Blacktown City Council - March e-newsletter

 

March e-newsletter

Mayor's Message

Nature’s worst brings out the best

Once again, our communities have been hit with a natural disaster. From bushfires last year, to COVID-19 and now we have been through a record flood. While our neighbours, Hawkesbury and Penrith City councils have suffered greatly, in Blacktown City we had more than our fair share of washaways, flooded roads, blocked drains and inundated houses and property. Blacktown City was officially declared a disaster area by the NSW Government. Council staff worked closely with Police, SES and other emergency services and utilities in identifying problems, assisting residents, closing flood affected roads and making running repairs. Blacktown City Council provided road repair crews and a temporary depot at Riverstone to Hawkesbury Council and also offered Penrith City Council assistance with clean-up operations. Blacktown City Council also provided a free collection service of flood-damaged goods and furniture. Appeals to aide flood victims being coordinated at GIVIT.org.au, through the Red Cross or with Foodbank here. Our deepest thanks go out to the SES and RFS volunteers, Police, Fire and Rescue NSW, Council maintenance crews and all those who pitched in to help their neighbours. Tony Bleasdale OAM | Mayor of Blacktown City

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Students celebrate official opening of ACU Blacktown campus

Hundreds of students are now being equipped with the skills for a bright future right in the heart of Blacktown following the official opening of Australian Catholic University’s Blacktown Campus. Hundreds of tertiary students are enrolled this year to study at ACU Blacktown’s vertical campus in the Blacktown city centre. The official opening ceremony was held recently at the new campus in Main Street, Blacktown.

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Help us name one of 2 new parks in the Warrick Lane redevelopment

At Council, your opinions and contributions are important to us. We want your help in naming 2 parks in the new Warrick Lane redevelopment in Blacktown’s CBD. The redevelopment contains 2 parks: the main central plaza on Main Street and a smaller ‘pocket park’. Names that reflect Blacktown’s local history, fauna, flora or the heritage of the Darug peoples may have a greater chance of being selected.

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Blacktown City’s 2021 Woman of the Year announced

For the sixth time in its history, the Blacktown City Woman of the Year Award has been jointly won by two outstanding local women. Rissa McInnes and Harinder Kaur were co-named the Blacktown City Woman of the Year for 2021 at Council’s International Women’s Day breakfast on Monday, March 8. The award was presented to Ms McInnes and Ms Kaur by Blacktown City Mayor, Tony Bleasdale OAM, and the Chairperson of Council’s Women’s Advisory Committee, Deputy Mayor, Councillor Julie Griffiths.

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Have your say on what creative and cultural experiences are important to you

Our Creative City is a new cultural plan for Blacktown and we would like to know about the creative and cultural experiences that are important to you. Whether it’s reading a book or playing an instrument, attending a festival or learning how to dance, watching a film or making one on your phone, creativity and culture are part of everyone’s daily life.  Help us imagine the future of Our Creative City and have your say in the new cultural plan for Blacktown. The survey will take about 5 minutes to complete. Raging Waters Sydney is offering the chance to win 1 of 5 double passes for a single day visit (2021-22 season) to participants who enter the draw at the completion of this survey.

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The story of women councillors at Blacktown City Council

On International Women’s Day, we were proud to introduce a wonderful video telling the story of the women of Council, both past and present. The story continues to be written, and we encourage all women to be involved in their community wherever they can.

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What’s on

Thursday 22 April Noon - 1 pm Online webinar. Registrations are essential. MORE INFO   Webinar: Introduction to rainwater tanks Did you know that the population of Blacktown City will increase by more than 221,500 people by 2036? Our current water consumption is around 33 gigalitres (GL), and by 2036 it is expected to reach 50GL, which is equivalent to 20,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools! One way to do this is to install a rainwater tank at home to capture and store rainwater from your roof and use it around your home and garden. Come along to our free webinar to find out more. For more information, or to register, click here.

Blacktown City street lights ‘Light Years Ahead’

Blacktown City Council, working in conjunction with the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) and Endeavour Energy, has completed one of the largest residential street light upgrade programs in Australia, resulting in massive emissions reductions and cost saving for ratepayers. Project ‘Light Years Ahead’ has seen the upgrading of 12,000 street lights to low-emission, cost-effective LED lights. Mayor of Blacktown City, Tony Bleasdale OAM said; “The massive reduction in emissions is a huge win for the environment and the cost savings is a great outcome for Council’s bottom line.” The project has resulted in an annual cost saving to Council’s energy bill of $848,000 and over the projected 20-year life of these lights the total cost saving is expected to reach $8.5 million. With the LED lights requiring far electricity and therefore less emissions, the project has resulted already in emissions savings of 2,750 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), or the equivalent of removing 650 cars from our roads. Picture: (From left) Blacktown City Council’s Manager of Plant and Energy, Jon Bannister, Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM, and Endeavour Energy’s Sal Barone at the site of one of the final LED street light installations in Kings Langley.

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