Tributes are right now coming in following the death of the mayor of Sydney’s largest local government area.
Blacktown mayor Tony Bleasdale has died on a flight coming home from China.
In a statement, Blacktown City Council said: “He loved working for the community and forged countless friendships with people from all backgrounds. His loss will be felt deeply.”
Bleasdale was first elected as a councillor in 1996, before serving as deputy mayor from 2016 until 2019.
In October 2019, he was appointed by other councillors to serve as mayor and remained in the role continuously until his death.
At the most recent local elections in 2021, he was re-elected leading the Labor Party ticket in Ward 5, which had more than 54% of the vote.
Blacktown has a population of more than 400,000 people, making it the most populous LGA in Sydney.
Bleasdale was 77.