The Macarthur Chronicle is campaigning to put the ‘T’ back in to pronunciation of Minto

THE thriving Minto community has united behind a Macarthur Chronicle campaign to put the “T” back in the pronunciation of their suburb.

THE thriving Minto community has united behind a Macarthur Chronicle campaign to put the “T” back in the pronunciation of their suburb.

Civic leaders, businesses, community groups and residents agree the bustling redeveloped suburb deserves to be know as Minto with the “T” — and even the Apple app Siri agrees.

Once derided as “Minno” by some people, the area has been revitalised in recent years resulting in new housing development at One Minto, a refurbished Minto Marketplace and thousands of new residents.

Debate over the correct pronunciation was sparked when an 11-year-old girl was arguing with her father that Minto with the “T’ was correct, rather than “Minno”.

Gindarah Russell, Fengyu He, Angela Alba (front), Cheny Kepu and Riley Rae from Sarah Redfern Primary School tell us it’s Minto with a “T”. Picture: Melvyn Knipe

Campbelltown Mayor George Brticevic backed putting the “T” back in Minto initiative, saying the suburb had long shed its “Minno” tag.

“Minto is a bright spark in the future of the Campbelltown LGA. The area has changed a lot, obviously there’s been a stigma attached to a lot of suburbs,” he said.

Data from realestate.com.au shows that since 2010 median house prices in the suburb have boomed from $295,000 to 600,000 in 2016.

A quick search shows houses now selling in Minto for anywhere between $600,000 and 950,000.

Cr Brticevic, who worked in the area in the 90s, said new residents would find a great deal of value moving into the suburb.

“Wow, what a turnaround,” he said.

“There’s a place called Valley Vista, which was a housing department area at the top of the hill.

“It had great views but it was not a good place to go into but if you look now it’s a great place to live with views into the city. I wish I’d bought a block many years ago.”

Sarah Redfern Public School, Minto, principal Donna Barton said one of the great strengths of the suburb’s revitalisation had been the ability of old residents to mix with the new.

“No one sees themselves as any different here, we have a lot of people of different ethnicities, religions and all sorts of backgrounds mingling,” she said.

The One Minto housing estate is opened by the then Labor planning minister Kristina Keneally in 2008. Picture: Robert Pozo

“One thing that hasn’t changed is how parents have cared for their children, they are all trying to do the best for their kids.

“Everyone feels they have something to contribute is what the underlying success of putting the ‘T’ back in Minto has been.”

Business owner Sam El Harfouch has operated Sam’s Kebabs in Minto Marketplace for about 13 years.

“We used to call it ghost town, but now everything has changed,” he said.

“We have many customers from Minto and around coming here now.

Campbelltown councillor Darcy Lound, Constable Rob MacFarlane and Minto Marketplace centre manager Michael Prestia join with Sarah Redfern and Minto Primary Students to launch Minto on the Go in 2014. Picture: Tim Clapin

“There’s a lot of good quality people, it’s a nice neighbourhood to live and work.”

About three years ago a group of community leaders got together to begin Minto on the Go, a community initiative aimed at changing the perception of the suburb.

The committee meets regularly each month.