Blacktown City Council has voted to reduce the size of a planned Special Rate Variation (SRV), following approval from the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART). IPART approved Council’s application on 4 June 2026, allowing rates to increase over three years to help fund essential infrastructure, maintenance and services needed for the city’s rapidly growing […]

By Lorna Gordon There were plenty of smiles, cheers and happy memories shared when the Halinda Bowling League celebrated its 40th anniversary in May, marking four decades of friendship, inclusion and sporting achievement for people with disability. The league’s story began in 1984 when students from Halinda School started visiting the local bowling centre as […]

By Julie Ryan Blacktown City’s sporting community came together to celebrate its finest athletes, coaches, volunteers and clubs at the annual Blacktown City Sports Awards, with boxer Tyrell Adams taking home the night’s highest honour, Sportsperson of the Year. Adams, who trains with Boxfit Windsor, said he was “incredibly honoured and humbled” to receive the […]

By Greg Martin The words highly respected and much admired barely begin to describe how Blacktown residents feel about Dr Prabha Chandra. Revered is probably a better fit. When your favourite magazine learned that Dr Chandra was retiring after 53 years at his Stephen Street practice, we knew there was a story worth telling. So, […]

Young people in Mount Druitt who are at risk of entering the justice system will receive additional support through community-led programs aimed at improving outcomes and strengthening community safety. The NSW Government has announced almost $5 million in funding through its Community Safety Investment Fund, with more than 25 projects across the state set to […]

For five decades, NAIDOC Week has celebrated the voices of our communities — steady, unapologetic, and proud. Each year, its themes have called for truth, celebrated culture, honoured resistance, and reminded the nation of who we are. Fifty Years of Deadly marks a milestone. It’s a tribute to the people who built this movement. the […]

If Patrick Beach was applying for a job, he could do a lot worse than asking Jim Fraser for a reference. “He’s a really good kid. He takes advice, is eager to learn, very receptive to change and highly intuitive,” Fraser says. The now 22-year-old goalkeeper may well say he owes Fraser a lot, but […]

By Janakan Seemampillai GWS GIANTS Academy youngster Ethan Matthews has confirmed his credentials as a potential first round draft pick in this year’s AFL National Draft, with a scintillating performance for the Allies against a strong Vic Country outfit in the opening game of the U-18 Boys National Championships at Blacktown Sports Park yesterday. Despite […]

As Urban Real Estate continues expanding across north-west Sydney, the independently owned business says its long-term success has been built on strong internal culture, local knowledge and investing in people for the future. With offices located throughout some of Sydney’s fastest-growing communities, Urban Real Estate has continued strengthening its presence across the region by focusing […]

Blacktown City writers are being invited to go ‘all out’ as part of the 2026 Blacktown Mayoral Creative Writing Prize. The annual competition is open to adults, and to children (aged 8 to 17 years) who live in Blacktown City, with entrants invited to submit a fictional short story or poem inspired by the idea […]

A massive new multi-use park set to become a recreation hub for Sydney’s booming north-west is nearing completion, with residents eagerly awaiting its official opening later this year. Blacktown City Council is putting the finishing touches on the 20-hectare Ken Birdsey Park at Schofields, a major community project designed to cater for sport, fitness, family […]

Emma Hoskins has been a busy young woman — so busy, in fact, that by the time she turns 16 in September, she will already have made a remarkable contribution to her community and culture. That contribution has now been recognised with Emma being nominated for the 2026 NSW Women of the Year Awards in […]