Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This month, Canberra lost a giant. Terry Snow passed away aged 80, leaving a legacy as one of Canberra's greatest visionaries and philanthropists. Few could claim to have left such a mark on our city or changed the lives of so many as Terry Snow.

Terry was the grandson of Canberra's first general store owner and went on to become one of Australia's most successful property and commercial developers. One of Mr Snow's greatest contributions to Canberra was the redevelopment of the Canberra Airport precinct. In 1998, Mr Snow purchased land from the government and transformed what was a small airport surrounded by farmland into the impressive, modern airport that many people in this building would be very familiar with. His work saw passenger numbers double, with international carriers now in residence. As said by Mr Snow:

We have transformed our vision into reality for this city, and it is something of which I am incredibly proud.

The Snow family also agreed to develop the suburb of Denman Prospect, a new and beautiful suburb in the electorate of Bean.

Mr Snow was a generous and committed philanthropist. His belief that, if you see someone struggling, you give them a helping hand, guided his generosity.

The establishment of the Snow Foundation with his brother George in 1991 allowed Mr Snow to help quiet achievers in the Canberra community and provide funding to a diverse range of projects. These included projects helping people with disability and people experiencing homelessness. More recently he established Snow Medical, a research foundation that provides a fellowship for the next generation of emerging research leaders to change the face of health care in Australia. His family credits his deep sense of social responsibility as the driving factor for the creation of this organisation.

Mr Snow was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006 for his service to the building and construction industry, particularly the redevelopment of the Canberra international airport precinct and his support for charitable organisations. He also played an important role in saving the New South Wales South Coast town of Bawley Point during the 2020 Black Summer bushfires due to his intricate fire safety plan, developed to protect his beloved horses and staff at his equestrian arena. This meant his property was safe from one of the worst bushfires in recent history, and firefighters could focus their efforts on saving the town of Bawley Point.

His desire to protect and help all people has had a phenomenal impact on so many people. He made an incredible contribution to our city and the lives of so many. My thoughts are with his family; his wife, Ginette; his children, Scarlett Gaffey, Tom Snow, Georgina Byron and Stephen Byron; and his 14 grandchildren. Vale, Terry Snow, and thank you.