The Conference, which runs every two years, awards the leading and most innovative councils and organisations in the food safety sector for their ability to regulate food handling and management.

This year, Canterbury-Bankstown stood out among more than 30 other NSW councils and was presented the 2025 NSW Food Regulation Partnership Champion Award for its proactive and ground-breaking approach to food regulation, particularly during the 2024 Ramadan Nights Lakemba festival.

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek said the award was recognition of the mammoth effort Council’s Public Health and Environmental team puts in to keep the community safe.

“This recognition is a direct reflection of the team's dedication, hard work, and innovation in ensuring food safety, especially in large-scale events like Ramadan Nights Lakemba,” Mayor El-Hayek said.

“Their proactive approach, including rigorous food safety inspections, the use of video surveillance and food handler training, has set a new benchmark in food safety practices for other councils across NSW.”

The NSW Food Authority works with councils under the Food Regulation Partnership (FRP) program to manage food sales in NSW and ensure it is handled correctly and safe for consumption.

Canterbury-Bankstown’s innovative approach to monitoring food safety through video surveillance, at Ramadan Nights Lakemba 2024 was praised at the Conference for setting a new benchmark for how temporary food events can be managed safely.

Other key achievements Council was recognised for included its thorough inspections and education efforts to reduce risk of foodborne illnesses, training and continuous monitoring of stallholders to improve vendor compliance with food safety standards and enhancing community confidence by ensuring rigorous food safety practices.

For more information on food safety in Canterbury-Bankstown, visit cb.city/FoodSafetyHealth