HORNSBY Shire Council’s incumbent mayor, the Hon. Philip Ruddock, has confirmed he will recontest the next mayoral election to be held on December 4 2021.
Ruddock had a distinguished career in Federal Parliament, serving for 43 years and holding various ministerial offices before being democratically elected as Hornsby Shire Mayor in September 2017. His family have also had a long affinity with the Shire with his father, Max, being the Shire President and the local state member for The Hills.
After such a long career representing his local community, many may question why he would want to continue his political career.
Mr Ruddock notes the impact of the Baird Government’s failed council amalgamations made him feel very challenged following his retirement from Federal Parliament in 2016 and was thus instrumental in his move to local government. At the time, a very substantial area of Hornsby Shire was moved into Parramatta Council, and the merger with Ku-ring-gai did not occur.
“Hornsby was the most mutilated, disadvantaged council of all councils in New South Wales as a result of the failed council amalgamations,” says Mr Ruddock.
Following the failed mergers, the Hornsby Shire was left in a challenging position and had been impacted by requirements forced by the government to provide extra residents and to rezone a very significant area for medium to high density.
Mr Ruddock says that there were significant concerns from the local community at the beginning of his tenure as mayor in 2017 about what was happening with developments.
“I went to meetings with people when I was first elected mayor in tears about what was happening with developments that did not have effective setbacks, that didn’t keep something in the pre-canopy, and that were out of keep with what we had learnt to expect as the Bushland Shire,” says Mr Ruddock.
Reflecting on his current term as mayor, Mr Ruddock believes that he has led a council that has been consultative with the community.
“We have been collaborative, but we are about putting in place arrangements that have been put on us in a way which maintains our unique character and the special nature that I think the Bushland Shire has,” says Mr Ruddock.
In his four years as mayor, Mr Ruddock has led a number of new projects, including the development of the Hornsby Quarry into what he affectionately calls ‘the Centennial Parkland of the North’ and acquiring land from the old Sydney Water reservoir at Westleigh for parkland.
However, he believes that there is still work to be done.
“We have started on the journey. The Centennial Park of the north still has a long way to go,” says Mr Ruddock.
“I hope that we will be able to build a new library in the new Hornsby CBD. I hope that we will be able to have a new major centre for activities in the Shire.”
As well as the construction of new council facilities, Mr Ruddock believes that if he is re-elected, his leadership will mean that the council will continue to budget soundly whilst continuing to meet the local community’s needs in a consultative manner.
“We may have to do it in a stage way, and it won’t be all done overnight, but it’s amazing what you can do when you are consultative,” says Mr Ruddock.
