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Crime-fighting cuties Sick children from the Westmead Children’s Hospital will be given the chance to name the batch of puppies born into the NSW police force. Story by Keegan Thomson page 5
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Western News 12 May 2017 Issue 34
Vineyard and Riverstone Schools see the Queen Queen Elizabeth passes through Vineyard.
Alan Strachan
D
uring her five week Bicentenary Tour of Australia in 1970, Queen Elizabeth would visit Windsor and the Hawkesbury Agricultural College at Richmond, this being the first time a reigning monarch had come to the district. In the early afternoon of Thursday 30 April 1970, the aircraft carrying the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh landed right on time at the Richmond RAAF Base. They spent a little more than an hour in the Hawkesbury District, during which time they visited the Agricultural College and St Matthew’s Church at Windsor. Around 2.50pm they left the church and travelled along the Windsor Road towards Parramatta, in a special Rolls Royce motor vehicle. Arrangements had been made for as many Vineyard and Riverstone Primary School children as possible to line the Windsor Road to catch a glimpse of the Queen. At Vineyard, hundreds of children and adults lined up on both sides of the road in the vicinity of the old brick Vineyard school and up past the shop on the southern side. On the northern side they lined up in front of the “Jack and Jill” Picnic Pleasure Grounds.
Barbara Strachan (nee Britton) recalls attending this special event, as her son Peter, had started school at the beginning of the year. Barbara managed to take several photographs of this memorable occasion while she was standing on the southern side of the road outside the school. As for the Riverstone Primary School children, Rosemary Phillis recalls going on one of several buses with other children from the school. The buses dropped the children near the intersection of Boundary Road and the Windsor Road. Here the children lined both sides of the Windsor Road, along with other children and parents and adults from the local area. The teachers went to a great deal of trouble to bring the children out for the event, where they spent an hour or more waiting in the hot sun. When the Queen finally arrived at both locations, many were disappointed, as the Royal vehicle went past at such a fast speed that they could only catch a glimpse of the Royal Couple. Despite this, it was an event not forgotten by those who were there. The following article appeared in the Riverstone and District Historical Society Journal 2007. Photo courtesy of Len and Barbara Strachan.
Budget brings big change By Keegan Thomson
CHANGE is in the crisp wintery air across western Sydney as Treasurer Scott Morrison hands down his second federal budget. In crunching the numbers some of the biggest winners of the 2017 federal budget will be pensioners, single parents, veterans and anyone in support of the airport at Badgerys Creek with the people losing out most including welfare recipients and university students. Veterans mental health services are set to get a $350 million boost. Dan Tehan, the Veterans’ Affairs Minister, said the cash would be ‘new money’ and would be used to eliminate wait times, improve services and help to curb the rates of depression amongst returned service personnel. Of the new money, $133.1 million will go towards provide healthcare to the participants of the British nuclear test program in Australia in the 1950s and 60s, $9.8 million will go towards new suicide prevention and $166.6 million will go towards the digital transformation of the Veterans’ Affairs IT systems.
Budget 2017 South Australian Senator, Nick Xenophon, has secured a deal with the government that will include $75 cash payments for single parents and single pensioners with $125 for couples on pensions to help deal with increases to power prices across the country. There will be big money thrown at the development of the airport at Badgerys Creek, with the government spending $5.3 billion on the project over the next four years. The funds will go into paying for the airport development as well as the construction of a rail link through western Sydney to the developing airport. The airport will now be paid
in full by taxpayers with construction is set to begin in 2018. 24 private schools across the country will lose funding but all public schools across Australia will receive benefits from the Prime Minister’s Gonski 2.0 plan, which would give schools an extra $2.2 billion over the next four years. Of the 24 private schools losing some funding none of them are in western Sydney. Welfare payments are being consolidated and up to 5000 new recipients will be forced to undertake random drug tests before receiving their payments. People who’re deemed to be seen
as at risk of substance abuse will be forced to take random drug tests as of next year. If a recipient tests positive for drug use then they risk having their payments put onto a cashless welfare card and they may be referred for treatment. There is no word as to whether or not these drug tests will occur in western Sydney but those details will be ironed out in the coming weeks. The federal government ups the pinch on university students who’ll now have to start paying back their university fees from the time they earn $42,000 a year. Education Minister, Simon Birmingham, has also outlined $2.8 billion is cuts to the university sector, which could have knock on affects to the local western Sydney university market. With the government holding a slim majority in Canberra it could be a while before we see some of these budget measures make their way into the western Sydney homes. There is already enough struggle around the west so if the government wishes to pass on the cost of any of their big spend items to the tax payers of western Sydney, they’re going to have to tread lightly.
Prue Car MP Member for Londonderry
Ph: 9833 1122 12/82 Victoria St Werrington Mail: PO Box 4001 Werrington NSW 2747 londonderry@parliament.nsw.gov.au
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THE 2017 budget has committed over $5 billion to the development of the airport at Badgerys Creek which means without a doubt it will be going ahead, much to the chagrin of Blacktown Council. It now means Blacktown Council has a decision to make. Do they change face and support the airport so that the community can reap the rewards out of a multi-billion dollar infrastructure spend or will they keep fighting until their voices are drowned out by the sound of jet engines? In my opinion, the smart thing for the Council to do would be to embrace the development and enter the conversation with the federal government in some hope that the community will receive something back. The build could take up to eight years to complete, which would mean the creation of thousands of new local jobs for young and under-skilled workers. Blacktown is home to a broad cross-section of individuals, many of whom are screaming out for opportunity and their fair go. If the Council backed the airport, many opportunities would present themselves that would benefit the community. Economically speaking there are millions, if not billions, of dollars of untapped potential through a welldeveloped airport in western Sydney. Blacktown has the potential to further its name as a tourist hub, they have the chance to build a stronger international business presence and the Council stands to gain further investment and development in the city. All of these things can only happen if the Council engages itself in conversation on the airport development. There are reasons why the Council hasn’t supported an airport in western Sydney, one of those being that it is one of the oldest inland cities in Australia. There is heritage within the area that needs to be preserved, there are holes in the government’s airport plan including the lack of transparency over curfews, road and rail links and the people of Blacktown will be subjected to 24 hour a day flights over their homes. Some of this ins’t fair to the people of Blacktown, but if the Council refuses to play ball with the government they risk being left out of any negotiations on these issues. A decision needs to be made and only history will be the judge. Is Council going to stand against the airport that is a fait accompli, or be ready to discuss the possible benefits for the community? Your thoughts? keegan@nepeannews.com.au
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Sick kids name puppies By Keegan Thomson
SICK children from the Westmead Children’s Hospital will be given the chance to name the batch of puppies born into the NSW police force. The NSW police force has welcomed a new litter of puppies at the Dog Unit, and kids who are chronically ill will help choose their names. The seven sable German Shepherd pups, four males and three females, were born earlier this year on March 1, 2017. Six of the pups will be trained as general duties dogs and one of the female pups will be sent to the New Zealand Police Force Dog Unit as part of the puppy exchange program. Dog Unit Commander, Superintendent Dean Smith says the puppies are part of the ‘X’ litter and in keeping with canine recruit tradition, the six pups staying with the unit will be given names starting with the letter ‘X’. “We are working with The Children’s Hospital at Westmead to give some of the kids who are chronically ill a chance to help choose their names,” Supt Smith said. “A list of suggested names has been provided to the hospital and the kids will research their names and hold a vote. “Once the most popular names are chosen, we will assign the names to the pups and take them on a social outing to the hospital so the kids can meet them,” Supt Smith said.
Minister for Police, The Hon Troy Grant MP says the puppies are a welcome addition to the NSW Police Force. “Just like our men and women in blue, our police pups are some of the best in the world. “The Dog Unit achieves amazing things, and before we know it these cute puppies will be strong, crime-fighting top dogs,” Mr Grant said. The six pups will stay at the Dog Unit until they are about 12-weeks-old and will then be placed into the foster carer program until they are old enough to begin training.
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The NSW Police Force Dog Unit was formed in 1932, but disbanded in 1954 before commencing modern day operations in 1979 and currently forms part of the NSW Police Force State Protection Group. It is the largest police dog unit in Australia and its canine police officers include German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherds, Labradors and English Springer Spaniels. The Dog Unit’s breeding program has been running since 2004, and has bred 28 litters of German Shepherd pups, two litters of Labrador pups and two litters of English Springer Spaniels.
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Not all Councillors are against the airport By Keegan Thomson
COUNCILLOR Jess Diaz has spoken out against the Blacktown City Council’s long held negative position on any development of a western Sydney airport. After the government announced the airport would be built with federal taxpayer’s money, Cr Diaz said the Council needed to embrace the development instead of staying in the dark about it. “I’ve always said in the Chamber that we have to accept the reality that the airport will be made whether we like it or not,” Cr Diaz said. Speaking to Western News, Cr Diaz said the Council needs to embrace the build so that the Blacktown community can make the most of it. “I’ve always said that we should negotiate what is best for Blacktown, but we’re not getting anything because of the total negativity towards the airport, and this attitude will hurt the community,” he said. “Whatever are the positives, we will benefit as will all of western Sydney, and we are the heart of western Sydney in terms of jobs and population and tourism, so we need to be in on the
Photo: Kennedi Geyer
discussion. “There is always going to be a negative impact but we need to think about the general interest of the city,” he said. Ever since the initial announcement of the future construction of the airport at Badgerys Creek, back in 2015, there has been a strong and negative campaign against any notion of the development from Blacktown Council. Cr Diaz say he thinks the reasons behind Council’s complete antiairport stance has been because of
their commitment of the heritage of the area. “It is historical,” he said. “The Council wants to keep the existing order and they don’t want to change Blacktown.” Cr Diaz, who holds a law office in Blacktown, also says the closed minded approach to developments in the city, in particularly around the airport, is hurting local business. “There’s no major investors, no great entrepreneurs, coming to Blacktown because of the attitudes of the Council,” he said.
“Blacktown has been by-passed.” In speaking out against Blacktown Council’s position on the airport, Cr Diaz hinted that there are more within the Chamber who support his call for an open discussion on the development. “There are other Councillors, particularly Liberal Councillors, who support the airport,” he said. “But I also think there is a general acceptance in the community about it but the people aren’t being listened to because of what Council is doing.”
A day in the life of... A stunt driver By Keegan Thomson
STRAPPED into a racing car seat, riding shotgun in a D-Max ute, I was tasked with the job of interviewing a stunt driver. Of course we could have done the interview in a coffee shop or at the kitchen table, but for this interview I was invited to chat whilst driving on two wheels, doing skids and doughnuts at the Hawkesbury show ground. Dave Shannon is a stunt driver and has been launching cars into the air, driving on two wheels and performing at breakneck speeds for the past 36 years. He is now one of the veteran drivers on the Isuzu Team D-Max stunt team. Coming from a motorsport background, Mr Shannon said he got involved with stunt driving through his previous work. “The motorsport this is most like, is rallying,” Mr Shannon said. “I was involved in rallying and a position became available, so I saw the opportunity for someone to pay me while I have fun, and 30 years later I’m still enjoying it.” Besides the expertise he needs to pull off the death defying stunts, Mr Shannon said one of the most
important skills in the D-Max crew is teamwork. “We’re five blokes together, living in each others pockets, and we’ve all got to work together otherwise things can go wrong,” Mr Shannon said. “There’s a big range of ages and background in our team so we’ve all got to find some common ground and get along,” he said. Before we took off Mr Shannon spoke me through some of the pre-demonstration check he’ll go through. “I’ll come out and have a look around where we’re going to be driving,” Mr Shannon said. “The grass out here, particularly
since it is a little dewy, can cause some issues. “Because of the all-grass arena, there are some tricks we can’t do. For example, we can’t do hand-break turns, it would just cut up the grass too much and there are some safety issues with it all,” he said. After I was buckled into the seat and given a helmet to wear, Mr Shannon ran me through some of the noteworthy features of the car that allows the team to undertake the stunts. “The car has a locked diff, which allows the car to drive on the side on two wheels, they have harder front springs and softer rear springs,” he
said. “A lot of the the other features in the car include the safety features. The roll bar, the five-point harness, the racing seats and the arm that comes out the side during our two wheel trick.” After we’d screamed around the track a couple of times, Mr Shannon took on the two wheel drive. He hit a ramp and sent the front and back rear tyres into the air, meaning we were driving on the right hand tyres. Mr Shannon made it look easy and for me as a passenger made me feel every bit safe, even though he was thrashing us about the showground like a speed demon.
Humpty Dumpty donates to littlest patients Surviving Suicide
Blacktown Hospital nurses Vicki Hughes and Jessie Evans with Humpty Dumpty’s Kirsty Wallis and baby Aria.
By Keegan Thomson
The Humpty Dumpty Foundation has generously donated five Pulse Oximeters and two TCB machines to the Women’s and Children’s Health division at
Blacktown Hospital. The Pulse Oximeters measures oxygen saturation and have small openings so sensors can be easily attached to little fingers and toes. The TCB machines are used to identify jaundice in newborns so it can be identified and treated quickly.
Indulge in desserts Blacktown City’s Sweet Indulgence Dessert Festival will transform the Blacktown CBD into an oasis for those with a sweet tooth on Thursday 25 May. Part of the week-long Blacktown City Festival, Sweet Indulgence brings together 25 of Sydney’s finest dessert vendors for an evening of all things delectable. “The Festival will feature Sydney’s most passionate pastry chefs, gelato and ice cream makers and bakers,” said Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Stephen Bali. “Dessert lovers can indulge in everything from rich, Spanish churros to pillow-soft doughnuts, crepes, macarons, mouth-watering cupcakes, silky smooth gelato and chocolate fondue. “These mouth-watering treats can all be enjoyed while cosying up to heaters or after taking a spin on our synthetic ice skating rink in the
Village Green.” Among the stall holders will be Mark Iskandar, from Seven Hills, whose mouth-watering Parisianstyle crepes regularly see people queuing up to try the delicate dessert. Mr Iskandar left his office job in a marketing agency last year to start his crepe market stall, SaCrepe Bleu, and says he hasn’t looked back since. “I’ve always been a food lover in general but then I went on a trip to France and I was getting a crepe every day when I was there,” he said. “I thought this is something I can do and there’s not many crepe stalls in Sydney. “About two to three months after that trip I made a decision to quit my job and start this journey of mine.” What: Sweet Indulgence Dessert Festival Where: Civic Plaza/Village Green, 62 Flushcombe Road, Blacktown Time: 4PM – 9PM Cost: Free Enquiries: 9839 6000.
Help the salvos On May 27th and 28th The Salvation Army is holding their Red Shield Appeal Weekend. The purpose of the weekend and the Red Shield Appeal as a whole is to raise funds to help the community. The Salvation Army helps the community in a variety of ways – through assistance with food, electric and gas bills, clothing, furniture, housing and more. We could use your help! If you could spare 2 hours on either day to come to The Salvation Army at 2 Kempsey St Blacktown and help go door to door to collect funds. It is an exciting weekend and just a lovely time for the community to help each other. Please call 9831 5694 for more details or go to salvos.org.au/doorknock to register to help and for more details. Blessings.
It is cost-effective and non-invasive, compared to taking blood from littlies. The Humpty Dumpty Foundation has been operating for more than 27 years, providing essential and often life-saving equipment for sick and injured children in hospitals across Australia.
‘A safe and therapeutic support group for people whose lives have been impacted by suicide’ Fortnightly FREE Support group at Hawkesbury House partnering with Western Sydney Suicide Prevention and Support Network Time 9.30am to 11.30am Hawkesbury House www.hawkesburyhouse. com 6 Christie Street Windsor The groups will meet on the following dates: 16th May 30th May 13th June 27th June RSVP is appreciated on 02 4577 6454. Readers requiring support or information about suicide prevention can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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Getting to know....
Everyone welcome at fire and rescue open day
Marlene Shipley CEO St Marys Band Club with Conner Lowe
1. What was your first paid job? My first paid job was working for Avery Scales – Villawood in administration 2. What is your guilty pleasure? This is a hard question I have more than one – Having a glass of red wine and eating chocolate, the two go really well together. 3. What is your biggest fear/phobia and why? My biggest fear would have to be driving somewhere that’s unfamiliar, I am hopeless with directions. 4. What is your worst habit? Shopping for hours and coming home without purchasing what I went for. 5. Best advice you have ever been given? Treat people for how they treat you not how others think you should treat them. 6. If you only had $50 left in the bank, how would you spend it? Pedicure 7. Favourite holiday destination and why? Toowoon Bay on the Central Coast is my favourite place for weekend getaways, it’s close to Sydney and it makes me feel like I could be anywhere in the world without a worry. 8. Do you have a favourite sporting team? I am a Penrith Panther’s supporter of course! 9. Name one reason that you love Western Sydney? Community! I love the way people come together and are there for one another. 10. In three words, describe your perfect Sunday? Relaxation, Lunch and a Sauvignon Blanc
Member for Riverstone, Mr Kevin Conolly MP is encouraging everyone to attend the Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Open Days on Saturday, 20 May to meet local firefighters and learn about fire prevention. The Riverstone Fire Station on the corner of Riverstone Parade and Church Street Riverstone and the Schofields Fire Station on the corner of Stanhope Parkway and Hambledon Road Schofields are opening their fire station doors between 10am and 2pm. This is a great opportunity for people of all ages to come along and meet our local firefighters. “Children will be able to climb aboard a fire engine, see firefighting equipment up close and take home an educational Brigade Kids activity booklet,” Mr Conolly said. “For the grown-ups, it’s a good opportunity to speak with the professionals to find out more about fire prevention, get advice on installing or replacing smoke alarms and preparing a home fire escape plan” said Mr Conolly Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant said this open day, FRNSW
is focusing on fire prevention in the kitchen, urging people to ‘Keep Looking When Cooking’ and avoid a potentially fatal cooking-related fire injury. “With winter coming, it’s important FRNSW works with the community to remind us all that almost half of all home fires start in the kitchen, usually when people get distracted and leave things to burn on the stovetop,” Mr Grant said. For details on other participating fire stations visit www.fire.nsw.gov.au
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Help choose the most deserving cause Telstra Store Seven Hills and Telstra Store Richmond are calling on local residents to come into store and help choose their area’s most deserving cause. Three organisations have been selected as part of each store’s “Connecting With Our Community” grants program which provides financial assistance to worthwhile local community causes. “As a local business operator, I want to connect with the community and give something back. This program is the perfect way to do this,” said store licensee, Jim Gordon. “We received a great response to the call for applications for this program and had a hard time choosing just three for each store,” said store licensee, Jim Gordon. “The great thing about the program is that none of the three causes are left empty-handed. The cause with the highest number of votes wins $1000, second highest wins $300 and the cause with the lowest number of votes wins $200.” The three organisations up for voting at the Seven Hills Store are Africa United Rugby League Inc., AFFORD and Blacktown Women’s and Girls’ Health Centre. Africa United Rugby League Inc
is a newly formed rugby league club offering opportunities to all people of African heritage to participate in the sport from the ages of 14 to adult. The club will use any funding received to purchase uniforms and training equipment for the players. AFFORD, provides disability support to many clients with life-long disabilities. Afford will be hosting a sporting event, “The Funathon”, which will provide modified sporting, educational and musical activities which are tailored to the varied needs of their clients. Blacktown Women’s and Girls’ Health Centre is regularly faced with in-crisis clients who require emergency accommodation assistance. The Centre established
the Women’s, Girls’ and Children’s Emergency Fund (WGCEF) to enable staff to make and accept short-term accommodation and crisis support for women and children where other options do not exist. At the Richmond store you can vote for Richmond North Public School, Friends of the Colo or Hawkesbury Area Women and Kids Services. Richmond North Public School are hoping to have their senior students participate in the “Young Leader in Schools” program which will help develop valuable skills including collaborating in teams, resilience, communication skills and goal setting. Friends of the Colo is a volunteer group committed to removing invasive black willows on the Hawkesbury
River and adjoining floodplain wetlands. Black willows are among the worst weeds in Australia because of their invasiveness, potential for spread and economic and environmental impacts. The Women’s Cottage at Richmond, part of Hawkesbury Area Women and Kids’ Services Inc, offers support to women and children in the Hawkesbury area who are escaping domestic violence by providing basic food items in crisis situations. “It’s now up to the community to decide how much each cause will receive. So, come into Telstra Store Richmond or Telstra Store Seven Hills and cast your vote before 30th May,” he says.
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Suspicious house fire - Doonside Police are investigating a suspicious house fire at Doonside last week. Shortly before 3.30am (Wednesday 3 May 2017), emergency services attended a home in Astral Drive, Doonside, and found the home well-alight. Fire & Rescue NSW attended and worked to extinguish the fire, however the house was destroyed. The home was unoccupied and there have been no reports on injury. Officers from Blacktown Local Area Command attended and established a crime scene which has been forensically examined. Police have been told a window was heard being smashed in the vicinity around the time of the fire. Officers from Blacktown Local Area Command are continuing their investigations and are appealing for witnesses to contact police via Crime Stoppers. Police are urging anyone with information on the incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/ Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our social media pages.
Collecting for the nappy collective Michelle Rowland is calling on families that have any leftover nappies to drop them into her office as part of the “Nappy Collective” initiative. The Nappy Collective program runs Australia-wide with the aim to collect tens of thousands of leftover nappies that will then be sorted and distributed to women’s shelters, programs for homeless mothers and young mothers in need. Through the support of parents across Australia, The Nappy Collective has collected over 1.75 million nappies which have been distributed to mothers in need. The next Collective began on 5 May and will run through until Friday 19 May 2017. Residents are invited to drop in their leftover nappies to Michelle Rowland’s office at 230 Prospect Highway, Seven Hills between 9am-5pm. “As a mum, I know there can often be nappies left over when children grow out of them”, Ms Rowland said. “I encourage all residents to drop any left-over nappies to my office, which will go to local mothers who may be struggling and really need them,” Ms Rowland said. For further information please contact Michelle Rowland’s office on 9671 4780.
All aboard for volunteering to help those who need assistance Easy-Go Connect is a wonderful service that supports thousands of local senior residents to live independently, stave off loneliness and to stay connected with their community. They provide transport services to those who need assistance to get to medical appointments, shopping, social outings, group outings and more. They become a vital part of their clients’ lives by keeping them connected to people and places. The organisation is extremely well regarded by their clients and other community service providers alike. Volunteers play an integral role at Easy-Go Connect and the services they run for the community are enhanced by the contribution of our dedicated volunteers. “Volunteering to drive with us is so much more rewarding than taking someone from point A to point B,” Richard Parker, Business Development & Community Engagement Manager said.
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“When you work with us, you are providing a friendly link to the world for our passengers and your impact upon their lives cannot be understated. “Why not be part of this great movement and experience the joy of making a real difference in people’s lives?”
Easy-Go Connect welcomes enquiries from people wishing to become volunteer drivers (LR licence minimum preferred). They are always keen to talk to reliable, caring, responsible people who are interested in giving back to the communities in which they live.
Determined Di
Di Cohen – Cancer Council NSW volunteer Di Cohen with some of her extensive collection of Dougal bears.
Cancer Council NSW volunteer Di Cohen is determined to get back to doing what she loves best – working for her community. The great-grandmother of eight has been volunteering for Cancer Council NSW in Greater Western Sydney for 22 years. In February, after feeling unwell and visiting her doctor, Di was informed she had pancreatic cancer. It is Di’s second cancer diagnosis, and just like the first time 24 years ago, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she is determined to beat the disease. “I won’t let it beat me,” she said. Di first found out about Cancer Council NSW while receiving treatment for breast cancer. “I didn’t know anything about Cancer Council. My surgeon said he would get a counsellor to come speak with me. Then two years later I received a letter inviting me for an interview to become a support worker,” she said. It was the start of a long affiliation with Cancer Council NSW. “I volunteered in the Greater Western Sydney office five days a week. Then they brought in laws that meant you could only volunteer for a maximum 16 hours a week. In Australia, I think people should be able to make up their own minds about the number of hours they want to volunteer. I’ve never felt pressured into doing any more than I wanted to. I love doing it,” Di said. Di said supporting events like Cancer Council’s Relay For Life, Daffodil Day and Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea was vital to beating cancer. “It’s important to help get the message out there – to let people with cancer know they’re not alone. Hopefully, when my great-
grandchildren are grown up, we’ll no longer have to worry about cancer,” she said. Regional Manager for Cancer Council NSW Greater Western Sydney Rory Alcock said Di’s passion for helping those touched by cancer was evident in everything she does. “As an office volunteer for 15 years she has been the friendly face on reception greeting visitors and triaging callers to staff members. The office has been a quieter place without her and we’ve all missed not having her with us,” Mr Alcock said. “Di’s ability to connect and chat to anyone and everyone also made her a great Daffodil Day team leader at Westpoint Shopping Centre. I don’t think anyone could pass her stall without purchasing a daffodil or a Dougal bear. However, I think if Di was forced to name the volunteer role closest to her heart it would be as the Blacktown Relay For Life committee member responsible for honouring and celebrating survivors and carers. As someone who has had cancer she made sure that Blacktown Relay For Life’s survivors and carers morning tea was treated as the VIP event it should be.” Di said she hoped to return to volunteering with Cancer Council NSW soon. “I’ve met a lot of nice people through Cancer Council, people who I’m still friends with years later. I’d like to be able to get back – even if it’s just a couple of hours one day a week. Giving back is what makes volunteering so worthwhile,” she said. Mr Alcock said people who wanted to volunteer with Cancer Council NSW in Greater Western Sydney could call (02) 9354 2000 or visit www.cancercouncil.com.au for more information.
11 Western News 12 May 2017 Issue 34
localnews
12 Western News 12 May 2017 Issue 34
Cambodia’s capital of contrasts
By Ben Cranney
We were heading to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, via the Tonlé Sap Lake. These eight hours, on a deathtrap of a speedboat, are some of my favourite memories, not least because we could run around the gunnels and climb over the roof as it flew over the water. A couple of guys upped the challenge by getting stuck into the $1 beers. But the really special thing was the scenery: floating villages, lonely fisherman, drowned houses and temples dotting the banks. We made it without losing anyone, and were swamped by tuk-tuk drivers, probably looking for drunk backpackers ready to pay for the long way. We gave our hostel name and jumped in. 10
minutes later, the driver said he didn’t know it and asked if we like to stay at his mate’s hostel. Well prepared, I gave him the map. In English. Amateur mistake. His mate’s place was looking more likely. But after a few false turns and some ‘Khmer-glish’, we made it. Tuk-tuks are the traveler’s transport. Taxis are cheap, and good for the dusty roads out of town. It’s also possible to hitch a motorbike ride. But with no hand holds, no helmet and seemingly no road rules, I was pretty keen to stay with the tuk-tuks. We started the sightseeing with Wat Phnom, a temple on a hill surrounded by statues of giant snakes. More impressive was the Silver Pagoda. You can’t take photos inside the Pagoda, so try and memorise the sight of the
gold Buddha statue and the almost overwhelming array of religious iconography. The cheap, private tour gives context to the surrounding temples, and if you refuse to do selfies, a photographer. In contrast to the peace of the Wats, and a very eye opening experience, is a lesson in the darker side of humanity. Tuol Sleng was a school turned prison, and torture point for 1000s before being taken to the killing fields. Our guide had lost her family to the Khmer Rouge. Her English was fantastic, but
strongly accented, and when I leant in to hear better, she stepped back in terror, and I couldn’t imagine what caused her to be so haunted decades later. The killing fields themselves are now a place of remembrance, reflection and healing. I’m not sure how to finish after that paragraph, so, if you feel the same after learning about the Genocide, collect your thoughts in some of Phnom Penh’s fantastic cafes and restaurants. Our favourite was the training restaurant, Friends.
The Unintentional Medium By Suzi Samuel WHO’S WATCHING WHO? The other day, I had lunch with my friend Karina Machado. Karina is an editor with a large weekly magazine and the best selling author of a couple books about the spirit world called Spirit Sisters and Where Spirits Dwell. The latter is about houses with presences who are either very unwilling to or unable to leave and how they have made themselves known to the people who live there. We spent hours over a very decadent-seeming afternoon tea at lunchtime discussing some fascinating stories while munching scrummy cakes and, between mouthfuls, got to talking about whether the concept of time was the same for those who had crossed the rainbow bridge. Received wisdom would suggest that time as we know it is meaningless on the other side and that the reason our guides can tell us what is going to happen is that they have an overview of past, present and future. I like to think of it as trains going along on parallel tracks. We are trundling along at our little human pace in one train and the spirits are in the next train, sometimes behind us, sometimes ahead of us and sometimes,
if we are lucky, at the same time when the doors can slide open and allow us to communicate with each other. It also made me wonder that, if time doesn’t exist in the afterlife, could those who have gone before and who still seem to be occupying their own little territory see us? Do they perhaps feel that someone is invading their property? I think that one of the
best examples of this theory I have come across is the Nicole Kidman film The Others. This is the story of a young woman whose husband is away fighting in the First World War who moves into an old house with her two young children. She becomes aware of other entities in the house who are making their presences felt in no uncertain terms but finally - and
I am really sorry to spoil the ending for those of you who have not seen the film - she realises that those people are from the future and in fact it is she who is haunting them. Do the occupants of houses dating from the First Fleet look upon us as the intruders? Does Anne Boleyn walk the corridors of Hampton Court Palace and wonder what the flash of a camera was as modern day visitors take photographs? David and I were watching the divine Geoffrey Rush in the series about Einstein, Genius, and he was confounding his fellow students and teachers for that matter - with his theory of the space time continuum, when I casually said to David, “Oh, that’s what Karina and I were discussing the other day.” The look on his face was a picture and I’m afraid I didn’t disillusion him. After all we were coming at it from a different direction, but were we not discussing the same principle? Let us leave him with the idea that his wife may also be a genius. The Unintentional Medium is available online or at all good book stores
Alex Soncini
SMALL BUSINESS SPENDING – Time to Act !
If you’re running a small business, now is the time to think big. The Federal Government’s will focus on small business in the May 2017 budget encouraging small business to grow. Last year’s May Budget announced tax cuts as well as measures to reduce red tape, promote more startups and hire more employees. Have you and your business taken advantage of any of these one off short term measures? One major opportunity was to receive an immediate tax deduction on every asset purchased in your business until the end of June 2017. To receive an immediate tax deduction on every asset they purchase valued up to $20,000 in your business is unique. Cars, utes, tables, chairs, printers, photocopiers, tools, TVs, sound and security systems, computers, tablets and smartphones are just some of the assets that can be deducted. Now is the time to act while you still have time, speak with your accountant to see if you qualify and gain benefit to purchase any necessary equipment and vehicles needed and receive an immediate tax deduction with less than 2 months until the end of the 2016/17 financial year. Short on capital? Try Leasing While these tax deductions are great news for many small business, what about those who don’t have the capital available to purchase assets? If you are a small business in this situation, leasing may be your ideal
‘think big’ solution. Rather than buying machinery, equipment or cars, a lease enables you to rent them for a manageable monthly payment. At the end of the lease term, you have the flexibility to return, upgrade or continue to rent. Leasing enables you to enjoy instant access to the tools you need to grow your business, while at the same time freeing up cash flow. Given lease payments are fixed, you can plan cash flow around a known cost, enabling you to stay ‘cash flow positive’. Australia’s record low cash rate has made leasing a viable option for any business looking to acquire an asset, whether it’s new kitchen equipment if you run a cafe, new tools if you’re a tradie or a new computer if you have a home office. Leasing can be particularly useful if you need to update equipment but you’re not in a position to purchase, or your business relies on expensive equipment that goes out of date quickly. There are also tax advantages to leasing. Under a leasing arrangement, the business does not own the equipment for tax purposes because the financier is the one who has bought the equipment and leased it to you. This means you do not have a depreciating asset on your books and do not need to pay GST on the purchase price of the equipment. Lease repayments may be tax deductible and although GST is charged on these repayments, your tax agent or
CROSSWORD
the Australian Taxation Office will be able to advise you of the possibility of claiming these via your company’s Business Activity Statement. Want to know more about equipment leasing, novated leasing for motor vehicles and other asset finance solutions which can be tailor-made for your business? Contact Alex Soncini at Wealthwiz on 0419 600 177 or email at alex. soncini@wealthwiz.com.au to find out how to build, grow and do business better.
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WealthWiz Wealth Management Suite 3, 47-51 Richmond Rd, Blacktown Call 8004 6655 www.wealthwiz.com.au
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ACROSS 1 Intense sorrow (9) 6 Deleted expletive (5) 9 Blow up (7) 10 Sowed (7) 11 A tropical cereal grass (7) 12 Trade stoppage (7) 13 Regards with suspicion (9) 15 Pertaining to the Hellenic Republic (5) 16 Without companionship (5) 19 Fazed (9) 22 Sharp turn (7) 23 Smooched (slang) (7) 25 Inane (7) 26 Piano music with a syncopated melody (7) 27 Contemplates (5) 28 Subverts (9)
down 1 They often grow on heads (5) 2 Asserts (7) 3 Instructor (7) 4 Whipping, clotted or ice (5) 5 Female imperial rulers (9) 6 A small weighted cloth bag (7) 7 The Muse of music (Greek mythology) (7) 8 Firmly fastened with a device (9) 13 Controls the size of a camera aperture (9) 14 Wastes (9) 17 Beginnings (7) 18 Depletes (7) 20 Notion (7) 21 Prolonged unfulfilled desire (7) 23 Bush (5) 24 Sediment (5)
solution 28/4/17
13 Western News 12 May 2017 Issue 34
realestate
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sport
Western News 12 May 2017 Issue 34
Western Sydney local selected for Australia By Conner Lowe
To represent your country for any sport is an incredible achievement and to do so at the age of 62 is outstanding. Local Western Sydney resident Ray Curran has been selected to represent Australia in the National Dragon Boat team and will compete in Kunming, China in October this year. Late last year trials were held for dragon boat paddlers from all over Australia in their respected states. Ray much like many of the other competitors were encouraged to trial for the Australian National Dragon Boat team or known as the “Auroras”. Ray spoke about his long selection process for Australia and his previous achievements when selected to represent his country in the National Dragon Boat team. “There are different age groups for this team as at the World Championships they race different categories based on age. I tried out for the Senior ‘C’ Category (60 yrs+) and passed the State selection. This consisted of a beep test to a set level, sit ups, bench press and kettle bells.,” he said. “From there those that were successful there then came a National selection weekend in Melbourne in December 2016 at which all the selected State paddlers underwent the selection process again under
the eye of the Senior ‘C’ National Coach, Maggie Boyce. “Again, it was all the gym work, beep test and then water time trials over 200m. Following this all paddlers were put through a day and a half of gruelling work in dragon boats under the eye of the Australian National Head Coach Serge Cucsa. “At the end of this, successful paddlers were notified of their selection or not into the Australian Team. This is my second selection, previously selected in 2015 when I competed in Welland, Canada and won 1 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze,” he said. Ray has been paddling for 10 years and paddles for his club team in Sydney called the ‘Sloths’.
Ray’s club team just had a successful campaign recently in the Australian Nationals in Wodonga, winning several Bronze medals and his team club finishing in the top four clubs in Australia. Ray spoke about his short time in the sport and his coaching achievements in recent years. “I’ve been paddling for 10 years so I was a late starter, but I progressed through the ranks so to speak becoming coach of my SA team ‘Black Dragons’ taking them to gold and bronze in Macau at the World Club Crew Championships (WCCC) in 2010. “I then became coach of two NT teams ‘Arafura’ in 2012/2014 then ‘Darwin Waterfront Warriors’ in 2014 taking the first to another gold at the WCCC in Hong Kong in 2012,” he said. “To represent my country is an honour indeed, but also the fact that even at this age 62 you can still compete as an elite athlete and represent your state and country. If I can encourage older people, even younger people for that fact, to follow their dreams and achieve, maybe even take up dragon boating, which is the fastest growing team water sport in the world, then I will have achieved something,” he said. We would like to send Ray our congratulations and good luck in your future selections and competitions for the Australian National Dragon Boat team competing and coaching.
CelebrityTIPSTERS
Round BUL STG WES PAN MEL MAN NEW SYD CRO NZW BRI GCT PAR NEW BUL SOU
10& 11
NQC CRO SOU NZW GCT BRI CAN PAR NQC STG WES MAN CAN PAN SYD MEL May 11 7.50pm
May 12 6.00pm
May 12 7.50pm
May 13 3.00pm
May 13 5.30pm
May 13 7.50pm
May 14 2.00pm
May 14 4.00pm
May 18 7.50pm
May 19 6.00pm
May 19 7.50pm
May 20 5.30pm
May 20 7.30pm
May 21 2.00pm
May 21 4.00pm
May 21 6.30pm
SCORE
Clr Stephen Bali Mayor - Blacktown City Council
74 Matthew Bennett - Bennett Western Sydney
80 Alex Soncini - WealthWiz Wealth Management
94 Paul Maher - Loxley on Bellbird
104 Troy - Urban City Consulting
92 Barry Locock - Turtle Landscape Supplies
76 Kimberley Talbot - CEO Richmond Club
86
with MARK GEYER
A goal of hitting the one million mark!
They say “if you build it they will come” - well it’s what Kevin Costner heard in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. And like Costner built a baseball field in the heartwarming flick way back, Tommy Lawson from Fernhill Estate did the exact same thing. Last Boxing Day as I was celebrating with my wife’s family at the glorious estate, Tommy, who is Fernhill’s chief operating officer, dropped by to make sure everyone was comfortable and shared a drink (or 3) with us. “You know what you should do here Tommy?” I exclaimed, “You should do a concert, maybe a battle of the local bands or something.” Tommy seemed to take the idea in and two days later rang me. “MG I was thinking about what we chatted about, you know the band and concert thing, I love the idea. I’m going to get Jimmy Barnes to play at Fernhill!” Gee that escalated, talk about aiming for the treetops. But to he and his team’s credit that’s exactly what he did. It was five months in the making but last Sunday night Tommy’s vision became a reality. 5000 locals and others crammed into the makeshift concert arena to witness history. Local girl Yianna Nicholas kicked things off followed by Tommy himself with his band Lawless, then Diesel, Jon Stevens and finally the main attraction, Jimmy Barnes, rocked out on a splendid night in Mulgoa for the first time ever at Fernhill Estate. A big congrats to those who helped along the way in putting the western Suburbs of Sydney on the map as far as musical venues go.
It was ground breaking, it was arduous, it was painstaking, BUT it was well worth it. I cannot wait for the next event to be held at Fernhill, nor can those music lovers who had one of their most pleasurable musical experiences ever last Sunday night. And another thing.... It’s baaaaaack!! For its 10th year the team of The Great Walk Foundation will be donning the runners and making the 170km trek once again from Bathurst to Blaxland as we raise much needed funds for local charities. If luck is on our side, this year will see us reach the magical million dollar mark made over the past decade. A remarkable achievement from a group of local Penrith businessmen who give up their valuable time each year to raise funds for those less fortunate. This year I’ll be joining Jonathan Green, Mark Mulock, Rob Wearn, Trent Baker, Dave Crossman, Greg Nelson, Cam McInnes, Tony Bowden and Graham Okell as the navigation of the Blue Mountains once again is upon us. On Thursday the 25th of May our main fundraising event will happen at the Gardners Inn Blackheath where Royce Simmons, Doug Walters, and Bill Ashurst will join us for a free event kicking off a 6pm. Should be a great time full of tall tales and fun, we’d love to see you there. If you can help us help others go to www.greatwalkfoundation.com.au and thank you in advance. See you at the game, and hopefully on the walk.
MG (random Westie) OAM
International Wrestling Australia coming to Blacktown By Conner Lowe
The Blacktown and Western Sydney area is in for a treat with the International Wrestling Australia (IWA) bringing a huge show to the Blacktown Workers Club on Saturday, June 10th. Nathan Cassar or known as the ‘Masked Kamikaze’ Randal is looking forward to returning to his hometown to compete in front of adoring wrestling fans and expects the show to be the IWA’s biggest of the year. The IWA team have held over 1000 pro wrestling shows over the past 19 years at venues such as Wonderland Sydney Theme Park, Sydney, Melbourne & Canberra Royal shows, and toured their show overseas successfully in Tahiti and New Caledonia. The men and women who create the performance team of International Wrestling Australia are indeed entertainers but their strength and durability is far beyond that of your average actor or musician. At any given IWA Pro Wrestling show you can expect to see a good mix of about 10-20 wrestlers, from small masked high flyers to giant super-heavyweights. There are women wrestlers, valet girls, tag teams and
Photos: Sarah Newman
their managers even the occasional midget match. IWA Pro Wrestling plots comical, often very funny and sometimes serious storylines that are relevant to Australian audiences. Nathan Cassar spoke about how he got into the sport and what he enjoys most about wrestling and performing in front of an audience. “I began watching wrestling around the age of five and instantly fell in love with it. I never grew out of it so I decided to start training at age 17, and debuted at age 18 during my HSC exams and have never looked back. “I think the best part of wrestling is that nervousness you get just before you go out and once you walk through that curtain and hear the roar of the
crowd it gets your adrenaline pumping. It’s an amazing feeling,” he said. Nathan also spoke about what the crowd can expect to see when the IWA comes out to Blacktown and how he feels about performing in front of his home crowd. “Very excited, It’s the first time we’ve come back to Blacktown in a long time. So, I’m super keen to perform in my back yard. Born at Blacktown hospital, went to school across the road from the venue and now performing in my home town. “Well it’s shaping up to be one of IWAs biggest shows of the year so expect some big matches and surprises galore. Everything from 120kg heavyweight monsters, high flying risk
takers, women’s matches even the odd comedy wrestler. It’s a show suited for the whole family,” he said. The whole performance is audience interactive and so provides something extra for those who want a little more fun when they go and see a live show. The wrestlers are mix of international and local performers they are all a great credit to IWA’s success. IWA pro wrestlers are well-defined and easy to follow characters, making it enjoyable for the whole family to pick and choose favourites. There are grand entrances, great music, the referees, the announcers and so much more IWA Pro Wrestling is an amazing experience that must be seen live.
Western News 12 May 2017 Issue 34
my words
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Western News Friday, 12 May 2017
sport
Joe McAleer Oval named Cricket NSW Ground of the Year Blacktown’s Joe McAleer Oval has been named Cricket NSW 2016 Ground of the Year. The award recognises excellence by curators in the preparation and maintenance of the cricket wicket during the season. Joe McAleer Oval is Blacktown’s only single-purpose first grade cricket oval. ‘Joe Mac’ is home to Blacktown City & District Cricket Association and their first grade cricket club Blacktown Grade Cricket Club. Mayor of Blacktown City is thrilled the team have been recognised. “I would like to commend the entire Grounds Team on their efforts in preparing a high quality playing surface. It has been praised by the club, visiting teams, umpires and Cricket NSW alike throughout the season,” continued Mayor Bali. “The Cricket NSW award tops of a fantastic season of cricket in Blacktown. Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney is proud to have hosted all of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) Sydney Thunder
(L-R) Heath Taylor (Team Leader Blacktown Venue Management), Matthew Cairns (Grounds & Operations Coordinator Blacktown Venue Management), Kieran Meurant (Curator Blacktown Venue Management), Mayor of Blacktown City Councillor Stephen Bali, Kevin Jones (CEO Blacktown Venue Management), Steve Foster (Blacktown City & District Cricket Association)
home games and 5 international cricket teams.” “We are also becoming a sought after training venue, with international teams choosing to prepare for matches in Blacktown. It was a pleasure to meet with Bangladesh Coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, who had nothing but praise for the first class facilities and the excellent grounds team from the
Sportspark,” finished Mayor Bali. For more information, visit www.blacktownsportspark.com.au or contact Cricket NSW on 02 8320 6000. Mayor of Blacktown City Councillor Stephen Bali, Kieran Meurant (Curator Blacktown Venue Management)