Blacktown City Council - Media Release - Memorial Service Remembers Sri Lanka And New Zealand Terror Victims

Close to 500 people gathered for the International Memorial

Service for the victims of the recent tragedies in Colombo, 

Sri Lanka, and Christchurch, New Zealand on Sunday, 28 

May.

Representatives from the Muslim community, the Catholic 

Diocese, the Anglican Church, the Sikh Temple, the Jewish 

community, the Maori community and Aboriginal Elders, all 

gathered at Blacktown International Sportspark for the 

service.

“The senseless acts of terror in New Zealand on March 15 

and in Sri Lanka on Palm Sunday have left us all with a 

heavy heart,” Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali MP said.

“The memorial service was a moment to think about the 

families who lost loved ones, the parents who lost children, 

the children who were orphaned, and those who lost 

husbands and wives.

“We remember the people who have sustained life-long 

injuries, and those who are emotionally scarred by these 

atrocities.

“Our City celebrates multi-culturalism and fosters 

understanding among the many different faiths and cultures 

that call Blacktown home.

“Blacktown stands in solidarity with people of all faiths and 

all cultures to stamp out vilification and hatred and strive to 

be a compassionate and caring community.”

Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland MP (left), Deputy

Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM (centre left) Blacktown City 

Mayor Stephen Bali MP (Centre), Member for Chifley Ed 

Husic MP (third from right), Acting NSW Opposition Leader 

Penny Sharpe MLC (second from right) were some of the 

attendees.

The Maori Wardens attended the Sunday Memorial service at 

Rooty Hill.

Blacktown City Council - Media Release - Return To The Dark Ages At The Medieval Fayre

29 April 2019

Festivalgoers will be transported back in time to a land filled

with swords, knights, horses and lances at Blacktown City 

Festival’s Medieval Fayre.

The Blacktown City Medieval Fayre will transform Nurragingy

 Reserve on Saturday and Sunday, 18 - 20 May.

“More than 80,000 people are expected to attend the event

and get a rare insight into the world of lords, ladies, dames

and knights,” Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali MP said.

“Nurragingy Reserve will be taken back to the dark ages over

two days with numerous events throughout the day,” Mayor

Bali said.

“There will be roving entertainment, free camel and pony 

rides, armour displays, handmade arts and crafts, a working 

blacksmith hut and the highlight of the event, a jousting 

competition with competitors from across Australia.”

Following the success of the inaugural Medieval banquet in

2018, it will be returning bigger and better on Saturday, 18

May.

“There is no better way to follow up a jousting

competition than by attending a Medieval Banquet offering 

an authentic experience,” Mayor Bali said.

“We want all diners to be dressed in theme so they can truly

revel in the experience of dining on medieval food and drinks 

while taking part in various activities throughout the night.”

Event details

Medieval Fayre

When: Saturday 18 – Sunday 19 May

Time: 10 am – 4 pm

Where: Nurragingy Reserve, Knox Road, Doonside

Price: Free

Medieval Banquet

When: Saturday 18 May

Time: 6.30 pm until late

Where: Nurragingy Reserve, Knox Road, Doonside

Price: $75 per adult and $50 per child, bookings essential. 

Ticket price includes meals and non-alcoholic beverages.

For more information including dates and times or to view 

the full program, visit the Blacktown City Festival website

at www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/festival  or call Council on

9839 6000.

 
Axe throwing (left) and a jousting competition (right) at

the Blacktown City Medieval Fayre.

Diners at the Medieval Banquet enjoy a series of 

entertaining events throughout the night.

Blacktown City Council - Media Release - Laugh And Be Serenaded

26 April 2019

A comedy barrage will be unleashed and powerful music by a

chorus of voices will be two entertainment features of the 

Blacktown City Festival.

Proving to be another hit this year, the comedy night 

on Friday, 24 May at Bowman Hall, Blacktown is already 

selling out.

“The Lots of Laughs comedy night is a great event loved by 

our community,” Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali MP said.

“It has returned by popular demand and once again, the free 

event is proving to be a hit.”

Headlining the ‘adults only’ Lots of Laughs 2019 is the 

always entertaining and amazing Vince Sorrenti, joined by 

Australia’s hi-jab wearing Muslim comedian, Frida Deguise, 

former AFL player Sean Woodland and Suren Jayemanne.

“The line-up for the comedy night this year is sure to leave 

you in stitches,” Mayor Bali said.

Following the comedy night, the Australian Tenors gala 

evening on Tuesday, 25 May with special guest Guiseppina 

Grech and the Southern Orchestra will leave audiences 

captivated.

“The Australian Tenors are renowned for their beautiful 

voices across the world and to be able to have them here in 

Blacktown at a gala event is an opportunity not to be 

missed,” Mayor Bali said.

Tickets for the Australian Tenors gala evening at Bowman 

Hall Blacktown can be purchased for $20.

For more information please 

visit blacktown.nsw.gov.au/festival or contact Council on 

9839 6000.          

The Australian Tenors gala evening will be at Bowman

 Hall, Blacktown on Tuesday, 25 May.

Vince Sorrenti (left) will be joined by Frida Deguise

(right) at the free Lots of Laughs comedy event on

Friday, 24 May.

Blacktown City Council - Media Release -Child Car Seat Safety A Top Priority

26 April 2019

Blacktown City Council is at the forefront of combating

illegally restrained child car seats and has already checked 

more than 380 car seats in 2019.

Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali said Council’s car seat 

program is a great initiative for the community.

“I cannot stress the importance of making use of this free 

service,” Mayor Bali said.

“The number of checked car seats is growing but there is still 

a long way to go.

“A simple stop in your day to double check your car seat is 

fitted properly will go a very long way in saving a life.”

NSW Police have raised concerns about the number of 

infringement notices that have been issued in the Blacktown 

area for children who are either illegally restrained in a car 

seat or who don’t have a car seat at all. 

To help raise awareness in the community, Council has 

teamed up with police from the Mt Druitt Highway Patrol to 

promote the correct use of car seats.

Council holds free car seat checking days for Blacktown 

residents every 6 weeks throughout the year.

Sergeant Greg Donaldson from Mount Druitt Highway Patrol 

said it’s easier to attend a free car seat checking day than 

risking a child’s life and copping a $300 fine.

“The ramifications of not restraining children properly can be 

fatal.  It is for this reason that the Highway Patrol Police 

attached to Mt Druitt PAC have a very strict enforcement 

policy with all seatbelt offences. There are no excuses.”

Karen Preston, a Blacktown grandmother to her seventh 

grandchild was relieved to have a car seat* professionally 

installed for the first time.

“I thought I had done it properly but now I can be 100% 

confident in the seat installation.”

Car seat checking day

When: Wednesday, 22 May

Time: 8:30 am - 1:30 pm

Where: The Ponds Shopping Centre in the underground 

carpark

For more information contact our Road Safety Officer on 

9839 6363 or email roady.safety@blacktown.nsw.gov.au

*Blacktown City Council and Mt Druitt Police thank Kmart at 

Mt Druitt for the donation of the car seat and to Complete 

Car Care in Seven Hills for the installation.

Karen Preston (right) learns how to restrain a car seat with an Authorised Checker.

Karen Preston, Blacktown
City Council’s Road Safety Officer Fiona Frost and Sergeant Greg Donaldson with a correctly restrained car seat.

Lest We Forget - Anzac Day Memorial Day 2019

Actually, we never forget - we always remember,. the attack on the Turkish seas on the landing at Gallipoli, is a terrific reminder that the life we have in Australia now, we should be 'thankful' to the ones that fought for our country, defended our country, giving us the live we are living now

Some of us may be living in a world where every day decision is hard. Yet, it wasn't hard for our young men and women to volunteer their services to our armed services, for world peace. World peace hasn't happened yet. Wars have stopped and some others have started,
I hope with prayers and silent thoughts of the past and hope for the future, in my life time 'Total World Peace' will come. 

To have world peace, it starts and spreads from one's happy heart and life. So take time, like I have (in silence) listened to 'The Last Post' and provided my own reflections.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them."

Lest we forget.

Click here for the 'Last Post' Music

Click here for previous post in 2017

Blacktown City Council - Media Release -International Day of Mourning

24 April 2019

Blacktown City Council will stage a solemn ceremony to mark

the International Day of Mourning for workers who die or are

injured in the workplace.

Mayor Bali, Councillors and senior Council staff will join

Unions, Workcover and members of the community for the 

annual commemoration.

“It is important that all workers should leave home confident 

they will return to their families and we mourn the deaths of 

those killed in workplace accidents,” Blacktown City Mayor, 

Stephen Bali MP said.

The memorial will be held at Blacktown Showground, 

Richmond Road, Blacktown, on Sunday 28 April at 10 am 

alongside the memorial sculpture erected by Blacktown City 

Council in 2017.

Mayor Bali said the commemoration service marks an 

important national day of reflection.

“The International Day of Mourning is a time when we 

remember, pause and commemorate workers who have 

died,’ Mayor Bali said.

“We are too often reminded of the horrendous and tragic 

outcomes of unsafe workplace incidents and it is therefore a 

time to remind ourselves to look after one another.

“It is a time to ensure that safety remains one of the highest 

priorities within our workplaces and an opportunity to 

highlight the preventable nature of most workplace incidents 

and ill health.”

If you would like to attend the ceremony, please RSVP as 

soon as possible via email 

kevin.poilly@blacktown.nsw.gov.au

The commemorative plaque and workers’ memorial sculpture

 at Blacktown Showground.

Blacktown City Council & Australian Catholic University - Joint Media Release - Labor To Grant ACU $7M For Education Growth In Western Sydney

Australian Catholic University has welcomed the federal Labor Party’s pledge to dedicate $7 million to support the establishment of ACU’s new Blacktown campus in the heart of Western Sydney.

Shadow Assistant Minister for Universities and Equality Senator Louise Pratt announced on Wednesday 24 April that the ALP would allocate the grant from its $300 million University Future Fund. Senator Pratt said this was part of the party’s wider commitment to remove caps on university places. 

“We are going to lift university caps by 2020, which is when you are hoping to enrol your first students here in Blacktown.”

ACU has partnered with Blacktown City Council to establish a comprehensive University campus with four faculties and more than 30 courses.

The grant will assist ACU to fit out an existing building as the start of its new campus, providing facilities for students from Western Sydney.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Hayden Ramsay outlined the importance of this infrastructure funding for serving the local community. The ACU development will provide access to university for the next generation of university students without having to travel across the city.

“The university can now build the nucleus of an ACU Blacktown campus even more quickly and with great confidence.

“It is time now for a university option in Blacktown so people who live here, work here and have commitments here can go to a university on their own doorstep.”

Professor Ramsay thanked Senator Pratt and Federal Member for Greenway Michelle Rowland MP. He said the new campus would thrive and grow with fresh Commonwealth Supported Places which would come with the reestablishment of the demand-driven system promised by Labor.

Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali MP said Blacktown City Council welcomed the announcement by the Federal Labor Party.

“ACU’s Blacktown Campus is a vital part of Council’s vision for transforming Blacktown.

“The new campus will ensure the 18,000 university students living in Blacktown City will be able to live, work, play and study at their doorstep.”

ACU will open the Blacktown CBD campus in 2020 with pathway and business leadership programs, and full degree programs from 2021.

Michelle Rowland said: “This announcement is a strategic investment in the long-term future of Blacktown City, providing students in Greenway with first-rate university access close to home.”

From left - Shadow Minister for Universities and Equality Senator Louise Pratt, Federal Member for Greenway Michelle Rowland MP, ACU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Hayden Ramsay, Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali MP.