Latest news with #Kellyville
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Parramatta Eels unveil $70m centre of excellence in Kellyville
Parramatta has officially launched its centre of excellence in Kellyville with the Eels opening the doors on the largest facility of its kind in rugby league on Thursday morning. The $70 million site is spread across 11 hectares and includes five full-size rugby league fields, a community centre, an indoor training centre, a gym and infrared sauna, rehabilitation pools, the club's offices and NRLW-standard match facilities with a capacity of 5,000. The venue is the first fully integrated NRL and NRLW training facility in Australia and a far cry from the Old Saleyards the club used as a training base when CEO Jim Sarantinos first joined the club back in 2016. "The gym was spread across three small little demountable modulars, the ice baths were out on the balcony, the first space I walked into was a team meeting room … but the chairs that were in there were plastic chairs from Bunnings, and it was so tight that players were kind of falling off and stumbling off the chairs," Sarantinos said. "Credit to them, the coaches and the players never used it as an excuse for performance but at some point it does have an impact. Funded by the NSW and federal government, the Hills Shire Council and Parramatta Leagues club, the Eels searched far and wide across professional sport, touring Premier League and NFL facilities to hone the design of the facility. There was also a special focus on integrating the club's history. The theatre room is named Jack's Bus, after the bus coach Jack Gibson used as a meeting place during the club's premiership years in the 80s. Former Eels from those premiership sides like Brett Kenny, Peter Sterling, Peter Wynn, Mick Cronin, Eric Grothe and Ray Price all donated memorabilia to the club to give the new building a true blue and gold feel. "We brought a number of players along for tours at different stages of the build and the biggest thing they were blown away by was just the size and the scale, particularly compared to the facilities that we were operating in," Sarantinos said. "We picked up a lot of ideas from looking at facilities in Australia, the US and Europe as well. "When you're going overseas, you're dealing with organisations that are on a different scale from a financial perspective, but it is about picking up things, different ideas that can be applied in our context." The accompanying community centre and grandstand will allow the Eels to play NSW Cup, junior representative and NRLW trial games at the venue. Sarantinos is hopeful the club could also host NRLW competition games in the future. "Once we set the facility up and we're up and running we'll be able to have the capacity to accommodate somewhere between 3,000 to 4,000 people for a game," he said. "Obviously, we'd love for the NRLW to grow where facilities like this are too small to accommodate NRLW games, but whilst we're still going on that growth trajectory … there's no reason why our facility wouldn't be able to accommodate games."
News.com.au
18-05-2025
- News.com.au
Woman ripped $1 million off the NDIS
A woman feeding her gambling habit and paying for holidays has been jailed after being convicted of ripping off the NDIS of more than $1 million. Some of the claims made by Tamara Gai Berridge were for services she never provided. Customers tipped off authorities of their suspicions around the activities of Berridge's Kellyville-based business Magic Maid Possible cleaning services. Berridge was found guilty in the NSW District Court of deliberately claiming payment for household tasks and cleaning services knowing they were never provided to NDIS participants. The 41-year-old faces a total of three years and six months behind bars, with a non-parole period of one year and five months, after she was found guilty on two counts of 88 fraudulent payment requests valued at more than $1 million, submitted against the plans of 13 NDIS participants between 2018 and 2020. She was also ordered to repay $442,977 to the Commonwealth. The NDIA's Fraud Fusion Taskforce investigated the cleaning business after receiving the tip-offs and worked with the Australian Federal Police, to execute a search warrant at Berridge's home, seizing documents and electronic devices. Sentencing Judge Nicole Noman SC said the pleas of guilty were entered four days prior to the commencement of the trial and do not, of itself, demonstrate contrition. 'It reflects no more than a recognition of the inevitable. 'Repayment' of monies in this case does not demonstrate contrition and remorse, but rather, was a methodology employed by the offender to reduce the chances of her conduct being detected,' she said. She said the offender wrote a letter of apology in March this year saying she was 'disgusted by her serious mistakes', and she referred to her extremely poor judgement with her conduct being selfish and wrong. However the judge said Berridge acted in a calculated manner for an extended period of time to deliberately defraud. She said Berridge was committing fraud to fund her lifestyle and gambling. Another Sydney woman has also been jailed after admitting claiming for services that were never provided to NDIS participants - mostly people who were from non-English speaking backgrounds - and in some cases over charging them. Gada Abdelwahab Abbas, 48, plead guilty to two counts of fraud consisting of eight offences totalling more than $200,000, committed in 2019 and 2020. She was jailed for three years, with a one-year non-parole period after she was found guilty of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage from the Commonwealth and ordered to pay back $51,733. An alert was initially triggered by NDIA staff, which led to the investigation of suspected fraudulent practices at two western Sydney businesses run by Abbas. During the investigation by the Fraud Fusion Taskforce Abbas left Australia for the United Arab Emirates. She was arrested and charged upon re-entering the country in 2022. Sentencing judge Judge Robert Newlinds SC said took into account Abbas had no criminal convictions and the offending, while systematic over a period of a year, does appear to have been generally out of character and, at least in part, the product of her mental health issues. 'Notwithstanding the lack of any significant contrition, remorse, or insight, I consider her prospects of rehabilitation and not offending again to be reasonably good to the point where I think it is unlikely that she will reoffend.' Nonetheless he said the offending was 'deliberate, sustained, planned, and ultimately, the intention, which was partially successful, was to effectively steal money' from the Commonwealth's budget of money allocated towards the NDIS scheme for her 'own benefit'. 'This was done by a cynical breach of the trust that the NDIS system had placed in the offender,' the judge said. 'I am not satisfied that the offender has shown anything more than minimal contrition, remorse, and insight.' Judge Newlinds said for the NDIS scheme to survive, fraud, when identified, must be actively discouraged by the Courts by imposing sentences that send a 'clear message that such crimes will attract significant penalties, and the risk of those penalties outweigh any perceived access to easy money'. NDIA CEO Rebecca Falkingham told the verdicts showed that providers who set out to exploit the Scheme and participants would be caught. 'These cases involved unscrupulous providers taking advantage of NDIS participants and claiming payments for services that they knew were never provided to them,' Ms Falkingham said. 'While most providers do the right thing, dishonest operators will be brought to account. 'The two cases reflect the Agency's strong actions to protect the integrity of the Scheme to ensure every NDIS dollar goes towards participant outcomes. 'We have zero tolerance for fraud – and any inappropriate conduct – committed against the NDIS and its participants. 'People with disability and their families deserve to be protected from exploitation, and we are committed in ensuring those expectations are met.' The Fraud Fusion Taskforce includes 23 agencies and has launched more than 500 investigations since 2022. Anyone with information about suspected fraud involving the NDIS should contact the NDIS fraud reporting and scams helpline on 1800 650 717 or fill out our online NDIS Fraud reporting form.
Daily Telegraph
17-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Woman ripped $1 million off the NDIS
Don't miss out on the headlines from Money. Followed categories will be added to My News. A woman feeding her gambling habit and paying for holidays has been jailed after being convicted of ripping off the NDIS of more than $1 million. Some of the claims made by Tamara Gai Berridge were for services she never provided. Customers tipped off authorities of their suspicions around the activities of Berridge's Kellyville-based business Magic Maid Possible cleaning services. Berridge was found guilty in the NSW District Court of deliberately claiming payment for household tasks and cleaning services knowing they were never provided to NDIS participants. The 41-year-old faces a total of three years and six months behind bars, with a non-parole period of one year and five months, after she was found guilty on two counts of 88 fraudulent payment requests valued at more than $1 million, submitted against the plans of 13 NDIS participants between 2018 and 2020. Tamara Gai Berridge, who ran a Kellyville-based business called Magic Maid Possible, pleaded guilty to NDIS fraud-related offences. She was also ordered to repay $442,977 to the Commonwealth. The NDIA's Fraud Fusion Taskforce investigated the cleaning business after receiving the tip-offs and worked with the Australian Federal Police, to execute a search warrant at Berridge's home, seizing documents and electronic devices. Sentencing Judge Nicole Noman SC said the pleas of guilty were entered four days prior to the commencement of the trial and do not, of itself, demonstrate contrition. 'It reflects no more than a recognition of the inevitable. 'Repayment' of monies in this case does not demonstrate contrition and remorse, but rather, was a methodology employed by the offender to reduce the chances of her conduct being detected,' she said. She said the offender wrote a letter of apology in March this year saying she was 'disgusted by her serious mistakes', and she referred to her extremely poor judgement with her conduct being selfish and wrong. However the judge said Berridge acted in a calculated manner for an extended period of time to deliberately defraud. Rebecca Falkingham PSM commenced as CEO of the NDIA in October 2022. SUPPLIED She said Berridge was committing fraud to fund her lifestyle and gambling. Another Sydney woman has also been jailed after admitting claiming for services that were never provided to NDIS participants - mostly people who were from non-English speaking backgrounds - and in some cases over charging them. Gada Abdelwahab Abbas, 48, plead guilty to two counts of fraud consisting of eight offences totalling more than $200,000, committed in 2019 and 2020. She was jailed for three years, with a one-year non-parole period after she was found guilty of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage from the Commonwealth and ordered to pay back $51,733. An alert was initially triggered by NDIA staff, which led to the investigation of suspected fraudulent practices at two western Sydney businesses run by Abbas. During the investigation by the Fraud Fusion Taskforce Abbas left Australia for the United Arab Emirates. She was arrested and charged upon re-entering the country in 2022. Sentencing judge Judge Robert Newlinds SC said took into account Abbas had no criminal convictions and the offending, while systematic over a period of a year, does appear to have been generally out of character and, at least in part, the product of her mental health issues. NDIS officers and Australian The NDIS Fraud Fusion Taskforce raided properties in western Sydney in 2022 over a Middle Eastern organised crime and posing as disability support providers. This week one of the key players was sentenced to 10 months' jail for dealing with proceeds of crime relating to a fraud involving $69,000. Picture: Supplied by AFP 'Notwithstanding the lack of any significant contrition, remorse, or insight, I consider her prospects of rehabilitation and not offending again to be reasonably good to the point where I think it is unlikely that she will reoffend.' Nonetheless he said the offending was 'deliberate, sustained, planned, and ultimately, the intention, which was partially successful, was to effectively steal money' from the Commonwealth's budget of money allocated towards the NDIS scheme for her 'own benefit'. 'This was done by a cynical breach of the trust that the NDIS system had placed in the offender,' the judge said. 'I am not satisfied that the offender has shown anything more than minimal contrition, remorse, and insight.' Judge Newlinds said for the NDIS scheme to survive, fraud, when identified, must be actively discouraged by the Courts by imposing sentences that send a 'clear message that such crimes will attract significant penalties, and the risk of those penalties outweigh any perceived access to easy money'. NDIA CEO Rebecca Falkingham told the verdicts showed that providers who set out to exploit the Scheme and participants would be caught. Tamara Berridge , a cleaner who has pleaded guilty of ripping off NDIS to the tune of $1 million. Picture: Linkedin 'These cases involved unscrupulous providers taking advantage of NDIS participants and claiming payments for services that they knew were never provided to them,' Ms Falkingham said. 'While most providers do the right thing, dishonest operators will be brought to account. 'The two cases reflect the Agency's strong actions to protect the integrity of the Scheme to ensure every NDIS dollar goes towards participant outcomes. 'We have zero tolerance for fraud – and any inappropriate conduct – committed against the NDIS and its participants. 'People with disability and their families deserve to be protected from exploitation, and we are committed in ensuring those expectations are met.' The Fraud Fusion Taskforce includes 23 agencies and has launched more than 500 investigations since 2022. Anyone with information about suspected fraud involving the NDIS should contact the NDIS fraud reporting and scams helpline on 1800 650 717 or fill out our online NDIS Fraud reporting form.
ABC News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Who will be the next pope? The most diverse papal conclave in history begins
At Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Kellyville in western Sydney, a Filipino congregation gathers for Sunday mass. Hymns are sung in English, Tagalog and Latin. In front of the panoramic stained glass window is an altar to memorialise Pope Francis, his smile beaming from a small frame. Pope Francis is mourned by the Filipino congregation at Our Lady of the Rosary Church. ( ABC Radio National: Anna Levy ) This community and many like it are waiting eagerly for the conclave — the If elected, Cardinal Tagle would be the first Asian pope in history. Church youth leader Ian Epondulan says there's "a lot of speculation" in the Filipino community about what this week will bring. "[We're] very excited to see whether there'll be a pope from the Philippines, such as Cardinal Tagle," Mr Epondulan says. "But there's also an opportunity for the whole Filipino community, and also the Catholic population across the world, to really pray for the College of Cardinals that are going into this conclave. " Whether it is a Filipino pope, an Italian pope or a pope from another country, I think the College of Cardinals will make the right decision. " "There will be a celebration, whoever the pope might be," says church youth leader Ian Epondulan. ( ABC Radio National: Anna Levy ) During the conclave, members of the College of Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, with no outside interference or influence. They will discuss the most pressing issues facing the church, then the 133 cardinals eligible to vote will submit their choice for pope via secret ballot. When the new pope is chosen, white smoke will billow through the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Shortly after that, the waiting crowd of Catholic faithful will lay their eyes on their new leader for the first time. This system for electing the new pontiff dates back to the 13th century, and many of the rituals involved remain the same. Photo shows A graphic with textured red background, a black and white cut-out of the Sistine Chapel and St Peters Basilica, and black smoke. The world's eyes are on the Vatican at the moment, with a new pope soon to be decided through the secretive process of the conclave. Here's how we will know when one is chosen. But one important element has changed dramatically. While past conclaves have comprised mainly Italian or European electors, this one will host cardinals from 72 countries, many in the Global South — any of whom could be selected as the next pope. It is the most diverse conclave in history. And experts say this is likely to affect not only the choice of pope but the future of the Catholic Church worldwide. When was the first conclave? For the first thousand years of Catholicism, clergy were selected by their peers, political rulers and the Roman laity. The College of Cardinals was first formed in 1150, and didn't number more than 30 until the 15th century. Outsiders were forbidden; the title of cardinal was only bestowed upon members of the ancient clergy of Rome. The system of the conclave was formalised by Pope Gregory X in 1274, after As Christianity spread, cardinals were allowed to be appointed from other parts of Italy and Europe, but conclaves remained overwhelmingly European until the 20th century. This was reflected in the popes of the day, too: of history's 266 pontiffs, 217 were born in modern-day Italy. In the 1960s, the Second Vatican Council significantly modernised and internationalised the church, with Pope John XXIII famously saying it was time to "open the windows and let in the fresh air". Under these reforms, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II appointed many new cardinals from around the world. After his election in 2013, Pope Francis — the first Argentinian pontiff in history — continued this trend, naming 163 cardinals from 76 countries. How many cardinals did Pope Francis appoint? During his 12-year pontificate, Pope Francis appointed 80 per cent of the 135 cardinals eligible to vote. "One of the most striking dimensions of the Francis papacy was his efforts to internationalise the conclave, to make the church reflect not only the world, but the social fabric of the church itself," explains Benedict Coleridge, a scholar and academic of political and legal theory, trained at the University of Oxford and Yale Law School. "Francis appointed cardinals from all over the world, but particularly from places that had hitherto been either under-represented or not represented at all in papal conclaves." Pope Francis deliberately appointed cardinals from diverse locations. ( Reuters: Vatican Media ) Dr Coleridge says Pope Francis intentionally named cardinals who weren't in high-profile positions or dioceses, sometimes overlooking more established contenders. "He was basically trying to say, 'Look, appointment to the College of Cardinals follows a life of expeditionary leadership and brave service, it isn't just associated with a seat of power'," he says. Twenty-five of the cardinals appointed by the late pontiff hail from countries never before represented in the College of Cardinals. That includes Haiti, Timor Leste, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Sweden. Many of them minister to minority Catholic populations, such as in Malaysia, Jerusalem and Mongolia. Jerusalem is home to just 4,500 Catholics, who are served by Italian-born Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa. ( Reuters: Ammar Awad ) This is a marked shift away from the historical perception of Western Europe as the epicentre of Catholicism. "In Francis' view, there were no peripheries, only centres," Dr Coleridge says. "[He believed] everywhere where the church is, where people are living out their lives in pursuit of God, that is a centre … and the church needs to look at itself in those terms." Who will be the next pope? Given the geographically diverse makeup of the conclave, there's a strong possibility the next pope could come from outside of Europe. Photo shows R&E background The ABC's Religion & Ethics portal is home to reporting on religion, ethical discussion and inspiring stories of faith and belief. While each cardinal has his own social and political views, those from non-European locations may have priorities in common, Dr Coleridge says. He points to a moment in the recent film, Conclave, in which the cardinal of Kabul gives a powerful speech about witnessing war and suffering. "The truth is that there will be cardinals in that conclave who could make the same speech," he says. "There will be the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who offered himself as a replacement hostage during the [Israel-Gaza] ceasefire. There will be the cardinal of Rabat, Morocco, who has been right at the coalface of inter-religious dialogue with Islam. " [Each] will be speaking with a really powerful voice on behalf of his society. " Spanish cardinal Cristóbal López Romero (centre) has served as the Archbishop of Rabat, Morocco since March 2018. ( Reuters: Yara Nardi ) As wars rage on in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, a leader with this understanding could be considered desirable in the years to come. Joanne Pierce, professor emerita in religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, USA, agrees that on-the-ground experience will likely be an important factor. But she says there are other elements to consider, too. "Lengthy experience doing pastoral ministry outside of Europe or even North America would be an important element in the resume of any serious candidate for election," she says. "However, cardinal-electors will also have to look at other areas of experience that potential candidates have or don't have. "Does the candidate have significant experience in the central administration of the Church or other committees? How well have they led their own dioceses … or performed other administrative duties? What kind of education have they had, since popes also have to deal with theological issues and interpretations of canon law?" Another issue that may emerge during the conclave is climate change, especially as several of the cardinal electors have lived experience of climate crisis. Papua New Guinea's cardinal, for example, has Pope Francis has consistently "East Timor's [cardinal] and other cardinals from Pacific countries will be concerned with the fates of their neighbours," Professor Pierce says. East Timor cardinal Virgilio do Carmo da Silva hosted Pope Francis during his apostolic trip to Asia in 2024. ( Reuters: Guglielmo Mangiapane ) "The cardinals from Papua New Guinea and Australia are aware of the eventual fate of Tuvalu and Kiribati [which are at risk of rising sea levels]. Southeast Asia is also threatened. "For some of the more conservative cardinals, these environmental issues are concerning, but not immediately urgent. But cardinals in or near these areas should, I think, emphasise the need to look to the future now." How is Catholicism changing? As the geographic makeup of the conclave has shifted, so has the global face of Catholicism. "The face of the Catholic church is already changing, regardless of who is going to be elected," Professor Pierce says. "The Catholic church is growing absolutely astonishingly in the Global South: South America, Africa, South Asia, parts of East Asia, Oceania." Priests take part in a Requiem Mass for Pope Francis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Catholicism is growing. ( Reuters: Arlette Bashizi ) At the same time, it's shrinking in places like Australia, where the percentage of the population who identify as Catholic has "For a pope to be elected from any of these areas [where Catholicism is growing] would have an enormous impact on the Catholic community in those areas," Professor Pierce says. "A pope who had been born there, grew up in in the culture and knew the issues important to the local communities, would mean that they had been 'seen' — acknowledged as of central importance to the global Catholic community, not just … missionary territories that still needed leadership from Europeans to live as 'genuine' Catholics. " Imagine what it must be like to have a pope from your country; to say, 'He's one of us'. " For Catholics around the world, the pope signifies the future of their church. ( ABC Radio National: Anna Levy ) Regardless of who is elected pope, Mr Epondulan says the conclave is a unifying moment for his community. "It's an opportunity [for] Filipinos [to] see that they belong to a wider community, not just within the Philippines, and that the Catholic Church is universal," he says. "I think the shape of the Australian church is changing and evolving, and creating a new identity for the church of the future." Want to go beyond the news cycle? 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