Australian politicians of all parties are paying tribute to former New South Wales Premier Neville Wran, who died on Sunday aged 87 after suffering from dementia.
A state funeral is planned for the well respected Labor figure, who led the state for a decade from 1976 until 1986.
Former NSW Premier Neville Wran in 2006. Photo: AAP
In a statement on Monday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott described Mr Wran as "one of the most significant figures of his generation" and a man who "made his mark on NSW and Australia".
Mr Wran's legacy includes introducing Lotto, rate-pegging for councils, random breath testing, the Land and Environment Court, and laws allowing homosexual acts between consenting adults, the ABC reports.
He also triggered the redevelopment of Darling Harbour and built the Sydney Entertainment Centre, but once said his proudest achievement had been creating national parks.
New South Wales Liberal Premier Mike Baird said Mr Wran's family had accepted the offer of a state funeral.
"It is an entirely appropriate tribute to a man who has left his mark on this state. He was pivotal in relation to electricity, privatisation of rail networks. He was pivotal in relation to the natural environment. He was pivotal in relation to broad parliamentary reform. He was a hero of the Labor Party."
Bob Carr, the only premier to continuously lead NSW for longer than Mr Wran, said he was a vital part of the party's revival after the demise of Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam.
"After the turbulence of the Whitlam years, his genius was to see that Labor needed to offer and deliver what he called 'moderate and stable government'. He quickly demonstrated that he could dominate the parliament, win arguments in the media through his savviness [and] neutralise the business sector."
While Mr Wran edged new issues onto the political agenda, he never lost sight of the importance of employment and a strong economy, Mr Carr said.
