Blacktown City Council has honoured one of its most loyal and valuable servants, presenting planning pioneer Glennys James with keys to the City.
Glennys retired from her role as Director City Planning and Development after an incredible almost five decades with Council.
At an extraordinary meeting of Council, Glennys was presented with keys to the City in recognition of her outstanding contribution.
Glennys joined Blacktown Municipal Council in 1976 as an undergraduate town planner and has made her mark on virtually everything that has happened in Blacktown City in the years since.
In 1990, Glennys became the first woman to be a member of the Council executive and has been an extraordinary leader.
She was a pioneer in the planning policy framework which has delivered the growth for the Western Sydney region, and was an important adviser to the NSW Government.
During her esteemed career, Glennys was awarded the Public Service Medal for her outstanding public service to local government administration, and to town planning in NSW.
Planning Minister Rob Stokes honoured her work, saying; “Blacktown has evolved into an important regional city for Western Sydney and Glennys has been a driving force behind that transformation”.
With great vision and skill, Glennys has overseen the development of new suburbs and employment precincts, steering projects through strategic planning to the detailed final development approvals.
When the ‘Section 94’ developer levy was enacted under NSW law in 1979, Blacktown City was at the forefront of setting the standard that was needed across the local government sector thanks to the work of Glennys.
With Glennys’ leadership, Council took on the NSW Government every time it sought to take facilities away from the City’s incoming communities.
In her time, Blacktown City has grown from a municipality of 180,000 residents to a vibrant, diverse city of 400,000.
Glennys worked with six General Managers and 14 Mayors during her time with Council, championing tirelessly for the communities of Blacktown City.
For close to 50 years, Glennys has been at the heart of the modern story of Blacktown City, with meticulous care and strategic foresight.
Council wishes Glennys all the best for a happy retirement.
Picture: Glennys James has retired from her role as Director City Planning and Development after 46 years with Council. She has been presented with keys to the City.