7 August 2018
Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival
PRE-BOOK NOW TO WIN RETURN AIRFARES TO OSAKA, JAPAN

The first signs of spring have come to the Auburn Botanic Gardens, with several Cherry Blossom buds starting to open. The trees are right on schedule for  Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from 17-26 August and has grown into NSW's largest flower festival and the nation's premier celebration of all things Japanese.

This year promises to be the biggest ever, with an exclusive night-time viewing event of the blossoms (called yozakura in Japanese ), two massive weekends of Japanese cuisine, sumo competitions and performances (called H anami ) and specialty days with unique programs for seniors, kids, gardeners and social media users. 

Cumberland residents can win one of six return airfares to Japan when they pre-book tickets online thanks to major sponsor Scoot.  Tickets are free for Cumberland residents and $5 for visitors, with the exception of the VIP yozakura event which is $15.
The Cherry Blossoms in bloom at the Japanese Gardens in the Auburn Botanic Gardens.
Internal Ombudsman ushers in new era of accountability  

Council is reminding the community of their access to the Internal Ombudsman Shared Service (IOSS), which acts  as an impartial watchdog over council activities. The service is shared by Cumberland Council, Inner West Council and the City of Parramatta.
 
Read more

Left to Right: Rodney O'Donahue, Assistant Internal Ombudsman; Suellen Bullock, Internal Ombudsman; Sarah Labone, Complaint Assessment & Administration Officer.
World Traditional Games recognised

Council's World Traditional Games, hosted on 5 June 2018 in partnership with Creating Chances, has been recognised at the Australian Sport, Recreation and Play Innovation Awards in Victoria. The event honoured the rich cultural heritage of Cumberland's residents, with students trying their hand at Baraf Paani (Pakistan), Kabaddi (India), Keentan (Indigenous Australian), Kilikiti (Samoan Cricket) and more.
 

Left to Right: Joe Tau, Head Facilitator and Mentor, Creating Chances; Emma Higgins, Sports Club Liaison Officer, Cumberland Council; Rebecca Reynolds, Recreation Officer, Cumberland Council; Brad McCarroll, General Manager Creating Chances; Mayor Greg Cummings, Cumberland Council; Assmaah Helal, Operations Manager, Creating Chances; Susana Perez, Recreation Officer, Cumberland Council .
National Science Week: rediscover the magic of science 

Cumberland Libraries will mark National Science Week, 11 - 19 August, with a series of special talks by eminent Australian scientists. Is the future of medicine pond scum (algae)? Can you pick up your luggage with a beam of light? Is there a place for alternative medicine today? Visit the frontiers of science with today's scientific pioneers. 


Learn about the many uses of lasers with Prof. David McGloin, Professor of Optical Physics at UTS.

Cumberland Culture and Activation Strategy
 
Tell us where you experience culture across Cumberland through a number of different avenues such as the arts, architecture, history, language, food, digital, music, education, leisure, religion, neighbourhoods, work and daily life. Your information and insights will help inform Council's new culture and activation strategy.

There are three ways to get involved: drop a pin on the map of Cumberland to show us where you create and experience culture; share your story about the special people, places and events that you feel contribute to our cultural identity; or register for one of our workshops to share your ideas.

Artist Carl Sciberras performs his original work ĠBEJNIET as part of the 2018 LOCALE Festival .

Council meetings

An ordinary meeting of Council was held on Wednesday 1 August 2018. To view the minutes of the meeting or to watch the full video, please  click here. The next meeting will be held on:

Wednesday 15 August 2018,  6.30pm
Merrylands Service Centre, 16 Memorial Avenue, Merrylands
Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival

The annual Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival returns from Friday 17 August - Sunday 26 August 2018 at the Auburn Botanic Gardens. Tickets are now on sale for visitors or can be pre-booked online for free for residents.

Friday 17 August - Sunday 26 August 2018  
Auburn Botanic Gardens,    Chisholm Rd and Chiswick Rd, Auburn

Multicultural story time at The Sometime Centre 

Join Cumberland Council's Children's Services and Poppy the Possum for a free, fun morning of craft, stories and songs. Stories will be told in a number of languages including Dari, Vietnamese, Hindi, Tagalog, Croatian and Mandarin. 

Tuesday 21 August 2018, 10.30am 
The Sometime Centre, 54 Neil Street, Merrylands

For more info or to register phone Pascal Harb on 9682 4918.
Free household chemical cleanout

Safely eliminate unwanted chemicals in the household. Cumberland Council, in partnership with the NSW Environment Protection Authority, is hosting a free Household Chemical CleanOut.  

Saturday 25 August 2018, 9am - 3.30pm 
Cumberland Council Works Depot Foray Street, Guildford West

Free digital marketing master workshop

Do you currently use or plan to use social media to market your business? Learn the secrets that the digital marketing industry use to gain results for their clients on each social media platform.  

Wednesday 29 August 2018, 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Grevillea Room, Wentworthville Community Centre, 2 Lane St, Wentworthville

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