Over the past term of Council, we have seen the ongoing saga of missed rubbish collections, numerous cost blowouts and project delays. The cause of these issues is poor Council Governance.

It is the role of elected Councillors to set a cohesive vision through the Council Plan, which sets the direction for the term of Council. The Council Plan is one of the most important initiatives for any incoming Council.

Good governance begins by being grounded by the community. It is clear to me that Council has lost touch with the community, requiring the community to mobilise petitions and other forms of advocacy simply to be heard. Getting Council requires even further advocacy, as evidenced by Council’s delays in simply communicating with residents.

I am committed to good governance, just like when I was one of Victoria’s youngest politically independent Mayors in 2010. As Mayor of Maroondah, I introduced community led deputations, which provided a formal and ongoing community connection and I will introduce similar reforms in Port Phillip. I also introduced comprehensive CEO performance reviews which led to improved service delivery – meaning we were able to deliver more for our community.

Following the Council Plan, Councillors must routinely assess the performance of the CEO and the wider organisation. This is where Councillors need to proactively address issues like missed rubbish collections which were the result of poor procurement practices within the City of Port Phillip. Similarly, project delays and cost blowouts need to be addressed while they eventuate. Councillors need to remember that cost blowouts mean less resources are subsequently available to serve our community.

I am committed to our community; unlike other candidates I live locally in my ward and am politically independent – it is the community that has supported my campaign and encouraged me to run.

The community is the foundation in which I stand for Council and will be the heart of all the decisions I make.