New report highlights impacts of COVID-19 on Penrith community

Tuesday, 26 October 2021

Penrith City Council has partnered with Western Sydney Community Forum to launch the Penrith Social and Economic Impacts of COVID-19 report.

This progressive report details how Penrith has been affected by the pandemic; it is the outcome of extensive research undertaken by Council in consultation with residents, business owners and community sector workers.

The report captures real-time feedback gathered from survey results and explores various challenges, learnings and opportunities.

Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown OAM thanks the community for providing valuable feedback which complements the work Council has been proactively undertaking during the pandemic and shapes further support for the City.

“Having our finger on the pulse of the happenings in the Penrith LGA as the COVID-19 situation evolved in recent months was paramount, particularly as our City was divided and the community experienced many lasting hardships,” Cr McKeown said.

“Council has listened and delivered a raft of initiatives to support residents, businesses and community sector workers, including fee and commercial rent relief, our Good Neighbour program, and the creation of the

Hamper Hub. Council has distributed $139,000 to local community organisations to assist them in responding to pressing social issues from support for women experiencing violence through to families who have unexpectantly lost income and have struggled to put food on the table.

“I would like to thank everyone who took the time to provide honest feedback as this has allowed us to stay connected and engaged with our City.

“This information will help us deal with emerging challenges accordingly and we will continue to conduct further surveys and research to collate a more in-depth report reflecting changes over time.”

Council and Western Sydney Community Forum hosted a live and free Zoom webinar on Thursday 21 October to officially launch the report, giving participants the chance to take part in the interactive event.

Attendees heard a message from Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown OAM and were given an overview of the report results, enjoyed a panel discussion, and engaged in a question-and-answer session. The diverse panel, made up of experts from various local services, has seen firsthand the impacts of the pandemic.

The recorded webinar, published on the Western Sydney Community Forum’s YouTube channel, can be viewed here.

To read the Social and Economic Impacts of COVID-19 report, visit penrith.city/covid19.

Photo caption: Panel members on the webinar which officially launched the Penrith Social and Economic Impacts of COVID-19 report.

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Tuesday, 26 October 2021.