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The City of Canterbury-Bankstown is proud to announce we’re screening the exciting Socceroos VS Argentina match this Sunday, 4 December,
During the 2021 Covid lockdown, Hurlstone Park photographer Cara O’Dowd was inspired to set up a studio in front of
City of Canterbury Bankstown’s Tug O’ War Cup to say NO to domestic violence returned with power last week. Muscles
Mahalia Barnes has been singing for as long as she can remember. Born into Aussie rock royalty, the daughter of
With the upcoming International Day
of People with Disability, it’s timely to
raise awareness within our community.
As well as being the Mayor of this great
City, I am also the father of a young girl,
Analise, who has Angelman Syndrome,
a rare and genetic disorder.
Caring for Analise, and watching her
over the years, has opened up my eyes
to the challenges that are faced every
day by people living with disability.
That’s why I believe that everyone
should challenge the way they think
about disability… breaking down
barriers and promoting awareness,
understanding and inclusion of people
with disability.
It’s an opportunity for us to make
positive changes to the lives of the
4.4 million people in Australia who are
living with disability.
I am pleased to say that our Council
is leading the way when it comes to
making positive change. In February
2021, we were the first organisation
in NSW to convene a Disability Abuse
Prevention Collaborative.
The Collaborative is made up of
representatives from the local health
district, local government, service
providers, police, housing and legal
services, all with one goal… to protect
those with disability from abuse,
neglect and exploitation.
It was a proud day when the Collaborative
was showcased at the recent Disability
Royal Commission, as a best practice
example of practical initiatives
happening at a grassroots level.
And just this year, we adopted our new
Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) for
2022-26. The Plan is even more ambitious
than our last DIAP, focusing on going
above the minimum and considering
principles of universal design.
Of course, there is always more that
needs to be done, but I’m proud to say
we are fostering positive attitudes,
creating liveable communities,
increasing opportunities and improving
our processes for people with
disabilities in our City.
We can all do our part to help
grow a more inclusive Australia,
by participating in events that
celebrate and recognise people with
disabilities. To find out what’s on,
visit idpwd.com.au/events
Yours sincerely,
On the evening of 24 November 2022, Clr Khal Asfour, the Mayor of Canterbury Bankstown held his Christmas party at
It’s beginning to look a lot like
Christmas in Canterbury-Bankstown!
If the Christmas trees going up around
our City, and the carols echoing at the
local shops haven’t already got you
excited, then this sure will… there’s
less than 30 sleeps before the big guy
in the red suit makes his rounds.
But with this Christmas joy also
comes the stark reality that there are
thousands of children who will go
without receiving a new toy this year.
There are families in our City who are
doing it tough, and simply cannot
afford to give presents or splash out
on a feast.
Families in our City are amongst the
poorest when it comes to the median
household income, with very little
savings and most, if not all, of their
money going towards rent, rising bills
and the basics.
And with the ever-increasing cost of
living, it’s becoming difficult for some
families to afford to put presents
under the tree.
Christmas time shouldn’t be spent
sweating about making sure there’s
enough cash in the wallet, or
comparing ourselves to other families
thinking ‘I wish that could be us’.
That’s why at last night’s Council
Meeting, we decided to spread some
Christmas cheer to as many
struggling families as possible.
Council is establishing the annual
Mayor’s Christmas Toy and Hamper
Drive – following the success of our
recent Anti-Poverty Week Donation
Drive. We will be supporting local
charitable and not-for-profit
organisations and the Canterbury-
Bankstown Chamber of Commerce
to collect donations from members
of the community and deliver them
to needy children and families in
our City.
I’ll be making my own donations,
and wearing a Christmas hat and
helping with deliveries, so I
encourage you all to get involved
and check Council’s website to learn
where you can make your donations.
Let’s all do our bit to make this
Christmas special for everyone.
Yours sincerely,
Clr Khal Asfour
MAYOR
After months of planning and preparation, the Lions Club of Canterbury Bankstown delivered their promise to provide an exceptional event.
Children in the City of Canterbury Bankstown are in for a treat with the recently completed upgrades to three playgrounds,
Enough is enough!
Domestic violence is far too prevalent
in our society, and it’s time we stand up
and speak up.
It’s deeply concerning that one in six
women across Australia has
experienced violence by an intimate
partner. And, what’s even more
alarming is that, on average, one
woman a week is murdered by her
current or former partner.
Domestic violence is occurring across
cultures and communities, taking many
forms including physical, sexual,
social, emotional, cultural and
financial abuse.
And this week’s White Ribbon Day
(Friday 18 November) is an important
time to educate ourselves and be aware.
It comes just after the Albanese
Government unveiled the new 10-year
plan to end violence against women
and children last month. The decadelong
plan for 2022-32 focuses on
recovery and engaging with men and
boys, stressing the importance of
targeting sexual violence in all settings.
It all starts with changing social
attitudes. It’s not about asking the
question: ‘why didn’t she leave?’
but shifting our focus to the more
important question: ‘why does he
choose to use violence against her?’
I would like to reinforce the message
that it is every woman and child’s right to
live safely, and everyone’s responsibility
to support that! Men need to choose
to be part of the change – addressing
long held attitudes, expectations
and behaviours.
Council is getting involved to help
educate the community with our ‘Say
NO to domestic violence and YES to
healthy relationships’ campaign. It’s
all about teaching people what is okay,
and what is not okay in a relationship,
what their rights are and where they
can seek help if needed. You can see
the full range of resources at
cb.city/DomesticViolence
And just next week, teams from across
our City will get a grip, pull their weight
and say NO to domestic violence in
Council’s Tug O’ War Cup.
It’s great to see men and women from
our City stand up to the challenge and
take a stand on domestic violence.
Yours sincerely,
Clr Khal Asfour
MAYOR
