Canterbury Bankstown

Turning a blind eye to domestic violence is a crime in itself.
It’s imperative each and every one
of us play our part and stamp out this scourge in our community.
With Say NO to Domestic and
Family Violence Day coming up this weekend, it’s a reinforcement that more needs to be done as the prevalence of this crime still exists.
It is every woman and child’s right
to live safely, and everyone’s responsibility to ensure they can. Hiding in the shadows and not speaking out is never the answer.
It’s shameful to learn that since my Domestic Violence Summit, we have continued to see women and some men fall victim to abuse. We simply cannot stand by and allow this behaviour to continue.
By getting involved in local community events or volunteering your time to help women in need, we can start to see the changes we want for all women in our lives.
No one deserves to suffer
physical, verbal, psychological
and financial abuse.
Council’s Tug O’ War Cup is another local event raising awareness.
It was great to see teams from across our City get a grip, pull their weight and say NO to domestic violence at this year’s competition. Students, local businesses and even council employees got involved to say YES
to healthy relationships.
Men and women from our City standing up to the challenge to take a stance on domestic violence and proving there’s no room for violence against women in Canterbury-Bankstown.
Getting so many people together to show their opposition to domestic violence was a great way to start the discussion on how we can work together to stop these difficulties.
I am so proud to live in a City where we can collectively use our voice to say NO to domestic violence and continue to fight against it.
Regards
Clr Bilal El-Hayek
MAYOR

Turning 100 is a special milestone not many of us will live to achieve.
But for Villawood local, Reginald ‘Reg’ Chard, it’s just another birthday and he’s not sure what
all the fuss is about.
Reg is a living treasure who fought for this country in World War II and
is well known to the locals and the wider community.
He joined the army at the very
young age of 18 where he became
a member of the 2nd/55th and 2nd/33rd battalions. And after the fall of Singapore in 1942, he was
sent with his mates to Papua New Guinea to fight on the treacherous
Kokoda Track.
He is now one of the last surviving Kokoda diggers.
After returning home with a serious case of malaria and tropical dermatitis, Reg has continued to serve the community as a tour guide, sharing his experiences with school students and visitors at the Kokoda Memorial Track Walkway.
From serving in the war to serving
in the community through shared storytelling, Reg is truly a symbol
of hard work and dedication.
A true mate who continues to honour the memory of our fallen heroes every day.
Often reminding anyone who sings his praise “it’s about the ones who never came home”.
I am very proud to live in a City where people like Reg remind us of our history and how lucky we are to be here today. It is important we always look out and care for our neighbours, because we never know what their story might be.
Reg, thanks for your service and from all of us here at Canterbury-Bankstown, we wish you a happy 100th birthday.
Regards
Clr Bilal El-Hayek
MAYOR