FOOTPATH FROM GLENORIE VILLAGE TO LES SHORE RESERVE
The Hills Shire Council will build a footpath from Glenorie Village to the Les Shore Reserve. The Glenorie Progress Association (GPA ) welcomes this initiative.
The original plan of completing a footpath from the village to the Whites Rd intersection at Post Office Rd will continue to be worked on, but upon review of the works required with the GPA and Council, it was agreed that to achieve the optimum solution further funding would be required.
Both the GPA and Council agreed that the Les Shore Reserve footpath could be completed more rapidly while we work on the Post Office path would be continued in the background
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY AT GPA
Because the GPA has a large focus on the local land use, the GPA members discussed and unanimously agreed that GPA meetings should open with Acknowledgement of the Country to show respect to the original inhabitants of the Glenorie area, the Darug people. I found this on Wikipedia:
“Norman Tindale reckoned Darug lands as encompassing 2,300 square miles (6,000 km2), taking in the mouth of the Hawkesbury River, and running inland as far as Mount Victoria. It took in the areas around Campbelltown, Liverpool, Camden, Penrith and Windsor.
Traditionally, there was a cultural divide between the western Darug and the Eora, whom they call the coastal Darug, katungal or “sea people”. They built canoes, and their diet was primarily seafood, including fish and shellfish from Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay and their associated rivers. The inland Darug were paiendra or “tomahawk people”. They hunted kangaroos, emus and other land animals, and used stone axes more extensively”
Members agreed that the Acknowledgement of the Country was now widely accepted as the right way to pay our respects to and acknowledge the original inhabitants and that it had become so normalised that it was no longer a political statement.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY AT THE HILLS SHIRE COUNCIL
In June 2020, The Hills Shire Council made national news when it voted against opening meetings with Acknowledgement of Country
In an ABC article published at the time, “Darug elder Aunty Edna Watson said she was insulted by the Council’s continual denial of recognition to traditional owners.” “They won’t acknowledge us”. “In my lifetime, I doubt very much the Hills Council will acknowledge the Darug people.”
Well, Aunty Edna should be pleased with the very first Mayoral Minute from the newly elected Mayor, Dr Peter Gangemi:
Acknowledging our Indigenous Community
I am so proud that the first item of business for the new Council term was the following Mayoral Minute on Acknowledging our Indigenous Community.
The adoption of this Mayoral Minute will mean that this Council will be the first Hills Shire Council body to include an Acknowledgement of Country in the Code of Meeting Practice. Conducting an Acknowledgement of the Country at each Council Meeting shows respect to Indigenous people and I believe is a gesture that will help unite the community.
Conducting an Acknowledgement of the Country at the start of Council meetings is an important step in the process. However, I believe it is important to have additional measures outside of Council meetings including better displaying our indigenous history, looking at place naming opportunities, conducting an event during NAIDOC week and visiting Muru Mittigar’s Cultural Education Centre at Rouse Hill. It is my hope that the community recognises that this Council body wishes to reach out to, represent and unite the community to the best of their ability.
LOCAL INDIGENOUS TALENT
Whilst on indigenous matters, a former resident of Cattai Ridge Road, Glenorie, Yilgari Warwick Carberry Bell is amongst other things producing aboriginal art. Warwick and the Bell family would be known to many locally. Warwick grew up in Glenorie and is now helping indigenous youth in the education sector. Warwick is producing commissioned artworks and you can see his work by looking up “It all starts with one dot by Yilgari” on Facebook.
IS YOUR HOME AT RISK OF FIRE DUE TO SOLAR ON YOUR ROOF?
A GPA member reported that they had recently had a fire on their roof started by a failed isolator switch for their rooftop solar system. Fortunately, they were home at the time and were able to put the fire out before it engulfed the house. This could happen to anyone with solar, so we thought it timely to make people aware of the issue.
Over 25% of homes in Australia have had Solar PV Systems installed. Government rebates continue to stimulate the market leading to a wide range in quality of systems and installation. Australian standards for rooftop installed solar require a rooftop isolator (a switch) located next to the rooftop array.
The switch is subject to all weather events and is made from PVC plastic. The single largest issue for rooftop solar systems is that this isolation switch decays and eventually leaks allowing water into the switch. The danger is that once water gets into the isolator it can create an electrical arc which may result in a fire.
Most solar systems do not come with a comprehensive maintenance program. Most owners “Set and forget”, almost forgetting they have a solar system on their roof which does require maintenance.
A staggering number (over 700) of solar companies have come and gone from the Australian market, so there is no wonder that people don’t know who to turn to when they have an issue with their system or if they wish to have their system inspected or maintained.
A rooftop fire caused by a failed isolator is a scary experience for a homeowner. It is very hard to put out a rooftop fire. What should you do if you have a fire in an isolator (contained to the isolator)?
1. Call triple zero and get the fire brigade on their way
2. Cover the solar panels with a large tarp, blankets or some other cover that stops light. The cover will stop solar energy powering the electrical cable and if done early enough will stop the fire. Only attempt this if you can safely access the panels.
3. Turn off the AC supply or solar main switch. This will turn off the inverter and stop power from flowing through the system. It does not guarantee the fire will stop.
4. If you have a dry type fire extinguisher, apply it to the isolator. Do NOT put water on the fire. Electrical fires don’t react well to water. Again this will mean you need to safely access your roof first.
It would be best to avoid the situation altogether and have your isolator inspected. All equipment requires maintenance. If you don’t know your local installer or a local company (some advertise in this magazine), feel free to call Huon Hoogesteger: 0406 959 259. A few hundred dollars could save you thousands and a lot of heartache.
