Late Agenda of Council Meeting - Wednesday, 6 July 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

6 July 2022

Item No: MM07/22-11

Mayoral Minute - NAIDOC Week

Author: Mayor Lisa Lake

File Number: SC486

Summary

This week is NAIDOC Week.

NAIDOC stands for “National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee.”

This Committee was originally known as “National Aborigines Day Observance Committee” and it was created in 1956 to organise national events to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal peoples. In 1975 it was decided that the “day” should become a whole week and in 1991 the name and the week was expanded to also include Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Like many local councils, Cumberland Council celebrates NAIDOC Week each year as a chance to highlight, learn about and engage with the cultures of our First Nations Peoples of Australia, the oldest living cultures in the world.

This week, Council is running a number of activities including cultural children’s activities, bush schools, story-time, movie days, a seniors’ coach trip and, in conjunction with the University of Western Sydney, an art session “Painted River” to be held on Saturday on the Duck River.

This year, the theme for this week is “Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up”.

This is a theme that acknowledges the proud history, tireless efforts and resilience of Australia’s past Indigenous leaders. Significantly, this includes the work of the Australian Aboriginal civil rights movement which finally led to a federal referendum in 1967 when over 90 per cent of Australians agreed for Aboriginal people to be recognised as citizens and to be counted in the national census, and for the Commonwealth to make laws on their behalf.

The theme also encourages us all to recognise and celebrate the ongoing efforts of Indigenous Australians who continue to work for equality on issues such as life expectancy, housing, justice and economic development and who rally for environmental, heritage and cultural protections, constitutional change, treaty and truth-telling.

Therefore Councillors, tonight I recommend the following:

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Respectfully acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia as the traditional custodians of this land and celebrates their histories, achievements and continuous cultures spanning over 60,000 years; and

2. Stands with and supports the ongoing and tireless efforts of our Indigenous Australians in their work to drive and achieve positive and enduring change.

Attachments

Nil

Council Meeting

6 July 2022

Item No: MM07/22-12

Mayoral Minute - Donation to UNICEF

Author: Mayor Lisa Lake

File Number: SC486

Summary

On June 22, a magnitude 6 earthquake struck Afghanistan killing more than 1000 people and leaving over 1500 people injured. More than 10,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. The earthquake hit Afghanistan’s remote eastern region approximately 46 kilometres from the Pakistan border. Due to this, it has been extremely difficult for the Government to deliver aid to those in need.

Deliveries must be flown into the capital city of Kabul, then loaded onto smaller trucks and helicopters to be able to provide aid in the more remote villages due to the significant challenges of logistics. Search and rescue efforts have been hampered by rain, landslides and the inaccessible nature of many hillside villages in the affected areas. At least 65 children have been orphaned or are unaccompanied due to the earthquake.

Afghanistan is already suffering from multiple humanitarian issues. The country is facing a crisis after U.S. armed forces withdrew and the Taliban took over the Afghan government. Humanitarian aid is difficult to manage even with effective programs in place. Given the high number of injuries and the under-resourced medical infrastructure, health care support from external organisations is critical. The World Health Organization and others are already on the ground providing equipment, medical supplies and staff support.

The residents of Cumberland Council are saddened by the crisis Afghanistan is facing. The Cumberland Council area is home to a significant Afghan community. We are a proudly multicultural community with over 6200 of our residents born in Afghanistan. We express our solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and their loved ones in Australia during these extremely difficult times

I feel therefore, it would be appropriate for Council to make a donation to UNICEF Australia, to assist in the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. UNICEF is the United Nations Children’s Fund, working in 190 countries for the survival, protection and development of children, with a focus on the lives of children who are the most disadvantaged and excluded. UNICEF is currently on the ground in Afghanistan assisting with:

· medical care to displaced families,

· emergency water and sanitation facilities,

· vaccinating babies against polio and other preventable diseases,

· treating children for severe acute malnutrition, and

· giving cash assistance to families struggling to buy food and clothing for their children

Our donation can be funded through Council’s Emergency Relief Fund, a fund which Council established to enable it to provide one-off financial assistance for donations to fundraising appeals that respond to crisis or disaster.

Therefore Councillors, tonight I recommend the following:

Recommendation

That:

1. Council make a donation of $5,000 to UNICEF Australia to assist in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

2. The donation be funded from the Emergency Relief Fund.

Attachments

Nil