At a Glance

• Persistent advocacy has been central to securing support for Campbelltown and the Macarthur region
• Growth must be matched by transport, water, jobs, and infrastructure if it is to be sustainable
• The history of Sydney offers important lessons about inequality, access, and the consequences of poor planning
• Innovation, social equity, and long term stewardship must work together to build a better future

A Reflection on the Work of Stewardship

I have always believed that public life is best understood not by its moments of ceremony, but by its long stretches of effort. In reflecting on the last two and a half years, I am reminded that much of what matters in local leadership is persistence. It is the repeated act of making the case for one’s community, even when progress is slow, even when answers are delayed, and even when outcomes are uncertain.

That has certainly been true for Campbelltown and the wider Macarthur region. We have worked tirelessly to keep our issues before governments of all levels and all persuasions. It has not been an easy journey, nor a smooth one. As Daniel Mookhey observed in words I quoted in the Minute, advocacy can feel “akin to a quest, a hard quest, with defeat, followed by setback, followed by regeneration.” That description resonated with me because it captures the reality of public work. Progress is rarely linear. It demands patience as much as ambition.

What was clear to me throughout this period was that my duty was simple. I was there to work for the people of Campbelltown and to advocate for the region that shapes our future. That required a willingness to work with anyone prepared to support our city and to resist anything that would diminish it.

Duty Without Attachment

As I near the conclusion of my time in politics, I have found myself returning to a verse from the Bhagavad Gita that I shared in this context. It speaks of doing one’s duty without attachment to the fruits of action. I have always found wisdom in that idea. Public life is not a guarantee of immediate result. The proper task of leadership is to act conscientiously, to make the strongest case possible, and to continue regardless of whether recognition comes quickly.

That is especially important in local government. So much of what councils advocate for depends on the decisions of others. We can prepare, argue, plan, and organise, but the final decision may sit in another chamber or another budget. That does not excuse inaction. On the contrary, it makes persistence more important.

I have long held the view that advocacy is one of the central responsibilities of a mayor. If a community’s needs are not being heard with sufficient force, then local leadership must supply that force with clarity, discipline, and resolve.

“Persistent we have been, and persistent we should continue to be.”

Successes Earned and Challenges Unfinished

There is much in this period that gives me confidence. Through sustained effort, our city has secured important investments that will shape Campbelltown for years to come. Projects that improve walkability, public art, community infrastructure, and urban liveability are not superficial additions to city life. They are part of what makes a place more welcoming, more dignified, and more cohesive.

Yet no honest reflection would suggest that the work is complete. Some of the most important priorities for our region remain unfinished. Better public transport connectivity, including the long discussed rail connections to the new airport, has not yet moved beyond critical early stages. The Community and Justice Precinct, which I regard as essential to our economic and institutional future, is still awaiting further progression despite the substantial planning already undertaken.

I am reminded that politics, as John Howard once said, is a long game. In local government, that truth is felt keenly. Many of the projects that matter most require years of argument, preparation, and repeated engagement. Good leaders must therefore learn to think beyond the immediate cycle and work for outcomes they may not themselves see completed.

Growth Must Be Matched by Support

Campbelltown and the Macarthur region are expected to absorb a significant share of future growth. I have never argued against our role in that task. We are prepared to support housing diversity and to help meet the broader needs of a growing city. But growth must be matched by support.

This is one of the central points I have tried to make consistently. Housing targets alone do not create thriving communities. People require transport, water, sewerage, jobs, health services, and public infrastructure that keeps pace with change. Without those supports, growth becomes strain rather than progress.

What was clear to me is that we cannot allow our region to become a place where housing expands but opportunity lags behind. Communities should not be asked to accept greater pressure while waiting indefinitely for the essential infrastructure that makes growth liveable and fair.

Learning From the History of Sydney

One of the more important lessons in city building is that the past is never as distant as we imagine. In the Minute, I reflected briefly on the history of Sydney and on the observations made by William Stanley Jevons in the nineteenth century. His account of urban segregation, access, and inequality remains striking because it reveals how closely the geography of opportunity is tied to planning and infrastructure.

I am always struck by how often the same pattern reappears. Access to transport, open space, and opportunity has long shaped who thrives and who is left behind. The city moves, expands, and reinvents itself, but the underlying tensions remain. That is why the work of planning must be approached with humility. We are not simply designing places for the present. We are shaping the conditions future generations will inherit.

I have always believed that this is where innovation must be joined to conscience. New ideas, new technologies, and new investment matter, but they must be directed toward a city that is more equitable, more connected, and more resilient.

Reflection

In the end, a brighter future is not built by optimism alone. It is built by persistence, thoughtful innovation, and a community spirit that refuses to lose heart. I remain convinced that Campbelltown’s best future will come from leaders and institutions willing to advocate steadily, learn from history, and insist that growth be matched by fairness, access, and opportunity. That is the long view of place, and it is one worth holding firmly.

Read the original Mayoral Minute here: Building a Brighter Future: Persistence, Innovation, and Community Spirit