The Greater Cities Commission has appointed Robyn Parker as Central Coast City Commissioner – one of three new City Commissioners to lead planning for the Six Cities Region for the next four years.
It is the Commission’s role to unite the Lower Hunter and Greater Newcastle, Central Coast, Greater Sydney and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven regions to create a globally competitive “mega-city” region.
Parker has a wealth of public and private sector experience spanning roles in Child and Family Services, as a TAFE teacher, and as CEO of Ageing and Disability Services.
She served in the NSW Parliament for 12 years, first as a Member of the Legislative Council followed by four years as the Maitland MP.
During that time Parker chaired many Parliamentary Inquiries and was Minister for the Environment and Minister for Heritage between 2011 and 2014.
Parker says that as Environment Minister she introduced some of the toughest environmental laws in Australia, delivered the largest waste and recycling program in Australia at the time as well as helping to create nine new parks and two new national parks.
Since leaving politics, Parker has been appointed as a non-executive director to a number of conservation, agricultural, education and for-purpose organisations as well as being Deputy Chair of the NSW Heritage Council.
Chief Commissioner, Geoff Roberts said he was thrilled that Robyn Parker would be taking such an important position with the Commission, along with two other new City Commissioners Matt Endacott in the Lower Hunter/Greater Newcastle and Jacki Johnson in the Illawarra/Shoalhaven.
“They will be bringing their extensive expertise as we undertake the important work of shaping Australia’s first global city region,” he said.
“I’d also like to acknowledge the important role that local councils played in the selection process.
“City Commissioners are key holders of the relationships within their cities and ensure connectivity between state and local government, to facilitate conversations and empower stakeholders to set common goals for their city.”
The three new Commissioners will commence four-year terms commencing September 2022.
These appointments come at an important time for the Commission as it launches its Six Cities Discussion Paper and embarks on intensive engagement to inform the Six Cities Region and City Plans to be released from 2023.
Six Cities Region is Australia’s first global city region delivering global economic scale and local liveability with the each of the six cities building on their own strengths and character while supercharging this with the combined power that comes from being part of the larger world-class city region.
The aim is to co-ordinate and align planning to shape the future, create good jobs closer to where people live and opportunities to attract world-class industry and talent, make cities more productive and liveable with better housing, education, health and lifestyle.
Six Cities Region includes the Lower Hunter and Greater Newcastle City, Central Coast City, Illawarra-Shoalhaven City, Western Parkland City, Central River City and the Eastern Harbour City.
Each area has its own City Commissioner with additional roles of Economic Commissioner John Lydon, Environment Commissioner Meg McDonald and Social Commissioner Natalie Walker.
Sue Murray