philip ruddock

TRANSFORMING Hornsby Quarry into a Centennial Park-style parkland and converting an abandoned Westleigh site into a recreation drawcard is in the pipeline after a secret $90 million in the State Budget was allocated for local projects.

The funds were revealed to the Advocate this week by Hornsby state Liberal MP Matt Kean.

The cash splash will go towards filling the rates gap after suburbs south of the M2 became part of Parramatta Council’s area.

Mr Kean said the $100 million payday was a “record investment” in the shire.

Ride a Day in My Wheels is a fundraising challenge held in Hornsby Shopping Mall every year.

On 9th December this year, Ride a Day saw non-wheelchair riders test their skills, navigating a wheelchair through a circuit of ‘obstacles’, similar to tasks faced by wheelchair users every day. This helps members of the non-wheelchair using general public to understand and experience what people with all types of disability have to do on a daily basis.

There are few constants in politics, but last week there was one fewer, with Philip Ruddock calling time on his distinguished career as a member of Parliament. Elected in 1973 to the marginal seat of Parramatta, Philip's biggest worry at the time was to make his career last longer than six months. Tonight, 42 years later, Philip retires as Australia's second longest serving member of the House of Representatives, second only to Billy Hughes. His journey began learning the trade at the feet of his father, Max. Max was an economist who worked in Canberra as the Deputy Prices Commissioner.