Now we are one

When Strathfield Council first mooted the launch of a new paper, some asked: “Why? Surely this is a digital age!”

Now, after 12 editions, and on the eve of our first birthday, no-one puts that question anymore.

Our exclusive front page stories, from the Town Centre redevelopment to bugs and cameras found in the private homes of councillors, have proved beyond doubt the Scenehas stuck to its proud proclamation: “Fiercely parochial.”

No-one now suggests our little paper with
a big heart doesn’t have a role.

This birthday edition demonstrates why Strathfield needs its own news source – and
why the power of the press is alive and well
and living in our municipality, despite the age
of the information superhighway.

We’ve brought to the attention of the
new State Government our campaign for a proper police station through the offices of local MP Charles Casuscelli. Our reporters have camped out to show that the so-called shopfront police post in the Plaza was infrequently manned, even though we’re ranked number one for some serious crimes, and have given a home to one of our city’s busiest rail transit points. We’ve championed the cause of Homebush shopkeepers demanding a simple sign on the Parramatta Road which would help their businesses and possibly create jobs.

But we hope we’ve done much more than simply break news. 

We published a Good Food Guidefor Strathfield restaurants which served up a festival of food at our Spring Fair and put us on the Sydney culinary map, courtesy of the Crave food festival.

Our website, www.ourstrathfield.com.au, now has blogs and comments from a broad spectrum of our community. We hope you’ll continue to make it the high-tech equivalent of a coffee house, where residents can tune in to what’s making their fellow Strathfieldians laugh, cry or rage.

Sydney is a city on the move. Rapid expansionis putting enormous pressure on local neighbourhoods, as new residents – many from other lands – move in by the thousand.

Strathfield is slated to grow by more than 8000, neighbouring Canada Bay by another 12,000. As our municipality’s population booms, it’s important we hold dear to the core of community: a sense of identity and a pride in where we live.

And Strathfield has lots to feel proud about. The council of seven represents 32,000 residents, many of them new arrivals from Korea, China, India and many other parts of the planet. Yet tomorrow’s May Fair, run by the Chamber of Commerce and the Strathfield Korean Business Association, is a symbol of cross-cultural co-operation.

So how did the Scenecome about? The birth of the newspaper sprung from the council’s desire to hold a dialogue with residents at a time of rapid change. Its local environmental plan, which will plot the path of development across our local government area for the next decade, and the Town Centre redevelopment will transform the municipality. How to communicate these complex issues and help residents discuss and decide?

According to its 2020 vision statement, the council was looking for a “quantum shift” in the way it communicated with the people. But it was finding getting the message out there a struggle.

Today’s media environment is rapidly consolidating into centralised news operations. Making your voice heard above the din is increasingly difficult. So, in a bold and courageous step, the council decided to encourage the launch of a new player, putting out to tender the creation of a rare event: the launch of a new newspaper.

Professional communicators didn’t find it so strange. Far from being redundant, community newspapers are increasingly recognised as a vital communication tool – even in the age of the tablet and internet. Indeed, they’re seen as the future of papers. A recent study in Canada showed 74 per cent of residents read their community newspapers, 96 per cent take action after seeing advertising, and 40 per cent keep the paper for longer than a week.

A similar study in Australia – Engaging Communities– showed 85 per cent of Australians believe their local community is important and
75 per cent wanting to be better informed.

Interestingly, 37 per cent of Australian community newspaper readers are “family starters”, and 22 per cent are young singles or couples aged 16-34.

So what’s next for the Scene? Our plan is more of the same. And in such a busy municipality, with so much news and so many views, the hard part is to pick what’s best. So, in our anniversary issue, we thank the advertisers for their support and the community groups who keep us informed.

But we want to hear much more from you, the people of Strathfield. Tell us what’s going on. Use www.ourstrathfield.com.au to let us know what’s worrying you, or who you think deserves praise.

And finally, let us know what you think we should be covering. Answer our questionnaire online and play your part in editing future editions of the Scene. It is, after all, your paper.