Our Place Penrith Spring 2021

SYDNEY ZOO GOES WILD FOR PENRITH’S PROBLEM PLANTS

PENRITH’S COVID RESPONSE LOCAL CELEBRATION AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Credit – Sydney Zoo

penrith.city/OurPlace

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY NEWS ISSUE 7

SPRING 2021

INSTAGRAM WALL #OURPLACEPENRITH

@_RAONLEE

@SETTLERSMULGOA

@ANITA_KANICON

WORDS FROM OUR MAYOR As we welcome spring

extraordinary community

an honour and a great

and the sense of hope

and as a City we need

opportunity to see first-hand

the warmer weather

to stick together to

the passion, resilience, and

brings, our cover story

get through this. For

creativity of our community.

on Council’s partnership

information on assistance

I’m inspired by what I’ve seen

with Sydney Zoo serves

available through

during my term and truly

as a reminder that even

Council’s Covid response

believe Penrith is the best

in a pandemic, the

efforts please turn to

place in the state to raise a

natural world continues

page 10.

family, retire or buy your first

around us. As we look forward to the outings and adventures that the future holds, we must keep in mind that our mission for greater sustainability remains an important focus. I am proud of the way our

@PLATFORMT8

@FLOURBOYFELIX

@THEBREWLABCAFE

Council is finding new and creative ways of protecting our natural

OPT OUT OF RECEIVING THIS PRINTED VERSION

environment and helping it thrive.

As the impact of the

Register to get

digitally at penrith.city/OurPlace

state’s lockdown continues to be felt in our community, there’s never been a more

This edition of Our Place was proudly produced by Penrith City Council in September 2021. We would love to hear your feedback. You can email us at ourplace@penrith.city

important time to pull together our resources and community services to respond. We’re

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 2

I would like to extend my congratulations to the winners of Penrith City

home. I continue to be proud to be part of Penrith.

Cr Karen McKeown OAM

Council’s inaugural Local Celebration Awards.

It is heartening to see that even as we face some of the worst times, there are inspirational, selfless, and dedicated people in Penrith City making life better for others. To meet our local heroes turn to page 18.

A reminder that Council elections have been

SYDNEY ZOO

4

8

16

28

moved and will now be held on Saturday 4 December 2021, remember, voting in Council elections is

PENRITH’S COVID RESPONSE

LOCAL CELEBRATION AWARDS GET INVOLVED

compulsory.

OUR HISTORY

living in extraordinary

Serving as Mayor

times, but we’re an

of Penrith has been •3•

30

OUR

In an impressive example of innovative sustainability, Penrith City Council and the Sydney Zoo in Western Sydney have teamed up to collect both native plants and weed species to provide extra snacks for the zoo’s animals.

Since April 2020, Council’s Bushland Management Team has been donating suitable native and target weed species to Sydney Zoo. Penrith Mayor and Sustainability Champion, Councillor Karen McKeown OAM, praised the project’s collaborative weed removal approach.

“The zoo’s dedicated team has been collecting plant material from Penrith two to three times a week with the assistance of our Bushland Management staff and contractors.

“Removing weeds is crucial in maintaining agricultural land and natural bushland areas and increasing the health of the sensitive vegetation communities within Penrith,” Cr McKeown said.

PRIORITY WEEDS

Under the Biosecurity Act 2015, a “priority weed” is a plant that has been assessed to cause severe economic loss to agriculture and significantly impact the natural and recreational environments.

Removing priority weeds is an important step in increasing the health of the sensitive vegetation communities within our LGA. The weeds identified by Council for donation to the zoo are based on supporting the natural environment of the Penrith local area.

To date, Penrith City Council has provided the zoo with over 30 tonnes of plant material, which has been happily devoured by elephants, giraffes, red pandas, camels, and zebras. The health and safety of these beautiful creatures is a priority, with all plants carefully selected to ensure they are disease and pesticide free.

•5•

Credit – Sydney Zoo

TO PROBLEM PLANTS

Council’s Bushland team hard at work collecting plant materials for the zoo

SOLUTION

The weeds provided include African Olive, Bamboo, Chinese Celtis and Willow.

These weeds have been identified by the Bushland Management team as weeds that are a part of their weed removal program and are identified by the zoo as desirable food sources.

Sydney Zoo are able to make use of the weeds thanks to a permit they attained under the Biosecurity Act.

CITY ON ROUTE TO THE SYDNEY ZOO

ways to reduce waste, for example, rather than leaving the bare skeleton of a treated willow tree behind or taking it to landfill, staff now cut the tree down to be used to feed the zoo animals.

Sydney Zoo’s ungulate keeper, Jason Buttigieg, praised the partnership with Council, saying the plants are a welcome addition to the animals’ diets.

“The fresh plants donated by Penrith City Council provide important nutritional

and enrichment components of the diets to a number of Sydney Zoo’s animals.

“With our Asian elephants consuming almost a tonne of plants weekly, we are delighted with the help from Council and the local community,” he said.

Given the pandemic and its resulting restrictions, the animals have been missing the excitement of regular visitors to the zoo.

The tasty treats provided by Council have delivered a welcome distraction in these difficult times.

The ‘zero waste’ approach is carried forward by the zoo who give foliage to animals like the zebras, giraffes, and camels. Once these animals have

If you’re looking for ways to do your part and actively protect Penrith’s natural beauty, find out about Bushcare by visiting penrith.city/bushland. Bushcare is all about community volunteers working with Council to conserve and rehabilitate publicly owned natural bushland. There are over 200 volunteers who work at over 11 different sites throughout Penrith protecting the important Cumberland Plain Woodland. If you’re interested in joining a Bushcare group, it’s easy and free.

This initiative has the potential to be even bigger, with some Penrith residents also involved in donating plants to Sydney Zoo from their own properties. To find out more about the weeds program with Sydney Zoo, subscribe to the Bushcare Bulletin at penrith.city/bushcarebulletin

Never heard of an ungulate? Ungulates (pronounced UNG-gyə-layts) are animals with hooves. Meaning an “ungulate keeper” looks after animals with hooves, many of whom are loving the plant materials donated by Council.

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 6

enjoyed a tasty snack, the bare trunks and branches are passed on to the elephants who love playing with, and eventually devouring, entire trunks.

•7•

Credit – Sydney Zoo

WEEDS FROM PENRITH

The Sydney Zoo partnership is the first of its kind, driven by a strong focus on sustainability. Penrith’s Bushland team continually looks for

CITY SUPPORTING THOSE IN NEED While the Civic Centre may have been eerily quiet due to COVID-19 restrictions, we’ve been far from closed, with many of Council’s services operating as normal via Online

Services. We’ve also been busy working with businesses, community leaders and residents to coordinate a proactive approach to address the impact of the pandemic on our City.

BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR COUNCIL Many of Council’s services operate as normal, even during lockdown, however if you are unsure or would like further information, please contact Council via our ‘Online Services’ available through our website or call our Customer Experience team on: (02) 4732 7777.

Online Services are available to access 24/7 allowing residents to report problems and lodge requests online at a time that’s convenient to them. Our online services cover information and queries related to bins and waste, parks, buildings and venues, roads and footpaths, trees, and vegetation. Visit penrith.city/onlineservices

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 8

Three separate surveys were conducted at the start of the lockdown with residents, businesses, and community leaders to reveal the most pressing issues. This enabled Council to gather an evidencebased perspective for decision making.

Feedback from local schools and community organisations saw the establishment of an emergency food relief hub for those struggling in lockdown.

The contactless Hamper Hub in North St Marys helped some of our City’s most

vulnerable residents with emergency food supplies delivered through a ‘drive and collect’ style service. The Hub was coordinated by Council and delivered in partnership with local services, including FoodBank, WestCare and Community Junction, and with support from volunteer group Turbans 4 Australia.

Staff from Ripples Leisure Centre were on hand operating the Hamper Hub. A welcomed opportunity for them to help the community in a different way, while the Ripples facilities remained closed under the Public Health Order.

•9•

The Hamper Hub opened on Thursday 2 September, with over 30 food hampers distributed on the first day. Feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. The food hampers included nonperishable, essential items such as rice, pasta and beans, sauce tins, canned fruit and vegetables, longlife milk, tea bags and freeze-dried coffee.

With bookings essential, the drive-in only service mean staff could load hampers into car boots ensuring the safety of our staff and community members.

Ripples staff operating the Hamper Hub at North St Marys

OUR

When 12 suburbs in our LGA were identified as areas of concern due to public health orders.

Council engaged early with local businesses and community leaders to identify core needs and challenges. There had never been a more important time to pull together our resources and community services to respond.

Alison Feilan of Ripples jumping in to assist our community

closely with local service providers and was offering free personal protective equipment (PPE) for those working in the community with the support of charity Good360.

Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown OAM said financial and social disparities are greater than ever in our City and the Hamper Hub aimed to ease some of the burden placed on those in our suburbs that faced the toughest of restrictions.

“We know people in our community are doing it tough. The sad reality of this pandemic is that there are families and individuals out there who were unable to put food on their plate and we’re hearing many stories like this directly from our residents,” Cr McKeown said.

In addition to the Hamper Hub, Council continued to work

Given the disruption caused by the pandemic, local sports clubs will also be supported in their recovery, with Council once again waiving all seasonal sportsground fees and charges for the summer period.

39 clubs, from 13 different sports across our City will benefit from the fee waiver for the 2021/2022 summer season (18 September 2021 – 6 March 2022).

Local businesses facing ongoing economic hardship

caused by the COVID-19 restrictions have also benefited from fee relief, with the waiving of footpath dining fees for cafes and restaurants in the Penrith and St Marys CBDs to help them recover as they reopen for trade.

As our City deals with the pandemic, regularly connecting with multifaith, multicultural and business leaders. has allowed us to understand, interpret, and share, ongoing and emerging needs to facilitate a coordinated response.

Another survey is underway, the information from which will assist Council in monitoring and measuring how our community is coping during this extremely difficult time.

For the most up-to-date information on restrictions and services currently available to the community, visit penrith.city/covid19.

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 10

PENRITH PROUD Launched in November 2020, Council’s Penrith Proud campaign continues to promote the benefits of buying local. Finding ourselves at home for a large part of this year means many businesses have been forced to close or adjust their ways of operating. The way we buy local might have

changed, but the need is just as high. The Penrith economy is underpinned by nearly 15,000 businesses – 96% of those are small businesses - who have been hard hit by the impacts of COVID-19.

The Penrith community has shown its true colours during the COVID-19 crisis and our local businesses have seen tremendous

support from new customers and some of their long-term fans. As we emerge from lockdown it’s an important time to continue that support to choose local first.

We want our local businesses to keep their doors open, keep local jobs at home and eventually thrive as a result of the Penrith community’s support.

A S K Y O U R S E L F, C A N I B U Y T H I S L O C A L LY ?

Follow Penrith Proud on Facebook or Instagram and share your Penrith Proud moments with us. We’re all in this together and we want to make sure Penrith thrives after the pandemic as we’re stronger together.

Penrith Proud and St Marys Strong is an initiative of the Rising Strong COVID-19 Recovery Plan.

artists to submit an original artwork for the City Park hoarding, Christine wasted no time responding. The process of painting the artwork proved more difficult than anticipated after the city was plunged into lockdown and she was faced with home schooling six kids and meeting the looming October deadline to finish the artwork in time for the start of demolition work within the site.

OUR

LOCAL TALENT ON DISPLAY

Featuring vivid portraits of native birds set against a

lush green backdrop, the artwork perfectly captures Council and the community’s vision for City Park - a natural retreat in the heart of the city centre located on the corner of Henry and Station streets. The talented creative mind behind the striking artwork is Christine Huynh, a

busy mum of six (yes, you read correctly, six!) children from Londonderry.

As the artist behind several murals found on water tanks across Londonderry, there’s no denying Christine has a passion for large-scale artworks and when Council put the callout for local

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 12

Penrith artist, Christine Huynh, bringing life to temporary fencing

Next time you’re walking or driving through Penrith’s City Centre look out for a vibrant new artwork that’s being installed on the new construction fencing surrounding the 7,000 sqm City Park site.

“It’s definitely been a juggle,” said Christine.

“My wonderful mum usually comes and helps care for our family when I have a big mural to paint. That couldn’t happen this time, and with six kids aged from 2 to 15 running around, things were a bit crazy, so I had to do most of my painting at night.”

Despite many disruptions to her routine, Christine has perfectly captured some of Penrith’s most

vibrant and muchloved birds including the cockatoo, magpie, kookaburra and rainbow lorikeet seen every day in backyards and parks across Penrith.

“I was inspired by the native birds and flowers we are surrounded by every day here in Penrith.

I hope these birds and flowers will be frequent visitors and residents of our beautiful new City Park,” Christine said.

@CHRISTINEDOROTHYHUYNH A group of children happily playing in the water fountains is another feature of the artwork, which Christine says reflects the cooling aspects of City Park and celebrates Penrith’s diversity.

“Watching the joy that mist fountains bring my own kids inspired the imagery of the young children on the mural, and it was also important to me that these children represent the diversity of cultures we have in Penrith.”

The construction fencing and artwork is due to be installed in late October. Find out more about the City Park project with our story on page 22 and at penrith.city/citypark. If you’d like to see more of Christine’s artwork, head to her Facebook page @ChristineDorothyHuynh.

• 13 •

OUR

SMART GUIDE TO

» Micro plastic

SOFT PLASTICS Do you know how to identify a soft plastic?

The best way to tell if a plastic is ‘soft’ or not is by doing the ‘scrunch test’.

(You can also check our website penrith. city/problemwaste for a list of common household soft plastics.)

pollution in the soil.

01 1. Scrunch the plastic item into a small ball in your fist.

If it returns to its original shape slowly – it’s a soft plastic and it’s best to either:

02 2. Open your fist and watch what the item does.

» Return it to your local

03

» Collect it in any standard-

3.

Determine if it slowly starts to return to its shape OR if it ‘springs’ back immediately.

When problem waste such as soft plastics and textiles are sent to landfill, they can negatively impact our environment. By making sure you send your textiles and soft plastics to the right place, you are helping to avoid:

REDcycle soft plastics drop-off point OR… sized shopping bag and book a RecycleSmart Power Pickup!

» Harmful gas emissions entering the atmosphere from decomposition of organic materials.

RECYCLESMART POWER P I C K U P N O W AVA I L A B L E

RecycleSmart Power Pickups are now available to all residents living in the Penrith LGA. Your soft plastics and textiles can be recycled by booking a contactless RecycleSmart Power Pickup.

The best part is that they don’t go to landfill. There is a small fee for this service of $2 per pickup; however, if you use the code SPRING21 your first collection is free. If you like the idea of a regular pickup, you can subscribe for a monthly Power Pickup and receive all your collections free!

» Unnecessary water and energy consumption associated with ‘throw-away’ products and fast fashion.

GETTING READY FOR YOUR RECYCLESMART POWER PICKUP:

01 1. Pack your textiles and soft plastics into a bag or two (any standard supermarket reusable shopping bag is fine – don’t worry, you’ll get it back!)

02 2. Book your collection date online (details below).

03 3. Place your bags near your front door/ on your front porch before 8am the morning of your scheduled collection day and RecycleSmart will make sure your items go to the right place.

For more information about soft plastics and how to book a RecycleSmart Power Pickup, visit penrith.city/problemwaste PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 14

• 15 •

Council received many outstanding entries from people who make Penrith a special place to live, and whose efforts have changed the lives of others. Judging was a difficult process and Council is delighted to recognise and congratulate the worthy winners:

OUR

LOCAL HEROES

» Kristine Gauci – Citizen of the Year (18 years old and over)

» Daena Madon – Young Citizen of the Year (under 18 years old) The recipients of Penrith City Council’s inaugural Local Celebration Awards were announced at Council’s August Ordinary Meeting.

The new community awards program was developed to shine a light on the dedicated,

selfless and inspiring people who are making our City a better place.

After a difficult year of unprecedented challenges there’s never been a better time to celebrate Penrith’s can-do attitude and resilient spirit.

» Duo Cathy and Marzi DeSanti, as well as solo recipient Gloria Lenon - Mayor’s Local Heroes Award (all ages)

» And three recipients, Robert Rayner, Michael Allen and Victoria Nou – Making a Difference: Community Service Award (all ages)

“I HEARTILY CONGRATULATE KRISTINE, DAENA, CATHY

WINNERS 2021

AND MARZI, GLORIA, ROBERT, MICHAEL AND VICTORIA. THEY ARE ALL AMAZING COMMUNITY HEROES WHO HUMBLE US WITH THEIR SELFLESSNESS AND WHO MAKE US TRULY PROUD TO BE PART OF THE CITY OF PENRITH,” CR MCKEOWN SAID. PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 16

W NO K TO …

ERS GET N N WI R U O CITIZEN OF THE YEAR: KRISTINE GAUCI Kristine is the cofounder and director of Our Community Cares.

This local not-for-profit organisation helps the aged and people in need by providing support to help enhance their quality of life. Kristine has worked tirelessly to raise funds for a wide range of collaborative programs and projects in Penrith, including a sensory room for Nepean Hospital Dementia ward; a connect program for the elderly and Penrith high school students; gifts for isolated aged care residents at Christmas; food donations for the Penrith Community Kitchen and fund raising for the purchase of chemotherapy chairs for Nepean Cancer Care Centre.

Kris was also recently elected President on the board of the Penrith Community Kitchen.

She has enjoyed working shoulder to shoulder with their wonderful volunteers to help make food for those in need during the pandemic.

has already chalked up an impressive six-year history as a cadet for the Penrith Division of St John Ambulance and in 2020, was recognised as their Senior Cadet of the Year.

Kris works around the clock to better our community and is a worthy recipient of our 2021 Citizen of the Year award.

Daena has also volunteered her time as a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs Australia, to the Lions Club of Emu Plains,

D A E N A D O N AT E D H A I R T O VA R I E T Y – T H E CHILDREN’S CHARITY YOUNG CITIZEN OF THE YEAR: DAENA MADON Daena is a remarkable 17-year-old whose passions include public speaking, design, photography, journalism and above all, volunteering for good causes. Daena • 17 •

the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal and many other worthwhile causes. Daena received a commendation from Charity Group Variety for donating her hair to help children with alopecia.

Daena’s extraordinary contributions make her an inspiration to the young people of Penrith.

MAYOR’S LOCAL HEROES AWARD: CATHY AND MARZI DESANTI The smiling faces of Cathy and Marzi de Santi are well known to many Thornton residents. Moving to Thornton after the loss of their Winmalee home in the 2013 bushfires, Cathy and Marzi were determined to re-establish the close community network they had enjoyed in their old neighbourhood.

This dynamic duo are the driving force behind the Thornton Community Gardens,

Thornton Welcomer Committee, many Thornton Community Group projects and a wide array of other activities, both within and beyond Thornton.

Their remarkable ‘can do’ attitude makes Cathy and Marzi true Local Heroes.

MAYOR’S LOCAL HEROES AWARD: GLORIA LENON The inspirational Gloria is the longstanding President of both Nepean Legacy and the Penrith and Lower Blue Mountains War Widows’ Guild.

Making A Difference Community Service Award There were so many outstanding entrants for the inaugural Local Celebration Awards Community Service Awards that the judges were hard pressed choosing a winner – so they chose three!

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: ROBERT RAYNOR Robert is a familiar

For the past 15 years, Gloria has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life of war widows across the Penrith LGA, providing counseling and support. She is known for her friendliness, warmth and for always being available to provide support – no matter what hour of the day or night.

Gloria has guided members of the Penrith community through incredibly difficult times and richly deserves to be recognised as one of our 2021 Mayor’s Local Heroes.

face in Kingswood, particularly around Wainwright Park, where he tends the community garden, local comunity pantry and book library, and cleans up rubbish when needed. Thanks to Robert, people in need know they can always go to the park to get a book or something to eat.

Robert is also the administrator for the Kingswood Area Community Facebook Page, which keeps the community updated with useful information. Robert is recognised by our 2021 Community Service award for making the Kingswood community a better place for everyone.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: MICHAEL ALLEN During his career, and now in semi-retirement, Michael supported our community as Deputy Chair of Afford Disability Services, independent Chair of Link Wentworth Community Housing, board member of Aboriginal Hostels Limited and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council Housing Limited and Chair of Leep (a local notfor-profit focused on closing the digital divide for communities experiencing

• 19 •

disadvantage). Mike is also the volunteer handyman for The Haven Nepean Women’s Shelter (www. thehaven.org.au), an organisation dedicated to protecting and empowering women and children.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: VERONICA NOU Veronica’s story of being a refugee from Cambodia is a powerful example of rising above life’s challenges and then giving back in return. Veronica is National Convener for Mums4Refugees, a group with over 4000 active volunteers nationwide. She helps coordinate and run a wide variety of free services and activities for refugees including playgroups, English support, legal and medical support, as well as refugee advocacy.

Veronica also started a group called The Good Connections Project along with the pastor at her local church, to help lonely, isolated, or financially stressed members of her community.

She also established a pen pal program between elderly and isolated residents and children at her

SAVE THE DATE COUNCIL ELECTION Saturday 4 December 2021

local school and helped establish the Oxley Park Kids DropIn Centre.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, September Local Government elections will now take place in December

Described as having a heart of gold, Veronica always gives her time to others, and she is truly passionate about helping those who are less fortunate.

Voting is compulsory for residents Make a note and don’t forget to vote A baby photo from Veronica’s own refugee past

N O M I N AT I O N S F O R T H E 2 0 2 2 AWA R D S ARE OPEN Do you know someone who has made a positive impact by volunteering or who saves thousands of lives through regular blood donations?

Perhaps you know someone who has raised a lot of money for charity or has given up their time or possessions to help others? Then we want to hear from you! For more on the awards and how to nominate please visit: penrith.city/local-celebration-awards

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 20

penrith.city/Council-Election • 21 •

OUR

The delivery of the $12 million City Park begins in late October with the first stage of work to include the demolition of buildings on the corner of Henry and Station Streets.

Council is working hard to minimise disruption to businesses, shoppers and visitors and keep everyone safe during this stage of work. Temporary construction fencing is

C I T Y PA R K Penrith can look forward to exploring City Park. A 7,000 sqm green space on the corner of Henry and Station Streets, Penrith. A short distance from Penrith Train Station, City

Park is set to create a welcoming, cool, walkable environment which invites people to explore the city centre and discover Penrith’s great local cafes, shops, and businesses.

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 22

OLD CO CHAM UNCIL BERS

STA TIO N ST REE T

While 2021 may have seen us spend more time indoors at home, Council has been preparing for a brighter future with more freedom for outdoor adventures.

Three of the exciting Council-led projects that form an important part of our City’s Revitalisation story will mean new fantastic outdoor options for the local community and visitors to enjoy.

closure of the entry into Allen Place car park from Station Street.

A new temporary car park is being built on Woodriff St to assist with parking. Work will start in early 2022, with City Park set to open in early 2023.

Find out more at penrith.city/citypark.

ITH

RILE Y ST REE T

CHANGING BACKYARD

There will be a space being installed around to suit everyone the site. (See page including themed 12 for a story about gardens, water the beautiful local features, natural artwork to be featured shade, public artwork, on this). and a large central Some changes to be lawn for people to aware of include the relax, play, meet closure of a small friends, be entertained section of Allen Place WES and active.

TFIEL D car park and the PENR

GRE AT

TAX OFFI CE

NEW PENR ITH CITY PARK

HEN RY S TRE ET

ALL EN P L

ACE CAR PARK CLOS ED

ALL EN P LAC E CAR S TEMP PACES O LOST RARILY CON DURING STRU CTIO N

HIGH STR EET

• 23 •

ALL EN P LAC E

ALLE NP CAR LACE PARK

R E G AT TA PA R K The $24 million transformation of Regatta Park continues in October with the focus shifting to the western section of the park. This section will undergo preparation work including leveling of groundwork to prepare for the River Road deviation and new road corridor.

Several utilities, including water and gas, are also being relocated.

P O L I C E C O T TA G E

Keep up to date at penrith.city/regattapark In November, the former Thai restaurant is set to be demolished and the site is already fenced off for safety.

In December, the project will reach an exciting milestone with the riverbank

expected to reopen featuring a new accessible pathway along the river foreshore.

Key features of the entire precinct upgrade include two new play spaces,

an accessible path leading down to the river foreshore, over-water viewing platforms, a junior cricket oval, functional car park and plenty of green open space for a variety of activities.

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 24

By the end of 2022, a visit to Regatta Park could also include a bite to eat at the historic Police Cottage, set to become a vibrant new dining destination.

The project recently received Development Application approval and construction is expected to commence in early 2022 to transform the site into a café and restaurant, with outside seating that offers diners magnificent views of the Nepean River.

Thanks to the Crown Lands Trust for responding to Council’s request to transform this site, the century-long history of the building will be

open to the public for the first time, ensuring this important local heritage feature is celebrated, conserved, and enjoyed for generations to come.

“We want residents and visitors to be able to enjoy this piece of our history, and by giving it a living, working role today, we’ll be able to preserve the site for future generations,” says Council’s General Manager Warwick Winn.

Originally built in 1908 and located adjacent to the Yandhai Nepean Crossing, the Police Cottage will be sensitively restored

by Council to blend

heritage and modern dining. (For more on the fascinating history of the Police Cottage see “Our Place in History” on page 30.)

In June 2021, Council conducted a formal Request for Tender for a hospitality operator for the Police Cottage. The successful applicant will be announced later this year, with the next tender process, for a construction partner specialising in heritage refurbishments now underway.

You may be able to book a table at the Police Cottage sometime in late 2022, giving us all something to look forward to.

For more information visit penrith.city/policecottage • 25 •

That’s just one of the conundrums faced by the team at Ripples over the last few months. The answer in this case has been land-based squad training delivered virtually!

Despite not walking through the doors of their St Marys or Penrith facilities since the beginning of the lockdown in late June, the Ripples team have been as busy as ever finding new and innovative

ways to improve the health and wellbeing of our community.

“The Ripples team are so passionate about what we do, and we really miss seeing our wonderful patrons each day,” says Rob Tweddle, Manager of Ripples.

Free virtual programs for the whole family offer fitness classes that don’t require machines, making it easy to stay in shape when we can’t get to the gym or pool.

Taking a holistic approach to health, the team have also coordinated seminars

One of the most exciting interactive sessions that has been run to date, was a virtual visit from Olympian Matt Wilson.

Families tuned in to ask questions about Matt’s swimming career and time at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Our Squad Swimmers were inspired to achieve greatness; receiving advice on keeping fit, exercise drills and what postOlympics life looks like. Ripples was very appreciative of Matt donating his time to speak with our aspiring swimmers and the wider community.

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 26

and timetables are available on the Ripples website, ripplesnsw.com.au.

at St Marys, which now operates more quietly, is more energy efficient and Photo by Delly Carr

How do you coach a team of aspiring swimmers when you can’t go to a pool?

from dietitians and Telehealth services to arm us with the knowledge to keep those COVID kilos at bay.

The extended closure has provided an opportunity to improve the facilities including an upgraded heat pump for the pool

quicker to heat. The Penrith Ripples facility overhaul has included retiling the main pool and adding a new shade cloth to the toddler pool, improving sun safety for the pool’s youngest users.

RIPPLES NSW RIPPLESLEISURE

VIRTUAL PROGRAMS

Olympic swimmer, Matt Wilson visited Ripples virtually

HEALTH AT HOME

Photo by Karis Shea on Unsplash

OUR

All sessions are run through Microsoft Teams and all you need to do to join is log in 5-10 minutes prior to each session.

Session invitations

Join us online for our Free Ripples Virtual Programs Series, where we can stay connected, work out and stay healthy together at home!

We are offering:

» group fitness classes » children’s virtual activities, and » health & wellbeing virtual sessions.

Telehealth appointments with dietitians also available. Visit ripplesnsw.com.au for details • 27 •

GET INVOLVED ONLINE ACTIVITIES FOR ALL Staying close to home doesn’t have to be boring, with plenty of entertainment and activities for a range of ages and interests all happening online.

WILDLIFE WEDNESDAY PHOTO COMPETITION

MOBILE PLAYVAN ONLINE Council’s Children’s Services are bringing play to you in a whole new way. The Mobile Playvan experience is available online until lockdown eases. Join the team every Wednesday and Thursday at 10am for singing, dancing, stories and more, zooming straight into your living rooms!

New and existing families are welcome to join in the fun. If you would like further information or would like to have the Zoom link sent to your email each week, please contact the Playvan team on 0419 976 917.

ADVENTURE SORTED WITH FREE ACTIVITY BOOK PENRITH.CITY/BINZADVENTURES

PENRITH.CITY/ BUSHACTIVITIES Time to let your inner creative shine! Join Penrith City Council’s Biodiversity and Bushcare teams in an exciting nature themed activity for your chance to win 1 of 14 x $25 gift vouchers from Mother Earth Nursery and 1 of 3 ‘The Australian Native Garden’ books by Angus Stewart and A.B. Bishop!

To enter,

#Penrithwild

GET CONNECTED WITH PENRITH CITY LIBRARY AND WIN!

01 1. Take a nature themed photo whilst you are out and about in Penrith.

02 2. Post the picture on Instagram and include the hashtag #penrithwild or post it in the comments section of our Wildlife Wednesday post (on Council’s Facebook page).

Submit your photo by 5pm Monday 31 January 2022 to go into the draw! Entry is valid for Penrith residents only. For full Terms and Conditions visit penrith.city/bushactivities

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 28

Now is the perfect time to become a member of Penrith City Library. Join before 30 November 2021 and go into the draw to win an iPad or gift card. The Library offers members free access to an exciting range of online resources, programs and other benefits, including:

Have you been wondering how you can teach your children to sort correctly with the 3-bin service?

Council’s Waste Services have created the Binz Adventures, an education and activity book designed to help guide you on your journey of at-home waste education. It includes easy-to-read stories and fun activities that you can safely do at home.

» an extensive range of

Visit penrith.city/binzadventures to download your copy today.

eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines

» online databases and encyclopedias to help with home schooling

» online homework help via Studiosity Download the Penrith City Library app to access all these resources in one place. Our librarians have been busy adding a new selection of eBooks and audiobooks to the Library’s online collection.

Borrow or place a hold on one of these newly added titles via the Libby app at penrith.overdrive.com For the latest news on library services see penrith.city/library

PENRITH REGIONAL GALLERY, HOME OF THE LEWERS BEQUEST ART WALKS AVAILABLE FREE AND ON DEMAND PENRITHREGIONALGALLERY.COM.AU/ LEARNING/ART-AT-HOME/ART-WALKS/ One of the simple joys available to us during our time at home is a walk around our neighbourhood.

Exhibiting artists from Penrith Regional Gallery have produced a series of Art Walks that invite you to experience a new way of moving through and relating to your environment. Each artist will share their journey through instructions that ask you to listen, make, or move, in different ways during your daily walk. Art Walks offer a way to transform and enrich our daily exercise through art making. You can participate by following the artists’ instructions available on the Gallery’s website and social media.

• 29 •

OUR

PLACE IN HISTORY

The story of the Police Cottage is very much the story of the officers and their families who called it home, including the first and only officer to both live and work at Emu Plains Station, Sergeant Samuel McLean.

A Constable when he first arrived, Samuel and his wife were well-loved by locals who rallied around when their young daughter died in 1901. In 1916 Sergeant McLean was placed in charge of

Before the Emu Plains Police Cottage begins an exciting new chapter as a café and restaurant, we uncover its fascinating past. (For more on the restoration and repurposing of the Cottage see our story on page 27).

Penrith Police Station but continued to live in the Emu Plains Police residence with his family.

The Police Cottage was built in 1908 for 749 pounds by J. J Giles of St Marys.

Located at 4 Punt Road the Police Station and residence functioned until 1921 when Emu Plains

Station merged with Penrith. It was then used as a residence for Penrith Police officers until the 1950s when it was rented as a private residency before becoming vacant in 2015.

The Emu Plains Police Cottage awaiting renovation PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 30

A picture of their life is glimpsed in the list of goods auctioned when they left the cottage and district when McLean retired in 1921. Along with a range of furniture, linoleum, and carpets, it includes “a piano, a clothes

wringer, a quiet horse, sulky and a good jersey cow – in full milk”.

MacLean was wellrespected and a farewell gathering was organised, with official words of thanks spoken

by Councillor S.H. Walker at the Assembly Hall in June 1921. After his departure the Police Department decided not to station another Police Officer at Emu Plains and the Emu Plains Police Office was abolished. Emu Plains was then patrolled from Penrith, with officers from Penrith continuing to live at the Police Cottage.

An official list of occupants of the property has not been found, however a search of the Nepean Times does give an informal timeline for occupation of the residence. Later residents include • 31 •

AUCTION NOTICE IN THE NEPEAN TIMES, 2 1 M AY, 1 9 2 1 Constable E.C Davis who benefited from the installation of a direct phone line to the Penrith Station and electric lights in 1925.

Constable Davis exchanged stations with Constable Hall of Liverpool Station in 1926 and in 1929 Hall was assigned a new mode of transport at the cottage, replacing his horse – a HarleyDavidson motorcycle and sidecar.

display by Scotty and his dogs.

Constable Thorsby was the last Police Officer to live in the house with his family from 1947 after his retirement sometime after 1980.

SERGEANT DENHOLM AND POLICE DOG, VENGEANCE AT T H E P E N R I T H P O L I C E TRAINING DEPOT

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 32

The Ron Mulock Oval, a reserve on Lord Sheffield Circuit, within the Thornton Estate, provides a cricket oval with BBQ entertaining, community centre and playground.

While most Penrith City residents would be familiar with its facilities, some, especially the younger generation, may not know the story of the man it was named to honour.

Ron Mulock AO served as an alderman (Councillor) on Penrith City Council for six years and was Mayor on three occasions.

Known by Penrith residents as a “champion of the west”, Ron was

responsible for many positive changes in Penrith, across the areas of education, health, and the environment.

In 1971 he was elected to the State seat of Nepean, serving no less than 10 portfolios including Justice and Services, Transport, Education, Health and Attorney General. Ron was sworn in as Deputy Premier in 1984, serving Premiers Neville Wran and Barry Unsworth until 1988 when he retired.

He was made an Officer of the order of Australia in 1988.

A staunch Panthers supporter, he was awarded life membership of the • 33 •

STORIES BEHIND O U R PA R K S

Panthers in 1989 and served as Patron of the Panthers club. Ron was also awarded the title of Honoured Citizen of Council in 2003 for his contributions to Penrith.

He died on 4 September 2014 (aged 84).

The late Ron Mulock OA, Penrith icon

Sergeant Denholm and his dogs were considered celebrities and on one occasion certain members of the public were able to visit the “new” kennels in Penrith and were given a

From the National Archives

The Harley was passed on to the Police Cottage’s next resident, the ill-fated Constable Harold William Sturgiss.

Constable Sturgiss was killed in 1939 when he lost control of the motorcycle and sidecar on Victoria Bridge and hit a lorry carrying sand for the Emu Gravel Company. He left behind a wife and two children.

In the 1940s the Cottage was home to Sergeant Adam (Scotty) Denholm who famously introduced tracker dogs into the NSW Police Force. He established kennels in Penrith (on the site of the present-day Civic Centre) and, aside from his police work, went on to train the dog used in the James Mason film, Age of Consent and kangaroos for the television show, Skippy.

SOUTH WARD

HOW CAN I UPCYCLE THIS?

Or place in the recycling bin

LET’S CELEBRATE

COUNCIL CAN HELP WITH

» Abandoned vehicles » Air pollution monitoring » Animal Services » Approvals » Asbestos » Building applications or inspections

» Bus shelters » Bushfire control » Children’s Services » Citizenship Ceremonies » Clean-up bookings » Compost bins » Council car parks » Council meetings » Disability services » Environmental health » Environmental planning » Food handling » Footpaths

» Garbage & waste » Graffiti control » Hall bookings » Library services » Local elections » Local history » Neighbourhood centres » Noise complaints » Park bookings » Parking control » Planning approvals » Public buildings » Rates » Recycling » Report illegal dumping » Senior Citizen centres » Swimming pool fences » Tourism » Tree planting or removal » Youth services

ONLINE SERVICES Manage bins, report potholes and book bulky waste collections

EAST WARD

OUR MAYOR

OUR DEPUTY MAYOR

COUNCILLOR KAREN MCKEOWN OAM

COUNCILLOR TRICIA HITCHEN

E karen.mckeown@penrith.city P 0401 995 945

E tricia.hitchen@penrith.city P 0417 365 313

COUNCILLOR BRIAN CARTWRIGHT

COUNCILLOR ROBIN COOK

E brian.cartwright@penrith.city P 0448 084 568

E robin.cook@penrith.city P 0428 056 619

COUNCILLOR MARK DAVIES

COUNCILLOR GREG DAVIES

E mark.davies@penrith.city P 0416 085 597

E greg.davies@penrith.city P 0419 177 259

COUNCILLOR JIM AITKEN OAM

COUNCILLOR TODD CARNEY

E jim@jimaitken.com.au P 0418 288 488

E todd.carney@penrith.city P 0417 762 219

COUNCILLOR KATH PRESDEE

COUNCILLOR BERNARD BRATUSA

E kath.presdee@penrith.city P 0417 396 841

E bernard.bratusa@penrith.city P 0420 581 225

COUNCILLOR AND IMPORTANT COUNCIL CONTACTS

NORTH WARD COUNCILLOR ROSS FOWLER OAM

online MY.PENRITH.CITY

PENRITH CIVIC CENTRE

E ross@rossfowler.com.au P 0419 738 484

601 High Street, Penrith Opening hours at penrith.city

COUNCILLOR MARCUS CORNISH

ST MARYS CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE

E marcus.cornish@penrith.city P 0481 033 419

207-209 Queen Street, St Marys Opening hours at penrith.city

COUNCILLOR KEVIN CRAMERI OAM

council@penrith.city

E kevin.crameri@penrith.city P 0401 995 825

penrith.city

COUNCILLOR JOHN THAIN

4732 7777

penrith.city.council

E john.thain@penrith.city P 0411 427 812

penrithcouncil penrith-city-council

COUNCILLOR AARON DUKE

Interpreting assistance is available at Council or by phone.

PENRITH CITY COUNCIL • COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING 2021 • 34

E aaron.duke@penrith.city P 0404 085 981 • 35 •

THE STRENGTH OF PENRITH COMES FROM OUR PEOPLE. TOGETHER WE CAN SHAPE OUR FUTURE.