Dianne Sykes


21st June 2022

Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie)—I wish to acknowledge and thank the wonderful Dianne Sykes who worked in my electorate office at Toronto since I was first elected 15 years ago. Dianne was my Senior Electorate Officer for all of that time but has now retired to allow more time with her family and grandchildren. There are literally thousands of local people who have been assisted by Dianne over the years in my office. She was unrelenting in pursuing the best outcomes for people who had for whatever reason been caught in a difficult situation, and particularly where she perceived unfairness or injustice. I first met Dianne almost two decades ago when she took a lead role in the community's fight against a proposed open-cut mine that would have run roughly between Cooranbong and Awaba. We won that battle, importantly ensuring that mining in Lake Macquarie can only occur underground. Dianne was an exceptionally competent electorate officer, a great work colleague, a loyal friend to me and very much a relentless champion of the local community. On behalf of the Lake Macquarie community I thank her for all she's done and wish her well in her retirement.


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