Canterbury Bankstown

Mayor Bilal El-Hayek
City of Canterbury Bankstown
@MayorBilalElHayek
@mayor_bilalelhayek
Contact me at:
P 9707 9522 E [email protected]
@ClrBilalElHayek
At dawn, Australians across the country will gather to remember the men and women who fought bravely for the rights and freedoms we
all enjoy today.
It’s a time-honoured tradition since the very first dawn service, believed to have been held in 1923, when a group of returned servicemen gathered at the Cenotaph in Martin Place, Sydney
to commemorate their fallen comrades.
The day is also marked by marches through our city centres and regional towns and while the number of living veterans has dwindled, the force of their spirit and legacy lives on through their children and grandchildren.
ANZAC Day is a reminder of past and present wars, of suffering and courage, and stirs emotions of sorrow and pride. It is also a timely moment to think about those enduring hardship in the Middle East and around the world.
I encourage everyone to keep our cultural traditions of mateship, courage and sacrifice alive, and to attend a local dawn service or march to pay your respects.
To find an Anzac Day
event near you, visit
www.rslnsw.org.au
Lest We Forget.
ANZAC DAY

Dear Residents,
The theme of this year’s Youth Week is: “We’re the future and the future
is now”.
I can see a remarkable future in the over 65,000 young people who live in Canterbury-Bankstown. They are amazing. Energised, progressive, creative, thoughtful, ingenious, talented and so much more!
But what would young people say about themselves, about our City and the community they live in?
Youth Week is more than just a chance for young people to have fun (although there will be plenty of that). It’s a chance for them to express themselves and show everyone
what matters to them.
Our Youth Week activities, which will run from April 9-17, will give young people that chance, with activities including a young storytellers competition, a “Vibe & Dine” evening of meaningful conversation and a debating competition for schools.
All opportunities for young people to tell us what they think.
But our support for young people is not limited to one week a year.
During Youth Week, Council will be seeking expressions of interest from young people to be part of a Youth Advisory Working Group to make recommendations on what they want to see around our City.
We will also be seeking feedback
from young people in our City at
cb.city/HaveYourSay to help develop Council’s next Youth Action Plan (2025-2029).
This plan will set priorities to help improve the lives of young people in our City and guide our work with young people, the community and service providers over the next few years.
I look forward to hearing all your wonderful suggestions.
Regards,
Clr Bilal El-Hayek
MAYOR

Dear Residents,
There are many places around the world that claim to be a melting pot of culture, but, for me, our City is one of the greatest.
With over 380,000 people from more than 170 countries, one of the things we love to do together is celebrate our cultures.
We are in the final days of Lakemba Nights during Ramadan, where over a million people from across our City, State and beyond tasted food from five different continents at over 60 stalls.
In just a few days, the Greek flag will fly over Earlwood as our Greek community celebrate Greek Independence Day. Earlwood Senior Citizens Centre will be at the centre of the celebrations, with traditional Greek music and dancing and delicious Greek food on offer.
On Sunday 16 March, our community came together in beautiful Mirambeena Regional Park for I RUN, our first ever running festival. Over 300 people laced up their trainers for events ranging from a 21.1km
race to a short Harmony Day Fun
Run (or walk!).
With so many cultures in one place, and our enthusiasm for celebrations, it’s no surprise that Canterbury-Bankstown also attracts significant events from further afield.
In April, we will host the 2025 Australian Sikh Games, the premier sporting and cultural event for the Australian Sikh community. More than 100,000 people from across Australia and overseas will watch more than 5,000 athletes take part in 15 different sports over three days.
These are just a few examples of the fantastic events happening in our area in just the next two months.
Fantastic events that do the same thing: bring us all together.
Regards,
Clr Bilal El-Hayek
MAYOR
Mayoral Message
@MayorBilalElHayek
@mayor_bilalelhayek
Contact me