About Greg

aboutGregPiperMP

Greg Piper has been an independent voice for the people of Lake Macquarie for more than 30 years, as a Member of Parliament, Mayor and councillor. He was elected to Lake Macquarie council in 1991, served as Mayor from 2004 until 2012 and has been the State MP for the seat of Lake Macquarie since 2007.

Elected to what was previously considered a safe Labor seat with a winning margin of just 106 votes, he received a resounding vote of confidence from the constituency four years later when he was returned with an increased majority of nearly 10,000.

Greg has lived on the Morisset peninsula for 35 years. He is committed to progressing the economic and social development of the Lake Macquarie electorate while preserving its sensitive environment and the unique, relaxed lifestyle residents enjoy.

It was Greg’s interest in the natural environment that first brought him to public life, and while on council he played a pivotal role in addressing the decline in ecological health of the lake, to a point where Lake Macquarie was subsequently considered to be a model for environmental remediation. In 2007 he was prompted to stand for Parliament by the threat of an open-cut coal mine at Awaba, a proposal the then Labor government moved to veto only hours after he announced his candidature.

Although he maintains a strong environmental focus, Greg is also an economic pragmatist, having been at the forefront of development and planning issues in local and state government. With the western and southern parts of Lake Macquarie earmarked for substantial growth, he advocates for responsible residential, industrial and commercial expansion, supported by infrastructure, that will benefit the community while minimising adverse impacts.

Greg worked as a nurse in mental health and developmental disability at Morisset Hospital for over 25 years, a grounding that helped develop a strong sense of social justice. He describes his politics as generally left leaning, socially progressive and fiscally cautious.

A staunch Independent, Greg has never been a member of a political party. He maintains a good working relationship with both sides of parliament but does not shirk from delivering criticism when it is warranted.

Greg has three adult sons and is a doting grandfather to five girls. He and his wife Lyn raised their family in view of the lake in southern Lake Macquarie. Lyn also worked as a nurse at Morisset Hospital for almost four decades.

He devotes his rare relaxation time tending to his bee hives, motorcycling, paddle-boarding on the lake, playing social tennis, travelling, dabbling in photography and spending time with his granddaughters.