Keep moving forward
with Michelle Rowland MP
In the film Rocky , there goes a saying : “ It ’ s not about how hard you can hit , it ’ s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward ” - it is about resilience . As the NSW lockdown restrictions proceed to lift , most recently reaching 80 per cent double-dose vaccinations , it is easy to get lost in the exciting whirlwind of freedom .
And , while I did spend the first hours of Freedom Day at the Blacktown Workers Club , beer in hand , I feel it would be remiss not to reflect on these last few months of lockdown and how resilient Western Sydney has been .
There ’ s something about being born and bred in Western Sydney that compels you to try harder than everyone else — yet we refuse to give up .
When we were denied a mass vaccination hub in Greenway , our community decided to turn places of worship like the Ahmaddiyah Mosque and the Gurudwara Sahib in Glenwood into pop-up vaccination clinics .
When we were labelled an “ LGA of
Ahmaddiyah Mosque in Glenwood .
Michelle Rowland at Blacktown Workers Club .
concern ”, our community supported each other through online Facebook community groups and through food drives led by the legends at the Harman Foundation or Turbans 4 Australia .
When we were subject to curfews and harsher regulations , small businesses like the Young Lions Cafe in Blacktown and Oregano & Oil continued to operate safely within these guidelines .
Time and again , we were hit , but Greenway kept moving forward , and with the highest rates of first-dose vaccinations in the country .
As I expressed in Parliament at our most recent sitting — thank you Greenway and Western Sydney , for your resilience , proactiveness and commitment to keeping each other safe during the toughest of times .
By supporting one another , we can keep moving forward .
18 ISSUE 08 // NOVEMBER 2021 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT