The City of Canterbury Bankstown

As the Mayor of this great City,
there are many projects and events
that we are working on for our
entire community.
Some of the things we’re planning
include master plans for our main
centres that will deliver job
opportunities, major events to
support out local businesses, and
trialling new technology which will
enhance our services.
However, it is the small things we do
for our community that mean so much
and quite often, go unnoticed.
We supported our local cafes and
restaurants by waiving footway dining
fees, assisted our nurses and medical
staff by providing free hospital parking
passes, and when it was brought to my
attention our sporting organisations
needed a hand, it was time to step in.
The recent rain meant that our parks
and most of our sporting facilities
were waterlogged. Several
of our grounds were forced to close
because they were unsafe to use.
Thousands of players missed out on
their weekly games, and in some
instances, the grounds were so badly
affected they were shut for weeks on
end. As a father myself, I know how
disappointing it was for the kids who
had been looking forward to their
weekend games, to be told their
games were put off.
But it wasn’t only the kids who were
devastated by the unprecedented and
constant heavy rain… there were huge
financial implications on the many
sporting organisations and federations
that run sport in our City.
These sporting bodies are not
multi-million dollar organisations that
are dripping with cash… they rely on
the mums and dads paying registration
fees, the weekend barbeques, the
canteens and the sausage sizzles to
stay afloat.
To put it simply, when the grounds are
closed, there are no games and they
take the financial hit.
That’s why at the last Council
Meeting, I ensured these sporting
organisations wouldn’t be left behind.
Council decided to waive the sporting
ground fees for winter sports, which
had been affected by the weather for
two months.
Hopefully, we’ve seen the last of
the lousy weather and our sporting
organisations can get back on the field
without the financial burden.
Yours sincerely,
Clr Khal Asfour
MAYOR