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Thursday 27 November 2014

Family fun is on the way

Work is progressing well on the new Fairfield Adventure Park
The new Fairfield Adventure Park in Fairfield Park is in progress with 50 per cent of the work complete and will open early 2015.

To date concrete paths and seats, mounds and the footings for the major equipment have been laid, including the foundation of the skywalk. The drainage work is also complete. All of the equipment, imported from Spain, is ready for installation.

The $1.4 million Adventure Park is designed for the recreational needs of older children, particularly those in their early teens, as traditional park play equipment is designed for younger children. Situated next to the existing park for younger children, the space can cater for the whole family. New equipment includes a skywalk, slide and an 11 metre high giant climbing net – one of the tallest of its kind in Australia. Other equipment includes a 33 metre double flying fox as well as a giant swing.

"The Adventure Park is beginning to take shape and will be amazing when finished," Mayor of Fairfield City Frank Carbone said. "Fairfield City Council is committed to creating recreational spaces for all children. This new park caters to older children, allowing the whole family to enjoy Fairfield Park as a whole.

"The Adventure Park is next to the new Fairfield Youth and Community Centre and the existing Fairfield Leisure Centre. The area is surrounded by plenty of sporting fields and natural parklands, and is just a 10-minute walk from Fairfield Station and CBD.

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Opening Celebrations

Mayor Frank Carbone gives Canley Heights Community Group members a preview of the new Canley Heights Community Centre.

Canley Heights Community Centre grand opening


Residents are invited to the grand opening of Canley Heights Community Centre on Saturday, when a range of fun activities for families will be held to mark the occasion.

The centre provides some important facilities for the community, most importantly the large hall space which can be used as a gathering space for a variety of purposes, including cultural, arts and performance and more.

Facilities contained within the centre include the new 100m2 Rumbriah Hall, early childhood health centre, community offices and meeting spaces, kitchen facilities, 38-space car park and Derby Street Park.

The centre will be formally recognised with the placement of a plaque by the Mayor. There will also be a tree planting ceremony commemorating much-loved Cabramatta Rotary Club member Bill Little.

In celebration, the day will include plenty of activities for the whole family. Children will have a great time with a performance from ABC's Dirt Girl, who'll help them decorate their very own eco pot and plant their own seedlings. There will also be a jumping castle to enjoy.

World music fusion band Lolo Lovina will perform an eclectic mix of gypsy swing, electro swing, jazz and tango on a converted caravan while Heights Community Centre members will demonstrate line dancing. Canley Heights Community Group will also run a jumble sale and tea stall out of Rumbriah Hall.

Refreshments will be available, with the Canley Heights RSL Rolling Chef food truck and ice-cream on site.

Fairfield City Council delivered the Canley Heights Community Centre for the local community on land dedicated by the Rotary Club of Cabramatta on behalf of the Canley Heights Progress Hall Inc, with the assistance of the NSW State Government.

What: Canley Heights Community Centre Grand Opening
When: 11am-4pm, Saturday, 22 November 2014
Where: Rumbriah Hall, Canley Heights Community Centre, 41 Peel Street, Canley Heights

Wednesday 8 October 2014

New venue for annual CleanOut Day

Old or unwanted LPG bottles are just one item you can drop off at the annual Chemical CleanOut Day. This year the CleanOut venue will be Fairfield Showground.

Unwanted, out-of-date or leftover household chemicals, old car batteries and gas bottles, old fire extinguishers and a host of other potentially hazardous items should not be left in your garage or lying around your home.

But what to do with them? The answer is simple: take them to Council's annual Chemical CleanOut Day.

CleanOut day is fast approaching. This year it will be held at Fairfield Showground on Sunday, 26 October. CleanOut is a FREE service for the safe disposal of a range of common household chemicals that could cause harm to human health and the environment if not disposed correctly.

You can drop off:
• Solvents and household cleaners
• Floor care products
• Ammonia-based cleaners
• Fluorescent globes and tubes
• Paint and paint-related products
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Poisons
• Gas bottles
• Fire extinguishers
• Pool chemicals
• Hobby chemicals
• Acids and alkalis
• Car batteries
• Motor oils, fuels and fluids

Please handle and transport chemicals carefully: never mix chemicals as this may produce dangerous reactions. Wherever possible keep all chemicals in their original containers. 
Ensure containers are clearly labelled and well-sealed. If you do not know the contents, label the container 'Unknown Chemical'.

Liquids can leak during transport: wrap old or damaged containers securely in newspaper, place in sturdy plastic bags and then in plastic buckets or trays.

Keep chemicals away from passengers, e.g. in the boot.

The CleanOut day runs from 9am-3.30pm and will be at Fairfield Showground, Smithfield Rd, Prairiewood.

Household quantities, up to a maximum 20 litres or 20 kilograms of a singular item, will be accepted. Business-related and commercial quantities are not accepted.

More information: email info@environment.nsw.gov.au or phone 131 555.

Wednesday 1 October 2014

October - a mouth-watering month

During October and Good Food Month it's all about food, glorious food!
It's October, which means it's the start of the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Month presented by Citi.

During October, the best of our City's gastronomic delights will be showcased and then crowned on 25 October with the sensational Culinary Carnivale, a feast for all of the senses offering the best food and entertainment Spain and Latin America has to offer.

Our vibrant town centres are renowned as a must visit food destination, but sometimes with so much to choose from, diners don't know what to try from the menu. That's why we're holding a "signature dish" promotion so you can visit a participating restaurant and indulge in their signature dish!

Today the Good Food Month signature dish promotion will be launched from 3pm-6pm in Freedom Plaza, Cabramatta.

You're invited to the launch and pick up our Signature Dish Brochure and Herb Guide book.

The Official Opening will be made by Mayor of Fairfield City Frank Carbone, which will be followed by Lion Dancing and a performance by Team 9Lives.

For the kids there will be face painting and colouring in activities, and of course there will be food and herb tastings.

Visit www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/signaturedishes for more information.

Returning to Fairfield this year for Culinary Carnivale will be celebrity television chef Miguel Maestre. The annual event will be held from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, 25 October, in Spencer Street, Fairfield. It is a free Fairfield City Council event that will bring together Sydney's strong Spanish and Latin American community under a 'carnivale' atmosphere full of cultural performances, mouth-watering food and colourful displays.

Also returning this year will be the legendary 'Asado Barbecue', which will add to the scrumptious menu showcasing tasty dishes such as seafood paella, empanadas, gelato and the famous churros.

There will be Brazilian and Flamenco dancers, Mexican singers, drummers, football stars and football giveaways, face painting for the children – and a whole lot more.

Visit www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/culinarycarnivale for more information.


Wednesday 24 September 2014

Let's learn to be safe in the water

Classes for children at Council's leisure centres this week will focus on teaching how to stay safe in and around aquatic environments. The classes will provide plenty of fun with inflatable pool equipment.
Fairfield City Council will provide residents with the opportunity to learn water safety skills, including rescue and CPR techniques, during Water Safety Week 2014.

Water safety Week also coincides with the start of the 2014-15 swimming season, which officially started last Saturday. This also means all of Council's outdoor swimming pools at each of its leisure centres are now open.

Until Friday, Council's leisure centres will run a range of demonstrations and classes to help encourage water safety in the community and educate parents and guardians about their important roles in supervising children. Classes such as CPR demonstrations and adult learn-to-swim classes aim to teach adults basic and vital skills to ensure their children's safety.

As well as lessons for adults and guardians, the week provides opportunities for children to enhance their water skills and knowledge.

There will be numerous appearances from ActiveGator, the water safety alligator. Classes for children will focus on teaching how to stay safe in and around aquatic environments.

The classes provide plenty of fun with inflatable pool equipment.

Drowning is one of the major causes of death in NSW for children under five. The most effective way to prevent drowning is for children to be adequately supervised by a responsible adult.

This year's water safety activities include:
  • CPR demonstrations
  • Free adult learn-to-swim lessons
  • Free disability learn-to-swim lessons
  • Mums and Bubs lessons
  • ActiveGator 'Open your Eyes, Be Waterwise' presentations
  • Rescue and survival demonstrations at Prairiewood Leisure Centre
  • Giant Pool Inflatables at Prairiewood and Fairfield
  • Aqua Water Park at Fairfield Leisure Centre
For bookings contact the Fairfield City Leisure Centres: Prairiewood (9757 2433), Fairfield (9754 2078) and Cabravale (9723 4412). Visit fairfieldcityleisurecentres.com.au for a schedule of events.

Wednesday 17 September 2014

WHO DESERVES RECOGNITION?

Mayor of Fairfield City Frank Carbone with Fairfield City's Australia Day awards winners: Citizen of the Year Saverino (Sam) Salemi, Sports Achiever of the year Stefan Pupovac, Young Citizen of the year Basim Shamaon, and Volunteer of the year Peter Moore


Recognising the people in our City who are dedicated workers or who inspire others within the community is arole for which Fairfield City Council takes pride.

One way Council recognises our community achievers isthrough the annual Australia Day Community Awards.
The awards are held by almost every local government area in NSW and are awarded at the same time as the Australian ofthe Year Awards.

Council cannot hand out awards, though, without having nominees – and that's where Fairfield City residents can help.

Council is calling on community members to nominate people in one of four categories for the 2015 Fairfield City Australia Day Community Awards:
  • 2015 Fairfield City Citizen of the Year
  • 2015 Fairfield City Young Citizen of the Year
  • 2015 Fairfield City Sports Achiever of the Year
  • 2015 Fairfield City Volunteer of the Year
Nominees for the Young Citizen of the Year must be aged 14 to 25 years of age as at 26 January 2015.

Nominees for the Sports Achiever of the Year must be aged above 14 years of age as at 26 January 2015.

All nominees must either live, work, study or volunteer in Fairfield City. Winners will be announced at Council's Australia Day ceremony in January next year.

All nominees will also be considered for Australia Day Achievement Awards. Visitwww.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au for more information and to download a nomination form. Nominations close at 4.30pm on Friday, 7 November 2013.

Monday 1 September 2014

Biodiversity in the LGA - Powerful Owls

Powerful Owls (Ninox strenua) are the largest of the Australian nocturnal birds (night birds) and are listed as vulnerable under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

The Powerful Owl is a large owl with a relatively small head and a rounded tail. It is dark grey to dark grey-brown above, with white barring, and off-white below, with distinctive dark V-shape chevrons.

The eyes are yellow, set in a dark grey/brown facial mask. The legs are feathered and the yellow to orange feet are massive, with sharp talons. The sexes are alike but the female is smaller, with a narrower head. Juvenile birds are downy white on the head and underparts. The underparts are sparsely streaked and they have much shorter tails than the adults.

The Powerful Owl is found in open forests and woodlands, as well as along sheltered gullies in wet forests with dense understoreys, especially along watercourses. They will sometimes be found in open areas near forests such as farmland, parks and suburban areas, as well as in remnant bushland patches. Powerful Owls need old growth trees to nest.

The Powerful Owl has been sighted in a few locations in lower Prospect Creek and Cabramatta Creek, where there are still remnant mature trees remaining available for them in which to roost.

The Powerful Owl is a carnivore, eating mainly medium to large tree-dwelling mammals, particularly the Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and the Great Glider. It will also take roosting birds and sometimes small ground-dwelling mammals such as rabbits or small marsupials. It forages mainly in trees, swooping down on prey and taking prey with its feet.

The Powerful Owl mates for life (more than 30 years in some cases) and pairs defend an all-purpose territory year-round. The male prepares the nest, which is usually a vertical hollow in a large old tree, and provides the female and young with a constant supply of food during the early part of the nesting period. The female incubates the eggs and broods the young, emerging later in the nesting period to hunt for food as well. Young birds remain with the parents for several months after fledging and may stay within their parents' territory for more than a year.

The Powerful Owl is adversely affected by land clearing, but can live in fragmented habitats such as farms or suburban areas. Sometimes they are killed by cars. Young birds are sometimes killed by foxes, cats or dogs.

This video shows a few different behaviours of the Powerful Owl. One favourite is the chick nonchalantly sitting on the brick wall while it gets dive bombed by a Noisy Myna.


Again we see how mature trees that have developed hollows for habitat are so important for conserving our native wildlife.

Keep in mind if you have a mature tree that you see as a safety risk, you can have work done to reduce the canopy and deadwood pieces and leave the tree ‘totem’ in place with hollows intact. See a picture below of a tree ‘totem’ that was created in Council’s Community Nursery. Some local ducks have taken a liking to it!

Council is going to start installing wildlife habitat signs on trees that have been preserved in this way to educate the wider community on why we need to keep as many hollows as we can.


Thursday 28 August 2014

Council excited to open parkour facility

Bondi Beach BAR Brutes at Wetherill Park's parkour facility.
A successful collaboration between Fairfield City Council and a local parkour group is literally resulting in people going off the rails!

Council is excited to officially open a specialist parkour and street-workout training area this weekend at Emerson Street Reserve in Wetherill Park. The facility is the result of Council working with local Parkour practitioners from Team 9 Lives to custom design the training area.

Parkour is a highly athletic, yet spiritual art form. Often recognised for its large jumps and cat-like movements, it involves practitioners moving through their landscapes, using obstacles - ledges, stairs, walls - to create movement. Parkour was featured in movies such as Casino Royale and The Bourne Ultimatum, and it continues to grow in popularity around the world.

Team 9 Lives consists of a core of 22 athletes who hold regular classes that attract up to 200 students a week. They also enthralled the 15,000 people who attended this year's Bring It On! youth festival with a live performance.

Ali Kadhim, who founded Team 9Lives in 2004, started practicing parkour because it allowed him to be free - his only limit was his imagination. Ali and his team continue to make it accessible and safe for anybody to learn.

Team 9Lives worked with Council's Recreation Planner and Landscape Designers to design the fitness park with off-the-shelf, static equipment at Emerson Street Reserve. The facility is already proving very popular, attracting not only plenty of locals, but also professional athletes from around Sydney, such as the Bondi Beach BAR Brutes.

The launch will be on Sunday, 31 August, between 11am and 3pm. Official proceedings will begin at 1pm. The Team is keen to see people of all ages, all fitness levels and all types of sports joining in the action. There will be demonstrations by Bondi Beach Bar Brutes and Team 9Lives on the day. (www.facebook.com/bondibeachbarbrutes - www.facebook.com/team9lives)

For a taste of physical training at Emerson Park Reserve, visit this YouTube link: http://youtu.be/4t7Np90D1pw   

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Fitness in Fairfield – bringing people together

The outdoor gym at Horsley Park Showground is already proving popular for residents, who use it in conjunction with the new walking path.
Just recently Council finished installing outdoor gym equipment and new walking paths at Horsley Park Showground. A second outdoor gym will open soon at Emerson Street Reserve.

In the coming years, Council aims to install a number of outdoor gyms and walking circuits across the City. The outdoor gyms use a combination of static and dynamic equipment that allow users to work the whole body or just focus on a particular area that needs attention.

This initiative is about encouraging everyone in our community to lead healthier lives by becoming more physically active and to eat healthier. Apart from the obvious health benefits, the new gym equipment and walking circuits are a great way for residents to meet new people in a fun and relaxed environment.

As part of the recreational needs strategy, the 'Everybody Walking Circuit Path', Council will be rolling out new signage in order to help residents get in shape and stay in shape.

Residents will also be able to scan a QR code placed around the parks, which will link them to the latest information about Fitness in Fairfield.
Large signs will be placed at the beginning of the walking circuits, informing people about how many laps one will need to do to burn in order to burn the equivalent calories of a chocolate bar or soft drink.

The Everybody Walking Circuit Path has something for people of all ages and fitness levels. Residents can also join a local walking group, such as Horsley Park, Fairfield Seniors, Stockland, Bossley Park and Cabramatta, which cater to all ages and fitness levels.

All residents are encouraged to try the new outdoor exercise equipment at Horsley Park Reserve and Emerson Street Reserve or get involved with the other programs offered by our leisure centres. Start your transformation today!

Thursday 14 August 2014

Talks inspire future leaders

Council often hosts students, such as these pictured from Bossley Park Public School with Mayor Frank Carbone and Deputy Mayor George Barcha, so they can learn all about local government.

Local school students have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Mayor of Fairfield City Frank Carbone as part of Fairfield City Council's free School Education program.

The program is specifically designed for primary school children from Years 3-6, giving them the chance to visit Fairfield City Council Chambers and learn more about local government.

The program begins by introducing students to the three tiers of government and their respective duties. The role of local government is then expanded upon, explaining the role of a council in caring for the community.

Students watch a short video about the many services and facilities offered by local councils and how a Mayor and Councillors are elected.

Students are then given the opportunity to participate in their own mock election, electing their own 'Mayor for the Morning'.

The winning student dons the Mayoral robe and chains and delivers a campaign speech outlining their goals for their time in government.

Mayor of Fairfield City Frank Carbone also meets with the students and has a question and answer session with them.

The program aims to introduce children to the functions of government early on in life, imparting on them the knowledge needed to contribute and participate in all aspects of public life, hopefully even inspiring future leaders.

For more information on Fairfield City Council's School Education Program, or to book a session for your school, please contact Council on 9725 0204.

Thursday 7 August 2014

A new hub for young people

Mayor Frank Carbone and Federal Member for McMahon Chris Bowen inspect progress work with Council Major Projects Co-ordinator Gerard Connaughton.

A concept drawing of the Adventure Park.
Fairfield Park is a hive of activity as construction starts on the Adventure Park and Fairfield Youth and Community Centre.

Construction began on the $1.4 million Adventure Park in July and is expected to be completed in time for the summer holidays.

The $8.55 million Fairfield Youth and Community Centre construction began in June and it should be completed by November 2015.

These two state-of-the-art facilities, within a 10-minute walk of Fairfield CBD and station, will bring high-quality recreational opportunities to children of all ages.

Fairfield Youth and Community Centre will be a hub for young people in the heart of Fairfield City. 

It will feature indoor basketball courts, trampolines, a climbing wall, wi-fi access, meeting rooms and a large hall for sports and performing arts. The centre will be large enough to act as a regional recreation centre for young people across Western Sydney.

The Adventure Park is designed for children in their early teens, providing adventure play-style recreational opportunities for older children. 

It features an 11m high giant climbing net, sky bridge and slide combination (one of the tallest of its kind inAustralia), and a 33m long double flying fox.
This will all be in a setting of soft fall, surrounded by the natural shade of new andexisting trees.

Additionally, the new park will feature a foosball table, tabletennis, barbecues and picnic tables. There is also a park for younger children in the same area, so the whole family can enjoy the space.

Wednesday 30 July 2014

Unfolding Cabramatta's story

Artist Kevin Vo will create Unfold (inset illustration), a public artwork which celebrates Cabramatta's past and present.

Redevelopment artwork

As Cabramatta looks to the future with the redevelopment of Dutton Lane, its past will be celebrated in the form of a public artwork taking centre stage in the new publicspace.

The artwork Unfold, by Cabramatta-based artist Kevin Vo, will take the form of a 'history wall' depicting events, people and scenes of Cabramatta from the past to the present day.

Using printed tiles, the wall will be resemble a mosaic patchwork quilt, with various photo and text tiles covering the wall's surfaces.

Vo is working with Council's Local Studies Librarian to source images from the historic images collection, which represent the multicultural identity of Cabramatta through time.

While people are familiar with the South-East Asian profile Cabramatta holds today, there have been many diverse cultural groups that have shaped the area's identity.

Beginning with the region's Aboriginal inhabitants, the Cabrogal of the Darug Nation, and then the British settlers in the 1790s, Cabramatta holds the mark of many cultures, including British and European migration post World Wars I and II, waves of migration from the 70s onwards from South-East Asia, South America and the Middle East and migration of African cultures throughout the 90s.

Unfold will also feature present day photographs, sourced through the use of the #Cabranow hashtag on Instagram, which people are encouraged to use.
Allowing residents and visitors the opportunity to participate in the creation of Unfold will provide a sense of ownership of the artwork, generating a shared appreciation of the unique character of Cabramatta as a place.

Construction of the Dutton Lane, Cabramatta project is expected to start in early 2015 and will be completed by mid-2016. 

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Bibby’s Place in Bonnyrigg wins State award

From left: Richard McManus (President of Stormwater NSW/ Consultant engineer for Alluvium), Erin Sellers, Manager, Catchment Management Fairfield City Council, and Rod Weise,vice-president of Stormwater Victoria/Practice Leader of Storm Consulting, Victoria Office.
The Bibbys Place project addresses issues such as lack of cultural identity, poor lighting, a degraded public domain and poor stormwater management’.

Fairfield City Council’s work to improve the stormwater management of Bibbys Place in Bonnyrigg has earned state recognition.

The Excellence in Integrated Stormwater Design award was announced at the 2014 Stormwater NSW annual conference in Canberra earlier this month.  

The award recognises Council’s excellence in place management, adoption of a multi-disciplinary approach to design and construction, engagement with the community and the projects local sustainability and liveability within the City. 

Bibbys Place is a unique street, known for its cultural activity. It has a church, temple, mosque and community centre all side-by-side, which makes it one-of-a-kind in Bonnyrigg.

The stormwater project also addressed issues such as lack of cultural identity, poor lighting, a degraded public domain and poor stormwater management.
Tree planting at Bibbys Place 28 August 2013.

The community will soon enjoy multiple benefits including; innovative gully pit diversions, native plants enhancing local biodiversity, solar lighting, coloured permeable paving, seating, pathways and the rain garden itself, making the street a much more attractive place to congregate or walk along. 

The Stormwater NSW awards aim to provide recognition and celebrate excellence in innovation, development and management of stormwater projects and the stormwater professionals involved.
This project came to life because of the hard working and dedicated Council staff, consultants, Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils, the Environmental Trust, the Bonnyrigg Town Centre Committee and all the local community members involved throughout the project. 

Bibbys Place will now be entered into the National Stormwater Awards, which will be announced at the third national conference on Urban Water Management in Adelaide in October.

Wednesday 16 July 2014

A hidden gem at Lansvale

Mayor Frank Carbone with young cyclists (from front) Mikaela, Lachlan, Hannah and Jasmine try out the new road safety circuit at Lansvale Reserve.

Lansvale Reserve has been described as one of Fairfield City's hidden gems and, after a $250,000 Council makeover, it's time to share the appeal of this charming spot.

Just off Knight Street, Lansvale, and sitting on the banks of Prospect Creek, the reserve offers shady trees and grassed areas, picnic tables and shelter, and a brand new road safety circuit.

Young bicycle riders from Fairfield City and elsewhere will now be able to learn about road safety or just enjoy the new facility while picnicking with mum and dad.

The track is the first of its kind for the area and provides a safe location for children aged three to 12 years to ride bikes and scooters. The safety circuit provides a range of experiences for
riders of differing levels of ability and age.

Other work in the upgrade includes new play equipment, linking and upgrading existing facilities with new development, and linking an existing cycle route to the site.

The upgrade fits Council's theme of Enhancing Community Wellbeing through Goal 2 (Being Healthy and Active) and Goal 3 (Enjoying a Good Standard of Living and Enhanced Quality of Life).

The reserve connects with the Chipping Norton Lakes Recreational Park and is a large site with significant frontage to Prospect creek. The redevelopment places greater emphasis on it being used as a recreational picnic area.

It expected the site will provide facilities not only for the residents of Lansvale, but also visitors who travel from other parts of Fairfield City and potentially the Bankstown local government area.

Thursday 3 July 2014

Supporting our local businesses

Jacob Majarian from Majart and John Paul Taberdo from Woodville Community Services networking at a local business forum.


The Fairfield City Council place management philosophy is to support, engage and encourage the businesses of Fairfield City.

Promoting the growth and development of our businesses is a key priority to the future of Fairfield City.

Council continues to support business through public domain improvements, including road infrastructure, lighting, footpath and street furniture upgrades.

In addition to the physical appearance of our town centres, Council also offers a broad range of business services and advice to new, existing and potential businesses within the City.

Some of these services include consultation forums, business breakfasts and training.

Fairfield City Council has introduced the 'Make Council Your Business' program to raise awareness of Council's procurement procedures and to encourage local businesses to get involved. Last year, Council spent about $7.2 million with businesses in Fairfield City.

Council invests a great deal of time and resources to ensure our town centres are clean and attractive and continue to attract new visitors.

In addition, Council encourages people to shop locally and contribute to the growing economy of our City. The new City Connect bus has achieved these goals by giving residents greater accessibility to our town centres.

Council continues to organise and coordinate a number of major festivals throughout the year. There are more than five major festivals run by Council annually, which attract thousands of new visitors to our town centres. These events illustrate new growth for the City and
new opportunities for businesses.

For more information on events, check Council's Events Calendar at www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au or contact 9725 0222.

Friday 6 June 2014

Biodiversity in Fairfield City - Eastern Water Dragon


The Eastern Water Dragon grows to about 80-90cm long and most of that is the tail.  

It inhabits the coastal water courses of eastern Australia.

It is a good tree climber and likes to laze on branches overhanging the water. If disturbed, it will drop into the water and swim to the bottom to wait for the danger to pass, staying under for up to 30 minutes if necessary.

When surprised on land, water dragons do a spectacular bipedal dash – up on their hind legs they do a dinosaur impersonation in miniature, presumably gathering that added speed that makes all the difference between capture and escape. 

The Natural Resources team regularly places logs from felled trees within the creek riparian vegetation to assist in providing habitat for reptiles such as the Eastern Water Dragon.  The logs are also good habitat for worms, insects and molluscs, which the water dragon eats. Their diet also comprises small reptiles, frogs, vegetation, fruit, and small mammals.

Threats
  • Loss and fragmentation habitat through land-clearing for urban development.

Thursday 5 June 2014

Youth Advisory Committee needs you

Katrina Di Pietro from Fairfield West has volunteered her time for the past 12 months to serve on Fairfield City Council's Youth Advisory Committee.


Fairfield Youth who live in the Local Government Area and who are aged between 14 and 24 years are invited to apply to become a volunteer on Fairfield City Council's Youth Advisory Committee (YAC).

YAC focuses on raising awareness, advocating on behalf of young people in the community and contributing to the planning of Council's youth initiatives and major events.

Committee members play an integral role in providing representation for our City's youth at a local government level.

Katrina Di Pietro (pictured above) is one of 20 members serving on the committee. Through her involvement with YAC, Katrina has achieved a number of accolades and surpassed her own personal goals and expectations.

Recently named 2013 Outstanding Youth Leader at the annual ZEST Awards, the 22-year-old said her time with YAC had been one of the best experiences of her life.

"I feel blessed to have met so many people who have not only invited me into their lives, but also have shared with me their passion, drive and determination to better themselves and their
communities,'' she said.

"I am humbled by the things that I have learned and seen and been privileged enough to take part in. My time with YAC has been truly rewarding and I am certain that this is an experience that I will remember forever."

Katrina said one of the highlights of her time with YAC was knowing that her contribution to the City was valued and appreciated.

"Through volunteering in my local community, I can see first-hand the impact that I and other volunteers have had," she said.

''My experience has inspired me to become a youth counsellor in the future and continue to serve my local community." 

YAC volunteers are taught how to advocate, lead, liaise with media, coordinate and manage events.

Youth from the community are encouraged to apply for positions on the YAC and get involved to support young people and advocate for their interests at a local government level.

To be eligible to become a YAC member for 2014/15, you must be aged between 14 and 24 years and live within the Fairfield Local Government Area. Applications close on 16 June 2014 and can be submitted online at: www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/youth

For more information call, 9725 0222.