Parra Pulse April - Parramatta City Council

6
Ana-Maria Cindric accepts her award from Lord
Mayor, Cr John Chedid. Absent: Bettina Forde.
Top history students
receive John
McClymont Award
Ana-Maria Cindric and Bettina
Forde, recent graduates of
Catherine McAuley Westmead
High School, were awarded the
exclusive John McClymont Award
after achieving the highest marks
in HSC history in the Parramatta
local government area.
The award is dedicated to the
memory of local historian and
former president of the Parramatta
Historical Society, John McClymont.
“John McClymont was devoted
to researching Parramatta’s early
history, and it is Parramatta City
Council’s pleasure to name and
present this award in recognition of
John McClymont’s legacy,” he said.
As part of the award, Cr Chedid
presented Pictorial History
Parramatta and District, a book
written by the late John McClymont,
as well as a $100 voucher.
Council’s Loop bus goes green
The City’s free shuttle bus service,
The Loop, will now run seven days a
week and be coloured bright green,
after the former State Government
announced that it would fund the
service from mid March.
Ahead of the recent NSW State elections,
both sides of government pledged to fund
the service which carries, on average,
more than 4,000 commuters each day.
Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr John
Chedid, said after continual lobbying by
Council, the announcements made by the
State Government and Opposition were a
win-win for the ratepayers of Parramatta.
“Council has been funding the cost of
this popular commuter service since it
was introduced in August 2008, so it’s
pleasing that the State Government has
finally come on board and recognised
the value of this important transport
connection in the CBD,” he added.
Annual homeless street count
The shuttle bus will continue with the
same route that is in place and stop at
existing locations, so there won’t be any
disruptions to the current service.
The free shuttle bus service will operate
approximately every 10 minutes between:
• 7am and 6:30pm on weekdays
• 8am and 4pm on Saturdays and
Sundays.
While most of us were tucked away in bed, more than 100 volunteers
took part in Parramatta City Council’s annual Homeless Street Count,
conducted throughout Parramatta on the night of Monday 7 February and
the early hours of Tuesday 8 February.
The count revealed more than 350
homeless residents, with 70 rough
sleepers and 284 sleeping in emergency
and crisis accommodation and revealed
a small decrease in the number of
rough sleepers counted on the night,
compared to last year, with increased
numbers reported in emergency and
crisis accommodation.
Data collected from the street counts
helps to better understand and address
homelessness in the area, and plays a
key role in informing the development
of Council’s homelessness policy and
The new shuttle bus service now operates
7 days a week.
improving the wellbeing of homeless
people in the Parramatta area.
The initiative was widely supported
by the Lord Mayor of Parramatta and
Councillors, local business, including
Westpac and Parramatta Chamber of
Commerce, service providers, local
police and the Parramatta Region
Homelessness Interagency.
If you’re interested in more information
on the next street count, contact
Victoria Edghill on 9806 5892.