The council’s Director of Community and Organisational Development said everyone had worked hard during Covid and she was just doing her job.
“But then my manager fessed up that he had nominated me,” she said.
Crafting and driving the council’s response to the pandemic, Ms Attia ensured essential services and support were provided to community members and local business.
In August 2021, as the Covid-19 Delta variant spread swiftly through Western Sydney and greater restrictions were placed on Cumberland, Ms Attia responded quickly to ensure the council was best placed to support the needy.
She leveraged her strong relationship with all tiers of Government and worked collaboratively to develop the council’s communications strategies and disseminate information, in a variety of languages, to the community.
Working with NSW Health, she identified facilities to support the rapid expansion of testing sites and the establishment of vaccination hubs, helping to increase in the vaccination rate from 14.6 percent to its current rate of over 93.7 percent.
She also worked with OzHarvest to set up temporary food hubs across the local government area and with farmers in regional NSW to provide food hampers.
“I feel privileged to have been in a position where I could help the Cumberland community, in which I also live,” she said.
“I thank the team at the council and feel the award is a reflection on how passionate our staff are about the community.”
Vital efforts in Covid
WHEN Melissa Attia was told she had been awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) as part of this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List for outstanding service to Cumberland during the Covid-19 pandemic, she thought it was a joke.