Christmas is almost upon us and another year is fast coming to an end. The last 12 months have been particularly eventful for Bankstown City and for me personally.
As a lifelong resident of Bankstown, I received the... Read on...
On Wednesday I spoke at the annual Pearl Harbor Day commemoration service organised by Council in conjunction with Bankstown RSL Sub Branch and Yanks Down Under Post No 1. This year marked the 70th anniversary of the attack... Read on...
With the holiday season almost upon us, now is a great time to pick up your favourite book or discover new ones at the many libraries across our City.
As much as we all enjoy watching movies and TV and surfing the web,... Read on...
It was great to see Paul Keating Park filled with the sounds of Christmas on Saturday night for the annual Bankstown City Christmas Carols. My sincere thanks to MC Julie Goodwin along with our local entertainers and... Read on...
Summer is here once again and Bankstown's residents have a lot to look forward to with the $3.2 million refurbishment of Birrong and Revesby Leisure Centre's.
Birrong Leisure Centre is now home to one of... Read on...
Thank you to everyone who supported Friday's White Ribbon Day activities. As men we need to set an example by making a public commitment and the day was a valuable opportunity for men to unite and show that we are... Read on...
The festive season is here yet again and as part of our effort to bring Christmas cheer to town, Bankstown City Council will be staging a spectacular Christmas Carols event on 3 December from 6:30PM in Paul Keating Park.... Read on...
This Friday 25 November, is White Ribbon Day and as a White Ribbon Day Ambassador I am encouraging men in our community to unite in the quest to rid our community of violence against women. There is no excuse for domestic... Read on...
Very few of us have not been affected in some way or other by cancer.
In fact, latest studies suggest that up to 1 out of every 2 Australians will be diagnosed with a form of the disease before age 85.
We have... Read on...
The City of Bankstown paused to remember our fallen soldiers last Friday during Remembrance Day services across the city. I was honoured to be the guest speaker at the City of Bankstown R & SL Sub-Branch service and pay... Read on...
Domestic violence traumatises children and women in our City and it is time we, as a community, said enough is enough.
As a White Ribbon Day Ambassador, I will be challenging our local men to be real men and rid our... Read on...
On Friday evening thousands gathered in Saigon Place in the heart of our CBD for the official unveiling of the Vietnamese Boat People Monument. I was pleased to join with President of the NSW Chapter of the Vietnamese... Read on...
On Friday, I have the honour of speaking at Bankstown RSL's Remembrance Day Service to pay tribute to members of the armed forces and civilians who served our country in times of war.
For today's Australians,... Read on...
I was pleased to host a celebration on Monday morning to mark the official opening of the playground at Gazzard Park, Yagoona. Special thanks to the primary school students from Al Sadiq College and Yagoona Public School who... Read on...
The $450, 000 upgrade of Gazzard Park in the heart of Yagoona Town Centre has just been completed.
It's the most exciting, innovative and inclusive playground we have in our city due to exhaustive community... Read on...
I was pleased to honour our community organisations at Thursday's Community Grants Cheque Presentation Night. The large number of applications reflects the strong desire of our community groups to make a positive... Read on...
Bankstown is more than just a place. It's a community of people who call our city home.
Each and every one of us counts.
Council is always looking for more creative ways to enrich the lives of its residents, which... Read on...
The best of Bankstown's natural environment was on display on Wednesday night at the awards ceremony for the HomeGrown Garden and Photography Competition. I was pleased to go along and acknowledge the entrants and present... Read on...
Some say that 'times have changed and so should we'. But at Bankstown City Council we believe in staying one step ahead.
This week I launched our new website. It has an impressive contemporary feel; well designed... Read on...
Bankstown Council has a new look website and I encourage residents to get online and have a look at www.bankstown.nsw.gov.au. A lot of effort has gone into creating a website that makes it easier for our community to access... Read on...
As students return back to school this week after their holidays, I would like to remind motorists in the Bankstown area to be more alert and slow down when driving in and around school zones and surrounding streets.... Read on...
Last week I visited our sister city Broken Hill for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between our two Councils. This significant occasion also coincided with the annual youth sporting exchange and celebrations... Read on...
As Mayor of Bankstown, I am committed to delivering the very best services and infrastructure for the benefit of our whole community.
As part of this ongoing commitment, I am proud to announce the delivery of our city’s... Read on...
I was honoured to be re-elected Mayor unopposed at last Wednesday night's Mayoral election. My congratulations to Councillor Allan Winterbottom who was re-elected Deputy Mayor unopposed. Over the next 12 months our city... Read on...
It is my greatest honour and privilege to be re-elected unopposed to represent the people of Bankstown as the Mayor of this great City. I also congratulate Clr Allan Winterbottom on being re-elected as Deputy Mayor.
I... Read on...
On Saturday evening I had the pleasure of attending a special celebration marking the 50th Anniversary of the Bankstown City Netball Association. Netball has been part of the sporting landscape for many decades and here in... Read on...
Registrations for round two of Bankstown Midnight Basketball program open next week, Monday 26 September 2011.
Starting in October, the free program will provide youth in Bankstown with an alternative activity on Saturday... Read on...
On Friday evening I attended the Bill Bullard Charity event at the Revesby Workers Club. During the night a number of cheques were presented to various charitable causes including Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, Creating Links... Read on...
To celebrate and recognise the contribution young people make to our city, Bankstown City Council has developed the Bankstown Youth Awards.
The program, initiated by Council’s Youth Advisory Committee, is an opportunity... Read on...
On Wednesday night I attended a Charity Dinner at the Greyhound Social Club in honour of NSW Police Officer Bill Crews who died in the line of duty last year. The dinner followed the Inaugural Bill Crews Cup Rugby League... Read on...
As the weather heats up, now is the perfect time to enrol in one of Bankstown City Council's swim school classes at Birrong, Revesby and Wran Leisure Centres.
Enrolments for term 4 open on Monday 19 September 2011 and... Read on...
Thank you to the many people who have extended their congratulations to my wife Sally and I on the birth of our first child last week, a baby boy that we have named Elias.
Last Wednesday night The Bellevue Reception... Read on...
It is that time of year again for Bankstown’s annual HomeGrown sustainable garden competition, and residents are encouraged to unleash their green thumbs and prepare their gardens.
To further promote and celebrate... Read on...
Last Tuesday I had the privilege of attending the Bankstown Local CDSE Cheque Presentation Ceremony at Bankstown Sports Club. The Bankstown CDSE scheme is an important funding source for many local community organisations... Read on...
The 2011 Bankstown Mayoral Charity Dinner held on Friday 12 August was a resounding success, with more than $53,000 raised for Bankstown City Aged Care. I was humbled by the extent of our community's support for this... Read on...
I am pleased to announce that due to the incredible display of generosity at Friday night's Mayoral Charity Dinner, an overwhelming amount of $53,000 has been raised in aid of Bankstown City Aged Care. The evening... Read on...
Here in Bankstown, we are very fortunate to have the fifth highest population of young people in NSW, with more than 31,000 young people aged 12-24 years living in the Bankstown area.
International Youth Day is celebrated... Read on...
On Sunday morning, I attended Ullambana Day (Ancestors Remembrance Day) celebrations at the Huyen Quang Temple in Bankstown. The event was extremely well attended with many of our Vietnamese community taking part in this... Read on...
As part of Bankstown City Council's commitment to deliver high quality community facilities and services, we recently carried out a Library Model Service Review of our five libraries.
Local libraries are important hubs... Read on...
In its 7th year, Bankstown Bites proved to be a great success attracting over 20,000 residents and visitors on Saturday. I was pleased to officially open the event and celebrate our city's common love for food. This... Read on...
Bankstown has a reputation for producing some of Australia's best cricketers and is home to one of the best cricket pitches in Sydney.
Now residents have the opportunity to develop their cricket skills as part of... Read on...
Our community was saddened to hear of the passing of Norma Smith OAM last week. A former Bankstown Citizen of the Year and member of Council's Seniors Week and Sister City Committees, Norma had a long affiliation with the... Read on...
Members of Bankstown's Talent Advancement Program (TAP) never fail to impress, with the program receiving great reviews across NSW.
16 TAP soloists recently travelled to Broken Hill as part of the Sister City Exchange... Read on...
I was privileged to have been elected as Mayor of Bankstown last Monday night. It is an honour to represent the people of our City and I am committed to ensuring that Council remains focused on delivering positive outcomes... Read on...
It is my greatest honour and privilege to be elected to represent the people of Bankstown as the new Mayor of this great City. I also congratulate Clr Allan Winterbottom on being elected Deputy Mayor.
My election... Read on...
If you enjoy your food adventures, then don't miss out on the 2011 Bankstown Bites Food Festival on Saturday 30 July 2011 from 10am. With this year's Celebrity Chef, Darren Simpson, preparations are well underway. This... Read on...
Bankstown's signature event Bankstown Bites is on again, with the 2011 food festival set to transform the Bankstown CBD into a food lover's paradise.
Each year, Bankstown City Council organises the Bites festival... Read on...
On Friday I had the privilege of joining with Margaret Goneis, Chair of Council's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee, in signing a Statement of Commitment to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan.... Read on...
As the new mayor of Bankstown, I am pleased to continue with the tradition of the Mayoral Charity Dinner, with this year's dinner to be held on Friday 12 August in the Grand Ballroom at Bankstown Sports Club.
Each... Read on...
On Monday night, I stood down as Mayor to concentrate on my commitments as the State Member. It has been a privilege to be Mayor of the city I have grown up in and I am proud of what Bankstown Council has achieved during the... Read on...
The Bankstown Community Grants and Event Sponsorship Program provides funding to local community groups and organisations to assist them with operating community events, services and programs that address the social,... Read on...
Last Tuesday morning I was pleased to conduct a Citizenship Ceremony where approximately 90 residents of Bankstown became Australian Citizens. Deputy Mayor Khal Asfour along with Shadow Minister Barbara Perry MP, Guy Zangari... Read on...
On Friday I joined with family and friends to celebrate the life of Mrs Kath Bowman who sadly passed away, aged 87. As a former Deputy Mayor, Councillor and tireless community volunteer, Kath made an incredible contribution... Read on...
Last Tuesday I officially opened the 2011 Disability Expo held at Bankstown City YMCA, Revesby. The Expo provided an opportunity to increase community awareness on available disability-related services, programs and services... Read on...
As part of National Volunteer Week, Deputy Mayor Khal Asfour and I attended a special morning tea for Bankstown's Meals on Wheels volunteers at the Greenacre Citizens Centre. Thank you to the 221 volunteers who continue... Read on...
In the following weeks, the annual Cancer Council's Australia's Biggest Morning Tea will be held at venues across Bankstown. The Bankstown Cancer Women's Support Group will be hosting their annual morning tea at... Read on...
Last Wednesday night Deputy Mayor Khal Asfour and I attended The Doukas and Constantopedos show as part of the Greek Festival of Sydney. This was the first time the Festival had been staged an event in our city. The show was... Read on...
This year marks the 96th anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, during World War I. The bravery and spirit displayed at Gallipoli has become part of the... Read on...
On Sunday afternoon I attended the Bankstown RSL Sub Branch ANZAC Service and March. This annual event is one of the many held in our community in the lead-up to ANZAC Day and provides a further opportunity to honour our... Read on...
Bankstown's Youth Week activities have come to a close and it was great to see hundreds of young people taking part in the various programmed events in line with the 2011 theme of "Own It!". Thank you to everyone... Read on...
To kick-start Youth Week celebrations in Bankstown I joined local residents at the Coolaburoo Neighbourhood Centre for their Intergenerational Showcase and launch of the Bankstown Youth Directory on Friday 1 April. I... Read on...
On Friday I attended La Salle Catholic College for the opening of the refurbished Benilde Building, St Mary Mackillop Lecture Theatre, Science Laboratories and General Learning Areas. His Eminance, George Cardinal Pell, AC... Read on...
I had the pleasure of officially opening Bankstown’s Seniors Week celebrations on Sunday at the annual Seniors Spectacular Concert supported by Bankstown Sports. The concert featured vocalists from the Bankstown Talent... Read on...
International Women's Day was celebrated at a number of events across the city last week.
On Wednesday I joined guests at Bankstown Council's International Women's Day Brunch at the Council Chambers. Attendees... Read on...
Thank you to the many schools, businesses, community groups and residents who generously gave their time to participate in this year’s Clean Up Australia Day campaign. This year there were a total of 44 registered sites... Read on...
During the week I had the opportunity to attend Padstow North Public School's Student Representative Council (SRC) induction ceremony. The ceremony was an opportunity to formally introduce and acknowledge the newly... Read on...
Last Tuesday morning I was pleased to attend the St Charbel's College Opening Mass for the 2011 school year. This was followed by the annual HSC High Achievers Ceremony where I had the opportunity to acknowledge the... Read on...
Last Wednesday evening I attended the Library Summer Reading Club presentation night. The Summer Reading Club has been an annual event since 1995 and this year almost 600 Club members read tens of thousands of books between... Read on...
On Saturday evening I had the pleasure of enjoying the official opening of the 2011 Vietnamese Tet New Year Festival at Fairfield Showground. The annual festival is a spectacular celebration of Vietnamese culture and a... Read on...
Council's Australia Day celebrations began this year with a breakfast at Garrison Point as we officially welcomed 10 residents of Bankstown as Australian citizens. Girl Guides from Greenacre and Yagoona participated by... Read on...
On Saturday, I had the honour of welcoming Governor General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC to Bankstown for the match between the Australian and England Women's Cricket teams at Memorial Oval. I was pleased to see... Read on...