IN an announcement made at a secret town hall meeting in February, Western Sydney University (WSU) has decided to end its relationship with Blacktown by closing its Nirimba campus. No clear reasons have been given for the drastic measure. In response to questions from the Blacktown News a media unit spokesperson claimed the closure was in the context of WSU delivering “enhanced experiences for our students”. The university provided no details as to what those experiences were. More: page 5.
blacktown.nsw.gov.au
Your new waste service is coming!
Are you ready for the biggest waste service change Blacktown City has seen in more than 30 years?
We are introducing a 240 litre food and garden waste bin to eligible houses, villas and town houses from June 2025! This is an exciting milestone in our journey towards a greener, more sustainable future.
The new service will provide households with an additional 140 litres of bin capacity per week and help divert valuable resources from landfill.
The new service structure will include:
• 140 litre red-lidded general waste bin, collected weekly
• 240 litre yellow-lidded recycling bin, collected fortnightly
• 240 litre green-lidded food and garden waste bin, collected weekly
• household clean-ups (up to 12 bookings per property each year).
Property owners can elect to have bigger or smaller bins in line with our schedule of fees and charges, available on Council’s website.
To find out more, visit blacktown.nsw.gov.au/FOGO
Celebrating 50 years of Blacktown City Festival in 2025!
In 2025, we will celebrate Blacktown City Festival’s 50th year anniversary!
To celebrate, this year is bigger than ever, with the whole month of May having something for everyone!
Old favourites Blacktown City Medieval Fayre, and Streets Alive and Parade Day will return, along with a whole list of exciting new events!
The full festival program is available now at blacktown.nsw.gov.au/festival
Saturday 5 April from 10 am to 4 pm
Grantham Reserve, Mississippi Road, Seven Hills
Join us for a fun-filled day of entertainment and activities for the whole family to enjoy including:
• arts and craft stalls
• food trucks and stalls
• live stage performances
• kids rides
• workshops and displays.
Grab the kids and neighbours and join us for a wonderful day out to celebrate your local community.
Saturday 12 April from 9 am to 1 pm
Blacktown City Council Nursery, Kent Street, Blacktown
Nursery Open Days are provided for residents who can’t pick up their annual allocation (2 plants per household, per residential year) during weekdays. Please note, these are not additional plant giveaways.
Residents can collect their 2 plants per property from a selection of native and exotic species. Nursery staff will be onsite to assist residents in selecting plants that will be appropriate for their garden. Proof of residency must be shown.
Saturday 12 April from 5 pm to 9 pm
Bambridge Lane, Riverstone
Riverstone Food Market will be back at the Bambridge Lane, welcoming back our favourite food trucks and local entertainment. Come along and enjoy delicious food and:
• live performers
• food stalls
• free jumping castles
• free spray on tattoos.
MORE than 100 parents and senior students gathered at a special Careers of Today event at Penrith Panthers on March 18.
Orgqanised by WEXPO and Cathwest Innovation College at Mt Druitt the event was a unique opportunity for parents and students to hear form a panel of experts about career opportunities in various industries.
Cathwest Manager Entrepreneurial Partnerships, Judith smith said the event was incredible evening of collaboration and conversation with parents, young people, and industry experts.
“The energy in the room was inspiring as we explored the jobs in demand, the skills and capabilities required, and the pathways leading to these careers,” Judith said.
“A big shout out to WEXPO for working with CathWest in hosting and managing this event.
“A huge thank you to everyone who attended and engaged in this crucial discussion—our children's future!
“It was also fantastic to see how educational institutions are aligning with industry needs, reaffirming the importance of a relevant and future-focused
Beducation.”
The event was moderated by Western Sydney business leader, Lee Ussher from Buzz Web Media who led discussions with the panel.
The panelists included:
• Peter Mackey – Bradfield Development Authority
• Nathan McIntosh – Western Sydney Internation-
al Airport Sydney Airport.
• Kate Dodds – AI & Data Strategy.
• Jo Tapley – Ambrose Early Learning.
• Eleanor Harrison – GAMUDA.
• Dr. Valentine Mukuria – Australian Catholic University.
Exhibitors included NexGen Jaybro, Buzzmedia Agency, TAFE NSW, Macquarie Community College who interacted and provided valuable information to families:
Closing the night with insight and clarity, Paul Stenning, principal at CathWest, provided direction for the future—reinforcing the importance of education that truly meets industry needs.
“Your expertise and passion made this event truly impactful. Thank you for helping shape the future of education and careers at CathWest,” he said
The event was supported by media partners, The Blacktown News and Access News. More Careers of Today events will be scheduled for later 2025.
LACKTOWN City Council is once again calling for stronger investment in infrastructure across Western Sydney, as the city continues to experience extraordinary population growth.
Mayor of Blacktown City, Brad Bunting, said the pace of development in the region is putting increasing pressure on local roads, public transport and community facilities.
“Our residents are heavily impacted
by a lack of supporting infrastructure,”
Mayor Bunting said.
“Windsor Road is a clear example of the congestion we’re seeing every day—but it’s not the only one. Richmond Road, Garfield Road, and other key corridors in our northern growth area are also under significant strain.”
“These roads are vital not just for our local residents, but for the future of the entire North West Growth Area.”
Council has long advocated for
a more equitable share of state and federal infrastructure funding; particularly as local government is expected to deliver services and support community development for hundreds of thousands of new residents.
“The expectation is that councils like ours build strong, connected communities,”
Mayor Bunting said. “But we need enabling infrastructure to do that properly.”
Mayor Bunting also acknowledged that the issues recently raised by The
Hills Shire reflect concerns that are “real and familiar” to Blacktown City Council.
“Infrastructure must keep pace with population growth,” he said. “We recognise the importance of working with our neighbouring councils to advocate for fairer infrastructure funding from the NSW Government.”
“By working together, we can tackle these shared challenges and help ensure sustainable growth for our region.”
Set in one of the fastest growing LGAs in Australia, Oran Park is a thriving, peaceful, master planned community of new homes, wide open spaces, exceptional new schools and expanding dining and retail precincts.
Premium land is scheduled to release soon and there’s a lot to fit every budget and lifestyle.
• Well positioned near the rapidly expanding Oran Park Town Centre
• Close proximity to award-winning parks, green spaces and waterways
• Easy build lots ranging from 300m 2 to 600m 2
Visit the Sales Office today and discover all Oran Park has to offer.
Scan the QR code to register your interest to be informed about future land releases.
IN an announcement made at a secret town hall meeting in February, Western Sydney University (WSU) has decided to end its relationship with Blacktown by closing its Nirimba campus.
No clear reasons have been given for the drastic measure. In response to questions from the Blacktown News a media unit spokesperson claimed the closure was in the context of WSU delivering “enhanced experiences for our students”. The university provided no details as to what those experiences are.
“As part of its ongoing commitment to delivering the highest-quality learning, teaching, and research environment for its students and staff, Western Sydney University plans to relocate programs and operations from its Nirimba campus,” the spokesper son said.
Blacktown State MP, Stephen Bali is outraged at the decision and expressed his views recently in NSW Parliament.
“WSU Nirimba campus has seen its fair share of controversy over the years. From the halcyon days of its opening in 1995 hailed by local politicians and community leaders for satisfying the thirst for knowledge for a comprehensive university education in Blacktown City to its slow demise with the closure of the degree program circa 2006 and now the College campus” Mr Bail said.
Since 2009, WSU College has been a social enter prise owned by WSU that assists students in gaining alternative entry into university through Academic Pathway Programs by offering diplomas that would provide access to university pathway courses.
WSU Nirimba campus has been plagued with rumours of its demise or sale which was first raised in 2007.
UWS College was successfully delivered huge profits to the University with reports in the media by staff and students that the College “shouldn’t be treated as cash-cows and milked to death.”
This led to the first ever strike in the history of the College in 2022.
A Blacktown News Special Report in June 2022 raised fears of the sell off when Mr Bali MP raised persistent rumours of an impending sell-off of Nirimba campus to develop-
presence in Blacktown – continuing to optimise its course offerings at Nirimba to ensure it best meets the current and future educational needs of the local western Sydney community.”
However, in the latest university backflip, the spokesperson said the university was “exploring the future of the campus” and adding the closure involves “transferring undergraduate preparation and diploma programs delivered by The College, the University’s pathway provider, at the Nirimba campus to other parts of the University’s network.”
Mr Bali was scathing in his criticism of WSU on its announcement of the closure of the campus, saying: “The University has lied to the people of Blacktown and, in less than three years [after reporting to Blacktown News that it won’t close], it is now shutting down the campus.
“Over the past 10 years WSU has spent $132M promoting itself to the people of western Sydney and paying over $20M on rebranding itself but is losing local students to other universities.
“WSU now has a minimal presence in The Hills Council and Blacktown Council areas, yet these two councils are the fastest growing in Western Sydney, which represents almost one in four Western Sydney residents; no longer have direct access to WSU.”
Mr Bali is calling on all elected representatives, Federal, State and Local, to call on WSU to reverse their decision to close the Nirimba campus by the end of
Continued on page 6
APARTNERSHIP between Parklea Correctional Centre and Australian Catholic University (ACU) has ignited a thirst for learning in inmates who are discovering new possibilities for their lives outside prison.
ACU has partnered with MTC Australia to deliver the Clemente Australia program to minimum security inmates at Parklea. Clemente began in the United States in 1995 and was adopted by ACU in 2003 as an initiative of mission at several campuses, including the ACU Blacktown Campus near Parklea in 2020.
It is aimed at individuals whose education has been disrupted, including migrants, prisoners, those with health issues or people experiencing homelessness, to break the cycle of
inequality and social injustice.
Students undertake a university-level Certificate in Liberal Arts, studying subjects such as philosophy, literature, history, sociology and politics. They learn skills such as critical thinking, researching and writing essays through the completion of four humanities units. It also teaches them to think about themselves and their environment and provides a pathway to re-engage with education.
The inmates at Parklea started the pilot program last year, studying Global History for the first unit and Sociology for the second. The pilot was deemed such a success, they will now move on to Philosophy in Semester One this year.
Once they pass all four units and
receive their certificate, they can continue their studies at university. If they leave prison before they finish the course, they can complete their studies through ACU.
Parklea Governor Wayne Taylor said education played an important role in reducing reoffending, as it provided inmates with better employment opportunities and improved their self-esteem.
ACU Clemente Coordinator and course lecturer Youssef Taouk said the experience had been very positive, as the inmates were inquisitive and enthusiastic to learn.
“It can be very intimidating to enrol in a uni course, but they showed bravery, persistence and resilience in coming every week,” Youssef said.
this year and come to the negotiating table to discuss what a viable tertiary education site at Nirimba ought to consist of.
State Member for Riverstone, Warren Kirby said: “It's disappointing WSU has decided to move on and it’s definitely a blow to the students
of the area who, ultimately, are the ones who will pay the price for their decision.
“But there is also opportunity. We need more schools, especially high schools. Within an hour of hearing about the decision I was meeting with the Minister for Education and the Minister for Skills, TAFE and Higher Education about what could be done to
reimagine the Nirimba Precinct.
“Does this provide the opportunity to build a 7-10 campus to provide a pathway to Wyndham which, in turn, provides pathways into TAFE courses? What about a primary school too? Can we bolster TAFE on the site to provide even more opportunities for students?
“Should we replace WSU with another university, or should we make
the whole precinct a public education campus? Ultimately commercial interests are rarely influenced by public good and WSU has made it clear it’s in their commercial interest to close the university and that is their right.
“As far as I’m concerned, we, as a government, should be looking at what can be done to turn the situation into public good.”
Workers Sports Club is seeking expressions of interest for a small hair salon within the club.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced hairdresser or business owner looking to establish or expand their presence in a well-frequented venue.
Venue
WEXPO 2025 will be hosted at Hall 5A at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, Australia.
For Exhibitors
Exhibitor Bump In: Tuesday 21st Oct – 3-5pm.
Exhibitor Bump out: Thursday 23rd – 9am – 3pm. Workshops
Commencing at 9am and running every hour with a 30-minute break in between. Details announced soon.
Workshops require registration at www.wexpo.com.au
Event opens to the public at 8am, concludes 6pm.
the Carlingford and Western Sydney communities is to create learning opportunities in environments where everyone feels welcomed, respected and supported.
“So many of our mature-aged students have not been in a classroom for decades – and their schooling years may have been quite daunting or negative. We help them develop the confidence to set and achieve their learning goals,” says Theresa.
At MCC, the focus is on programs that support employment and social
inclusion - digital literacy and English language courses for migrants and highly regarded practical qualification training for careers in early childhood education and care, aged and disability care.
Like most sectors, MCC s faceto-face class operations were deeply impacted during Covid times. The short-term ups ad downs in funding and government policies in the adult community education didn t help either.
“It is unlike every other sector of
• Business & Work Visas
• Labour Agreements
• Training Visas (407)
• Partner Visas
• Parent Visas
• Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)
• Citizenship
education, being subject to (mostly) annual and unpredictable levels of contestable funding,” says Theresa. Currently, the College has a team of 150 professionals working with them.
As CEO, Theresa has led the development of MCC and implemented a series of Three -Year Strategic plans focussed primarily on outcomes, impact and long-term operating sustainability. The College is now kicking off the 2025-27 plan looking at stronger communities through learning and connection.
As a result of her perseverance, despite the challenges of Covid, the College has grown and changed significantly with regard to program offerings, student numbers, revenue, staffing, IT systems and campuses in the last six years.
“We have deepened and broadened our trusted relationships with government and grown our network of referral and delivery partners and supporters. We are united in our belief that quality, inclusive education and training changes lives for the better,” says Theresa stressing on the importance of collaboration.
The College hopes to grow in their areas of strength - foundational skills such as English and digital literacy, lifelong learning and VET qualifications in Greater Sydney and in virtual classrooms. MCC is also looking at establishing additional Gateway Community High campuses, for the 15–24-yearolds, over the next ten years.
Theresa’s personal journey
A FIRST-generation Australian, Theresa is the youngest of six siblings. Born to entrepreneurs, her parents migrated in 1951 from the Netherlands. They initially made Victoria home, then relocated to Sydney. A keen, early reader, Theresa went to a local Catholic primary school in Baulkham Hills till Year 3, then moved to St Patricks, eventually finishing her high school from OLMC, both in Parramatta. As a Rotary Exchange student, she lived with four different families in Canada, an experience which Theresa thinks greatly shaped her educational and intercultural learning journey. She then went on to complete a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) from UNSW and moved to England as a global product manager for Derwent pencils. Theresa returned to Australia and completed her Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) at the Australian Graduate School of Management at UNSW. “I am grateful and fortunate that I can work in a role that aligns with my values and I can make a difference. I have the solid foundations of wellbeing and curiosity from a positive family upbringing and ongoing support, plus great education, some fantastic challenging work experiences with terrific organisations, and the energy and health to keep going on,” signs off Theresa.
Blacktown City Council is proud to be a major sponsor of the Blacktown City and Mount Druitt/St Marys Local Business Awards.
Blacktown is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia, with our current population of over 435,000 forecast to grow to over 600,000 residents within 20 years.
Our economy is over $24 billion and based on the trading activity of over 30,000 local businesses.
During these challenging times, we known that it is particularly important for our Council to support local businesses who are the backbone of our economy.
The Local Business Awards is an opportunity for our community to come together and acknowledge the great work our local businesses are doing in providing jobs, goods and services to support our City’s people.
I am proud to recognise that several Council businesses are regularly nominated as finalists in their award categories.
Congratulations to all winners and over 324 finalists in the Awards! Message
date
the
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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 2 | April 2025
Online edition is hosted permanently at www.greaterblacktownnews.com.au
BY MIZACHRO KOKO - YEAR 9
WHEN I was a young child, I always thought of Bidwill shops as a ghost town. I had never remembered there being any shops there – at least none that lasted. I recently did some research into old news articles and found one from 2016 with the headline, ‘Hopes dashed as troubled shopping complex looks to stay shut’ (Daily Telegraph, 2016). It showed Federal MP, Ed Husic campaigning to get them open, after the issue was raised in a series of other articles about the area, but nothing positive looked likely to happen.
I dug a little further to find that many news reports, spanning back to the 90’s, have been written about attempts that have been made to open shops to service a community which has had a tumultuous history.
Articles such as ‘Decline and fall of a local shopping centre’ (SMH, 1998), and ‘Bidwill residents describe life in a western Sydney suburb 'full of sad stories' (ABC, 2014) painted a bleak outlook of despair. There was even a report on ‘A Current Affair’ where students from Chifley College, Bidwill were interviewed front of the vacant building, lamenting the lack of a local shopping centre as the local pub did it’s best to provide the daily staples, milk, bread, eggs, to fill the void.
However, Bidwill Square is no longer the abandoned tumbleweed town that it once was. Fast forward to 2025 and that history seems to have faded into the rearview, as Bidwill Square has become a thriving community hub, showcasing a productive, harmonious community atmosphere.
I interviewed William and David who are barbers at Top Kuts, a shop that I notice always sems to be full of people, about their experiences at Bidwill Square: Who works here and how long have you been here at Bidwill?
I’m William, the owner and we have Sam and David working here. We have been here for five years. What is your impression of the people that come here? How do you see the Bidwill community?
William: Lots of different types of people, Islanders, Aussies, and Aboriginals, it’s a very mixed community.
David: The people who live here are great, very down to earth. We have plenty of regular customers and new ones all the time.
Have you always wanted to be a barber?
William: Yes, I have. After I finished school, I dropped out during year eleven and started doing barbering. I've been doing it for fourteen years now and love it.
David: For me, it was mostly because of COVID. During that time I was cutting my dads and my little brothers hair and I just enjoyed it, so I’m really happy being a barber.
What’s your favourite haircut?
William: A skin fade, like what you get when you come into the shop, a skin fade flat top.
David: Mine’s probably a taper fade, like what I have, or mullets. We do a lot of those here, very popular.
What's the best part of your job?
William: Everything, to be honest. I like chatting with the customers, hearing about their day. I just like talking to the to the people that come in here, that sort of thing. Someone's asking for my services, which is really good as well, choosing us over someone else, we must be doing something right.
David: The best part is making people happy. Knowing that they like the service we provide, and we are happy when they want to come back.
As well as the barber shop, the centre includes Palms Pacific, a nail and beauty salon, hair and skin salon, an electronics store, cafe, tobacconist, clothing shop plus Hibiscus Care disability and youth service. Two other spaces have construction underway, one of which is for the new Story Factory facility.
I interviewed Year 11 Chifley College Bidwill student, Brianne Loto, who works at Palms Pacific: What sorts of things do Palms Pacific sell, and what role do they play in our local community?
Palms Pacific is a shop that specializes in Pacific Islander foods, three different foods. Hot, fresh, and frozen. We sell hot food at the back, frozen stuff on the left side and then fresh stuff all in the middle. We also import snacks from New Zealand and stuff. I feel like that's really important for the community because if you look around Australia, there's not many, like, Pacific Islander shops around this area. And, for Sydney, this is one of our biggest achievements because it’s actually the biggest Pacific Islander shop in the entirety of Sydney.
And as for what role it plays in the community, it gives almost, like, a safe haven for islanders to feel at home again, away from their country. You know? We have food that tastes like it's from home because it's
made with love. It's fresh every single day. We don't use MSG, or anything like that, because we want the best for our customers.
That's fantastic. It sound sounds like you really get a sense of pride in working for a company like that. Would you say that’s true?
100 per cent true. I really do love my job, and even the people that I work with, I absolutely love the people. What are your goals for the future after you finish the HSC and how has your time at school helped you to achieve those goals?
I am working at Palms Pacific three to four days per week at the moment just to rack up some money because after the HSC, I do want to continue my education in university because I want to be a marine biologist.
One of the skills I do learn at school is definitely social interaction. I didn't realise how bad I was at talking to people until I started my job there, but at school, because I'm constantly socialising and interacting with different types of people, I'm like, I'm getting ready for when I'm older, when I have to talk to people. When I have to engage and communicate in public. And I feel like communication is one of the biggest skills we learn here at school because it plays a role in your future relationships, your jobs, and literally every part of your life.
Bidwill Square is now a story of success for our suburb. I know so many people who have lived in the area their whole lives, including teachers and other staff members at the school. No matter what the perception of our area has been in the past, Bidwill people have always wanted to come back, to give back to their community. It’s a special place which I can’t describe but anyone who has been a part of it knows what I mean about how much love is here. It also has shops.
BY CHARLOTTE KIRKWOOD
CHIFLEY College Bidwill Campus held its annual swimming carnival at Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre in Emerton on Monday, March 3.
The house groups we have to represent us are Darug (Red), Kanangra (Blue), Wollemi (Green) and Nymboida (Yellow) and each student is proud to represent their house and the Aboriginal heritage that the names come from.
The events at the carnival are 50 metre freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly plus relay events and a teacher race. The ‘lizard lane’ is also fun, which is where all students can earn house points by swimming the length of the pool however, they want to without being competitive.
I think the swimming carnival is a great way for students to have fun without having to do any schoolwork. Plenty of students came in fancy dressup clothes looking like bananas or superheroes with capes on.
Although the day was overcast, it was still reasonably warm, and students made use of the canteen to buy hot food, drinks and ice blocks. But the best part of the day was the outstanding war cries, where full on school spirit was on display – big time. Even non-swimmers like me loved that part. They were so loud that a large group of residents and passers-by gathered at the car park outside the fence to watch in stunned amazement as Wollemi won for the loudest house.
The team I belong to, Kanangra, won the day overall with 607 points, followed by Darug on 488 with Nymboida and Wollemi neck and neck on 393 and
392 points respectively.
We have a brand-new scoreboard at school which displays the points which will be added to later this term with the upcoming Athletics and Cross-country carnivals. Our Principal, Mr Doidge, also said that there will be other ways of attaining points through academic excellence throughout the year, which is also exciting.
The whole event made me determined to learn to swim so I can get into the pool and contribute to our score next year.
BY COOPER BURTON (YEAR 8)
WE interviewed community engagement manager, Julie Collins and storyteller, Cloey Lamayo about their upcoming move into Bidwill Square, showcasing their amazing collaboration with Chifley College Bidwill Campus.
So what's the story with Story Factory? When did it begin, and what do you do?
(Julie): Story Factory began in Redfern in July 2012, so we're almost a teenager. It started out of a desire from Cath Keenan and Tim McGregor, who were journalists for Sydney Morning Herald, who wanted to produce creative writing programs to the under-resourced communities in the Redfern area. Then in 2017, we opened the centre in Parramatta so that we could service more schools in Western Sydney. And now we're opening a centre in Bidwill, so that we can embed ourselves into the Mount Druitt area.
The whole aim of Story Factory is to bring creative writing to under-resourced communities and give young people the opportunity to not only use their voice, but also to use creative arts to explore themselves, and provide opportunities to publish their own work.
Where are you currently based? Which schools do you service in the area and elsewhere?
(Julie): The space in Redfern basically looks after all of the Redfern / Waterloo area, and the schools in that area. The Parramatta centre looks after more of the Parramatta schools, and Bidwill will be focusing on the Mount Druitt schools. So, we are in lots and lots of different schools, and we operate in lots of different ways.
For example, we'll do inschool workshops in primary schools and high schools. We go into an English class and deliver workshops, at the end of which the kids get to have their own work published. We do after-school activities as well as holiday workshops. We also do
Tspecial projects. So, for example, we're looking at doing one at the moment where we create a mural on a wall. We’ll get the students involved to create little vignettes of writing, and that will all be produced on the wall. So pretty exciting stuff, all sorts of creative activities.
What are some other examples of the programs that you offer?
(Julie): So we've got inschool programs where we just take over the English classes for a term or for one offs. One of the programs we ran at Bidwill last term was an Instapoetry course which is about short, social media post type pieces. We also ran an Olfactory course which shows you how to describe the sense of smell in creative writing.
We offer after-school programs, which all have different types of subject matter and types of writing. We also do term long programs, which result in a compilation of your and your classmates’ writing in a class publication, and year-long programs, Year of the Novella and Year of Poetry - where students create a story or compilation of poetry, and these are published into each students’ own individual book, presenting you as the author!
This is one of the books from our Year of the Novella program last year. One of our students, Victoria, produced this book. Obviously, it's produced like a proper publication. They go through the whole process, writing, editing, publishing, creating the covers, putting it together. This year in our ‘Year of Poetry’ program, we've
got room for more poets to join. It's the same thing, except we produce a book of all the poems that you write, which is really exciting.
(Chloe): ‘Write Your World’ is a term-long program running out of Learning Ground. It’s also running at Chifley College Dunheved in North St Marys. The students come to the library after school and attend the workshop there. Write Your World is focused on personal literacy. W
e do lots of short pieces of creative writing, and students explore their identity and write about themselves. For example, we ask them to write poems. In our most recent workshop the students wrote a poem where each line started with “I am” and they described who they are. So, ‘Write your World’ is just as the title states - it's focused on the students, giving them a voice, giving them an opportunity to explore themselves and write about it in a creative way. Everyone wants to write about themselves and to feel like they matter.
(Julie): Next term’s after-school program at Learning Ground is Ghost Stories, inspired by the spookiest texts, and giving young people the skills to create their very own spooky story.
Oh and what’s also very important, is that we provide delicious snacks at all of our after school programs!
What is your favourite story?
(Julie): My favourite story? That's like trying to choose a favourite child, to be honest. There are so many kids and so
many stories, and they bring out the most amazing pieces of writing. And it might just be three lines, but it'll blow your mind!
But this is my favourite book – ‘orange peelings’ by Sarah Dee in our Year of Poetry program last year. These are all poems that she's written, and some of them are so heartfelt and so confronting. For a high school student, I think it's just amazing. That's my favourite so far.
We had a big launch when we published these books. All the students from Year of the Novella and Year of Poetry were presented with their books, and they all did readings. And it was amazing to see the level of confidence and the quality of their writing being celebrated by families and friends. What impact do you hope to have at Bidwill? For example, I believe Story Factory is also linked to ‘The Hive’ at Blackett, what is your purpose there?
(Julie): We're going to be co-locating with ‘The Hive’ at Bidwill Square Shopping Centre. What we want to do, and what we're trying to achieve is to embed ourselves in the Mount Druitt area so that we can provide services and create writing workshops, in partnership, to young people in this community. ‘The Hive’ does a lot of community development and capacity building, as well as early childhood and family support work as part of the collective impact project, and we like to partner with them for different projects in this area. What we want to do in Bidwill is provide opportunities for more kids to get involved and have more experiences with creative writing, discover their voices, and tell their stories because stories change lives.
When young people get to see their work as a published piece of writing, it is really special. It's really meaningful. And we'd love to give this opportunity to all young people in the Mt Druitt area. We want to expand our horizons and really focus not only on the creative writing aspect and the work-
shops, but also community engagement as well as work with other services, like The Hive. Do you like your jobs and why?
(Julie): I really like my job because I get to go and talk to people and get paid for it. I'm the Community Engagement Manager, so my job is to connect with the community, with students and get them to come and experience one of our programs.
I get to talk with young people like you all the time, which is awesome. It's my favourite thing. But I also get to, you know, plan things like the opening of our new workshop space with The Hive. It's pretty challenging, but it's also exciting.
What about you, Chloe?
(Chloe): Well, I'm a storyteller, and I'm brand new to Story Factory. I only started last month. I was a primary school teacher, so I am still a teacher, however in this work, I get to run workshops and focus on creative writing, which I love. It's one of my favourite things to teach.
I get to work with young people, both in primary school and high school, so I'm exposed to different kinds of age groups, and it's really fun. I am loving it so far. I love that I get to go to different schools and different places and work with organisations. It's very different to classroom teaching.
I get to really see my impact in the community, and I've worked at schools in the local community as well, so I'm still connected in a meaningful way. I also work with awesome people like Julie. The Story Factory staff are some of the best people I've ever worked with. They're fantastic. The storytellers that we have at Story Factory are very broad in experience, and they're all hilarious.
We have scriptwriters, we have teachers, we have poets, we have a hip-hop artist. We're also lucky because we have volunteers that come and help students at the schools as well as in our after-school programs, so we've developed nice little communities within our programs as well.
HE boys played Doonside Technology High School and put in a clinical performance, winning the game 28-0. The performance put the other schools as well as the selectors on notice with several of our boys catching the eye of the selection panel. Next game we played Plumpton High School and won a closer game 16-10. After these two victories we came fist in our pool. Next up we played Chifley College Mt Druitt in the semifinal and put together our best performance of the day and won the match 16-0. We came up against Rooty Hill High School in the final the only other team who was yet to taste defeat on the day. We started slowly
and found ourselves down 0-16 before mounting a late comeback and scoring the last two trys. Unfortunately, we ended up losing 10-16. Massive shout out to the players we had represent us on the day who played and conducted themselves admirably all day. We would also like to thank and con-
gratulate our two players that we had from the day from Shalvey Isaac and George who also got selected for the Sydney West trials. Finally, a massive congratulations to the following students who were also selected to trial for Sydney West. Tyrell G 9. Rico M 9 and Justin T 8. Well done boys.
SASWATI MUKHERJEE
TRUE to their vision, Kids West is filling the gaps in the medical infrastructure for the hospitals and health facilities in Sydney’s West, one organisation at a time.
Formed with the slogan: Our Kids are Our future in 1991 by Trevor Oldfield and Professor Reuben Dubois of Westmead hospital, the goal was to raise some much-needed funds for the hospitals in Sydney’s West. Today, they have managed to do just that and a little more.
“Our focus has always been on Western Sydney and associated hospitals, as when we started, funding for Western Sydney was limited and the availability of advanced equipment was slow to reach hospitals in the west and far west. Westmead, Blacktown and Nepean were less a priority. This has changed to a degree but the continual increase in population in Western Sydney means that to keep up to date with facilities and equipment is still more than a challenge,” says Mr Trevor Oldfield, Executive Director at Kids West.
Kids West was welcomed as a charity which aimed at identifying the real needs in the infrastructure and filling gaps wherever possible.
Recently, the Kids West team visited Nepean Hospital’s NICU and maternity units, where the equipment they supplied has now enabled the hospital staff to provide the best care to newborns and families.
The jaundice meters donated by Kids West has been an ‘incredible asset’, says an official staff in a letter written to the charity. The staff can now quickly and non-invasively screen babies for jaundice, which, if left untreated, can lead to serious complications.
The number of blood tests needed to determine this condition has come down drastically, which in turn means less distress for newborns and their families. These devices are portable as well, enabling the hospital’s Midwifery at Home team also to conduct screenings during home visits.
The compactly designed breast milk fridges supplied there, also have had a very positive impact. Mother’s milk can now be stored right at the bedside, particularly crucial for premature and vulnerable babies. It is now easy to regulate temperature too in these fridges, thus helping store milk and medications more effectively.
The breast milk fridges have also had a profound impact. Their compact design allows mothers’ milk to be stored right at the bedside, providing easier access and reducing the risk of errors or cross-contamination.
Having these fridges within sight promotes breastfeeding, which is particularly crucial for premature and vulnerable babies. Additionally, the improved storage conditions help regulate temperature, ensuring both breast milk and certain medications
remain safe and readily available for use.
In addition to this, Kids West has provided a much-needed Ventilator to Campbelltown Paediatrics. The staff are now training in the use of this equipment. Kids West has now received a request to provide a similar ventilator to Liverpool Paediatrics.
Providing greater access to essential care, Kids West also recently gave away 20 vouchers to vulnerable families in Doonside. While a few families had children with special needs, others were faced with learning difficulties in children and financial struggles. A lot of them were severely impacted by domestic violence too amidst growing families.
“There is never enough funding to support the needs but we believe that if we can help save one life, help prevent a tragedy or help keep a family emotionally stable, then we have succeeded. We know that we are a small part of a huge problem and as such we developed a motto ‘if a lot of people and organizations do a little bit, the difference is a lot’,” says Oldfield.
Visit: www.kidswet.org.au
The Kids West is only one of the many children's charities in Australia. Its mission is to raise money for the childrens hospital fund, delivering much-needed equipment to the hospitals of western Sydney Over the course of 30+ years, Kids West has raised in excess of $7.2m and is one of the best Australian charities to suppor t dedicated countless hours to assisting a large number of organisations in improving the health and wellbeing of children throughout Western Sydney. Below are some of the other fantastic childrens charities Australia has in place As with any children's charity, it's best to do your research. Unfor tunately, there are organisations out there that take advantage of well-meaning souls and misappropriate funds Some organisations, as charitable as their intentions may be, cost a lot to run so your donations may not actually get to where you're intending them to go.
Research the charity thoroughly BEFORE getting out your chequebook. (ACNC) is the national regulator of charities. The Australian Charities and Not For Pro t Commission They oversee over 58,000 registered charities in Australia. We highly recommend checking out their charity register to see if the group you're looking to suppor t is approved to fundraise Check to see what the goals of the charity are Make sure they're transparent – they should be able to show you where the money goes. Reviewing their annual repor t should help you. It should be on their website. w w w.kidswest.org.au
with Michelle Rowland
MICHELLE ROWLAND
HAVE you ever had a pressing medical need that was not a hospital emergency, but couldn’t wait for your local GP?
Labor’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are the answer - providing fast healthcare for burns, cuts, infections, sprains, minor fractures and more.
They are walk-in, open early till late, and bulk billed.
As your local Member of Parliament, I have always fought to get essential, affordable health services - like an emergency department at the Rouse Hill Hospital development.
A re-elected Albanese Labor Government will deliver a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in our community - and all you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card.
It will take pressure off the Blacktown Hospital and mean you and your loved ones will get care when you need it,
without waiting hours in the ED.
Labor proudly built Medicare and we are making it stronger: slashing the cost of PBS medicines to $25, more
bulk billing and 87 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia. North-West Sydney is next.
Peter Dutton was voted the worst Health Minister by
Australian doctors and he tried to destroy Medicare. We won’t let him do it again.
He tried to end bulk billing and slashed $50B from public hospital budgets. He wanted to
make patients pay a GP Tax to see their doctor.
Now his Liberal colleagues are trying to take credit for Labor’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. Liberal spokesperson for Western Sydney, Melissa McIntosh MP, recently re-announced a clinic for Green Valley in South West Sydney.
What the Liberals fail to admit is Green Valley was already announced by Labor.
They had nine years in government and never opened a single Urgent Care Clinic, and have repeatedly labelled them as “wasteful spending”. How can you trust them to deliver a clinic for our community?
Only a re-elected Albanese Government can be trusted to deliver essential healthcare for the people of Western Sydney.
Michelle Rowland MP is the Federal Member for Greenway and Minister for Communications. If you need assistance with any Federal issue, you can contact Michelle by phone on 02 9671 4780 or by email at Michelle. Rowland.MP@aph.gov.au
Western Sydney is home to over a million people, 53% of whom were born overseas, and 58% of whom speak a language other than English at home. With estimates that more than 436,000 Australians are living with dementia, and two-thirds of those living in community, it is crucial that people have access to free navigation tools to get the support they deserve.
WentWest, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network are funding the Dementia Care Navigator to help people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds navigate the health system and access the right support services whilst seeking a dementia diagnosis or following a diagnosis.
The Dementia Care Navigator is designed to support people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to learn about dementia, seek a diagnosis, connect with service providers, and access services at all stages of the dementia journey.
The Dementia Care Navigator service is available in Blacktown, Cumberland, Parramatta, and The Hills Local Government areas. It aims to connect people who speak a language other than English to government-funded dementia care services and supports. The service offers group information sessions, ongoing one-on-one support, expert advice, and access to translated resources and interpretation services.
The Dementia Care Navigator service is available to:
9 Individuals who primarily speak English as a second language.
9 Those concerned about their memory.
9 People who suspect that someone they know may have dementia.
9 Individuals living with dementia, along with their carers and families.
with Emma Wilson
STARGAZING, skiing, tobogganing, ice castle experience, interesting history and great dining. Make sure you put Utah on your radar as your next winter holiday. It is wonderful in all seasons but don’t miss Utah in the winter - it’s particularly special.
Park City Mountain Resort is the USA’s largest snow resort and is only 30-35 minutes by car, uber or shuttle bus from Salt Lake International Airport. Park City Mountain Resort has two mountain bases, Park City and the Canyons - and both offer slightly different experiences. The Canyons has a brand-new upmarket accommodation, shopping and dining precinct called The Pendry, with amazing Japanese and Mexican food and a new gondola being installed over summer ready for winter season 2025/26. This will whisk guests from right outside the Pendry precinct up to the Red Pine skiing area. At the Park City Mountain base side you can ski from the top of the resort all the way down to Park City’s historic Main Street. Here you can go shopping, eat lunch or grab a coffee and catch a chairlift back up, all just 5 metres from the front of your restaurant in the Main Street of the town. I can’t think of another snow resort where you can have this unique experience, and I have visited 100 snow resorts in the USA, Europe and America. Find out more about Park City skiing at www.skiutah.com
History
Park City has a colourful history as a mining town, back in the 19th and 20th centuries silver, lead and zinc were extracted from the mountains and consequently you can ski around on the mountain and still see remnants of mining equipment large and small from this era. As you ski around it’s fun to see mining themes in the daylodges when you stop for lunch or a drink, and you can sign up to get a tour, skiing around picturesque mining structures that sit with a backdrop of snow. Tours run every day at 10am and 12.30pm during the winter season and check the schedule for details www. parkcitymountain.com/explore-the-resort/activities/winter-activities/historic-mountain-tours
Sundance Film Festival
Every January, Park City hosts the
Sundance Film Festival, an independent short film and documentary film festival that celebrates emerging talent and thought-provoking ideas in 11 categories over 11 days. Films are shown at different venues around Park City and the town comes alive with festival-goers dining, discussing, walking between different films and even throwing on the skis for a few laps at Park City Mountain. Head to www. festival.sundance.org/ for next year’s tickets, the festival runs from 22nd January to the 1st February 2026.
Food culture
Did you know Park City is well-known as a foodie destination? Walk along Main Street and enjoy the colourful street scene with bars, pubs and restaurants vying for your attention. Riverhorse on Main offers American fine dining with seasonal food and local ingredients. High West Distillery & Saloon serves American pub food and as the first legal distillery in Utah since the Prohibition era has a range of craft spirits and unique charm. The Farm, on the Canyons base side offers American farm to table meals and is a fun place
to sit outside on a sunny day. Midway Mercantile is a short drive from Park City Main street and a great American dining experience in a refurbished general store. It serves up locally sourced cuisine from fresh local ingredients and centres on a hearth-to-table family dining experience. www.parkcitymountain.com/explore-the-resort/during-your-stay/dining
Activities Galore
Just 20 minutes down the road from Park City Main Street is an activities precinct that offers family snow tubing. Soldiers Hollow Nordic Center has the longest tubing lanes in Utah at 1200 feet (365 metres) long, so long you need a conveyor belt to get to the top. Sessions go for 2 hours, it is an experience suitable for Grandma as well as toddlers, dress warmly as this exciting ride is an outdoor experience.
Is an all-ages activity best enjoyed at night when the sun goes down as purpose-built ice castles, sculptures and slides are lit up with neon lights and music. This activation is hand-built by 20 to 40 ice artists, and all 12,000 icicles are made by hand. It is across the road from the Soldier Hollow tubing activity and takes about an hour so if you plan ahead you can enjoy both before heading to
the Midway Mercantile for a warm meal. Don’t forget to book your activities and dining ahead.
Star gazing and Pitch Black Skies
Utah has several locations recognised as International Dark Sky Places, such as Antelope Island State Park, a 45-minute drive from Salt Lake City, known for amazing night sky quality. It is worth experiencing if you have more time in the area and perhaps a couple of nights staying in Salt Lake City before or after your flight.
Utah is a very easy destination to get to with flights into Salt Lake City via a quick stopover in Los Angeles with many airlines to choose from. There are plenty of shuttle bus services available from Salt Lake City International Airport to get you from the airport to Park City and it’s best to reserve a seat in advance. Ubers are frequent and very reliable and once you’re in Park City, the free bus system will take you to both snow resort mountain bases, Main Street and Kimbell Junction if you enjoy outlet shopping. You really don’t need a car and using public transport is a fun and easy way to mix with locals and find out firsthand what live music, events and activities are, so don’t be shy to have a chat.
Explore more of Utah at www.visitutah.com.
JANAKAN SEEMAMPILLA
THE Pacifika Fives have proven to be a major hit again on Monday nights at Rooty Hill.
The five-per-side women s football tournament has been designed to help connect the Pacifika community to the world game in order to promote health and well-being, and so far, it has been a tremendous success with over 70 women participating each week on the field.
The tournament is run through a partnership between the Western Sydney Wanderers and PacifiCast, and involves football and a night market, meaning hundreds of members of the local community have had just as much fun off the field with plenty of music, dancing, food trucks and other entertainment on offer.
Nella Lelo, who is part of the Media Production Team at PacifiCast, admits the event has proven to be an effective way to unite women through the common language of football.
“The best part of the Pacifika Fives competition is the sisterhood, and not just within my own team, but overall, in the competition,” said Lelo, who plays for the Pacific Palms team.
“I ve met so many beautiful women, it s so much fun, sometimes we ll be laughing like hyenas and that competitiveness just adds a little bit of excitement to it all.”
There are over 150,000 people in NSW who come from Pacifika backgrounds, with a large number residing
in Western Sydney. Sadly, women from Pacifika backgrounds have a disproportionately high rate of diabetes and cardiovascular disease compared to the
rest of the community, and Lelo admits that one of the purposes of this event is to help fight this battle.
“This competition has encour-
aged us Pacifika women to prioritize ourselves and put our own health and well-being first, as myself and a lot of the other players are mums, work full time and are just busy women,” explained Lelo.
“Generally we are always putting our families and everyone else first, so it s a fun and exciting to come together for one night of the week to be active, encourage and support each other in our own health and fitness journeys. Being apart of a team gives me a sense of feeling young again.”
Lelo admits the event, which started last year, has been an eye-opener for her and she encouraged women of all backgrounds to strap on their boots and get out onto the field and enjoy everything that football has to offer.
“Social football isn t something I would of ever imagined playing, but thanks to PacifiCast and the Wanderers for organizing this event, it s given me that push to just go for it and it s truly been the highlight of my week.
“If you want to get active with like-minded women, I would highly recommend joining a social football team, it s guaranteed fun!”
The Pacific Storm are the reigning champions and will be a force again this year, however I Don t Kea, the Angels and the Panthers have all proven to be dynamic teams so far in 2025 and will be gunning for the title of Pacifika Champions.
The 10 team tournament will run every Monday night at the Wanderers Fives facility at 81 Eastern Rd Rooty Hill, with the grand finale on April 14.
ENGAGING in regular physical activity is essential for a healthy lifestyle, and two of the most popular forms of exercise, swimming and running offer a plethora of benefits.
While both exercises provide excellent cardiovascular workouts, they differ in the muscle groups they target, impact on joints, and the overall experience they offer. Understanding these differences can help you choose the exercise that best suits your fitness goals and lifestyle.
Swimming is often celebrated as a full-body workout that engages nearly every major muscle group. One of its primary benefits is its low-impact nature. Since water supports most of your body weight, swimming minimizes stress on the joints, making it an ideal option for individuals with arthritis or those recovering from injury. This buoyancy also allows for greater range of motion and can help improve flexibility.
Additionally, swimming is excellent for building cardiovascular endurance. The resistance provided by water forces your heart to work harder, thereby boosting cardiovascular health over time. Regular swimmers often experience improved lung capacity, increased stamina, and a reduction in the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
Mental health benefits are another key advantage of swimming. The rhythmic nature of the strokes combined with the soothing properties of water can have a meditative effect, reducing stress and anxiety
levels. Many swimmers also enjoy the refreshing environment of a pool or open water, which can contribute to overall emotional well-being.
Running is renowned for its simplicity and accessibility. One of the greatest benefits of running is that it requires minimal equipment—just a good pair of running shoes and comfortable attire—allowing people to exercise almost anywhere. It is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health, as running increases heart rate and helps improve circulation. Regular
running can strengthen the heart, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
In addition to cardiovascular benefits, running is highly effective for building and maintaining bone density. The high-impact nature of running stimulates bone growth, which can help in preventing osteoporosis. Moreover, running strengthens the muscles in the legs, core, and lower back, enhancing overall body strength and stability.
Running also plays a significant role in mental health. Many runners report a "runner s high," a state of euphoria caused by the release of endorphins during exercise. This natural boost in mood can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Furthermore, running outdoors allows for exposure to natural light and fresh air, which can improve mood and cognitive function.
While both swimming and running offer robust health benefits, the choice between them often depends on individual needs and physical condition. Swimming is gentler on the joints and provides a low-impact, full-body workout that is ideal for those with joint issues or injuries.
On the other hand, running is more accessible, requires less equipment, and offers significant benefits in bone density and cardiovascular strength, but its high-impact nature may not be suitable for everyone. By understanding the unique benefits of each exercise, you can tailor your workout routine to not only improve your physical health but also boost your mental well-being.
