Councillor Greenow celebrates a milestone

MAYOR of the Penrith City Councillor Karen McKeown has paid tribute to Councillor Jackie Greenow OAM, Penrith’s longest serving councillor during the monthly Council Meeting.

“Councillor Greenow has now served the City of Penrith for 21 years and has always been a strong advocate for women in local government and also a passionate advocate for St Marys,” said Councillor McKeown.

Across her 21 years in public service Councillor Greenow has made her mark on the Penrith regional area through her work in women's advocacy, education, flood mitigation and local cultural expansion, just to name a few.

During the Council Meeting the Mayor proposed a commemoration in light of Councillor Greenow’s continuing long service to the community.

Councillor McKeown said she had written to the Roads and Maritime Service Chief Executive, Peter Duncan AM, “ to request a change to the walk symbol at one or two pedestrian crossings in St Marys – turning the ‘green man’ lantern into a ‘green lady’.”

This would be the first set of ‘green lady’ pedestrian lights in New South Wales, and the second batch in the country, after the City of Yarra Council in Melbourne changed some of their ‘green men’ over for International Women’s Day.

Councillor Greenow said she felt very proud and honoured by the gesture.

“I’m humbled and honoured, you don’t do this job for the merits. When someone tells you you’ve helped them it is a great feeling and it is its own reward,” she said.

“When someone comes up and says, can you help me, and sadly you can’t always help people, but when you’re able to get something done, they will come back and say thank you.”

Originally Councillor Greenow decided to run for public office because her home damaged in a flood and she knew the council was at fault, but ultimately the people who really pushed for her career in politics were her sons.

“They said ‘you can speak up for the other people’ and they pushed me, and they questioned me and above all they’ve been a marvellous

support,” she said.

Even with all the fanfare around her latest milestone Councillor Greenow isn’t slowing down. Her next plan is to run for office in the upcoming council elections later on in September.