Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham, took to the streets of Lakemba with Bankstown MP Jihad Dib, Deputy Mayor Rachelle Harika and Canterbury MP Sophie Cotsis for a taste of its many offerings, and a meet and greet with business owners and the community, after announcing its Purple Flag status – one of only 90 international cities to receive the globally recognised accolade. LAKEMBA has become the third area in NSW to receive the internationally renowned Purple Flag accreditation, officially recognising the plethora of world-class and culturally diverse activities it has to offer.
The Purple Flag accreditation is a globally recognised accolade that is awarded to towns, cities or districts that have a diverse offering across the arts and hospitality and boast a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.
Lakemba joins more than 90 international cities in waving the Purple Flag, which encourages more people, whether it be friends, families or tourists, to visit the area and experience its many restaurants and cafes offering a melting pot of different cuisines, with offerings from as far as the Cocos Keeling Island to Morocco, Afghanistan and Yemen.
Owner of local business King of Sweets, Rasha Almaanawe loves seeing people from different parts of Sydney come to visit Lakemba and discover the area and what it has to offer.
“Lakemba is one of those areas where you can actually experience different cultures in the one spot,” Rasha said.
“For example, you could have Indian food for dinner and then walk down the road and have Moroccan tea and walk further down the road and have Lebanese sweets for dessert or even Italian gelato.”
Canterbury Bankstown Deputy Mayor Rachelle Harika said the Purple Flag accreditation was a vote of confidence in our City.
“This is going to be a massive boost for businesses, and equally an important step towards creating a safe and friendly place for families to visit,” she said.
“It’s about promoting a precinct that is safe, accessible by all means of transport and has great food.”
