Are you a member of a political party, political group, or community advocacy group? (eg; Labor, Liberal, Greens, Socialist, My Place, Angry Victorians, Better West, environment groups, etc)
I am running with Victorian Socialists this council election, and I am also a member of Students for Palestine. We’ve organised school strikes for Palestine, mass student union meetings to cut ties from weapons companies in our universities and to support the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement. Most recently, we organised the picket against Landforces, the biggest weapons expo in Australia.
What is the most important issue facing your electorate?
In the west, we have the worst air pollution in the city. Freight trucks on Somerville and Williamstown roads contaminate the air of homes, schools and childcare centres. Worse, there have been repeated industrial fires in nearby suburbs. Maribyrnong council, especially Yarraville, has the worst hospital admission rates for breathing problems. Young people are being admitted at almost triple the Australian average!
Should/how can Council support local businesses?
Not answered.
Should/how can Council support local creatives and industries?
Council should continue to campaign for the Creative West initiative. While there is no shortage of artistic/cultural institutions there is a lack of large-scale performing arts spaces in Melbourne’s west. Creative West advocates for the redevelopment of Footscray Library into a state-of-art hub with large flexible performance/events venues including for community gathering. Arts grants should also be expanded to emerging artists/collectives. The community deserves, and would benefit from, cultivating local arts initiatives from young and early creatives.
Should/how can Council help alleviate the impact of climate extremes on local communities and ecosystems?
Council should fight for regulations and planning that keep polluting facilities and freight trucks out of residential areas, like establishing Low Emission Zones. It should also prioritise preserving green spaces, like McIvor Reserve. To deal with climate disasters, it would be timely to re-establish a ‘community emergency management plan’ to develop residential adaptation strategies to deal with climate disasters. The Council should also be ambitious in creating an urban forest and urban farming strategy.
Should/how can Council help alleviate cost of living and homelessness?
There are plenty of ways the Council can help with homelessness and the cost of living. It should enforce a 30% minimum public housing on all new large developments, and enact a council-wide audit to identify vacant properties, unused buildings, and under-utilised public and private land that could be used for affordable housing expansion. Council can start tackling food insecurity by increasing funding and expanding support to the Maribyrnong Food Relief network, and by seriously exploring the establishment of a public grocer to combat supermarket artificial inflation. Additionally, Council should look to reverse privatisation and expand council operations in childcare, health, youth, aged and community services.
What should Council stop spending money on?
Paying for private contracts or consultants for services that should be council owned.
Should the public be allowed to ask live, unscripted questions of councillors during council meetings?
Definitely. Motions/questions without notice in meetings is a basic democratic procedure. Council should be more transparent and accountable.
Can you please provide a short personal statement detailing what your priorities are if elected, and what your vision for your electorate looks like.
I want to prioritise community wellbeing. This looks like preserving green spaces that is needed for wildlife habitat, to absorb noise pollution and airborne chemicals from the West Gate Tunnel and freeway, and now as buffer from repeated industrial/chemical fires from nearby suburbs caused by the disregard of health and safety to turn a profit. It also looks like an expanded childcare, health, youth, aged and community services that is council owned.
