HAWKESBURY Councillors who have not contested the upcoming election have bid farewell in speeches at their final Council meeting.
On August 30, the Mayor of Hawkesbury Kim Ford, deputy Mayor Warwick Mackay, the currently longest serving councillor Christine Paine, and long time Greens councillor Leigh Williams all farewelled the electorate.
Cr Bob Porter was at the meeting but did not take the opportunity to speak, while Cr Mike Creed missed the meeting because of work.
Cr Ford said he believed the Council was in a better position than when he first became a councillor.
“There have been improvements along the way and I am confident we have left the Hawkesbury in a stronger position than we found it,” he said.
Cr Ford said it was a shame more was not achieved.
“I regret the opportunities missed by the selfishness and division only because the Hawkesbury could be so much better but time will overcome that,” he said.
He thanked Cr Jill Reardon and Mike Creed from his own party, along with independents Mackay and Porter for standing by him during his tenure as Mayor.
Cr Paine spoke of some fond memories, but also many unhappy ones during her time as a councillor.
“I've had death threats, amazing nasty letters. Last year I had about 1000 horrible e-mails,’ she said.
“I can be in here going home in tears sometimes when I felt things were unfair. but you forget those things and you remember things you have achieved. You remember the rightness of what Council can do.”
She thanked the Council staff for their hard work over the years, and also paid tribute to her late husband, who she said always supported her in Council, especially when she was going through rough patches.
Cr Williams said he was proud of many things he had done while on Council.
“17 years seems like a life sentence in here, but I seem to have survived it so far,” he said.
“I got on Council in 1999 because I was involved with trying to stop the Blaxlands Ridge mushroom composting.
“I have been involved in many issues around the place including closing the blaxlands ridge sewerage ponds and getting the Australiana Village returned to the community, and the Wilberforce Hall not demolished but renovated.”
Cr Williams referenced the report released by ICAC earlier that day, and said he hoped potential councillors would aspire to rise above the sort of behaviour tabled in the report.
“I think we've had a shameful period in the last six years in this Council and I would hope this never happens again,” he said.
“To anyone who is a councillor or who is aspiring to be a councillor I would hope they do it to represent the community not to further their own interests.”
He concluded and said he hoped Council and councillors would abandon the us against them mentality he said was present between Council and the community.
“I would hope the new council reinstates the right to speak on all things in this council and take away the security barrier,” he said.
Warwick Mackay kept his speech very short. He said he was glad the Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium and Hawkesbury Oasis Centre were built.
He said his one regret was that more community-minded projects like the centres could not be developed.
