Moved
by Councillor Scully, seconded by the Chair (the Lord Mayor) –
It
is resolved that:
(A)
Council
note:
(i)
the
passing of Victor Pinkerton, social and environmental justice activist, aged
69, on Tuesday 25 October 2022;
(ii)
Victor’s passionate commitment to social justice in
Sydney and across NSW. Victor was a tireless activist and organiser, and an
enthusiastic and well-loved contributor to knowledge and advocacy on a range of
issues important to community, environment, and heritage. Victor was well known
for his work opposing WestConnex, coal seam gas and coal mining and
overdevelopment, including recent activism against the demolition of Willow
Grove, the Western Harbour Tunnel, and the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall,
as well as long standing support for LGBTQIA+ rights, Indigenous rights and
social justice causes;
(iii)
Victor had a long connection with Sydney: born in
King George V Hospital in Camperdown, he completed an apprenticeship as an
electrician with Sydney County Council, and went on to spent 18 months in
Darwin restoring power to buildings following Cyclone Tracy. He later
contributed to the refurbishment of the iconic Queen Victoria Building and the
heritage-listed Bondi Outfalls Project;
(iv)
Victor’s activism may have been sparked by an early
injustice: his family home in Ultimo was demolished for the Western Distributor
in the early 1970s, and throughout his life he continued to fight for the
rights of those who found their own places in the city swept away by decisions
of government, or who found that people and planet were being left behind in
the quest for profit and power;
(v)
he was known for his insightful and funny
awareness-raising email newsletters: journalist Wendy Bacon said she considered
him a citizen journalist for his careful reading and very regular commentary
which kept many informed on the political issues of the day;
(vi)
Victor lived by his father’s words “Treat others
the way you’d like to be treated” and was often out providing support for
homeless people living under the Wentworth Park viaducts. He was a formative
member of the WestConnex protest camp established in Sydney Park in 2016, and
he used his technical skills to maintain the camp, to help develop a camp code
of conduct and to keep the multi-generational community around the camp
connected and committed during the round-the-clock protest and occupation which
lasted more than 15 months;
(vii)
Victor was a warm, genuine and caring person, who
dedicated himself to the preservation and restoration of Sydney and NSW’s
character and natural environment. Community groups across the City have shared
their memories of Victor and their gratitude for his advocacy. He always showed
up for the issues that mattered, contributed above and beyond the call of duty,
and was able to connect to people and communities. His energy and optimism was
legendary, and he will be sorely missed;
(B)
all
present in the meeting take one minute of silence to honour the memory of
Victor Pinkerton; and
(C)
the Lord
Mayor be requested to write to Victor Pinkerton’s family expressing the
Council's sincere condolences on his passing.
Carried
unanimously.
X086654