2015

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Friday 13 February 2015

Locals make a Super impact Brilliant start for Penrith team in this year’s Aussie Racing Cars championship NATHAN TAYLOR

@natetaylor87

lenmore Park resident Craig Thompson is living out his life long passion for motor racing by running his very own team at this year’s Aussie Racing Cars Super Series.

After debuting in the sport last year, the 42-year-old licensee of Hertz Penrith loved the Aussie Racing Cars concept so much that he decided to recruit his young brother Grant Thompson from Werrington and experienced driver Craig Woods from Kingswood onto his team for the current season.

Speaking with the Weekender, Thompson said the most enjoyable aspect of Aussie Racing Cars was the close-knit relationships between the drivers.

“All the drivers support each other when we’re in the paddock but race very hard when we’re on the track,” he said.

“The most enjoyable thing for me last year was learning ways on how to drive the cars better and smarter. I didn’t have many fantastic results but my record did pick up as the year went on.”

The Aussie Racing Cars Super Series is a competition that gives amateur drivers of all

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Craig Woods winning in New Zealand Last weekend lead driver Craig Woods took out the opening round of the series in New Zealand after finishing on top by a huge margin.

“It was a double points round in New Zealand, so he has a very good lead in the standings so far,” Thompson said.

The next round of the Aussie Racing Cars Super Series will take place in Tasmania from March 27 to March 29.

All rounds are televised live on FOX Sports.

ages and experience the opportunity to compete.

Vehicles competing in Aussie Racing Cars are 100 per cent mechanically identical with the only major difference being its fibreglass shell. Vehicles are also three quarters the size of normal cars.

The trio drive replica Ford Mustangs, which are sponsored by Sinclair Ford and Hertz Penrith, under the banner of Western Sydney Motorsport.

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