From the redevelopment of Riverside Theatres to the 2050 vision of the city, Lord Mayor Pierre Esber has been involved in plenty of major accomplishments for Parramatta during his 25 years on Council. Now, he’s getting ready to pass the baton.
As we enter the final countdown for the Local Government Election and more and more corflutes pop up around the city, there’s one long-time Councillor who’s noticeably absent from campaigning – but Esber says he has no regrets about not contesting for a seventh term.
“I feel good actually. I’m more than happy about the decision I’ve taken and I’m looking forward to doing other ventures in my life – that’s one chapter closed and another chapter open,” he told Parra News.
“25 years on Council; it’s been really good, I’ve really enjoyed it. Like anything, to make change is like turning a ship around but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and what I’ve achieved with my colleagues on Council.”
Having worked in Parramatta, raised a family in Parramatta and been born in Parramatta, Esber has already seen plenty of changes to the city during his time. He said he can’t wait to see what’s in store for its future.
“It’s only going to get bigger and better and stronger,” he added.
“By the back end of 2026 the airport will be open for business, we’ll have some hotels up and running in Parramatta and I’m looking forward to seeing the activity in Parramatta.”
Elected to the former Parramatta City Council from 1999 to 2016, where he also served as Deputy Lord Mayor from September 2001 to September 2002, Esber joined the City of Parramatta Council in September 2017.
Voted in as Parramatta’s Lord Mayor in September 2023, the Labor Councillor said he has many highlights from his time on Council.
“The biggest one for me at the moment is the Parramatta 2050 [vision],” he said.
“It will put Parramatta on the map, and with the airport coming on board it creates jobs, it creates wealth, it creates employment and I think it’s very important that we do that.
“Parramatta Lanes Festival has been fantastic, we had a record-breaking Lanes Festival last year, and the announcement of the $188 million redevelopment of Riverside Theatres, I think that’s something really important.”
Supporting the NSW Government’s housing reforms, the opening of the Parramatta Aquatic Centre and the ABC coming to Parramatta are also notable achievements, according to Esber.
He’s hoping SBS will soon follow the ABC’s lead.
“The ABC coming into Parramatta, that’s a milestone, and I’m looking forward to SBS coming to Parramatta. Hopefully the SBS will make the decision to come into Parramatta and follow the ABC,” he added.
Thanking the community for their support over the last 25 years, Esber has high hopes for City of Parramatta Council’s next term.
“I just hope that they put the city first and they’ll work together, which they will, and I’ve seen the candidates that are running and there’s quite a lot of good candidates running,” he said.
“They’ve got a good platform to work from and they can move forward.”
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.