Jay from Masterchef set to cook up a storm in Penrith!

In exciting news we’ve managed to sign up Jay Huxley, who was one of this years outstanding Masterchef contestants, to help out with some cooking demonstrations and workshops in Penrith.

Jay grew up in Cranebrook, and is passionate about sharing his love of cooking with us. “I am excited about the prospect of working on this project. The area and cause are both things that are close to my heart”.



Council has received funding from the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), to develop a program of activities including cooking demonstrations and workshops as part of the Love Food Hate Waste program. Participants will learn about things like planning meals, cooking leftovers, as well as a bunch of Jay’s other cooking tips. We’re still finalising everything, but we’re really excited about what’s coming up later in the year.

To find out more about Love Food Hate Waste visit the official website. We’ll post more information here about what we’re doing in Penrith as it comes to hand, however in the mean time why not check out Jay’s website and check out his handy work! www.jayhuxley.com

Naidoc Week celebrations – a great celebration for the whole community!

Once again the Penrith NAIDOC celebrations were a great success! After a week of wild and windy weather, the day was perfect with heaps of sunshine and barely a whisper of wind. There were things for the whole family, though the kids were particularly well looked after – the giant slide was definitely a crowd favourite. Even Echo, Council’s sustainability mascot dropped in and joined in the fun. If you missed this great community event, make sure you make an effort to come down next year.

Recycling on an industrial scale

Old industrial buildings and structures have a unique beauty and style all of their own. One only has to look at something like the Queen Victoria Building to be reminded of the old saying ‘they sure don’t make ‘em like they used to’. And in many respects, that’s great! New buildings are becoming more and more sustainable in how they are built, and more efficient in how they are run – and that’s great for the environment and for us.

At the same time there are a bunch of old industrial sites which are sitting unloved and unmaintained. Of course the million dollar question is what’s the best thing to do with them? Sure you could pull it down, but why not make use of that beautiful industrial style and local history? And how good would it be if you could make it into something that the community can use and cherish?

Well we’ve found a few examples (a couple of Sydney ones and one from New York) which do exactly that. It’s a great reminder that we should never be afraid to think outside of the box, because that’s where some of the most exciting sustainability ideas lie.

Paddington Reservoir, Paddington NSW
Images from City of Sydney


Paddington Reservoir was built between 1866 and 1878 as a key water storage facility for Sydney. After being decommissioned in 1899, the site served as a workshop and service station. However in 1991 part of the roof collapsed and the area was closed off for a number of years for safety reasons. It has since been revitalised into a stunning community park, which celebrates it’s beauty and also its history. For more information click here.

Ballast Point Park, Birchgrove NSW
Image from Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority


Ballast Point Park was used between 1788 and 1800 as a source of ballast for ships returning to Europe. It was owned by a variety of people, and then served as a fuel depot from the 1920s to the 1990s. Again it was derelict for a number of years, before being revitalised into a fantastic community park. For more information click here.

High Line Park, New York
Images from www.treehugger.com


The High Line is an elevated railway that was built in the 1930s in Manhattan, as the previous railway line on the street was causing too many accidents. It was used until 1980, and likewise it fell into a state of disrepair. Following a number of years of community and legal debate about what to do with it, it was rebuilt as thread of elevated parkway creating much needed parkland for the city of New York. For more info check out the High Line website.

Of course other well known examples include The Brickpit at Sydney Olympic Park and the nearby Newington Armoury. All of these examples serve to highlight the potential for creating great resources when you use the principles of sustainability and think outside of the box!

Sustaining the Meadow sows the seeds of success!

We love hearing about some of the great sustainability initiatives which are being undertaken in the local community. The ‘Sustaining the Meadow’ project is a great example!

Held in Claremont Meadows, the project involved a series of sustainability workshops for local residents over the last couple of months. Topics included creating your own seed raising mix, sowing seeds, vegetable gardening in a box, organic pest control and creating a worm farm. The workshops weren’t just theory either, participants at each workshop got to get in and get their hands dirty! The workshop series was coordinated by the St Marys Area Community Development Project, with funding from Penrith City Council’s Magnetic Places Program.

By all reports everyone had a great time at the workshops and walked away brimming with new information and enthusiasm – we can’t wait to see what they get up to with their new skills!

If you’d like more information about the Sustaining the Meadow project, or other exciting programs happening in the Claremont Meadows area, call Greg Harriden on 9673 2169. Greg is a Community Development Worker with the St Marys Area Community Development Project and he would love to hear from you.

Getting a handle on the carbon tax

The Federal Government have just announced their plans for a carbon tax for Australia, and quite rightly it’s got people across the country talking about it. Basically the big questions are what is it, how is it going to work, and how is it going to affect my household/work/business?

We’ve done a little research to try and make it easier for you to understand what it means for you and the country as a whole.

The Federal Government have established www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au to help people learn more. One of the great features is this household calculator , where you can quickly and easily estimate what the impact of the proposed changes will be. I just did it for my own household, and it was nice and easy to use.

So how does a carbon tax like this go towards addressing the issue of climate change? Here’s a simple graphic which explains the principle behind it.

Another good link we’ve found is this 6 page pdf. The document outlines the key actions and activities which will be undertaken as part of the proposed scheme, such as things like investing in renewable energy.

Come celebrate NAIDOC week at Jamison Park

NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and is an opportunity to recognise the contributions of Indigenous Australians in various fields.

NAIDOC stands for the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced back to the 1920s, when Aboriginal groups sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians. To learn more, check out the NAIDOC website.

To celebrate this important event, why not come down to Jamison Park on Friday 8 July? The event runs from 10.30am to 3.30pm and will include singers, games, barbeque, mixed netball and touch football competitions, and activities for children!