House debates

Monday, 31 August 2020

Constituency Statements

McNamara, Mr Neil

10:42 am

Photo of Joel FitzgibbonJoel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Resources) Share this | | Hansard source

In the early hours of Saturday morning, the Hunter region lost one of the most significant political leaders in its history. Neil McNamara was 97 years old. Neil served on the both the Patrick Plains and the Singleton council for a total of 43 years, most of that time as shire president and mayor. His civic duties did not end there. Neil was chairman of Energy Australia, chairman of the Hunter Regional Association of Councils, a member of the Hunter region tourism association and a member of both the Newcastle and the Upper Hunter Beyond 2000 Committees. In 1984, Neil's commitment to his local region was recognised with an Order of Australia award. He was granted freedom-of-the-shire status by Singleton Shire Council and is a member of the Singleton Hall of Fame. Throughout all of this, Neil was magnificently supported by his wife, Joan, who left us a short time ago. He is now reunited with the love of his life.

A generous, wise and humble dairy farmer, with the most exquisite speaking note and tone, Neil enjoyed enormous support in his community. He had that rare talent of being able to speak like a politician without sounding like one! Neil McNamara transformed Singleton. From the early 1970s, it began its progression from a relatively sleepy agricultural economy to a coalmining region bursting with energy. Under Neil's leadership, Singleton took a very deliberate decision to embrace the enormous investment on offer from those hoping to mine our rich coal seams. It was not an easy decision and not one without political, environmental and economic risk, but it was the right one. It was a decision which has delivered wealth and jobs for the shire and, indeed, the whole region.

Both my father and I had the great pleasure of working with Neil as federal members. We were also great mates. Neil McNamara was a significant person in my life, and I am fortunate to have had him in it. I will miss his phone calls, which would typically come after a television interview, and his generous approval of whatever I said. These days I think the word 'legend' is too liberally used as a descriptor for many, but to use it to describe Neil McNamara is absolutely the correct thing to do. Neil McNamara was an absolute legend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wonderful family, and we bid Neil McNamara farewell this coming Friday.