Celebrating: Colour, Culture and Community this Deepavali

During October I have been invited to participate in a month of Deepavali celebrations. Deriving from Sanskrit, Deepavali, or Diwali, is the Hindu festival of lights and has become the most important Indian festival celebrated worldwide by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists.

It was a festival atmosphere to share in the love and excitement as community members came together in Western Sydney to celebrate the start of Deepavali with the Hindu Council of Australia (HCA) on October 20. The HCA, a national organisation, brings together over a hundred organisations and Hindu communities across Australia each year to celebrate the festival. First started in Sydney in 1999, this year marks 26 years of celebrating light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and a renewed commitment to friendship, religious acceptance and spreading the word of peace and harmony.

I once again had the pleasure of experiencing an evening of colour, dance, and culture at the Australian Bhutanese Multicultural Event. The event was a magical explosion of life, history and love, full of cultural performances from the Bhutanese community, including audience participation, guest speakers, dancing, and a showcase of other artistic talents. Thank you to the Association of Bhutanese in Australia for hosting such a colourful and exciting event.

NBMLHD Honoured at the 2024 NSW Health Awards

Staff and volunteers across the NSW health system have been celebrated for their dedication, compassion, innovation, and outstanding achievements at the 2024 NSW Health Awards, held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney last week.

I am honoured to announce that Dr Nhi Nguyen and the Virtual Heal Interpreters Service have been recognised for their outstanding achievements within the Nepean and Blue Mountains Local Health District.

This year, Dr Nhi Nguyen was recognised for her commitment to health care and her community, being honoured as Staff Member of the Year in the 2024 NSW Health Awards. Dr Nguyen wears many hats. She is a staff specialist from the Department of Intensive Care Medicine and a member of the NBMLHD Board. She’s also the Clinical Lead for the Nepean Redevelopment, the Clinical Director of Intensive Care NSW, and the Health System Advisory Council Co-Chair. Her dedication and warm soul greatly touched the Penrith community when she was appointed ICU Clinical Advisor for the COVID-19 response.  

The Virtual Health Interpreters Service project at Nepean Women’s and Children’s Outpatients was recognised for their commitment to supporting better health outcomes for multicultural and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities as they took home the Excellence in Multicultural Healthcare Award. The project provided increased interpreter accessibility for CALD patients to participate confidently in their healthcare planning and make informed decisions.

Congratulations to the 42 finalists and 186 nominees across the 13 NSW Health Award categories. Every day, your service to our Health System significantly impacts the lives of millions of people across our state.

Keeping Our Election Commitment: NSW Rental Reforms

The NSW Government has once again made history by introducing the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2024. This marks a major victory for more than 2.2 million renters across NSW. After years of advocacy, community organising, and relentless effort by renters, housing advocates, and the Tenants’ Advice and Advocacy Services network in conjunction with the NSW Government, we begin to address the power imbalance in the rental market, strengthening renters’ security and stability.

This historic legislative package strikes the right balance between the interests of owners and renters, who will soon enjoy the following benefits:

·               No grounds evictions will be banned.

·               Rent increases will now be limited to only one per year.

·               It will be easier to have pets in rentals.

·               Fee-free ways to pay rent.

·               A ban on paying for background checks when applying for a property.

As part of the NSW Government’s quest to make renting fairer, we dedicate an extra $4 million to the Tenants Advice & Advocacy Services. Funded by NSW Fair Trading, the network of 21 local not-for-profit organisations will be boosted by $1 million extra a year until 2028. This funding will allow the service to continue to help tenants understand their rights, support them during negotiations and in resolving disputes, and assist and advocate for them at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.