Hosted by SydWest Multicultural Services and facilitated by Shazya Khan with guest speakers Blacktown State MP, Stephen Bali; SydWest CEO Elfa Moraitakis; and, youth speaker Sudeep Velagapudi; they discussed the three tiers of government and their lived experience in working towards successful outcomes.
After the informative talks the participants were engaged in an interactive session working through the maze of issues and identifying the more appropriate tier of government that would deal with the issue.
The discussion showed how a multi-tier governments need to collaborate with community and organisations to improve the outcome for society.
The participants had a deeper dive in the complex health system and how all tiers of government have their fair share of responsibilities working together with consumers and health industry.
Rotarian Keith Waller said: “Knowledge is key to find your way through the bureaucratic complexities, and we were shown how to participate in parliamentary inquiries and council’s have your say so we can be part of the solution.”
Local accountant, Satish Kumar said: “This workshop was great way to interact with community leaders and the public on seeing how the different levels of government operate, and we can have real input into the decision making.”
Elfa Moraitakis said the session had equipped CALD community members with practical knowledge to navigate government systems, pathways to have their voices heard, and the confidence to actively shaping the decisions that affect their lives.
Sudeep Velagapudi said: "It was absolutely amazing to hear all the different experiences shared by those in attendance around their own interactions with different levels of government. Workshops like this are exactly what is needed to combat misinformation in the digital age.
Stephen Bali MP said he was pleasantly surprised by the large turn out and the thirst for knowledge. “You can be a keyboard warrior in the social media world or make positive change and engage with people in the real world,” he said.
