Blacktown City Council has honoured one of its most loyal and valuable servants, presenting planning pioneer, Glennys James, with keys to the City.
Ms James has retired from her role as Director City Planning and Development after almost five decades with Council.
At an extraordinary meeting of Council, she was presented with keys to the City in recognition of her outstanding contribution.
Ms James joined Blacktown Municipal Council in 1976 as an undergraduate town planner and has made her mark on virtually everything that has happened in Blacktown City in the years since.
In 1990, she became the first woman to be a member of the Council executive and has been an extraordinary leader, Council said in a statement today.
It said she was a pioneer in the planning policy framework which has delivered the growth for the Western Sydney region, and was an important adviser to the NSW Government.
During her esteemed career, Ms James was awarded the Public Service Medal for her outstanding public service to local government administration, and to town planning in NSW.
NSW Planning Minister, Rob Stokes, said of her career: “Blacktown has evolved into an important regional city for Western Sydney and Glennys has been a driving force behind that transformation”.
With great vision and skill, Ms James has overseen the development of new suburbs and employment precincts, steering projects through strategic planning to the detailed final development approvals, Council said.
“When the ‘Section 94’ developer levy was enacted under NSW law in 1979, Blacktown City was at the forefront of setting the standard that was needed across the local government sector thanks to the work of Glennys,” Council said.
“With Glennys’ leadership, Council took on the NSW Government every time it sought to take facilities away from the City’s incoming communities.”
In her time with Council, Blacktown City has grown from a municipality of 180,000 residents to a vibrant, diverse city of 400,000.
She has worked with six General Managers and 14 Mayors during her time with Council, championing tirelessly for the communities of Blacktown City, Council said.
“For close to 50 years, Glennys has been at the heart of the modern story of Blacktown City, with meticulous care and strategic foresight.”
“Council wishes Glennys all the best for a happy retirement.”
