MEDIA RELEASE
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Prospect Residents Have A Good Say 19th May 2017
Blacktown City Council’s latest Have Your Say forum – at Prospect – attracted more than 100 residents and ratepayers, who told Council they appreciated being able to talk directly about issues of concern.
Prospect resident of 50 years, Joseph Gauci, raised the issue of a lack of footpaths on his street and challenged Council about allocation of funding for road improvements.
“We came out of the forum with a different point of view about Council,” he said.
“Everybody enjoyed it and most of us felt our questions were answered to the best that they could.
“I mean you can’t help everyone, but the Councillors and staff came to listen to us.
“It was quiet impressive. We didn’t expect everyone to be so open with residents,” he said.
Many residents took up the opportunity to ask Council staff and Councillors about questions affecting their neighbourhoods, including concerns over an application to build a place of worship in the suburb.
Mayor of Blacktown City Stephen Bali said: “The forums show that people want an opportunity to voice their personal concerns about some very important issues to their local areas.
“Understandably we can’t answer everything at the forum, and some issues before Council have to follow due process, but the important thing is that people had a chance to be heard by us and we had the opportunity to listen.”
Prospect resident Mark Smith raised the issue about conditions of operation over a development near his property.
“It was good to be given the opportunity to speak, but we are waiting to see the action that comes out of it,” he said.
Council provided information on local business support, transformation plans for Blacktown’s CBD, Council’s Our Blacktown 2036 strategy, bush care groups in the local area, Council events, library programs, information from the police local area command and No Badgerys Creek Airport Inc.
“I am pleased to see an increasing number of people coming out at each of our forums to meet with us and discuss issues they want to raise,” Mayor Bali said.
“Our whole city is changing, and being informed about everything that is happening is important for our growing community.”
“I encourage people to attend their local forums as they are staged, so they can be informed and involved in what’s happening in their neighbourhoods,” Mayor Bali said.
Council’s next monthly community forum is at 7pm on Wednesday, 14 June at the Oakhurst Neighbourhood Centre, 51 Standish Avenue, Oakhurst.
The previous forum held on Monday, 8 May in Riverstone was a standing room only event and was the biggest forum to date – attracting some 300 people.
Council had to shut the doors when the hall reached capacity and Mayor Bali promised to stage a second forum in the Riverstone area.
This is will be held at 7pm on Monday, 1 June at the Riverstone High School, 71 McCulloch Street, Riverstone with exactly the same agenda as the previous forum.
Forum details:
Riverstone – 7pm, Thursday 1 June, at the Riverstone High School, 71 McCulloch Street, Riverstone.
Oakhurst – 7pm, Wednesday 14 June Oakhurst Neighbourhood Centre, 51 Standish Avenue, Oakhurst .
Email: Forums@blacktown.nsw.gov.au
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