When the residents met the candidates

When the residents met the candidates
Susan Saunders

Thursday October 3 saw the Residents 3000 group meet the candidates for the position of Lord Mayor. There were eleven candidates. Russel Howcroft, our compère and moderator for the evening, asked just five questions.

Being a community group that wants to “Connect, Support and Inform” residents who live in the city, Residents 3000 does not partake in politics or align with any particular political philosophy. The purpose of this article is to report on the general issues and aspirations that were expressed by the candidates without attributing them to any one in particular. 

Russel opened the meeting with the comment that “we’re electing the Lord Mayor of one of the great cities of the world. We want to hear creativity and vision. I’m not going to ask the candidates about specific matters. I’m asking open questions. The challenge for the candidates tonight is to demonstrate that they understand the issues of our city and how they’ll tackle them.” 

Each candidate had 90 seconds to provide answers to the questions. Before answering the questions, each panellist was given the opportunity to introduce themselves.

The Questions
  1. What are your thoughts on the city’s economy? What’s your plan?
  2. What’s your assessment of safety in the city? What would you do?
  3. What’s your view on the environment? What do you propose? 
  4. What’s your perspective on creativity and the arts? What’s your vision?
  5. Finally, less than a decade ago we were a city bursting with pride. It appears that pride has waned ... what would you do to get us back to being the luckiest people in the world?

In what follows are some of the themes raised and a few snippets of what was said.

Economy

Melbourne’s economy was returning slowly to pre-COVID levels. Getting workers back to the CBD was a priority. Vacant offices could be converted for residential accommodation to relieve the housing shortage. Melbourne is a renowned city for education, with two of Australia’s best tertiary institutions attracting a large student population. These activities boost the economy. Then there are the big events such as the Australian Open tennis, Grand Prix, and the like. We are a city of innovation. Innovation helps boost the economy. So does tourism.

Safety

More police patrolling the streets. Support services for disturbed and underprivileged people. We need to stamp out drugs and violence. People need to feel safe walking the streets at night. Focus on known “unsafe” areas to discourage bad players. Increase surveillance cameras. 

Find ways to eliminate graffiti, which gives the impression of a city not loved. Keep Melbourne clean and sparkling. Such measures are an indication that the city is under control. 

Environment

Some controversial suggestions. To scrap or retain the Greenline project. Remove or retain the bike lanes in the city. More dog off-leash areas to be set aside. More street trees, more parks, more renewable energy, increase in efficient use of energy. Generally, there was great awareness of climate change pressures and the need for a mindset of making sure the city is continually working to improve its environmental footprint.

Creativity and the Arts

The City of Melbourne should support the arts. 

Pride

Someone said (under their breath) that “we don’t want to end up like Sydney”. Melbourne is proud of its historic buildings and innovative architecture. We have a vibrant multicultural society, a mix of residents, workers, artists and many small unique businesses that give the city its character. But it is also the centre for large businesses and institutions that spread their influence throughout Australia and worldwide.

Conclusion

The format of the meeting gave the candidates the opportunity to express their hopes and aspirations for the City of Melbourne. In many areas there was alignment but often the topic revolved around how to implement the ideas and what were the barriers. Often it was funding or difficulty in bringing state or national government on board to support new ideas.

The meeting showed that the candidates were very positive. There was a lot of enthusiasm for the mission. There was hope and determination to make a better future for the city. 

All the candidates were well prepared, and all spoke well. 

BUT … who among them can make these ideas happen? What is needed is leadership and a deep understanding of how to manage a large organisation to make real progress towards such aspiration.

By the time you read this article, you may know who that person will be.

Next Event 

Residents 3000’s next event topic is “Managing the Body Corporate and Facilities in Multi-story Buildings”. There will be an update on any changes to the laws relating to body corporates.

As usual, the meeting will be held on Thursday, November 7 at the Kelvin Club on Melbourne Place. Start time 6:30pm. For more information: residents3000.com.au.•


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