MAYORAL MINUTE NO 25/2022 - FAREWELL AND THANK YOU TO STEWART SEALE

Councillors,

We are joined in the Chamber this evening by one of Council’s long-serving and now retiring employees, Mr Stewart Seale. On this occasion I’d ask you to join with me in welcoming him and pausing for a moment to reflect on his excellent contribution to our Shire over many years.

Stewart joined the then Baulkham Hills Shire Council on 11 September 2006 as the Manager of our Forward Planning section after many years as a senior professional planning officer at both Ryde and Parramatta City Councils.

Stewart came to us with deep experience in structure and land use planning and we quickly put him to work seeking to gain the benefit of the experience he had gained in being critically involved in the development of the Macquarie Park Precinct.

One of the first major projects Stewart undertook, and perhaps still one of his most important, was the investigation, preparation and subsequent adoption of Council’s Local Strategy in 2008 – some ten years or so before the NSW Government rolled out a similar framework through the Local Strategic Planning Statements (LSPS). This first strategy helped Council to consider not only the role of our town centres, but also importantly the contribution our rural areas could make to our Shire and how we should look to manage their planning.

It was appropriate then that in one of his more recent roles at Council, Stewart was responsible for the preparation and gaining of approval from the NSW Government of our LSPS through 2018-2020.

More recently Stewart has been responsible for the precinct planning work being undertaken on the Castle Hill Strategic Centre and leading our Economic Development team as we look to renew our efforts in that space.

After many years of workshop presentations, Council reports and heartfelt debates, Stewart has become a trusted and valued employee whose work has left an indelible mark on our great Shire. Stewart will be greatly missed by all on both a professional and personal level.

Councillors I hope you will all join with me in wishing Stewart and his wife Michelle a very long and happy next phase of life together as he commences his well-earnt retirement.

Accordingly I move that:

MOTION

1. This Mayoral Minute be received.
2. A letter of acknowledgement be sent to Mr Seale recognising his service and thanking him on behalf of The Hills Shire Council for his outstanding work.

Dr Peter Gangemi

Mayor of The Hills Shire Council