The BCMP is a unique collaboration between Chifley College Bidwill Campus and the Blacktown News where students write and create a mainstream digital and print newspaper section that shares news about school life and the Bidwill local community. bidwill@accessnews.com.au
Edition 3 | July 2025
Online edition is hosted permanently at www.greaterblacktownnews.com.au
n BY JERRIAH MAPUILESUA
IINTERVIWED Mount Druitt resident and Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting about his role, his interests and his vision for our community.
What is the role of being mayor?
The role is to lead the community, to understand, to listen to the community, and to deliver council projects and community-focused initiatives. Council provides and maintains the roads, we pick up your rubbish and arrange for disposal, and we look after the parks. Council also provides and maintains libraries, community centres, swimming pools, childcare centres and much more. We do a lot of community-building e orts as well.
Advocacy is also a big part of my role. I am regularly talking about Blacktown City’s advantages and achievements to all levels of government, business and other stakeholders to ensure our community receives the investment and services it deserves.
Where did you go to high school, and what are some memories of that time?
I went to Dunheved High School, which is now Chifley College Dunheved Campus. Dunheved High School used to provide schooling from years 7 to 12. I had great times at high school, great friends, good teachers.
Some of my best memories are of playing footy. I played rugby league for Dunheved High. I got to play at Parramatta Stadium when we were in the Commonwealth Bank Cup. It might
be called something else now, but I do remember that in my first game on TV, my first touch of the ball, I scored a try. That's my claim to fame in my high school days.
What are some of the most pressing issues facing suburbs in Mount Druitt, and what is being done to address them?
Great question. I think we need to address ageing infrastructure around our libraries and swimming pools.
My goal is to make sure that we're delivering the same level of services for Mount Druitt that lots of other places have. We're going to expand the Mount Druitt Library and Community Hub with a two-storey wing. We are going to build a new indoor swimming pool at Mount Druitt Swimming Centre, so it'll be open all year round, not just in the summer.
And we're going to build a First Nations Cultural Hub, which means that we'll be able to connect better with our
First Nations community as well.
Council’s Mount Druitt Town Centre Masterplan will improve Dawson Mall. We will have better paving and gardens, and improved pedestrian access.
Council won state government grants for most of these projects, so we are minimising using ratepayer funds.
What is your vision for the future of our area? Where do you see the suburb of Bidwill heading in 10 years' time?
I’d love to see a Sydney Metro train station at Bidwill.
Council has been calling for the Sydney Metro network to connect Tallawong and St Marys, which would better serve the Blacktown City community and provide easy access to Western Sydney Airport.
Council has called for stations on this proposed line at Bidwill and Marsden Park.
A station in Bidwill would provide new investment. New homes, businesses and activity.
What are some of the hard decisions you've had to make as Blacktown Mayor?
Oh, now you're going to drill me, aren't you? An important decision Council made was to sell the Blacktown Civic Centre site to Walker Corporation so that the town centre can be redeveloped and rejuvenated, bringing investment and jobs.
The investment by Walker Corporation will provide a $920 million investment injection into the economy per year, 4,500 permanent jobs in the town centre and 1,000 construction jobs.
What inspired you to be Mayor of Blacktown?
I grew up in the area, I still live in the area with my family, and I want to make sure that our area gets what the eastern suburbs has. Equality for Western Sydney. Obviously when I left school, I didn't think I was going to become the Mayor. You don't know what you want to do. I wanted to play footy, I wanted to play cricket, I wanted to do all those sorts of things. I wanted to be a teacher as well.
But life sends you in di erent directions. I'm just happy that I can serve our community.
Our conversation continued to my favourite subject – Rugby League. Mr Bunting was surprised that I’m a Queensland fan, but understood that even though I follow the Bulldogs, the Warriors are my second team because I’m originally from New Zealand.
He related a similar story to me about his own family. He told me that he follows the Sharks because when he was six years old in 1978 and they got beaten in the grand final, all his family followed Parramatta.
He told me that even the people that marry into the family have to follow Parramatta, and that his own father was disappointed that he was a Sharks fan.
I got a lot out of meeting Mr Bunting. I realised that despite our di erences, people in our area have a great deal in common. I was surprised that he came from our area, excited by his vision for the future and proud to have represented my school.
NINE Life Education students at Bidwill represented our school in the All-Abilities National Touch Football Comp at Co s Harbour from May 29 to June 1.
Head Teacher Michael Hall said: “I was approached by Greg Brown from Sports4All a couple of weeks prior to it about the prospects of taking some students away to be part of the competition. It was a great opportunity for us and the boys were keen to participate”.
Teams were entered from across Australia, representing age groups spanning from 18 through to 65, comprising of more than 60 teams in total, with each team consisting of players from multiple age groups.
Bidwill students Javien (Year 12) and Julius (Year 11) Fuimaono played for the Sydney Scorpions in the Tier 1 competition who made it to the Grand Final only to be defeated 6 to 3 by the Brisbane Cobras.
In the Tier 2 competition, Jeremiah and Noah Allen (Year 12), Liam Nidds (Year 12), Xavier Curry (Year 10) and Inikasio Ratavou (Year 8) played for the Southern Rebels who finished at the top of their pool with only one loss over the four days. Jordan Harvey (Year 11) and Cruz Pritchard (Year 10) played for the Tasmanian Thunder who went through the competition undefeated, beating the Southern Rebels in the Tier 2 Grand Final.
Year 12 student Noah Allen said: “The best thing about playing in the comp was meeting new people. We couldn’t believe the whole thing was free and it was great to interact with people from all over Australia, learning with them and most importantly, having fun with loads of people from all ages and stages who we never would have met otherwise”.
Student Learning Support O cer Danielle Wylie said: “The best thing about the competition was seeing children and adults there, with all di erent capabilities and disabilities, just seeing them all getting involved and having a great time, having fun, winning, losing, all that kind of stu
“Everyone was very well mannered and got along well. Our kids were versing adults as well as students, some with significant disabilities and I was so proud of how kind and generous our boys were towards them.
“They would let them have a chance if they could see that some players were not as capable as us and just seeing that kind of stu , from such young men was really inspiring.”
Cruz Pritchard was especially chu ed with playing in the team that won the competition. “We made it to the grand final, and we won the gold medal. Jordan Harvey played in that team as well. I reckon it was good teamwork and playing with di erent people you might not play with or talk to on the streets,” he said.
But what was most exceptional about the competition was what Jeremiah Allen described as the fantastic “sense of community” that the boys got out of the “whole experience of the camp”. “So many players with so much talent, it was good to see how well kids with disabilities can play. There was great sportsmanship too.”
But it wasn’t just about playing in a team and developing footy skills, because, as Mr Hall recounted: “The big thing for me was on our first night at the accommodation, our, I suppose, coach and organiser, Greg Brown and his son turned up with boxes and boxes of stu for our team. Things such as hoodies, jerseys, socks, shorts, hats, bags.
“That realisation that all the gear was theirs to keep, not just to use it for four
days, but to own was just, as their teacher, a wonderful thing to be part of. The gratitude that we all have for someone to have invested so heavily into these boys, getting them into a program like this and then giving them hundreds and hundreds of dollars' worth of merchandise which was theirs to use and be proud of and feel like they're part of a team was amazing.
“You should have seen the look on the boy's faces when they were told that they could actually keep all this stu , followed by the question of how we were going to get it all home.”
Jaiven Fuimaono displayed his great sense of humility in stating that “It was very nice meeting new people. They were very generous for taking me and my brother Julius in. It was inspiring.”
None of the students had ever been to Co s Harbour before, with Xavier Curry saying: “The fun thing that I learned was how to play touch in rain. It was wet and cold every day, but still the best thing about the hotel was the pool, it was great.”
Former footballing greats Adrian Lamb and Steve Menzies were in attendance, with Jordan Harvey saying how pleased he was to get his photo taken with them. Players from the Melbourne storm who were on their way home from the recent state of Origin clash in Queensland were also in attendance.
All games were live streamed on Kayo, with Bidwill being asked to look at forming additional teams next year and taking more students up. Mr Hall said:
“Greg Brown thinks the world of our school and what we do here in terms of inclusive education.
Exciting opportunities ahead
“He's keen on getting more of our students there in future years to attend something like this because he sees the benefit of it. I just want to add I think one of the highlights of the whole weekend was seeing all the boy's great teamwork on and o the field, living together, being in the house for all that all those days and nights together. It was a first for us and we are looking forward to participating again next year.”
There are so many exciting opportunities for students in the support unit at Bidwill. To enhance our students' opportunities for the future, we collaborate with external providers, including speech therapists and health professionals.
We also partner with NOVA to help prepare them for the workforce. Additionally, our students have the chance to gain work experience with Endeavour, equipping them with practical skills for entering or transitioning into employment.
Many students in the Support Unit have graduated or are currently enrolled in TAFE courses, marking significant progress toward becoming responsible young adults ready to face real-life challenges.
We o er enriching opportunities through excursions to places such as The Australian Museum, where students explored Machu Picchu, and participated in sailing at Darling Harbour with the Making Waves Foundation, as well as attending Annie the Musical at the Capitol Theatre.
However, for us, the standout experience was participating in the National All Abilities Touch Football Competition in Co s Harbour, where we were able to showcase our talents and interact with professional players.
In just two terms, our students have expanded their learning beyond the classroom, developing both academic and personal skills. Our junior students are maturing into responsible young adolescents, while our seniors are building the skills and confidence necessary for success beyond high school.
n BY CHRISTOPHER SING
MULTICULTURAL Day at Chifley College Bidwill Campus (Thursday, June 5) is always a huge event.
Our school is very multicultural, with over 50 nationalities represented between students and sta . This year we had a flag and fashion parade full of students and teachers dressed in traditional cultural clothing.
There were multiple student dance performances from Aboriginal to Tongan, Maori, Cook Islands, Samoan, Niuean, Middle Eastern and even a teacher singing a beautiful Filipino song called Kung Ako Na Lang Sana (If only I were the one) by Mrs Mcrae from the CAPA sta room.
There were multiple activities, from oz-tag (Nepean Oz-tag) to free haircuts (Universal Barbershop), painting (Chain Reaction), fake cultural tattoos, games and merchandise (Kokua Support Services), Tongan workshops (Tongan Kingdom Academy), group activities (Youth Rezolution), sales of island wear (Ivaservicesco), information stalls (Mt Druitt Community Corrections and the Smith Family) and even a Sudanese workshop by our awesome sta member, Mr Stimon Mow.
So many food vendors such as Snobros, Kosmik Sweets, The Big Aloha, Chruby’s Dutch Pancakes, Mr Whippy, Spud Life Sydney, Emmy’s Gourmet Gozleme, Brewed Besties, JJM Frontliners, Koftas Express, Ray Ray’s Kitchen and Mama Sela’s Tongan cuisine.
I even got to interview the Federal MP for Chifley, Mr Ed Husic:
How significant is multicultural aid to you?
I always love hearing people's stories. People have come here using di erent paths, from di erent countries and they've had some experiences along the way, and learning about and putting yourself in other people's shoes is a good thing. They reckon that food is a way to a man's heart, it's often said. And the fact that you've got so many di erent foods that are on o er, and di erent cultures, gives you a chance to be able to learn from other people about how they see the world. And if Multicultural Day helps people hear those stories and learn something from it, then I think that's a really good thing.
Where did you go to high school, and what are some of your memories of the time?
I went to a public high school, Mitchell High, over in Blacktown, and went through from Year 7 to Year 12. And that was some time ago, I don't need to tell you how long ago it was, but it was some time ago. And I also enjoyed working on the student newspaper. I found it good, I enjoy writing, and I enjoy the whole process of putting a paper together, the look of it, and students always love it.
They had an end of yearbook, that puts stories and pictures of what all the students went through, through the course of the year, and it was always good being involved in that too, so I always enjoyed that. I loved all my classes, except for maths, which is a bit weird for a person who used to be the Minister for Science. I also loved playing sport,
especially basketball.
What made you interested in becoming a politician?
I developed my interest in politics at high school. I always liked seeing what was on the news, and I also followed all the things that were being done.
I loved history, it was one of my favourite subjects in school and learning how people change their communities and their countries and the world, was something I always found interesting.
So politics, I thought, particularly growing up in Western Sydney, was a way to get things done, to improve things. And I take that spirit into the job as the federal member, to make sure that I'm helping communities with the things that they want to make their lives better, and to make sure that people who've got dreams can follow them, by making life easier in their neighbourhoods.
What would you say are the most pressing issues facing suburbs in Mount Druitt?
Let me put it to you this way, the world will be o ering a lot of people opportunity with all the skills that they have. Being able to learn, being able to get those skills through school, or through TAFE, or through university is important. My parents never finished high school, I could count on one hand how many people in my family went to university. So for me, education is really such a high priority to doing well in life.
I was one of the first in my family to go to university. I went to Western Sydney University, and education changes your life, it literally opens doors for you. Education and making sure that whatever you want to study, if you want to go to TAFE, if you want to go to university, well the thing I say to students is always keep learning. When you get to year 12, it's not the end of your learning. We all learn all the time.
And I want you all to have the ambition, I want you to push for more, to push for better. Never think for a second that kids in our area can’t succeed. Never think, oh, that's for some other kids in other parts of Sydney, or the country. No, you've got to learn. You've got to do better in your life. The world is going to be unforgiving for people who don't
have skills. We're going to need more of this (pointing to his brain) and less of this (pointing to his bicep). So, education is big for me.
Housing and making sure people have a good roof over their heads is also a big issue for me. Transport and infrastructure so that people can move easily in our areas is really important, as is health care. We've got a lot of things that hold people back from being able to do the things they want in their life because of their health. And so I fight, I really push for better health care in our area for people of all ages. You recently announced a funding upgrade to Bidwill Reserve. What does that entail?
The community said that they wanted this park just behind you, upgraded. They wanted to make it a lot more attractive for families and for young people and have stu to do in the area.
So, we listened to the community groups who raised it with us. Council did work as well in trying to go, okay, well, what do you want? We took on board people's ideas, and I got money from the federal level.
We're going to get $5 million invested into upgrading that park to make it a great place. I want nice places for people in our area where people can hang out, particularly families, and we've got so many young kids coming through. So having nice spaces to play and quality in our area is really important too.
Describe your version of the future of our area. Where do you see the suburb of Bidwill heading in 10 years or so?
Sydney itself keeps going bigger and bigger and bigger and it's starting to reach us. So, I see in our area particularly a lot of new jobs opening. You know, Sydney Business Park that's up o Richmond Road to the north where the IKEA is, that's huge - 60,000 what they call direct and indirect jobs. That is people who work there directly or people who are building things and are there for a bit of time. That's called indirect employment. And people who supply stu to that area creates a lot of jobs.
So there's a lot of work, and I think getting those jobs and making it easier for people to get public transport, like buses to move around, and especially for yourselves when you're looking at some point when you want to get jobs to get a bit of extra pocket money or once you've left school to be able to pay the bills as well.
So, jobs, better roads and infrastructure are important, and I want to get things like the Metro, that you might have heard of, that rail line extended down to St Mary's to make it easier for you to move around.
More houses, better community facilities, a lot more jobs, but although bricks and concrete are one thing, and a super important thing, it’s what people feel about an area and the dreams that they have and the things that they want to go for in their life I think are the most powerful ingredients. I think young people can change the world, and I want you to all have a sense of ambition about being able to do that.
So much community investment made the whole day have a carnival atmosphere, it was great. We would like to thank everyone involved and I am looking forward to next year.
n BY MOLLY TAATEO
ON Wednesday, April 2, Chifley College Bidwill Campus hosted our annual Athletics Carnival at Blacktown International Sports Park. This was the first time our school has used this exceptional, very professional venue and it was new to me.
I would like to thank the PE teachers for organising it, as it was a massive event which required us to use eight buses. It wasn’t like the usual carnivals at Popondetta Park, as there were so many more students who attended and were just as awestruck as I was by the opportunity to really feel like an Olympic runner for a day.
There were di erent events happening in the carnival, such as the track events: 800, 200 and 100 metres plus relays, and field events: high jump, long jump, shot put, javelin, and discus. There were so many events and students clamouring to get involved that we didn’t even have time for war cries at the end of the day.
Kanangra won the day overall (students whose last names are between F-L), followed by Nymboida (S-Z), Wollemi (M-R), and Darug (A-E). We acknowledge the significance of Aboriginal people in our land and in our school by representing our teams through using indigenous names.
My team, Nymboida, won our relay, but as a show of fair play there were so many students running in relays that heats included students being mixed into di erent teams just to make sure that nobody missed out on an opportunity to participate.
After a long day at the carnival, my legs were so sore, as were my hands and in fact my whole body, come to think of it, but it was so enjoyable and made me feel great because I hadn’t run competitively for such a long time. What I love about running is that it helps with weight loss and is a chance to have fun at school.
I came 2nd in the 200 metres even though I was competing a year up, with the 15-year-olds because I missed my race. The whole carnival was so much fun, there were so many more student
participants than in last term’s swimming carnival.
As a young child growing up in Samoa, I dreamed about running in the Olympics, even though we didn’t have much and just ran around with no shoes on, competing against each other by running on grass and sand.
It was good coming here to Australia, learning new things whilst still being encouraged to be proud of my heritage. I came here in 2022 and when I started school I didn’t know much English, but the teachers always helped me with my reading.
Even though I wasn’t that good at it, I always tried to fit in so that I could have friends. I have learned that Australian teachers are not strict at all because in Samoa where I use to live, my teachers were very strict to us, but they do that so that we can be smart.
My goal is to become a doctor or become a famous actor, but that depends on how well I do in school and if I study at university. I want to pay back my family for all that they have done for me, to make them proud because they have sacrificed everything for my siblings and I to have a better future.
I want to set goals and chase after my dreams with humility and respect, showing that I am grateful for the wonderful opportunities that I have in life. They support my siblings and I and are always honest with us.
It’s also sad for me though, because
most of my family are not here with me, they are all the way back in Samoa, whilst my dad and siblings are the only family that I have here. We are planning for my grandpa to come to my sister's graduation and come to visit us because we haven’t seen each other for such a long time.
As for my mum, she can’t come because of problems with her visa, but I can see her when I go back to Samoa next year. I will never forget where I came from and when I’m successful I will represent Samoa and Tokelau, or even Australia, because if it wasn’t for this country I might not be a successful person at all. And of course, I thank my teachers too for helping me this whole time.
Even though Nymboida came second it was all good, although we were there to compete against each other, the main thing was to have some fun and build resilience by giving it a go.
Then there was the cross country. You know, if I were to run across the whole country of Samoa it would be 110 kilometres. But if I were to run across Australia it would be about 4000 kilometres! I missed my cross-country race but there’s always next year...
There were so many other things happening at the school on cross country day, like the colour run, driving around in Mr Giblin’s tractor and petting his farm animals.
The water dunking was great – one accurate throw of a ball and a bucket upturn with water splashing over a person’s head and whole body. There were food trucks as well like the ‘big big aloha’ which sells Hawaiian food, as well as other vendors who sold Dutch pancakes, snow cones and Ice cream. Food was the main thing that I saw people enjoying at Cross Country – that and the crazy karaoke.
At the end we had colour run, where teachers and students alike wear white so that they can get coloured powder thrown all over them, having so much fun. We even had war cries this time, a cross country first and something I think we should do every year.
Two fun filled events which had a fantastic atmosphere – and I can’t wait to do even better next year.
n BY MARY ROSE
THIS year at Chifley College Bidwill Campus, the Support Unit caters to approximately 70 students across five junior classes and one senior class. Our programs are designed to address individual learning needs, emphasising practical life skills both in and out of the classroom.
There are lots of fun, engaging things that we have been doing this year. For example, there was the Community Access program, where we gained con fidence and essential skills, such as using public transport independently, engaging appropriately in public settings, managing money and budgeting, ordering meals, and identifying key community services.
Project-Based Learning has further captivated students by integrating mathematics and TAS skills through hands-on activities like the planter box project, where they build confidence in using tools, think creatively, and solve real-world problems. Junior students have also gained valuable experiences in Science by growing their own vegetables, visiting the school farm, and making bath bombs.
The Planter Box Project has proven to be an engaging and educational experience for students in the support units. Through this handson initiative, students have utilised various skills, including Mathematics for measurement, safety protocols in Technology and Applied Studies (TAS), and creativity in design.
What started as a simple idea became something far more inspiring when our dedicated and visionary teacher saw an opportunity to create a hands-on experience that would empower students through collaboration, creativity, and construction.
The project? Planttabox—a stu-
dent-led initiative to design and build planter boxes from reclaimed materials. The goal? More than just greenery—it was about growth, ownership, and teamwork.
“Honestly, when we first heard about taking on a construction-based project, we were a little intimidated,” one LED4 student said. “But we also believed in her vision—and in each other.”
With all hands-on deck, the workshop came to life. In a scene that felt like something out of Snow White, students compared themselves to the Seven Dwarfs—hauling wood, pulling out nails, sanding surfaces, and pre-
paring the perfect planks for cutting. Everyone was helpful, everyone was walking around grabbing items. You would hear people discussing the project. There was not a single person not contributing,” one team member shared. “It wasn’t just about building boxes—it was about building something together.”
This team-teaching, student-powered e ort showed just how powerful creative control and collective e ort can be. Through every measurement, every cut, and every coat of paint, the Planttabox became more than a product—it became a shared achievement.
