I move:

That this House:

(1) notes its profound sadness at the passing of Mr Allan Ezzy AM APM, former Mayor of the City of Holroyd on 4 September 2026;

(2) acknowledges his significant contribution to local government through his 38 years of service as an independent councillor on the City of Holroyd council, including nine terms as Mayor and three terms as Deputy Mayor, during which he was a tireless advocate for the people of Holroyd and Western Sydney;

(3) recognises his:

(a) service beyond local government, including his distinguished career in law enforcement and his service to the people of New South Wales as a police prosecutor; and

(b) commitment to community service through Rotary, church and service organisations, his role in establishing the Greystanes Community Centre, and his mentorship of generations of local councillors and community leaders; and

(4) extends its deepest condolences to his wife, Patricia, his daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and records its appreciation for a life dedicated to public service, community leadership and the people of Western Sydney.

I want to acknowledge Allan Ezzy's family, who are here tonight, and I want to acknowledge my friend the member for McMahon, who will second this motion.

Allan Ezzy led a remarkable life. He was born in Burwood in December 1942 to Clevelin and Valerie. He undertook a plumbing apprenticeship in 1957, and he later returned to technical college to obtain his leaving certificate. He continued studying throughout his working life, gaining qualifications in management, in local government, in law enforcement and in legal studies. For someone who became such an experienced prosecutor and community leader, it may surprise people to learn how shy Allan was as a young man. The prospect of speaking publicly could make him physically ill. Through Toastmasters and mentoring, he developed the confidence that colleagues would come to know in both courtrooms and council chambers.

His service to the community began as an ambo with St John Ambulance and then the Central District Ambulance service before he entered the police in 1968. Two years later, his involvement in apprehending an armed suspect earned him the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct. He went on to become one of the state's leading and most celebrated police prosecutors, undertaking senior duties at the Downing Centre. Allan retired in 2004 as a senior sergeant after almost 36 years in the police, having received the Australian Police Medal the previous year. His colleagues remember a prosecutor who was thoroughly prepared, calm under pressure and respected for his integrity. His work included the initial court proceedings against the men charged with murdering Anita Cobby. In a case that caused enormous distress, Allan's careful preparation of the case helped keep the accused in custody while proceedings continued. Within policing, he established the Christian Police Fellowship, supporting officers whose work brought them into contact with tragedy. His concern for his colleagues extended beyond their professional duties to the pressures they carried home.

A flooding problem near his Greystanes home drew him into local government. Elected to Holroyd Council in 1974, he served for 38 years, including nine years as mayor. Allan mentored younger councillors, teaching them to read their council papers, attend community events and follow through on promises to residents. He earned respect across the political divide, debating firmly while maintaining friendships with colleagues who held different views. The Allan G Ezzy Community Centre opened in Pemulwuy in 2013, and the following year he was made a Member of the Order of Australia. He chaired the Greystanes community centre committee for many years and established the mayoral prayer dinner. He also served as a director of the Merrylands RSL—amazing contributions from one person.

His work on flooding extended beyond Holroyd too. He became a foundation member of the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust. He chaired the New South Wales flood management authority and served on the National Flood Risk Advisory Group. He supported the local SES. He understood the damage flooding could cause and committed years to improving how communities could prepare for it. His contribution to flood management was recognised with life membership of the Flood Management Association in 2011. The association also established an award in his name to recognise excellence in flood risk management.

His leadership extended to Holroyd Rotary, where he served as president and led study exchanges to Scotland for young professionals. Rotary gave him the Paul Harris Fellowship. At St John's Cathedral in Parramatta, he served as a churchwarden and parish councillor. He hosted Bible study gatherings and helped fellow parishioners, with his Christian faith being central to his life.

Throughout all these commitments, Patricia shared his life, and she's here today. They married in 1979 and raised Simone, Renee and Vanessa. Around police duties, council meetings and community events, they built a close family, and Allan worked hard to give his daughters opportunities and adored his grandchildren. His daughters remember a father who worked several jobs to provide for them, encouraged them to think independently and remained fiercely concerned for their safety.

For my family, Allan was a dear friend. He was my father John's childhood best friend. They met at school in Sydney's inner west, and they remained close until Dad's death 30 years ago. As boys, they played records and pretended to run their own radio station named 2JLAE after John Leeser and Allan Ezzy. They attended each other's wedding, and Dad was immensely proud of Allan's career both in the police and in local government. Calling Allan when Dad died was one of the hardest conversations I've ever had.

Allan's kindness extended to me. When I was born, he gave me a stuffed chipmunk known as 'Allan the chipmunk' that became a favourite toy. As a first-year law student, I took university friends to watch him prosecute at the Downing Centre. He welcomed us and patiently answered our questions. When I was elected to council at 19, he sent me a letter that I've always treasured. When I later stood for Berowra, he ceased being an Independent just for one day to put on a blue shirt for the son of an old friend.

To Pat, Simone, Renee, Vanessa and the whole family, I offer our deepest condolences. I'm grateful for his friendship with my father, his kindness to me and his extraordinary service to the community. May his memory be a blessing.

Is the motion seconded?

I second the motion. It's right that the federal parliament should note the service and life of Allan G Ezzy—38 years of service on Holroyd Council, four terms as mayor and two as deputy mayor. He was elected to council in September 1974, which I confess to the chamber is just slightly after my birth, and served until his retirement in 2012. There would not be a street in Greystanes that Allan Ezzy hadn't visited, helped or serviced in his 38 years as a councillor. As my honourable friend mentioned, there was a particular focus on flooding issues, but of course his service then spread much more widely.

It was on council that I got to know Allan Ezzy. As it happens, he was Mayor of Holroyd when I was Mayor of Fairfield, two adjoining cities, and we did work closely together. We had different political views—I was a Labor mayor and he was an Independent mayor—but we worked closely together, and we never had a cross word. We did have one interesting discussion, I will confess to the chamber, where I had foreseen that perhaps Holroyd council might not be a council which survives an amalgamation process. I suggested to him that maybe we might get ahead of the curve and we might amalgamate Fairfield and Holroyd. It was a brief conversation because Allan was not interested in that conversation whatsoever. But I do stand by my view that perhaps Holroyd and Fairfield might have been a good match, and Holroyd, alas, did eventually get amalgamated with Auburn to form Cumberland City Council.

But his service was not just through council. It was, as the honourable member for Berowra has mentioned, through St John Ambulance, through the police, through rotary, through the church and also through his long connection with Patricia and his family to Greystanes Public School. There wasn't an annual presentation for many, many years where you wouldn't see Allan and Patricia at, providing support for the school many, many years after their own family had passed through the school. Allan, of course, served as a police legal prosecutor after he had left the beat and retired from service after 36 years as a senior sergeant. So 38 years on local council and 36 years in NSW Police—that is a record of which his family can be rightly proud.

All through his time, he extended his spare time to the people of Holroyd and to Greystanes in particular, and he made a very formidable councillor. I'm sure the chamber won't mind me pointing out that my friend and mentor Ken Morrisey and he made a very formidable team for the people of Greystanes—Ken Morrisey being a long-serving Labor councillor on Holroyd Council. He never quite got the numbers to be mayor but was a very, very long-serving councillor and alderman and a very good friend of mine and one of my early mentors in politics. He had the deepest respect for Allan Ezzy, and I know he would want his respect mentioned in this speech before the chamber. Ken still lives in Pemulwuy with June, and he is still a very dear and valued friend.

Allan was a member of the Holroyd rotary club for 40 years and held several board positions, including that of president, and received the Paul Harris fellowship and a sapphire pin for his services to rotary. He received the Australian Police Medal for distinguished service as well. In 2013, the Allan G Ezzy community centre was opened, and I've spent a lot of time there. There are many community events at Pemulwuy. It is a beautiful hall and is a fitting tribute to Allan. It's right that that very well-established and furnished hall is named in his honour to recognise his service. Pemulwuy didn't exist when he started on council. It was a Boral quarry; it is now a thriving suburb. Many people from Pemulwuy and surrounds attend that centre and see his name every single day, as they should, which recognises his service. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to local government and the community through law enforcement.

I was very saddened to hear of Allan's passing. He was, in all my interactions with him, a thorough gentleman in every sense of the word on every single occasion. He had a good, fruitful and productive life of service. So to Patricia, Simone, Renee and Vanessa: you are in all our thoughts. Allan was born in 1942; my late father was born in 1943, so I do have some feeling for what you're going through, having lost my father two years ago. You can look back on Allan's life of service with pride, and our community can look back on his life of service with gratitude. A fine Australian has left us.

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made in order of the day for the next sitting.