At a Glance
• A tribute to former Mayor Paul Hawker and the legacy of civic leadership
• Recognition of faith, diversity and shared values across our community
• Honest acknowledgement of the Appin Massacre and the importance of memory
• Strengthening resilience through hazard assessment, regional collaboration and advocacy

Leadership and Civic Memory

I began this Month’s Minute with personal reflection, and it is fitting to do so again. I asked our community to join me in paying tribute to a friend, former Mayor and long serving Councillor Paul Hawker. I commenced my own council service alongside Paul in 2008. I recall many open and frank debates that shaped my understanding of the role of council and the responsibility we carry to ensure our city thrives and grows.

What was clear to me then, and remains clear now, is that local government is at its best when it takes full advantage of opportunity while tirelessly advocating for the needs of residents. Paul understood that balance. His contribution to Campbelltown forms part of the living fabric of our civic story. Each mayor and councillor writes a chapter, but the book belongs to the community.

Faith, Diversity and the Common Good

April is a significant month for many people of faith in our city. Ramadan, Easter, Orthodox Holy Week and Passover each carry deep spiritual meaning. I reflected that our city’s strength has long been its vibrant diversity and multicultural character.

I have always believed that diversity, when coupled with mutual respect, becomes a source of resilience rather than division. While traditions and beliefs may differ, the values that underpin them often converge around family, service, sacrifice and hope. When we share our customs and listen with curiosity, we strengthen social cohesion.

Working together and placing the interests of the community above our differences is not a slogan. It is a discipline. It is how we build a city that is confident in its identity and generous in spirit.

Acknowledging the Appin Massacre

In April we also confront a more solemn responsibility. On 17 April 1816, the Appin Massacre occurred in reprisal for disputes between settlers and Aboriginal people. Historical records describe a night attack that drove Dharawal people towards a precipice. Fourteen bodies were counted, with others believed lost. Only two women and three children survived according to the account of Captain James Wallis.

There was no evidence that the group targeted had any link to prior clashes. That truth matters.

Since 2000, the massacre has been commemorated annually at Cataract Dam, and Council marks the date with a commemorative flag raising at our forecourt. Remembering does not change the past, but it shapes the integrity with which we approach the present. I am reminded that stewardship of place includes acknowledging both achievement and injustice in our shared history.

Flooding, Hazard and the Work of Recovery

Recent weather events again tested our community. During those periods, 88 Campbelltown SES volunteers attended operational duties multiple times. Flood rescue technicians undertook at least 16 rescues across Campbelltown and Camden, while also supporting neighbouring areas. More than 7,000 sandbags were distributed and approximately 200 tonnes of sand were used.

Evacuation notices were issued in Menangle Park when river levels exceeded major flood thresholds. While properties were ultimately spared, key roads were impacted and closed. Council’s civil works teams responded to more than 200 reported road issues, undertook temporary patching and identified 38 heavy patching projects for assessment and planning.

I stated clearly that safety must remain our number one objective during extreme weather. That principle is simple, but its execution requires coordination, discipline and calm leadership. I extend my sincere thanks to volunteers, staff and residents for their patience and resilience.

Resilience is defined as the capacity of communities to survive, adapt and thrive no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience.

Those words reflect the broader lesson of recent years. Bushfires, floods, heatwaves and a pandemic have revealed both vulnerabilities and strengths. Resilience is not accidental. It is built through planning, partnerships and preparedness.

Building a More Resilient City

Campbelltown has commenced a Resilience Hazard Assessment using recognised methodology applied in other cities. We are also an active member of Resilient Sydney, collaborating with 33 metropolitan councils to develop and implement a region wide strategy. Our General Manager’s role as a founding member of the steering committee reflects our commitment to collective action.

I was particularly moved by the exhibition at the Campbelltown Arts Centre featuring portraits of ten local individuals who demonstrate resilience. The artist, Emmanuel Asante, created these works during lockdown, reminding us that creativity and strength often emerge from constraint.

Resilience, in my view, is a shared enterprise. Council can coordinate, plan and invest, but it is the community that ultimately embodies resilience in daily life.

Advocacy and Regional Perspective

This past month has also been marked by sustained advocacy. Meetings with ministers, shadow ministers and members of the Legislative Council focused on infrastructure needs, service shortfalls, planning matters and the Campbelltown Community and Justice Precinct. I also attended my first City Deal meeting and began familiarising myself with the breadth and complexity of its commitments.

The Federal Government’s commitment of 77.5 million dollars to develop a business case for Stage 2 of the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport line is of particular interest. A connection to Glenfield would provide our residents with reliable access to the new airport and associated employment opportunities. These are the kinds of strategic links that shape a city’s long term prosperity.

Advocacy is rarely dramatic. It is steady, persistent and often incremental. But when pursued with clarity and respect, it can deliver lasting benefit.

Continuing the Work on Public Space

I have previously asked the General Manager to undertake a review of our public space infrastructure and to develop a program for maintenance and beautification. I am pleased that planning has begun and that councillors have been briefed. Subject to budget approval, this program will mark another step in lifting the standard of our shared environments.

Public spaces are where memory, faith, recreation and civic life intersect. Their condition speaks volumes about our priorities.

Reflection

This Month’s reflections span tribute, faith, history, hazard and opportunity. They are diverse in subject, yet connected by a common thread: stewardship. To lead is to remember those who came before, to respect the diversity of the present, to confront difficult chapters of history with honesty, and to prepare diligently for the challenges ahead. If we continue to do so with humility and resolve, Campbelltown will remain not only a growing city, but a grounded and resilient one.

Read the original Mayoral Minute here: 5. Thoughts and Reflections