PEOPLE Never too busy URBANDRIVER 33 DR MICHELLE BYRNE IS FIRST TO ADMIT she gets a buzz out of being busy. Her professional career began as a cancer researcher at the University of Technology Sydney, and at the age of 29 she became the youngest female councillor for The Hills Shire. Later she became the youngest ever Mayor and only the third female Mayor of the shire in 109 years, and in between managed to have twins and complete a law degree. At one point she was a city councillor, researcher and studying law at the same time. She now has a law degree and a doctorate. “I joined council in 2008 because I wanted to have a say in the decisions being made about the future of the area,” Dr Byrne says. “I grew up in The Hills and I certainly loved growing up here. I wanted to have children and wanted them to enjoy The Hills that I enjoyed growing up in.” After becoming a councillor, Dr Byrne continued working in research until 2012 when she was elected Mayor of The Hills the first time. “At that point I had to make a decision between two very different careers,” she says. “In some ways they’re not so different. I still use my research skills today, things like reasoning, analysing and scratching around for funding and budgeting. “The difference is that with research you can spend all day alone, but in this job, I am always with people, always out in the community, which I love. “Both give you an opportunity to make a difference. In this role we are trying to find ways to improve infrastructure and improve the lives of residents.” Dr Byrnes says growing up in The Hills was very family friendly and community oriented. “I still love that. There is a very high-level community spirit here, and it’s an area that really bonds,” she says. “We laugh together, we cry together and we work together to solve community issues like domestic violence and homelessness. There’s a real sense of belonging in The Hills. “That’s the real challenge for the council going forward, to protect that community spirit despite the difficult transformations going on around us.” Dr Byrne took a year off as Mayor in 2015 to have her identical twin daughters Maddison and Alexis. That’s when she finished her law degree and did her practical legal training, skills that come in handy today as Mayor, especially in analysing contracts and poring over legal documents. In 2017, she became the first popularly elected Mayor of The Hills following a change in the voting system. Mayors were previously elected by councillors. While she has immersed herself into the mayoral role, public life was never on the radar for Dr Byrne early in her career. “I wanted to be the world’s greatest researcher, I wanted to cure cancer, but then the opportunity to join the council and become involved really pushed me out of my comfort levels and I absolutely love it,” she says. “Every morning I spring out of bed knowing that I have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of residents. I love meeting them and I love hearing what their issues are and trying to solve them. “At the moment, there’s a fear of over- development along with the need for infrastructure, and there are a lot of changes going on in The Hills so it’s about letting them see that it’s not all bad. “The Hills is the greatest place on earth to live, but at the moment we are experiencing a significant increase in population, which is a great problem to have. More and more people are choosing to live in The Hills but it does present its challenges. “Among those is traffic and congestion, and of course the Metro is assisting with that.” The Metro is making a big difference already in moving people around the shire, and also moving people from the shire into the city. “It’s also starting to have an impact on our roads. It already feels as though there’s less traffic out there,” she says. “Council is currently monitoring the benefits of the Metro to determine the full impact on the community over time.” Apart from major infrastructure projects such as the Metro, Dr Byrne is pushing to create more sporting fields, open space, cycle ways and bridges. “We’re working towards future generations having everything they need right here in The Hills,” she says However,despitegeneralcommunityconcerns, Dr Byrne says growth has its positives. “You have opportunities for better infrastructure, and we’ve seen that with the Metro, the Parramatta Eels coming to The Hills and there are more and more businesses setting up here,” she says. “That means jobs for local residents, and we want to get to the point where there is no reason to leave The Hills. You can grow up here, go to university here and work here. “We have an economic development team working with businesses in The Hills every single day of the week. We are looking for the challenges that face businesses and the hurdles of coming to The Hills. “Along with change come opportunities. It’s our job to manage that growth and not allowing over-development to occur. It’s a hard ask, but it’s doable. “My vision is to create an engaged and inclusive community where everyone feels they belong and are valued, as well as to ensure we create a quality of lifestyle for our current and future residents.” Dr Byrnes’ favourite place in The Hills is Bella Vista Farm. “It’s the green lung of The Hills, it holds a lot of the region’s history, and it has sheep. My kids absolutely love it. It’s a great community space,” she says. And a hard question but an obvious answer, choosing between being Mayor and being a Mum, the choice is clear. “I love both but the most rewarding job and the one that I love most is being mother to my twin daughters,” she says.