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Building a Stronger Voice for Western Sydney

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Action Plan

Stronger Voice for Western Sydney Action Plan (PDF 460KB)

Building a Stronger Voice for Western Sydney is a joint project of Western Sydney Community Forum (WSCF), TRI Community Exchange(TRI) and WESTIR Limited (WESTIR).

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The next New South Wales state election will occur on 26 March 2011

Stronger Voice for Western Sydney is linked with the Vote 1 Fairness in NSW strategy of the New South Wales Council of Social Services (NCOSS) - it has great information on Election issues and proposed solutions.

In NSW there are still far too many people who do not enjoy the opportunities that most of us take for granted. An affordable and secure home, quality education, good health, a decent job with a fair income while working and in retirement, and a life free from discrimination and violence are sadly not enjoyed by far too many in our state.

NCOSS believes a fairer society is a better society for us all. It is, therefore, in everyone’s interests to care about what happens to the most vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalised in our communities. The NCOSS 2011 State Election Platform – Vote 1 Fairness in NSW – calls for a range of measures that will make a difference for those people and communities that are doing it tough. Real, practical ideas that deliver improved outcomes and build a fairer society.

NCOSS has consulted widely through our networks to develop these policies and programs that will address both the symptoms and causes of disadvantage. These measures will improve the wellbeing, resilience and life opportunities for those who are vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalised and in doing so improve the wellbeing of us all.

Vote 1 Fairness in NSW is a call for all current and aspiring politicians to agree to support measures that will contribute in a real and meaningful way to a fairer, more just and sustainable society. It is a call for us to make sure that when we vote in the State Election we are voting for fairness not just for ourselves but for us all.

SVWS also supports the Better Services for a Better State five key election messages

We need a State Government which will::

Invest in services: Guarantee that service funding and workforce size will increase as the population grows
Look after public assets: Ensure that no public asset will be privatised without an Act of Parliament
Plan long-term: Develop and implement a long-term plan to establish world-class services and infrastructure for our communities
Back our workers: Guarantee the rights of workers who provide services to the public
Govern for the common good: Commit to govern for the common good and be held accountable by Community Impact Statements and State Community Audits

Stronger Voice for Western Sydney Forum

The Stronger Voice for Western Sydney Forum was a resounding success with over 80 people attending.

The day began Jeremy Goff (WSROC) providing ‘inside’ information on the ‘Power of Lobbying’.

This was followed by Peter Rogers (WESTIR) giving participants an interesting and informative insight into the changing trends and demographics in Greater Western Sydney.

This was followed by a group activity where participants identified what were the ‘big issues’ for Western Sydney. A diverse range of ideas and views were put forward by the various groups who then used a ‘fresh Ideas’ brainstorm on what strategies could be embarked on to bring about change.

Fresh Idea Brainstorm

Baggage Bucket Themes

Download the theme here (MS Publisher Format 125KB)

The Main Issues and Goals Identified Were:

Issue		Goal
Invisibility of our Assets		Positive Image – Enhance Stronger Voice for WS
Rethinking Work and Transport		Sustainable and for local people in new industries
Community Image		Promote harmony within and outside community
Promoting the Diverse Identity of WS		Achieving a Positive Identity/Image of WS
Access & Equity for Carers’		Meeting Carers’ Needs
Education		Empowering WS community
Need to work together to work the system		Highly skilled/networked/knowledgeable workers in advocacy
Creating a community that values education and lifelong learning		Pathways to employment
Western Sydney Stereotype		Turn it around
Lack of Shared Identity (Stereotyping)		Shared Western Sydney identify

In the afternoon Kerry Nettle spoke on Strategies for Successful Advocating and participants found the practical approach very useful. The day ended with a panel giving us their successful advocacy stories. A participant’s feedback:

‘Great diversity of topics but feeding into the ultimate goal of advocacy. Seeding thoughts for action.’

WSCF is collating all the presentations and input from the forum and this will be made available through our web site. So watch this space for more updates!

Key Ideas from Kerry Nettle at the Forum

Influencing Politicians

Interacting with politicians is only a small part of an advocacy campaign. Successful and sustainable advocacy campaigns change public opinion which can’t be done just by talking to politicians. Strong campaigns engage a broad section of the community in a conversation about why things should change. Since politicians are interested in votes and public opinion reflects voting intention, influencing public opinion is an effective way of influencing politicians...

Download Full Version Here (PDF 104KB)