City of Canterbury Bankstown

At just 15 years old, Michaela Loukas co-developed a robotic melanoma screening prototype aimed at improving early detection in rural areas and has since started building an AI model focused on earlier and more accurate detection of breast cancer. 🔬 For her groundbreaking contributions to STEM and to our city, Michaela was awarded the 2025 CBCity Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year. Since then, Michaela has been named an awardee for the Young Scientist of the Year Program (NSW Science Teachers Association), invited to join an International Women’s Day panel honouring Greek-Australian women (Greek Herald), and received a conditional offer to study a double honours degree in Engineering (Bioinformatics) and Science at the University of NSW. “Winning the Young Citizen of the Year was an incredible honour — it felt like a whirlwind! I had the chance to speak with government ministers and community leaders who were genuinely interested in hearing about my work and my projects,” said Michaela, who has only recently completed her HSC at Marist Catholic College Penshurst. “As a young woman from a CALD background, my hope is that the visibility of winning encourages other girls to see themselves in STEM too - representation matters in a male-dominated field.” Michaela said these awards are a powerful way to show someone that their efforts matter, especially young people. Do you know a young person aged 12–25 who is talented and determined beyond their years? Nominations for the 2026 Australia Day Awards are now open and close Monday 8 December! 👉 cb.city/AusDayAwards

🏆Strength on the rope, strength in our community 🧡  Yesterday, our annual Say NO to Domestic Violence Tug O’ War Cup brought Canterbury-Bankstown together to stand against domestic and family violence and to say yes to healthy relationships. 🙌  It was a day of true grit, sweat and passion involving schools, frontline and emergency services, businesses and community teams. The day kicked off with hundreds of participants and spectators pledging together to “Say NO to domestic violence and YES to healthy relationships”. We thank all our participants and congratulate our 2025 Tug O’ War Cup champions: 🏆 Men’s Division Champions – NSW Ambulance - Bankstown; runners up Bankstown Police Area Command.  🏆 Mixed Division Champions – Mission Australia; runners up Revesby Workers' Club. 🏆 Schools Division Champions – Condell Park High School; runners up Punchbowl Boys High School  🏆 Three Say NO to DV Shields were awarded for great determination and sportsmanship to NSW Ambulance, Scope and Safran Group. Beyond the rope, we heard inspiring talks and performances from Outloud's RESPECT and UNITY crews all about building respectful relationships, important information on domestic violence prevention and where to find support. 👏 A huge thank you to everyone who formed a team – including our own Mayor Bilal El-Hayek - or cheered on in the crowd. We extend our gratitude to the Hon. Jodie Harrison MP, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and Kylie Wilkinson MP, Member for East Hills. And a huge shout out to the CBCity Community and Cultural Services for their efforts in putting on this incredible event What a powerful way to mark the beginning of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November to 10 December). To find important information on and support for DFSV, visit 👉 cb.city/DVSupport

🌟 Do you know someone who has made an incredible impact on our City? Local heroes like Sheila Ngoc Pham, PhD, CBCity’s 2025 Citizen of the Year. Sheila, a public health researcher, recently earned her PhD and began work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow focused on cervical cancer screening for refugee women and end-of-life care for refugee populations in South Western Sydney. As a selfless volunteer and advocate – including in her own Vietnamese community – she also recently took over the management of Bankstown Community Garden and was re-appointed as a member of the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee. “It was so validating to be recognised for all of the work I do, both volunteer and paid. I've lived in Canterbury-Bankstown most of my life, and I'm passionate about making our City more progressive, vibrant and liveable,” Sheila said. “There are so many good people out there who go above and beyond to make our city a better place, and an Australia Day Award is an important recognition of their efforts.” Make your 2026 Australia Day Award nomination today! Nominations close Monday 8 December cb.city/AusDayAwards

Share your traditional flavours of Ramadan with us at Lakemba Nights during Ramadan 2026! 🍴🧆🍲 We’re looking for a unique and diverse range of food stallholders to carry on the tradition of this award-winning event. If you’re interested in running a food stall you MUST attend a compulsory stallholder briefing this month and registrations are essential. For more information and to register, visit https://lnkd.in/g_PY9XRK Be quick – spaces are limited!

🌟 Nominations are now open for our 2026 Australia Day Awards! 🌟 It’s time to say thank you to the unsung heroes making a positive difference to our City. It could be a neighbour who volunteers, a youth leader making waves or a group preserving our heritage. There are 5 categories to choose from! 📅 Nominations close Monday 8 December at 11:59pm 👉 cb.city/AusDayAwards

📣 🏆 Great news! CBCity has won ‘Excellence in Infrastructure’ for The Appian Way and North Terrace Culvert Upgrade Project at the 2025 Stormwater NSW Awards! Congratulations to our incredible Asset Systems and Planning, Asset Design and Asset Construction teams for their expertise and tireless efforts to bring this major project to life. This project was designed to upgrade the stormwater network located at The Appian Way and North Terrace Bankstown to significantly reduce flood risks and to accommodate strong development of the precinct. This was done by increasing drainage capacity under the road surfaces using pipes and culverts. Well done to the many teams and individuals involved in futureproofing the Bankstown CBD, from planning and design to construction 👏 To learn more about this project, visit: https://lnkd.in/gutbQZCM Stormwater NSW

Expressions of Interest: Let’s bring planning to life through an Interactive Visual DCP Platform! We’re taking the next big step in demystifying planning for our community and are looking for creative minds to help us make it happen. City of Canterbury Bankstown is inviting expressions of interest from experienced consultants to design and develop a 3D Online Interactive Platform that transforms how Development Control Plans (DCPs) are viewed, understood and experienced. The platform will: • Visualise development typologies across the City through clear, stylised 3D models. • Allow users to click on a typology to explore relevant DCP controls and access simplified guidance. • Gamify the experience with animated, interactive features that bring planning to life. • Work alongside Council’s existing 3D city model to create a seamless, complementary digital ecosystem. Your expertise can help turn complex planning controls into something engaging and inspiring. 📌 Who should apply: Professionals with strong experience in designing and developing 3D interactive websites or platforms. 📩 Ready to make an impact? Submit your Expression of Interest today via https://ow.ly/v1UR50XaQ11 Together, let’s reimagine how communities see and shape their city. Image courtesy of Telia. Disclaimer: This image below is an example only. Council does not expect or require respondents to replicate them directly but to draw on for context when demonstrating capabilities and approaches.

Congratulations to Our Aspiring Leaders 2024–2025 Graduates! 🎉 What an incredible journey it’s been watching this passionate group grow, challenge themselves and step into their leadership potential. Your commitment to learning, reflection and collaboration has been truly inspiring — and now, it’s time to celebrate your graduation! A heartfelt thank you to all the leaders across City of Canterbury Bankstown who generously shared their time, wisdom and support throughout the program. We’re also deeply grateful to our program partners: Lux Education for your engaging facilitation and leadership development expertise. Hello Coach for the personalised coaching that helped unlock new perspectives and growth. And a special shout-out to our guest speaker Letitia Leckey, whose insights and energy added so much value to the experience. Here’s to the future leaders of CBCity — we can’t wait to see where you go next!

Ready to cheer on our mighty Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs this finals series and Blue & White Week? Show your support by decking out your your business, school or home in Bulldogs colours from 10 -17 September. Visit https://lnkd.in/gS7mTYmu to find out how you can submit your displays and go in the draw to win a special prize or recognition from the Club! Winners will be announced by the Club on 18 September.