Bilal El Hayek: Canterbury Bankstown’s new mayor Bilal El Hayek promises to put community first
With a passion for community and youth advocacy, Bilal El Hayek has been elected as the new Canterbury-Bankstown mayor. See his plans for the community here.
The Express
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A father of four who moved to Australia not knowing a word of English when he was 12 years old has climbed the ranks and is now ready to lead one of the largest local government areas in Sydney.
With a passion for community and youth advocacy, Bilal El Hayek has been a councillor since 2014 and was elected as Canterbury-Bankstown mayor at May’s council meeting.
Mr El Hayek was voted, uncontested, to replace his predecessor Khal Asfour after he stepped down from the position.
With a long history working alongside PCYC and Meals on Wheels, Mr El Hayek said he was honoured to be elected and would serve his community with passion.
“We have a number of initiatives we’re working on behind closed doors but I want to make sure I go out into the community and meet every suburb in Canterbury-Bankstown,” he said.
“We’re one of the largest cities in Australia and we need to make sure we address any concerns and they’ll be different for each suburb.”
Mr El Hayek came from “humble beginnings” after migrating to Australia with his parents in 1999 at 12-years-old without knowing how to speak English.
“My parents came here for a better life for us and a better education,” he said.
“It was difficult in the beginning but I went to English school as soon as I arrived in Beverly Hills for six to nine months and it was not an easy road trying to adjust to life in general.”
“A lot of people shaped me into the man I am today … I always believe in the saying that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
The Greenacre local has lived in the area his whole life and encourages migrant youth to “aim high”.
“Being a young mayor I have a message to young people, that if a kid like me who came to this country with no English can be the mayor I’m sure they can as well,” he said.
For the issues affecting Canterbury-Bankstown including the council demerger and “unfair” WestInvest funding, Mr El Hayek said all decisions will be made in the “best interests of the community, not politics.”
“A lot of money is involved in demerging the council, and I’m not suggesting we go one way or another, but we need to make sure we make decisions in the best interests of the community, not politics,” he said.
Mr El-Hayek said the pressures of rising cost of living has “been high” in the Canterbury Bankstown community.
“We have migrant workers and low income households struggling to make ends meet and the least I can do is be a voice and try to lobby the government to make sure we get fair share for the community,” he said.
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