Copyright (2004) Vema

From October, 2002. Vema. 3/31.

Vaucluse resident and Bondi Junction based solicitor, John Comino, was appointed Mayor of Woollhara Council for a second term. John is the first Councillor and Mayor of Greek origin.

According to John Comino, the hot issues confronting the Council over the next 12 months will continue to be planning and development, with a special focus on achieving good urban design and heritage conservation outcomes.

Just one week after being re-elected Mayor he is involved in hosting one of the most important planning and design conferences of the year for the Planning Institute of Australia. The conference themed Designing our Future, was held at Double Bay from 18-20 September, 2002, and debated how planning and urban design should influence the future of our cities, town, and regional and rural areas in New South Wales.

The three day conference will debate the latest issues facing planning, the latest urban design technologies, the impact of social change on planning, planning and designing for our sensitive coastline and rural environments, the challenges of heritage protection and the increasing demands for sustainable development.
"In addition to focussing on planning and development issues and improving customer service the Council is also supporting a range of cultural events and initiatives," Cr Comino said.

"Earlier this year we hosted a very successful Greek Cultural Day in the grounds of the Council, and we are about to launch the 2002 Woollhahra Sculpture Prize in October", he said.

Cr. Comino is a member of the Law Society of NSW, and is a former Director of Southern Sydney Waste Board.

John is an active member of Sydney's Greek Community. He is a member of the Kytherian Association of Australia, and a Life Member of the Castellorizian Club. He is also a member of the St. George Greek Orthodox Parish of Rose Bay.

John was instrumental in establishing the Greek Legal Referral Centre, which assists disadvantaged members of the Greek community through provision of advice, support and referral. Due to Councillor and Mayoral commmitments John has taken temporary leave of absence from his position as a long term member of the Governing Body of the Greek Welfare Centre.

John is married to Elly, and has a daughter, Jana, aged 13, and a son, Christopher, aged 12.

John is partner of Comino Prassas, a legal firm in Bondi Junction.

[John is also the grandson of Ioannis D Kominos, former, Honorary President of the Greek Community of New South Wales, and publisher and distributor of Zoi stin Australia, a very important publication, encouraging Kytherian and Greek migration to Australia in the late 1910's and beyond.
Numerous other references to this important book, Life in Australia exist at kythera-family, and can be readily accessed by utilising the internal search engine.]