Darebin Council

✓ Corporate Accountability

As your former mayor, seeking re-election, I am dedicated to enhancing transparency and accountability within Darebin's local government. A cornerstone of my approach is to reintroduce ward meetings and informal community gatherings. These meetings will provide a platform where residents and businesses can directly engage with councillors. It's an opportunity to discuss community concerns, suggest improvements, and foster a closer relationship between the council and its constituents.

I believe in open consultation and dialogue on local issues. By collaborating closely with public community organisations like DADA (Darebin Appropriate Development Association) and DWAC (Darebin Women's Advisory Committee), and actively seeking feedback from advisory committees, we can ensure that our decisions truly reflect the needs and aspirations of the Darebin community.

Additionally, I recognise the need for a more user-friendly Darebin website. As part of my commitment to transparency, I will prioritise upgrading our online platform to make it easier to navigate, find necessary forms, and access vital information. This upgrade will also include better integration and recognition of neighbourhood house services, ensuring that our website serves as a comprehensive resource for all Darebin residents.

Together, let's build a Darebin where transparency, accessibility, and community engagement are at the heart of everything we do. With your support, we can create meaningful change and improve outcomes for all members of our vibrant communit

✓ Housing Development

I fully support the Darebin housing strategy. Developers must meet quotas to address the housing needs of families who currently cannot afford to reside in our area. Darebin is rich in socio-economic diversity, and I am committed to protecting and enhancing this diversity. Reservoir, in particular, is ranked as disadvantaged in socio-economic terms by geographic area.

Affordability is closely tied to one’s income, and we must support affordable housing for those earning less than $500 per week. Discounted rentals should be made available to low and middle-income workers.

Supporting affordable housing ensures that our elderly community can continue to live in Darebin rather than being forced into nursing homes. This also maintains the diversity of our residents. As our community grows, household sizes shrink, our population ages, and young families increase.

To accommodate our growing and changing population, a variety of housing types is essential. This will ensure that people of all ages and circumstances have easy access to shops, services, and transport.

Utilising council land could provide opportunities for affordable housing with sustainable, high-quality design. There are pockets of council land or rundown housing that can be better utilised to improve the amenity and lifestyle for low-income residents in Darebin.