Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to remember Phil Barry who, sadly, passed away on 28 December 2011. Phil was a very well-known and very well-regarded local in the town of Balaklava and, of course, was CEO of Wakefield Regional Council. I knew Phil mainly as a candidate when I first went out there to see him about matters related to the council and to get to know the area and also through the Wakefield Group, which is a forum of councils in my area who get together and meet with me monthly to talk about local issues. I always found Phil to be a really diligent and sensible contributor to those meetings, and indeed to local government, and a really passionate advocate for the Wakefield Regional Council. It did not matter whether we were talking about Wakefield Waters or the Port Wakefield bypass or the potential for poultry farms all through the Wakefield Regional Council area, which were going to help food production and, obviously, create jobs and wealth for that area. He was a really passionate advocate for Balaklava, Blyth, and Port Wakefield, and for all of those other little towns in his area.

That was because he lived there. I think his achievements in the town were significant. I think James Maitland's quotation that he was 'dedicated, diligent, committed, community-minded, highly motivated, a visionary, passionate about community, professional, trustworthy, a leader in the community, supportive, enthusiastic, respected, and a mentor and a friend,' tells you everything you need to know about Phil Barry. He really was a great citizen of a great town and my condolences go to his wife, Helen, and his daughter, Vanessa. He will be missed first and foremost by them; he was a very dedicated family man. He will also be missed by his community. He will be missed by all of his friends in that community. He will certainly be missed by his friends in local and state government and also in the federal government, and I include myself in that. I think he was a good citizen and he will be sorely missed.