My Place: Pawan Kumar

Manniya, 13, Pawan Kumar, Tajendar Bhatia and Aadhyyan, 11. (Damjan Janevski) 319052_06

Despite only recently becoming an Australian citizen, Pawan Kumar shares the honour and privilege he feels to be part of the Wyndham community with Fatima Halloum.

What’s your connection to Wyndham?

We have a very strong connection with Wyndham since 2012, way before we migrated to Australia. I first visited Wyndham on a personal trip in 2012, and I found it very attractive, with abundance of natural beauty and resources like Werribee river, rose garden, point cook coastal park and more, also it’s a great place which hosts many other attractions like Werribee Zoo, Werribee Mansion and much more to explore here. Also, it’s a place where anyone can feel comfortable because of its multicultural environment, convenience, best public transport, cultural attractions/events and safety.

What do you like about where you live?

We live in Tarneit, one of the best suburbs in Wyndham. Tarneit is close to major transportation links, including the Princes Freeway and the Tarneit railway station, known for parkland and open spaces, affordability and for the growth and development Tarneit has experienced in recent years, attracting many new residents, like us, and businesses to the area. We have been very fortunate to be a part of this community, in a great suburb, lovely area, affordable and friendly locals.

Tell us about your life before you moved to Australia.

In 2017, we moved from India to Australia with a vision to provide a better life and education to our children. In India, I was working in IT and my wife was working for the aviation industry. We are from Delhi which is known for its rich heritage and culture, historical significance, cultural diversity, political importance and its cuisine. We really enjoyed our time in India and decided to move to Australia for a better life, good education for children and work-life balance.

What, if anything, would you change about where you live?

I believe, it’s good to see how we all are progressing in this great suburb with its demanding needs, I strongly believe we need to look seriously at environmental sustainability in Wyndham. We must implement and take initiatives to reduce the area’s carbon footprint, such as promoting the use of renewable energy sources and encouraging residents to adopt eco-friendly practices, by encouraging the use of renewable energy, reducing waste, promoting active transportation system, and educating the community on these great sustainability practices.

Where is your favourite local place to spend time

Our favourite place in Wyndham is Werribee Open Range Zoo which is a popular attraction located in Werribee. It’s known for its conservation efforts to conserve endangered species and their habitats, animal welfare by improving the living conditions for the animals and a great tourism spot which attracts people of all ages.

How does it feel to officially be a citizen?

It’s an absolute privilege and honour to be an Australian Citizen, and we are delighted to be a part of this great community and culture, also we are committed to obey and fulfil the responsibilities to help maintain a strong and vibrant democracy in Australia.

Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you

Our family love travelling, watching sports and reading books. We also enjoy meeting new people from various culture which gives us an opportunity to explore their culture, customs, traditions and their foods, our recent passion is to explore amazing foods joints in Melbourne which includes, Thai, Italian, Indian, Mexican, Chinese & Sri Lankan cuisine and we believe Melbourne is a great place to explore that because if its multicultural environment.