Judy Hannan has been an MP in the NSW parliament for just six months. But her contribution as a councillor at Wollondilly for almost 20 years was the main reason that today she received a major honour at the Women of Local Government awards.
The independent MP for Wollondilly took out the Elected Representative – Metro category, which recognises a councillor who has improved the position of female elected representatives.
Ms Hannan was nominated for the award by co-workers, including former mayors and councillors.
“It’s the little things that I’ve been able to help people with that has made so much of a difference,” Ms Hannan said in accepting the award.
“It’s like the little girl in Oakdale who wrote to me and said she didn’t think Santa would come, but after we ran a Christmas lights competition she knew Santa would find her home.
“Assisting with small things like business approvals or ensuring people can keep their animals has made such a personal difference.
“Unlike other fields where you stand on each other’s shoulders, in local government as women we hold hands together,’’ she said.
“My hope is to see more than half of the people elected, working and even at the top, being women. We have a way to go and today we are in a much better place than before.”
Throughout the years Judy Hannan has been on Wollondilly Council she has had a genuine interest in helping other women to run for council members.
But it has been much more than a genuine interest: Ms Hannan has provided individual training and mentoring for young women interested in becoming candidates.
She has also shown her support of women in sport through her role in increasing the involvement of council in the South West Sydney Academy of Sport.
Ms Hannan highlighted the importance of gender diversity in council through the women’s forum she organised. This resulted in around 30 women run for council.
But she also fought for women in other areas: In 2004, after being diagnosed with adeno carcinoma, it was her tireless lobbying that cost prohibitive but highly effective drug Herceptin was added to the PBS, making it available to many women who previously would not have been able to access it.
