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penrith s number one trades services directory is inside the western weekender each and every week april 8 2011 issue 997 proudly independent circulation 59,440 the heartbeat of penrith local residents say there s something very wrong at centrelink julia gillard visited the university of western sydney last week glenmore park resident ken innes is frustrated with clashes with public transport timetables [photo melinda jenkins junior footy coverage can be found on the inside back page every week imetable clashes and late buses means some commuters are forced to wait up to 30 minutes at penrith railway station just to catch an express train into the cbd the weekender has received several complaints in recent weeks about timetable clashes mostly about westbus services arriving into penrith just as express trains on the blue mountains line are leaving for the cbd th ree morning peak hour buses t on the 797 glenmore park route arrive at penrith railway station at 6.37am 7.07am and 8.05am but the express trains leave at 6.40am 7.09am and 8.09am which allows commuters only a few minutes to make each train there is also one bus on the nearby 799 route from glenmore park that is scheduled to arrive at penrith railway station at 9.02am which is also when the express train should be departing glenmore park resident ken innes 71 catches the train from penrith at least twice a week and experiences this dilemma weekly he said in addition to the timetables being so close together the buses are always running late which means he has no hope of making the train and is forced to wait up to 30 minutes for a train nine times out of 10 the bus is running about five minutes late if i ve got a bus going from my corner at 7.34am and i m down there at 7.38am i won t miss the bus mr innes said if the buses were one or two minutes earlier i wouldn t even be making this complaint it s like someone has set out to make sure it doesn t work while there are western line trains that arrive in between express services mr innes waits because he often gets to central station fi rst you need someone who does the timetables for westbus to ring cityrail and say `hey what time are you leaving he said a spokesman from westbus acknowledged there was an issue with the timetable clashes because the number of bus services does not exactly match the number of train services it is not possible to meet every train he said 997wwd6605

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2 friday april 8 2011 the western weekender hop into the mega floor tile sale at abl tiles selena outdoor 6 colours 45 off pearce series 4 colours 30 off 19 m 90 2 19m 2 20 off 25 off siox series 450 x 450 · 4 colours 22 m 90 2 eclipse series 600 x 600 · 4 colours 27 m 90 2 dain tree series 450 x 450 · 5colours 21 m 50 40 off 2 rb series 416 x 416 indoor outdoor 50 off polished porcelain 600 x 600 factory sealed 1490m2 25 off from 1990m2 25 off 30 off caffa laparto 600 x 600 · 5 colours 450 x 450 · 3 colours 600 x 600 · 3 colours a.b.l tile centre when quality matters renovation quotes from our recommended renovatiors free bathroom open 7 days mon fri 7.30am 5pm sat 8.30am 4pm sun 9am 3pm 995wwd6358 www.abltilecentre.com.au www.westernweekender.com.au www.facebook.com/westernweekender www.twitter.com/wwpenrith sales executive ali elali fyi sales executive nadene pearce trades services emily larkham production manager editorial production manager production ph 9623 0499 18 forthorn place st marys circulation 59,440 cab audit sep 2010 published by mediaview pty ltd printed by spot press pty ltd editor troy dodds sales manager matthew forde senior journalist emily crane journalist lauren grimson journalist cassandra o connor fyi journalist stacey moseley advertising editorial phone fax address photographer melinda jenkins sales executive james miller penrithsales@mediaview.com.au troy.dodds@mediaview.com.au 02 4722 2998 02 4731 6255 suite 2 42-44 abel street penrith nsw 2750 sales executive sergio carrasco sales executive richard watts sales executive linda lewis irene adams stacey fortescue alana christanga special projects manager andrew komoder 997wwd6358 28 m 50 2 millennium gloss series 21 m 90 2 stone series 33m 2

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the western weekender friday april 8 2011 news local 3 centrelink has confirmed that it does not assign individuals to certain cases which may explain why there appears to be high levels of confusion amongst the people that deal with the organisation on a regular basis cards four times before being told to wait 12 months by the review officer until the health card was approved my wife is on thyroid tablets and i have diabetes so medicine is $34 a pop each i am flabbergasted by their inability to give us the right information it is simply deplorable the husband said fortunately they received confi rmation their health cards will fi nally be delivered in the coming weeks enrith residents are tired of centrelink mistakes and delays and believe the service needs a major reform to increase the welfare agency s efficiency elizabeth davis a childcare worker on the disability support pension said for the past eight years there has been incidents where centrelink had reviewed changed or cancelled her support payments roughly 12 to 18 months ago my disability support pension was cut after being on it for 15 years i was told over the phone that i had not claimed income of $110,000 from a rental property ms davis said i had to collect my kids from school and rush down to the office with my tax returns to give proof that i wasn t lying about my income when it was obvious to centrelink that no such rental property ever existed the only explanation given to ms davis was that there was a system error the latest incident was two weeks ago when i noticed my pension was less than normal in fact half of what it is normally they said that i was overpaid since july 2010 and that someone would contact me but again i have not heard from anyone ms davis said the weekender received complaints from other residents about cancelled payments lost correspondence and a lack of information one couple who did not want to be named said they appealed a decision not to award each of them health p i am flabbergasted by their inability to give us the right information local couple we will have to deal with centrelink in a year s time and i am not looking forward to it he said both ms davis and the couple agree the biggest obstacle is that no single person looks after individual cases when i walk into the bank i have the same manager who knows my case and always speaks with me directly ms davis said with centrelink you are given every tom dick and harry when it would be much more efficient if one person handled individual cases i think it is about time our federal government started looking into the centrelink process of how exactly they get things done because i feel that too many errors are made a centrelink spokesperson confi rmed that cases are not assigned to certain people or localities but instead go through centralised processing elizabeth davis is not happy with centrelink [photo melinda jenkins are you going on holidays don t forget to get your car checked 997wwd7355 997wwd4970 www.pedders.com.au

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4 opinion friday april 8 2011 the western weekender from the editor s desk troy dodds chris johnson also reported that some people close to the prime minister believe she is furious at mr rudd s remarks which threaten to damage her credibility given it is strongly rumoured she was amongst those that wanted the ets shelved mr rudd of course holds the key cards if ms gillard was to suddenly dump him as foreign minister to plug his mouth he could quit parliament force a by-election and perhaps completely unravel the tightrope style government we have where the slightest change can rock the boat troy.dodds@mediaview.com.au 9.30am fight the good fight 6pm are we in the end times part 4 see page 18 a member of australian christian churches you will enjoy this come and hear pastor mick wrotniak sunday 10th april resourcing for greater impact pastor mick wrotniak sunday 17th april resourcing for greater impact ­ part 2 sunday 10am playhouse auditorium university of western sydney second ave kingswood 997wwd3530 join us for tea or coffee after the service kids church 10am youth service 4.30pm-6pm pastor mick wrotniak ph 0413 827 872 smith st matt full mechanical workshop auto centre lpg rego checks service pink slips blue slips green slips log book service full servicing all work guaranteed e all have that one person in our lives who we want to be friends with yet still cringe when they walk in the door you know the one ­ the person you would avoid inviting to your birthday dinner but is a good last minute option when you ve got nothing to do on a friday night enter kevin rudd like an annoying fly on julia gillard s christmas day lunch mr rudd simply won t go away granted he has a senior role in the gillard ministry but mr rudd is proving more than annoying for ms gillard as she tries to regain some respect for labor amidst constant criticism over the proposed carbon tax on monday night mr rudd appeared on the abc s wonderful `q a program and he used the platform to confess that his decision to delay the emissions trading scheme ets was a mistake that started a barrage of questions and innuendo with mr rudd confi rming that some within his cabinet were urging him to dump the scheme altogether political correspondent chris johnson reported this week that three of mr rudd s staff were watching `q a from the abc green room on monday night and not one fl inched when he made comments about his mistakes and his revelations that some inside his cabinet wanted the ets dumped perhaps they were not surprised at all that he was using the program to reveal such information one cannot for a moment hide the fact that `q a is often used as a platform for politicians to sell and promote themselves under the guise of an unscripted appearance the questions may be unscripted but the answers are not 997wwd3537 w for julia gillard her entire political career may well rest on this plan working or failing dismally in terms of the prime minister s credibility questions must be asked on the surface there is the obvious one of course ­ why weren t all the cards on the table and why did ms gillard mutter those famous words there will be no carbon tax under a government that i lead the other question of course is why we should support putting a price on carbon when ms gillard may have been opposed to doing so just a year ago what has changed the great concern for labor is of course how the entire carbon tax debate will impact upon the next election it would be of major concern locally too with david bradbury holding the seat of lindsay with a very narrow margin if all goes awry with the carbon tax he is in very very legitimate danger of losing his seat logical debate on the carbon tax is obviously not being helped by at times one-sided arguments from certain media outlets and that creates a great deal of confusion for many when one of our journalists hit the streets this week to ask about the proposed carbon tax many were either unaware of it or totally confused by it and hence weren t really across it one thing julia gillard is not doing is hiding away from the fact that right now she wants to put a price on carbon so much so that it remains the feature piece on her website officially the federal government declares a carbon price is a price on pollution it is the cheapest and fairest way to cut pollution and build a clean energy economy the best way to stop businesses polluting and get them to invest in clean energy is to charge them when they pollute the businesses with the highest levels of pollution will have a very strong incentive to reduce their pollution of course the government claims it will use the money raised from the tax to in part assist families with household bills given they are likely to rise truth is that the proposed carbon tax remains one giant unknown for julia gillard her entire political career may well rest on this plan working or failing dismally for businesses and manufacturers the unknown impact of a carbon tax is likely to hit confidence hard for the general person in the street the fear of household bills rising is enough for them to not care about the long-term benefits politicians claim this tax will have we are not in the best of fi nancial times and as individuals we all struggle to make sure there s enough petrol in the car enough food on the table and that the lights remain on at home to be blunt whether the carbon tax is right or wrong i believe that ms gillard is committing political suicide by continuing to push an unpopular barrow paul th um bsup 997wwd1896 julius phil smithstreetauto@bigpond.com 4731 4019 184 smith street south penrith to alicia yalden and matt de carli congratulations on your wedding last friday and enjoy the honeymoon the local couple celebrated in style at the sebel pier one after the ceremony to that bicycle rider he was riding across an intersection illegally and hit the back of a car just outside westfield on saturday he had the hide to abuse the car driver th um b s down unit 5 119 coreen ave penrith business reg no bn97971381 stronghold building services ed fitt e whil it wa you united tools ph 4731 1391 covering all aspects of handyman service in your local area · kitchen · built in wardrobe walk in wardrobe renovations · plastering · painting · tiling · lawn garden maintenance · carpentry pensioners · small concrete jobs · cleaning discount · rubbish removed available · all minor building repair work specialty racks bike ski rod board pods canoe bullbar towbar specialists western towbars bullbars now relocated here mobile fitting service hayman reese cosmopolitan what ever needs doing at home we will do it at a reasonable rate ring john for a free quote western off road centre rola rhino racks 997wwd2235 agent stockist for we are also your local one stop 4wd shop agents for all major brands · towbars · bullbars · electric brake controls · fibreglass canopies · retro stationwagon seats · ecb · tjm · arb · bocar unit 2 65 regentville rd penrith sales service repair to most major brand power tools on or 9823 5507 0427008451 997wwd7353 4731 4680 roof racks for all purposes 4721 0357 997wwd7685

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the western weekender friday april 8 2011 news local 5 dr kate more sarah delaney from the australian foundation for disability and disability services minister andrew constance l ocals considering a career change are encouraged to look towards the disability and community care sector with more than 8,000 carer jobs set to become available in western sydney over the next five years the announcement was made at a community forum organised by carecareers the australian foundation for disability and the penrith business alliance at penrith rsl on wednesday dr kate more manager of national disability services nsw said the increase in local care jobs is part of a $2 million state government commitment to provide more carers for an ageing population there will be more than 8,000 jobs across a range of careers available in the local disability and community care sector all the way from paid care staff to gardeners and cleaners dr more said it will include transport services day programs a whole range of things which will lead to a better quality of life for people living with a disability it s an ideal sector for return to work parents students or people looking to move into a more fulfi lling career newly appointed minister for disability services and ageing andrew constance made his fi rst ministerial appearance at the forum we have a lot of challenges to face ­ we need to better support our carers and stimulate growth in the non-government disability and community care sector with more individualised funding commitments he said visit www.carecareers.com au for more information about disability and community care careers enrith mp stuart ayres is stepping up in the political arena less than 12 months after being elected to state parliament mr ayres was elected as deputy whip last week for the new o farrell government and his new role in parliament will involve ensuring party discipline i think it s an honour to be appointed but it s also a pretty big honour for penrith mr ayres said the premier barry o farrell called mr ayres prior to the liberal party room meeting last tuesday to ask if he would take on the deputy whip role mr ayres said he was not aware that he had been considered for the role until after the state election while this step up in state parliament could lead to bigger things for the local mp in the future mr ayres said his main focus for the next four years would be on his two current roles my focus is on being a good whip to manage the members of parliament and also making sure i m the best possible representative for penrith he said also hoping to be the best representative for the wider p new role penrith mp stuart ayres is now the deputy whip area is the premier who has appointed himself minister for western sydney the liberal government now holds three key local seats including penrith londonderry and mulgoa western sydney has put its faith in a nsw liberals nationals government and i am determined to deliver for those families and communities mr o farrell said in a statement last week western sydney is a unique region bursting with talent opportunity and potential [it should be the powerhouse of the australian economy now selling direct to the public free installation wholesale prices timber shutters timber venetian blinds roller blinds roller shutters handmade timber basswood and pvc venetians holland and sunscreen roller blinds plantation shutters vertical blinds roller shutters doors and screens 997wwd6811 jeff dean 0414 403 490 · lauren dean 0431 729 931 8/28 coombes drive penrith · 4721 1368 997wwd6366

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6 news jim aitken local friday april 8 2011 the western weekender council news penrith city has played its part in housing sydney s development through decades of growth and is now calling on the state and federal government to fulfi l their obligations by delivering infrastructure and services to provide our community with quality jobs facilities and services closer to home the people of greater western sydney recognise and use penrith as a regional centre but it s time for more action on the ground late last year the state government released the sydney metropolitan plan for sydney 2036 an update of the sydney metropolitan strategy and confi rmed penrith as the regional city for the north-west subregion future population growth targeted for the region surrounding penrith city brings many challenges as well as opportunities however infrastructure delivery is a significant issue for us we need the state government to step up and fund transport better roads and local jobs now targets in the metropolitan plan for penrith include increased public transport use improved links with the north west and south west growth centres and 31,000 new jobs by 2036 council takes the position that the jobs target is not high enough and has set a target of 40,000 new jobs council is working closely with the penrith business alliance to help deliver the higher target council will continue to speak out strongly about what penrith needs ocal personal trainers have mixed concerns about penrith council s proposed policy to ban trainers from several parks and restrict training times the proposed policy which was brought to a council meeting this week will go on public exhibition on monday to allow personal trainers to raise their concerns with council under the guidelines personal trainers and commercial fitness groups would be banned from bushland reserves up to 13 parks and will be required to keep off pathways and cycle ways there will also be exercise exclusion zones within 30 metres of houses and 20 metres from all memorials council picnic sheds or benches playgrounds public toilets and kiosks trainers will pay a $120 permit fee along with a $200 six month non-exclusive hire period to use parks other than the banned areas they will also be restricted to training in parks between 6am-7.30pm from monday to saturday during daylight savings and 6am-5.30pm in l non-daylight savings times the weekender spoke with two local trainers this week and both agreed that restricting training times would damage their client bases it just makes it impossible to do the classes because the majority of people can t make the times said merinda husking from designer body personal training if it [the policy does go through i would have to hire a hall and then up my prices denver oliveux from lgfg personal training said along with the ridiculous times he believes the whole policy is negative for personal trainers he attended the council meeting to hear what councillors had to say and was angered by views that personal trainers add to the wear and tear of sporting grounds they re talking about the potential damage personal trainers make during boot camps what type of comparison does that have with 40 children or footballers with studded boots he said mr oliveux said he would have to raise his prices if the permit fee was introduced it s completely hypocritical here we are in western sydney with issues of obesity but council is making it harder for us he said merinda husking from designer body personal training in a session with a client 997wwd4952

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the western weekender friday april 8 2011 news local 7 a 20-year-old cranebrook man was arrested and charged after an off-duty officer caught him removing outdoor water taps from judges place car park last monday after a short foot pursuit the offender was detained the officer located a total of seven bronze garden taps in his backpack ann ray i agree with the proposal for a tax on carbon jay houtri i think there are better solutions than a tax such as wind or solar power leanne salon manager is against the tax because people already struggle with unemployment and cost of living police are appealing for public information following a break and enter that occurred at the wallacia panthers club in the early hours of sunday april 3 anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact st marys police or crime stoppers on 1800 333 000 investigators from the australian federation against copyright theft have charged a 21-year-old glenmore park man with five counts of selling infringing copies following a five month investigation into the illegal sale of dvds penrith detectives executed a search warrant at the suspect s home and seized a number of items used for copying dvds a henry street business was also raided during the investigation jennifer murphy i am definitely pro-tax and any other measures that may be introduced to curb carbon production it is hard to deny climate change exists raymond mouk i always vote labor but i am against the tax it is a shame that [ms gillard went back on her word as she said there would be no carbon tax we can t trust her a fter the office of federal member for lindsay david bradbury reported vandalism of their front window by protesters against the proposed carbon tax the western weekender took to the streets to fi nd out whether there is strong opposition to the price on carbon many people surveyed throughout the week said that they did not have an opinion on the carbon tax citing that they didn t know about it or did not believe it would impact them however of those who did have an opinion on whether or not there should be a price on carbon the views were mixed with some fi rmly against it and others strongly in support police are appealing for information following a stabbing incident in cranebrook at 10pm on tuesday police were called to hefferman road upon arrival police found a 22-year-old man with two stab wounds to his chest and eight stab wounds to his back police are searching for three people who were involved in a robbery at lukes lane reserve st clair during the early hours of sunday april 3 two 16year-old males were walking through lukes lane reserve with two females when they were approached and assaulted by three unknown males the fi rst person of interest has been described as male 18 to 20 years of age caucasian short to medium length black hair thin build and was wearing a red t-shirt and jeans the second male is aged between 18 to 20 thin build tanned complexion short black hair and was wearing a white t-shirt white shoes and jeans the fi nal male has been described as caucasian with a shaved head he was wearing a black coloured hanley t-shirt and jeans anyone with information is urged to contact st marys police or crime stoppers on 1800 333 000 established since 1974 your toyota specialists that you can trust · licensed motor mechanic · service for cars commercial · authorised inspection station · child restraint fitting · saturday servicing services from $80 award winning motor mechanic we offer honest reliable friendly service for your motor vehicle call al palmer repairs on robertson place penrith www.alpalmer.com 4721 5060 997wwd3676 997wwd6845

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8 opinion friday april 8 2011 the western weekender beautiful affordable wardrobes custom designed and built to suit your needs most outstanding trade services 2008 true local business awards dear weekender email penritheditorial@mediaview.com.au post suite 2 42-44 abel street jamisontown 2750 sick person carbon tax anger western weekender april 1 there is a democratic process to have your say without defacing other people s property society must voice their concern at such a rude act the people of penrith are good law abiding citizens and deplore acts of this kind joyce bellchambers winner 6 months interest free 10 year guarantee mirror 2 door r up to 2.44m high 2.44m long pet shop debate 615 · 3 drawers · 4 shelves · shoe space e double single hanging space ·d · handbag shelf u up to 2.44m high 2.44m long 785 · 6 drawers e · 8 shelves · shoe space · do single hanging space double · handbag shelf mirror 2 door r remember the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten your choice of · hinged or sliding timber up to 2.44m high 3.6m long craftwood colonial or federation style doors · reflect your lifestyle in our award winning mirror 3 door r aluminium sliding mirror doors · a range of · 6 drawers design options to make all your storage dreams · 8 shelves · shoe space e come true · mirror veneer painted polyurethane · innovative features · double single hanging space · professionally designed to meet your needs · handbag shelf · walk in robes · bookcases · linen press · home office fitouts · entertainment units the above price are between walls floors to ceiling · hand-made furniture more 997wwd3526 1090 i own two pet shops in sydney and have owned pet shops for more than 17 years puppy shame western weekender march 25 i left my highly paid career as a chartered account to work with what i love most in life animals i have never bought an animal from a puppy farm i have never euthanased an animal that was difficult to sell where the hell do you get your facts from the rspca have the phone number and address of all the breeders i deal with puppy farms are the places you see on the internet selling their dogs to the public close pet shops and they will flourish clover moore and the animal liberationists will be doing animals a great disservice if they continue with their misguided campaign in addition to the puppies i sell we fi nd homes for more than 200 kittens that would otherwise end up at the rspca every year by publishing this kind of rubbish you hurt the most open and transparent sector of the pet industry next time you publish an article like this i suggest you do your homework fi rst rod dearden we make all your storage dreams a reality lic no 115071c available to approved purchasers conditions apply factory direct established for over 20 years visit our showroom 47 sterling rd minchinbury violence not the answer www.tntwardrobes.com.au e info@tntwardrobes.com.au 9832 4588 whatever your political persuasions i was appalled at the recent vandalism on our federal lindsay mp david bradbury s office and can only say that behaviour of this kind is a cowardly act of a low and security doors grilles screens a beautiful new look for autumn supascreen security doors screens for extra protction roman blinds sunscreen blinds fabric awnings australian made western red cedar 4.2mm thick 1/9-11 abel street penrith 4721 1010 factory direct quality discount blinds visit our new showroom 9am-4pm weekdays 9am-1pm saturday w w w bluemountainsblinds c o m a u have your say write to the editor youth in politics some young people take an interest in politics but do they know how the system works to be prime minister you have to be leader of the party with the most seats in the house of reps preferential voting can elect a candidate with less than half the primary vote electoral boundaries can be drawn to reflect voting patterns pork barreling is when a party spends huge sums in an electorate they want to win to get elected it helps to be untruthful as demonstrated by john howard s line we ll never introduce a gst the present pm said there will be no carbon tax under my government party politicians often attack any movement that threatens them as happened to pauline hanson some years ago leading politicians must never question australia s allegiance to multitudes of un treaties signed without our knowledge and consent and allow international organisations to determine our foreign policies some people enter politics with the best of intentions but they soon discover they have to bend to the will of the party machine jay nauss the western weekender reserves the right to edit letters for the sake of accuracy and space vertical drapes 997wwd8384

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the western weekender friday april 8 2011 council snapshot news local 9 f amilies and businesses in penrith could see their annual petrol bill skyrocket up to $2,000 per vehicle if ongoing tension in the middle east continues to force oil prices up according to a study by the nrma the businesswise study analysed fuel running costs of the four most popular fleet vehicles ­ the holden commodore ford falcon toyota hilux and vw transporter alarmingly for families two of the our cartoonist paul dorin s take on rising petrol prices vehicles are also popular australian $2,500 and a ford falcon by almost family cars $2,000 the study looked at the at $2.70 per litre these costs increased petrol costs for a vehicle would increase by over $5,000 and doing a return trip to the city from $4,000 respectively monday to friday if tensions in the nrma motoring and services middle east continued to force up director david bentham said prices australia is exposed to steep increased costs were calculated increases in prices due to our from a base of $1.35 per litre dependency on overseas fuel studying 15 and 65 cent increases in supplies unleaded petrol prices since december 2008 we have at $2 per litre a motorist driving seen the price of crude oil quadruple a toyota hilux from penrith to the in price and unleaded petrol prices cbd daily would see their annual increase by almost 50 cents per petrol bill increase by almost litre ­ a strengthening dollar saves council approved a new suburb name jordan springs for the land contained in the western precinct of the st marys release area on monday night the land is currently situated in the suburb of llandilo the purpose of the name change according to a council report is to differentiate the future urban character of the western precinct from the existing rural character of llandilo to the north 26 women from our sudanese and iraqi communities showed their civic pride last month in a trip to canberra s parliament house supported by council in partnership with mamre homestead the trip provided an insider s perspective into australian politics with participants observing debates between mps the group toured the house of representatives and the senate learning about the different levels of government as well as how local mps represent penrith at a federal level participants also met with federal lindsay mp david bradbury and spoke about issues affecting their communities council has a range of activities planned to keep the kids entertained these easter school holidays with workshops and activities at penrith city library there s a range of options to suit children of all tastes and talents from april 13-21 if your child likes to clown around they ll love the juggling workshops on wednesday april 13 you can also unleash your child s inner artist through clay workshops on thursday april 14 and cartooning on thursday april 21 the magic show with peter wood on wednesday april 20 should not be missed for the full school holidays program visit www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au or call 4732 7891 residents and visitors now have easy access through werrington creek reserve thanks to the just completed 1.5 metre wide pathway which will link burton werrington and herbert streets in cambridge park the path was jointly funded by the state government and council through the community building partnership program australians from higher prices mr bentham said tensions in the middle east are causing prices to increase despite the fact that production and supply has not been affected if the crisis continues and the australian dollar weakens we can expect further pain for businesses in sydney s west and local families the nrma is reiterating its calls for the federal government to develop a strategy to deal with australia s dependence on imported oil save money on your water bill invest in a rainwater tank to harvest the rain and help secure your water s future above all tanks and pumps is an award winning 100 australian owned and operated company dedicated to providing high quality tanks and pumps to the local community at great prices reb ates e soon ac reba t now w tes s h till a ile vaila ble to get great advice service and guaranteed quality workmanship on your new rainwater tank call above all tanks and pumps today for a free quote on winner home garden retail catagory winner employee excellence 4773 9044 www.abovealltanksandpumps.com.au ing nd 997wwd6832

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10 news local friday april 8 2011 the western weekender t marys local and ceo of deerubbin aboriginal land council kevin cavanagh is set to experience a week like no other thanks to an exciting nsw police program mr cavanagh will take part in a four day community awareness of policing program designed to teach important community leaders about life on the force and to foster greater police communication with the communities they represent participants will learn about marine search and rescue crime fighting technology road safety strategies tactical options and fi rearms training the public order and riot squad as well as a wide range of street and court room scenarios mr cavanagh was selected for the program after being nominated by penrith local area commander inspector harry goedings i am sure [the participants will fi nd the program intriguing and perhaps confronting at harry goedings and julie passau from penrith police times but it will improve their other community leaders set to take part understanding of why police do the things they do and the training police in the upcoming program include retired receive to carry out their job inspector nrl player hazem el-malsri surfi ng star layne beachley and entertainer john paul goedings said out of this we are hoping the wider young the third annual nsw community community will gain a more realistic understanding of the job we do and foster awareness of policing program is being held throughout april greater two-way communication s a new purpose built centre in rooty hill will provide early education for 24 children with autism s dn children s services and autism spectrum australia have been awarded a state government tender to establish a unique early education service for children with autism spectrum disorders in western sydney a purpose built childcare centre will be established in rooty hill and will become a demonstration service providing early education for 24 children with autism the service will also support 13 satellite childcare centres one of which will be in the nepean region the state government has committed $2 million towards building costs and will provide ongoing operational funding to support the service there are around one in 160 children with an autism spectrum disorder living in greater western sydney said ginnie udy ceo of sdn research shows the importance of evidencebased early intervention in providing the best opportunities for children with autism to achieve their potential karen wong from the centre for autism and related disorder card which provides applied behaviour analysis programs to help children reach their potential said increasing awareness about autism is essential we teach kids to talk and even feed and dress themselves ms wong said 997wwd6374

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the western weekender friday april 8 2011 11 997wwd6374

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12 news local friday april 8 2011 the western weekender prime minister julia gillard and gough whitlam institute director eric sidoti 997wwd8446 new menu starts 11/4 rime minister julia gillard says the federal government will work with the new barry o farrell-led nsw liberal government to achieve the best results for the people of nsw ms gillard was speaking at the university of western sydney last thursday where she delivered the inaugural gough whitlam oration ms gillard made a point of addressing the state of the labor party given the recent defeat in the state election and congratulated newly elected nsw labor leader john robertson the direct work of p rebuilding this state will necessarily fall on the shoulders of john and his team ms gillard said we are committed to working cooperatively with the incoming o farrell government to achieve the best results for the people of nsw the prime minister went on to address the reforms and goals of the australian labor party and outlined her views on the upcoming federal budget together we can take the tough decisions to deliver a budget surplus in 2012-2013 and keep the economy strong taking some pain now will ensure that households avoid a lot more pain in the future ms gillard said director of the gough whitlam institute eric sidoti said the annual gough whitlam oration aspires to be a major annual occasion when a political leader or public intellectual of national or international standing is afforded an opportunity to deliver an extended address we could think of no better person to inaugurate the gough whitlam oration than our nation s prime minister and her chosen topic walking the reform road suggests she will be setting a high bar for the future he said mr sidoti said ms gillard s visit was an important opportunity for the people of western sydney and students to meet their country s prime minister all day breakfast bre 7 days a week c chilli prawns [new ca cajan chicken [new salt pe pepper squid [new try our great battered fish chips fully licenced · light meals · takeaway meals 997wwd7251 located in penrith whitewater stadium mccarthy s lane cranebrook p 4730 4746 www.penrithwhitewater.com.au ample parking opening hours mon-fri 9-4pm sat-sun 8.30-5pm cafe whitewater 997wwd8478 · pet clothing accessories · range of bathing grooming clipping services for all breeds dog grooming salon pet boutique · friendly caring professional staff · enquiries welcome we think your pet is as special as you do unit 39 38-40 abel street penrith 997wwd6367 4722 9492

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the western weekender friday april 8 2011 13 997wwd7286

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14 news local friday april 8 2011 the western weekender sw premier barry o farrell has released his 100 day action plan to prioritise and meet key commitments promised during the election campaign with the last of his cabinet sworn in on sunday mr o farrell said work began immediately my instruction to the cabinet was clear work starts now so let s get on with the job he said the action plan was released to reassure the people of nsw that an o farrell government means change we are going to give nsw families a reason to be proud of nsw again by building the infrastructure and restoring confidence in the state again he said under the broad themes of rebuilding the economy returning quality services renovating infrastructure restoring government accountability and protecting the environment mr o farrell has outlined several major projects to be undertaken during the fi rst 100 days of his term they include nsw premier barry o farrell has released his 100 day action plan [photo melinda jenkins n announced by former planning minister tony kelly last year will be repealed to take effect in the new fi nancial year the tax was imposed on new properties valued at more than $500,000 and adds $500 to $1,000 to housing prices sydney has earned the unwanted reputation as australia s least affordable city we want to encourage property construction and home ownership mr o farrell said the government has also promised to instruct landcom in the release of 10,000 housing blocks within 10 years to put downward pressure on prices also part of the housing strategy mr o farrell said an empty nester transfer duty concession for people over the age of 55 will be implemented for the next fi nancial year return quality services education and health are major portfolios that will be targeted funded by the state budget and by the national partnership for numeracy and literacy the $250 million literacy and numeracy action plan will be rolled out preschools will be considered as part of education and not community services and 900 additional teachers will be hired to expand the reading recovery program in health the government plans to establish a mental health task force and pass legislation for the establishment of local district health boards community safety also gets a mention with plans to toughen laws relating to graffiti vandals and the reintroduction of the offence of being `drunk and disorderly renovate infrastructure the northwest rail link and m5 expansion are major projects to be commenced within the fi rst 100 days of term prior to the election nationals leader andrew stoner promised an immediate review of speed limits on roads the action plan specifies that an audit of speed zones will commence immediately the government will also look to help local councils with their infrastructure backlogs a council-by-council audit will be conducted local environmental protection a planning review panel will be established to draft new planning legislation that incorporates community consultation rebuild the economy the homebuyer s tax 997wwd6386

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the western weekender friday april 8 2011 news local 15 david bradbury inspects new hairdressing facilities with school leaders from mccarthy catholic college ember for lindsay david bradbury visited local schools on friday to inspect new classrooms and a vocational trade training centre funded by the federal government our lady of the way primary school in emu plains received $2.65 million in funding to build new classrooms and upgrade existing buildings and school grounds not only are there m now two new grade spaces which is equivalent to four classrooms and the refurbishment of another two grade rooms but students will also benefit from a new covered outdoor learning area power upgrade to help run the school s it equipment and a refurbishment of the school s buildings and grounds mr bradbury said he also visited the newly fi nished vocational trade training centre at mccarthy catholic college about $6 million was put toward new facilities that will be used by four different local schools in the area the centre will provide industry training for students who are interested in construction engineering hospitality ele c t r ot e c h nolo g y bricklaying carpentry and hairdressing these new facilities will allow students to get a head start in their employment training while completing their higher school certificate mr bradbury said new and expensive technology means handbags have become even more valuable i t s the old running joke ­ you can fi nd everything in a woman s handbag except the kitchen sink and with new and expensive technology now part of our every day lives the value of just what s inside a woman s handbag could be a surprise to many new research shows that one in five women in nsw carry more than $1,000 worth of valuables in their handbag it s no longer just lipstick a mirror and that bill you want to pay at lunch time ­ handbags are now full of mp3 players cameras mobile phones and sunglasses a woman carrying a wallet mobile phone mp3 player and sunglasses in her bag may be carrying more than $2,000 worth of products with them mariana cidade from nrma insurance said the forgotten factor about this trend is insurance cover for such valuables our survey showed that around 70 per cent of women did not have insurance cover for outside their homes did not know what their home content policies covered and some had no cover at all ms cidade said many women carry so many valuables in their bag that the analogy of carrying our lives in a handbag is a real one 997wwd6386

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