Late Agenda of Council Meeting - Wednesday, 1 June 2022

Councillor Contact Details

Granville Ward
Clr Steve Christou	0419 651 187	Steve.Christou@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Ola Hamed	0405 070 007	Ola.Hamed@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Joseph Rahme	0418 995 471	Joseph.Rahme@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Greystanes Ward
Clr Diane Colman	0400 279 200	Diane.Colman@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Greg Cummings	0417 612 717	Greg.Cummings@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Eddy Sarkis	0418 306 918	Eddy.Sarkis@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Regents Park Ward
Clr Kun Huang (Deputy Mayor)	0418 911 774	Kun.Huang@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Sabrin Farooqui	0400 322 999	Sabrin.Farooqui@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Helen Hughes	0400 264 534	Helen.Hughes@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
South Granville Ward
Clr Glenn Elmore	0418 459 527	Glenn.Elmore@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Paul Garrard	0414 504 504	Paul.Garrard@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Mohamad Hussein	0400 281 726	Mohamad.Hussein@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Wentworthville Ward
Clr Suman Saha	0419 546 950	Suman.Saha@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Lisa Lake (Mayor)	0418 669 681	Lisa.Lake@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Michael Zaiter	0418 432 797	Michael.Zaiter@cumberland.nsw.gov.au

For information on Council services and facilities please visit www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au

Council Meeting

1 June 2022

Item No: MM06/22-8

Mayoral Minute - NSW Local Government Excellence Awards

Author: Mayor Lisa Lake

File Number: SC486

Summary

On Thursday the 26^th May 2022, the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards dinner was held at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney. The awards dinner brings together local government professionals to celebrate the exceptional achievements of local Councils across NSW.

There were over 140 nominations submitted across 12 categories from Councils across NSW, and Cumberland Council was a finalist in the following seven categories:

· Special Project Initiative for the DA processing Times for the NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program

· Community Partnerships for the Healthy Kids Initiative

· Community Development for the COVID-19 Community Support Hubs

· Partnerships and Collaboration for the COVID -19 Vaccination Programs - Staff & Community Safety Project

· Asset and Infrastructure for the Wentworthville Swim Centre Modernisation

· People, Workplace, Wellbeing for the Workers Compensation/Vault improvements

· Risk Management for the Corporate Pandemic Management initiatives

It gives me great pleasure to advise that Council was announced as the winner of the Community Development Category for its ‘COVID-19 Community Support Hubs’ project.

The Community Support Hubs were established to meet the ever-growing demand for food relief in the Cumberland Local Government Area that due to sheer demand, were unable to be met by other local service providers. Council partnered with OzHarvest, Good360, and Resilience NSW to provide both food hampers and general grocery/COVID safety equipment bags for distribution to the public. Over 3,700 hampers were distributed through the hubs to community members in need from three locations identified across the Local Government Area (Merrylands, Wentworthville, and Berala).

Promotion of the hamper availability was spread through established networks and an online registration system which ran in parallel with the hubs to help triage needs in the community and identify further supports needed beyond the initial food relief. The primary success of this program was to provide food to families in isolation or those who had lost employment. This community engagement provided Council with the opportunity to identify other issues or support mechanisms required for community members and helped to reduce social isolation being experienced by many households.

I would like to thank all staff and Councillors involved in this program, as some of my fellow Councillors dedicated a significant amount of their time to assist with handing out hampers to those in need.

Furthermore, Council was highly commended for its project ‘COVID -19 Vaccination Programs - Staff & Community Safety’ Project.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognise and congratulate all of our staff who have contributed to these wonderful projects, well done on an amazing effort.

Therefore Councillors, tonight I move the following:

Recommendation

That Council congratulate all staff that contributed to the projects submitted in the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards.

Attachments

Nil

Council Meeting

1 June 2022

Item No: MM06/22-9

Mayoral Minute - Condolence Motion - The Late Margaret Gong

Author: Mayor Lisa Lake

File Number: SC486

Summary

Margaret Gong was born on the 27^th June 1951 at Royal North Shore Hospital. Her parents moved the family from Manly to Granville in 1951, where her parents ran a grocery business at 118, The Avenue. After a brief move to Blacktown, Margaret’s family moved to Chetwynd Rd, Merrylands in 1963. In 1964, Margaret attended Merrylands High School.

At 17, in 1969 Margaret joined the Army. She served from 1969 until 1972, and was posted to Singapore from Easter 1971 until just before Christmas. This experience during service impacted her for the rest of her life. For her service she was awarded the Australian Service Medal 1945-75 with Clasp SE ASIA and the Australian Defence Medal.

Margaret was nominated for her award as the 2005 Holroyd Citizen of the Year due to her extensive involvement in the local community in a wide range of activities connected with schools, young people, ex-servicemen and women, Indigenous people and the disabled.

Margaret was subsequently awarded the 2005 Holroyd Council Citizen of the Year for her tireless community work. She served on a number of Holroyd Council committees including King Park, ATSIC and NAIDOC, Prospect Creek, Boral and CSIRO sites Committee. The former Mayor of Holroyd Council, Clr Allan Ezzy, presented Margaret Gong with her Award at a ceremony held on Australia Day in 2006.

Margaret had a keen interest in veteran’s issues and was Secretary of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Veteran’s Association. She was regarded as a “hands on”, practical person who was always willing to help others.

Margaret stood in as Merrylands RSL Youth Club President from June 1999 to February 2000 but was elected President in July 2012. Margaret was actively involved with the RSL Youth Club for many years and will be remembered by both children and adults alike for her tireless work to keep the Club’s various sporting activities running.

Margaret was first elected to the Merrylands RSL Sub-branch Committee in 2006 and became a Vice-President in 2010, and then President in 2013. In this role she initiated links between local schools and the Sub-branch to help keep the spirit of Anzac alive by involving the younger generations in Anzac and Remembrance Day services. In 2014, the first pupil-led Remembrance Day service was held with students from Guildford West Public School leading the service with the RSL lending support.

Margaret passed away on the 9^th May 2022. Her Funeral was held on the 24^th May 2022 at Pinegrove Memorial Park, Minchinbury. Margaret will be greatly missed by her 3 children, 2 grandsons, her family and the broader community.

Therefore Councillors, tonight I move the following:

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Notes with great sadness the passing of Margaret Gong, and sends our condolences to her family; and

2. Observe a minute’s silence to honour the life of Margaret Gong, including her great achievements and contributions to the Cumberland Community.

Attachments

Nil