Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to thank former Blacktown City Council mayor Stephen Bali for his service. He has been a councillor on Blacktown City Council for 15 years, five years as mayor, and in that time he has been a driver of major projects in the city. These include the redevelopment of Warrick Lane in Blacktown CBD and the planned International Centre of Training Excellence at Blacktown International Sportspark. In particular, I want to congratulate him on the establishment of a university campus in Blacktown, which both the member for Greenway and I are hugely supportive of. We'll soon welcome the Australian Catholic University to our city.

Under Stephen Bali's leadership, council has laid the foundations for responding to significant growth challenges facing our region. He has worked tirelessly to get a better deal for the people of our city, one of the largest council areas in the country, be it through his advocacy for Blacktown's inclusion in the Western Sydney City Deal or his advocacy for infrastructure funding for projects such as the M9. Importantly, he's helped change the public image of our area, recognising its vibrancy and its huge potential. I thank Stephen for his work on council and wish him all the best in his role as the state member for Blacktown. Both the member for Greenway and I look forward to continuing to work constructively for the benefit of the city of Blacktown.