Child-friendly City focus

The City of Canterbury Bankstown has set its sights on being a Child Friendly City.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the first step in obtaining this UNICEF status, under the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child, is to conduct a city-wide survey.

Mayor Khal Asfour encouraged children, youth, families, and community groups and services to tell Council what it is like living as a child or young person in the City.

“Every child has the right to grow up in an environment where they feel safe and secure; have access to basic services; can play, learn and grow; and where their voice is heard and matters,” he said.

“One of my main priorities as Mayor is to ensure we continue to strive to make Canterbury-Bankstown a child-safe and child-friendly city.

“This means making sure our children’s overall wellbeing, encompassing health, safety, learning and development, leisure and participation, is being adequately catered for.”

In coming months, Council officers will be encouraging parents, children, and related children’s service providers, to participate in the survey. The results will help Council with what it can do better.

Hurlstone Park father of three, Shaun Herat, said he loved living in Canterbury-Bankstown, but there were some improvements that could be made to make it more child-friendly.

“Our community is extremely family-orientated and invested in our kids’ wellbeing, so it’s important that we make sure they’re always looked after now and in the future,” Mr Herat said.

“I think we need to look at improving our amenities so they’re more accessible; find more green and open spaces; develop additional playgrounds; and plan for sustainable development and general infrastructure, like bridges, underpasses and footpaths.

“If we can continue on working on these aspects and have our children as the focus for everything we do, then we will thrive as a Child Friendly City.”

For more information, contact Council’s Children Services on 9707 5411.