Mayor of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown Khal Asfour said he wants certainty from Premier Gladys Berejiklian “we’re not going to continue this tale of two cities” and communities in the west and southwest will be granted the same freedoms as the rest of Sydney.”
Article by Zoe Zazek – Sky News
A mayor of one of Sydney’s 12 local government areas (LGAs) enduring stricter lockdown will ask Premier Gladys Berejiklian to end the curfew and to be granted the same freedoms as the rest of the state when restrictions ease for the fully vaccinated next month.
Khal Asfour, Mayor of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, confirmed the Premier agreed to virtually meet with the leaders of the LGAs of concern at 11.30am on Tuesday after “weeks” of trying to schedule a get-together.
“Some pleasing news this morning that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has agreed to meet myself and other Mayors to discuss the current COVID crisis,” he wrote to Facebook on Monday.
“As you all know I have been trying for weeks to meet with her to raise issues ranging from curfews, to more vaccines and financial support.”
Mr Asfour told Sky News Asutralia host Peter Stefanovic on Tuesday morning that he intends to tell Ms Berejiklian about what is happening on the ground in the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA.
The mayor said he wants to convey the “frustration” his community has been feeling over the last 10 weeks.
“We want to see an end to this curfew, that’s one of the main things I’ll be discussing, along with making sure that when we do come out of lockdown, that we’re treated the same as everyone else, that we’re given the same freedoms at the same time,” he said.
Stefanovic asked Mr Asfour how he expects to be treated the same as the rest of the city when most of the new cases continue to be recorded in the western suburbs.
Of the 1,257 locally acquired cases reported on Monday, 427 were from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD) and 314 were from Western Sydney LHD.
A mayor of one of Sydney’s 12 local government areas (LGAs) enduring stricter lockdown will ask Premier Gladys Berejiklian to end the curfew and to be granted the same freedoms as the rest of the state when restrictions ease for the fully vaccinated next month.
Khal Asfour, Mayor of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, confirmed the Premier agreed to virtually meet with the leaders of the LGAs of concern at 11.30am on Tuesday after “weeks” of trying to schedule a get-together.
“Some pleasing news this morning that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has agreed to meet myself and other Mayors to discuss the current COVID crisis,” he wrote to Facebook on Monday.
“As you all know I have been trying for weeks to meet with her to raise issues ranging from curfews, to more vaccines and financial support.”
Mr Asfour told Sky News Asutralia host Peter Stefanovic on Tuesday morning that he intends to tell Ms Berejiklian about what is happening on the ground in the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA.
The mayor said he wants to convey the “frustration” his community has been feeling over the last 10 weeks.
“We want to see an end to this curfew, that’s one of the main things I’ll be discussing, along with making sure that when we do come out of lockdown, that we’re treated the same as everyone else, that we’re given the same freedoms at the same time,” he said.
Stefanovic asked Mr Asfour how he expects to be treated the same as the rest of the city when most of the new cases continue to be recorded in the western suburbs.
Of the 1,257 locally acquired cases reported on Monday, 427 were from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD) and 314 were from Western Sydney LHD
“The cases have been coming from my community, I don’t hide away from that but that’s because we have a lot of essential workers here,” Mr Asfour said.
“We’re out there servicing Greater Sydney in different industries and bringing the virus home unfortunately and passing it on.”
Mr Asfour said vaccination rates should be focused on going forward, as per the Premier’s latest sentiments.
“We’ve hit 81 per cent first jab, we’re nearly at 43, 44 per cent second jab,” he said.
“We’re hitting those milestones a lot faster than other parts of Sydney and that’s why we want to be treated the same.”
The mayor said there is fatigue among residents in his community and others have anxiety “not knowing what the future will hold”.
“Some certainty from the Premier would be great to say that we’re not going to continue this tale of two cities, we’re not going to continue this division, that’ll give us a light of hope that we can work towards,” he said.
“The reality is we need to be treated the same as everyone else.”
Stricker stay-at-home measures apply to those living in the LGAs of Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield and some suburbs of Penrith.
Greater Sydney’s lockdown – which began on June 26 – remains in place until the end of September and until 70 per cent double-dose vaccination coverage is achieved, as part of NSW’s roadmap to freedom.
Restrictions will be eased in the state for the fully vaccinated on the Monday after the state hits the vaccination target.
Article by Zoe Zazek – Sky News
