The Mount Druitt Gazette - 2nd Isuue - Member for Mount Druitt - Edmond Atalla

Welcome to the latest edition of the Mount Druitt Gazette! This online newspaper will serve to provide community and Parliamentary updates, for the benefit and information of our locals.  Residents Threatened By Toxic Waste Facility Recently in Parliament, I made a Private Member's Statement regarding the 'Energy From Waste' Incinerator facility proposed for Eastern Creek. I had attempted to speak prior on the 12,000 signature petition however was evicted from the Chamber for voicing my concerns about this development. I have rallied against this incinerator from my time as a Councillor in 2013, and cannot believe that this developer was given three chances by the Government to meet the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] standard. This application should have been refused 5 years ago, and I question why this Liberal-National Government is bending over backwards to enable this developer to get the application approved? My concerns with this proposal relate to the following; Health impacts on the local community The close proximity to residential homes and schools Environmental pollution and diminishing air quality Enough is enough, the Western Sydney community has stood loud and proud against this disastrous proposal, and I am happy to stand with them. I thank the 'No Incinerator For Western Sydney' group for collecting these 12,000 signatures in such a short period of time. I thank you for your efforts and I promise to keep fighting against this toxic proposal, which is supported by a toxic government. New Dialysis Centre Opens at Mt Druitt Hospital Residents of Mount Druitt and surrounding communities can now enjoy easier access to medical treatment, after the Dialysis Centre was opened at the hospital. Patients will no longer have to travel long distances to receive this much needed treatment. The new 12 chair dialysis centre has the capacity to cater for 48 patients a week who need kidney dialysis. Following extensive lobbying of the NSW Government by myself and community members to reinstate and expand the services at Mt Druitt Hospital, it is pleasing to finally see some progress for the Western Sydney community. With the predicted growth of the area, medical treatment and services must be a priority for the NSW Government. So far together, we have successfully achieved; - Reinstatement of emergency surgery - A refurbished digital operating centre - Expanded Mount Druitt's emergency department - A new recovery area, including peri-operative support - The installation of an MRI Machine I will continue to stand and fight for our community, and demand that my constituents are afforded the same treatment as the rest of NSW. We must continue to come together until Mount Druitt hospital is restored into a fully functioning hospital.  Community Opportunities The Community Heritage Grant is a federally funded grants program, operating since 1994, which offers grants of up to $15,000 to assist in preserving cultural heritage collections of national significance. Not-for-profit organisations, such as historical societies, regional museums, public libraries and Indigenous and migrant community groups throughout Australia, are encouraged to apply. For more information on CHG see http://www.nla.gov.au/awards-and-grants/chg If you are a young person who enjoys public speaking, meeting new people, helping your community and would like to represent the youth of Blacktown City then this is the program for you! The Youth Ambassador Program involves the selection of two young people to serve as Ambassadors of Blacktown City for a period of 12 months. Find more information here at https://www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/Community/Youth-Ambassador-Program This year there are 12 Tertiary Scholarships available for those who have completed at least 1 year of a current enrolment at a recognised Tertiary Institution by the end of the previous year. For more information, or to apply, visit https://www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/Community/Awards-scholarships-and-competitions/Tertiary-Scholarships  Mount Druitt Community Photos