At a Glance

• 2023 showed strong institutional capability across planning, infrastructure, community services, and environmental care
• Growth was matched by practical work in roads, public spaces, waste, recreation, and civic facilities
• The Minute points to a city managing change with discipline, patience, and a clear sense of responsibility
• The year ahead calls for open dialogue, balanced judgement, and steady stewardship of place

Maintaining the Momentum

There are moments in civic life when it is worth pausing to take stock, not for celebration alone, but for perspective. In reflecting on this Mayoral Minute, what was clear to me was not simply the volume of activity across Campbelltown, but the consistency of purpose behind it. This is what good local government should look like. It should be practical, disciplined, and attentive to the long view.

I have always believed that leadership in a growing city is not measured only by what is announced. It is measured by what is delivered, what is maintained, and what is prepared quietly and carefully for the future. This Minute reveals a city doing exactly that.

A city growing with intent

One of the strongest themes in the Minute is growth management. Planning outcomes across Ingleburn, Rosalind Park, Menangle Park, Maryfields, Gilead, and the Campbelltown city centre speak to a council that understands growth must be guided, not merely accommodated.

When a city approves new housing, student accommodation, and major urban projects, it is shaping more than skylines. It is shaping daily life. It is deciding where people will live, how they will move, and what kind of community they will experience. I am reminded that good planning is not abstract. It is deeply human.

The Minute notes that more than 446 development applications were determined in 2023, representing capital investment of more than $750 million. That is a substantial expression of confidence in Campbelltown. Yet the more important signal is that this growth has been accompanied by pre lodgement meetings, design review, infrastructure planning, and heritage protection. That tells me the city is not chasing growth at any cost. It is trying to manage change with judgement.

The quiet strength of institutions

Much of what builds public trust in local government is not dramatic. It is the steady work of capable teams. Compliance matters. Food inspections matter. Waste collection matters. Parking responses matter. Tree management matters. These are not minor details. They are the daily proof that institutions are functioning.

What stands out in this Minute is the breadth of that capability. Development compliance responded to hundreds of matters. Environmental health officers completed a very high number of inspections. Public complaints were addressed across parking, motor vehicles, animals, illegal dumping, and public health. These are the systems that keep a city orderly, safe, and liveable.

I have often said that trust in government is built through reliability. People may not always see the full machinery of council at work, but they feel its presence when roads are resurfaced, bins are collected, parks are maintained, and public spaces are cared for. That kind of competence matters greatly in a city experiencing growth.

Infrastructure as stewardship

The most compelling civic documents are often the ones that remind us how much physical stewardship is required to sustain a place. This Minute does exactly that.

Road resurfacing, flood recovery works, footpath replacement, new cycleways, bridge works, stormwater renewal, bus shelters, car park upgrades, field lighting, shade structures, and public facility improvements all point to the same truth. A city is never finished. It must be renewed constantly.

I am particularly struck by the practical tone of these achievements. They do not present infrastructure as spectacle. They present it as responsibility. That is the right instinct. After flood damage, after wear and tear, after rising demand, the task of council is to restore, improve, and prepare. This is stewardship in its most tangible form.

“We can work together to ensure that single issues don’t dominate the September 2024 election debate”

That line deserves emphasis because it reaches beyond the operational detail and speaks to civic maturity. It recognises that a healthy city requires a broader conversation about needs, priorities, and shared responsibility.

Community life and civic identity

A city is not only roads and buildings. It is also ceremony, culture, sport, and belonging. The record crowds at New Year’s Eve and Australia Day, the citizenship ceremonies, the arts centre visitation, library use, childcare achievements, sports attendance, and local recognition programs all reveal a place with confidence in its civic life.

I was especially heartened by the acknowledgement of residents, volunteers, and award recipients. Good governance is not only about administration. It is also about recognising contribution. When local government honours service, creativity, care, and achievement, it helps strengthen the social fabric that holds a city together.

The same can be said for the environmental work outlined in the Minute. Koalatown initiatives, urban greening, bushland restoration, weed management, tree planting, and bushfire maintenance all speak to an understanding that stewardship of place includes stewardship of the natural systems around us. In a growing city, that balance is essential.

Financial resilience and the long view

Another important theme here is institutional resilience. Advocacy to other levels of government, success in grant funding, and the deliberate growth of council’s commercial property portfolio suggest a council that is thinking carefully about long term financial capacity.

This matters because the expectations placed on local government continue to grow. Communities want better services, stronger infrastructure, safer public spaces, and more responsive institutions. To meet those expectations, councils need both discipline and imagination. They need to diversify revenue, improve delivery capability, and maintain public confidence. This Minute suggests those questions are being taken seriously.

Reflection

In reading this Minute, I see a council seeking to hold together many obligations at once: growth and heritage, delivery and planning, environment and development, celebration and discipline. That is not easy work. Yet it is the work of city building. I am left with the view that Campbelltown’s strongest asset is not any single project, but the steady accumulation of decisions, services, and investments that build confidence over time. That is how momentum is truly maintained.

Read the original Mayoral Minute here: Maintaining the Momentum