Departing The Hills Shire Mayor, Peter Gangemi, has reflected on his three years in the top job, as the shire’s former Mayor, Michelle Byrne, prepares to return to the role.
Dr Byrne gained Liberal pre-selection ahead of Dr Gangemi, and returned a huge 71,520 of the shire’s total 114,784 first preference votes on polling day.
As he prepares to formally step down from the role, Dr Gangemi said being Mayor had been “the honour of his life”.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to dedicate my efforts to improving the lives of our residents,” Mayor Gangemi said.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved over the past three years. We’ve stood strong for the values of The Hills, opposed overdevelopment, and increased our support for local community groups.
“One of the most gratifying accomplishments has been securing $168 million for crucial and new infrastructure projects, one of the largest in a term of Council. This included delivering Box Hill’s first sportsfields at Brindle Parkway Reserve, North Kellyville’s first sportsfields at Samantha Riley Drive Reserve, and many other significant projects.”
He also expressed his gratitude to the residents of The Hills Shire.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your Mayor. Your support and trust over the past 12 years – first as a Councillor and then as Mayor – has meant the world to me. The overwhelming response from the community during my time in public life has been unprecedented for me.
“I firmly believe The Hills is one of the best places in the world to live and raise a family, and I look forward to continuing to support the residents and community groups of The Hills in any way I can.”
It’s expected Dr Byrne will shortly be formally announced as The Hills Shire’s new Mayor.
She has previously served in the top position on three occasions, including as the Hills Shire’s first popularly elected mayor in 2017.
In an online post, she said she was “looking forward to fighting on behalf of our community once again”.
“Standing up to the NSW State Government and their disastrous policy to triple our dwelling targets and fighting for our share of infrastructure funding from the State and Federal Governments.
“I want to ensure we create a Hills we can all be of proud of not just for today’s generation but future generations of Hills residents.
“I am passionate about making Local Government work for people and small businesses and continuing to serve and deliver outcomes for a community I love.”
