It’s the end of an era in Penrith, with the new-look Council to not feature Kevin Crameri.
The vocal Independent was first elected to Council in 1974, serving one term before returning for three consecutive terms from 1987 until 1999.
He returned to Council in 2004 but after this 20-year stint, declared that it was time to hand the reigns over.
Crameri ran second on Glenn Gardiner’s Independent ticket in this past weekend’s Local Government Election and as the count continues to roll in, it seems Crameri won’t be returning to the Council Chambers – a reality he expected.
Crameri began his political career 50 years ago, saying he was misled into running for Council.
“I was tricked into it!” Crameri said.
“I was at home with my fiancée, I’d just cooked tea and this fellow just knocked on the door. He asked me all about the roads and blah blah blah, and I’m saying ‘Yeah, yeah’ trying to get rid of him.
“Anyway, he went away and a fortnight later he came back and knocked on the door again. I said ‘Yeah?’ and he said, ‘Time to sign the papers’ and I said, ‘What papers?’ and he said, ‘You said you would stand for Council’.
“My father taught me a man’s word is his bond, so yeah [I said yes]…”
During his time on Council Crameri served as both Mayor and Deputy Mayor but said he still wishes he did more for his community.
“I was Mayor for a one-year term and a two-year term. I was a Deputy Mayor somewhere along the line as well,” Crameri said.
“I’ve been on many committees, but the Liberal and Labor parties joined together eight years ago and at the last election they excluded me from any committees whatsoever.
“I managed to get onto the flood committee because I was the chair of that, but they have been against the Independents for the last eight years and it’s making it difficult. I can’t do justice to the people because of these hypocrites.”
Crameri said while he is not a Councillor anymore, he will still continue to advocate for the community.
“We haven’t heard the end of it yet because there are people out there who are still suffering from Council’s action and inactions. I’m going to take it further from outside of Council,” Crameri said.
“I don’t care if I upset people here. I’ve already told the General Manager I’m going to do it… It’s not sour grapes, it is because of the actions and inactions of this Council that I just can’t completely walk away. That’s why I stood the last two times, and I still couldn’t get those things sorted out. I couldn’t do it from within Council… I’ll do it from outside of Council.”
Looking back on his career, Crameri said he is most proud of getting the roads in the rural areas of Penrith tarred.
“Probably [proudest of] the tarring of roads to everybody’s driveway,” Crameri said.
“Because we had dirt roads everywhere and some people had trouble getting into their house when it rained.”
Getting tricked into running for Council is something Crameri is glad to have happened.
“Yeah I am glad I got tricked into it because then I was able to make a lot of difference for the community,” he said.
Crameri offered the new Councillors some advice.
“To thyself be true, I think is what Shakespeare said,” Crameri said.
“Don’t take notice of the hierarchy of your party. If you’re not there to represent the people, you shouldn’t be there. They should be true to themselves and to the people.”
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.