Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay tribute to local man John Nicol OAM, who left us on 26 August. John Nicol was a great community member. He came to Werribee as shire engineer on our council and stayed to raise his family in the Hoppers Crossing community. In his years in our community he became embedded in our community. He was wonderful advocate for, and servant of, his neighbours and the people who shared his life. He worked tirelessly for the hospital, for Rotary and for Apex and he was founding member of the Committee for Wyndham. His most recent contributions included being on the consultation committee for the Regional Rail Link, which shows the esteem in which John was held. He was president of the Werribee Football Club for the past 10 years—the longest-serving president of that club.

I attended his funeral with a thousand others at St Peter's Catholic Church in Hoppers Crossing. My lasting memory of John would be watching him walk the platform of the Tarneit train station with the deputy leader of government, welcoming him to Wyndham and outlining plans for the football redevelopment, which is seeking funding under the Stronger Regions Fund. This was John's last community project. I hope it gets delivered.