LIFE & STYLE
Reference group to help make the Hills more inclusive
A passionate group of seven Hills Shire residents with professional or lived experience of disability have been chosen to form Council ’ s first-ever external Disability Inclusion Action Plan Reference Group .
Council adopted the Disability Inclusion Action Plan in 2022 which included an action to form a reference group to support the implementation of the plan .
Mayor of The Hills Shire Dr Peter Gangemi said he was delighted to see such a dedicated group of Hills residents come together to advocate for a more inclusive Shire .
“ I am so proud to see the formation of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan Reference Group , and I am excited to see what this group will achieve for the community ”.
“ The Disability Inclusion Action Plan Reference Group will provide recommendations to ensure Council ’ s services , infrastructure and community facilities are accessible to people with disability ,” Mayor Gangemi said .
“ Council has already taken steps to make our community more inclusive , including the introduction of Sensitive Storytime and Sensitive Library at Council ’ s libraries and separate sensory sessions for neurodivergent children at the Mayor ’ s Christmas Party .
“ We ’ ve also sponsored the Disability Inclusion Award category at the Sydney Hills Local Business Awards and we are
Mayor Dr Peter Gangemi , Belinda Colombrita , Peta Kennedy , Julie Charlton , Eve Foxman , and Ellen Witzlsperger .
in the process of extending Livvi ’ s Place Playground at Bernie Mullane Reserve .
“ We ’ ve made great progress but there ’ s so much more to do , which is why this group will have such a vital role to play in shaping Council ’ s DIAP actions .”
Members of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan Reference Group include Belinda Colombrita , Ellen Witzlsperger , Sarika Shasidharan , Julie Charlton , Laura Mallison , Eve Foxman and Peta Kennedy . Members applied to be part of the group through an Expression of Interest process and were assessed using the four pillars of Council ’ s Disability Inclusion Action Plan ( DIAP ) 2022 - 2026 .
For more information , visit www . thehills . nsw . gov . au and search for ‘ Disability ’.
Looking for a fun career that ’ s close to home ?
Looking for a new , rewarding career ? Working locally at Aussie Pumps can provide the ideal mix of stimulation and convenience .
Warwick Lorenz is general manager at Aussie .
“ Our recent move to new premises has enabled us to increase production capacity and productivity . We ’ re actively recruiting professional sales people , product managers and sales admin staff to support this growth ,” he commented .
“ We ’ d love to hear from enthusiastic locals who want a rewarding career in a vital industry and have fun at the same time !”
Full on the job training will be provided and excellent renumeration packages are on offer for those who have a talent and passion for good customer service .
“ We ’ re proud to be an Australian manufacturer and proud of the quality products we develop , build and sell ,” said Lorenz .
Aussie Pumps ’ new headquarters is in the Hills Norwest area , near Hillsong has onsite parking , excellent staff facilities and many retail businesses nearby . With good transport links cutting commute times , working locally certainly offers many benefits .
For further information on all the employment opportunities available check the careers section of the Aussie Pumps website aussiepumps . com . au / careers / or contact Linda- Sue Karkowski on 8865 3500 .
16 ISSUE 109 // JULY 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT