Good evening, I would like to pay my respects to the Wurunjeri people. I acknowledge that we are meeting on their traditional lands and I offer my respects to the Wurunjeri Elder past, present and future and to all aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
I am greatly honoured to be elected as the Mayor of Moreland.
I would like to acknowledge our previous Mayor, Councillor Samantha Ratnam, for her tremendous efforts and commitment to the community, and to congratulate her on receiving the resounding endorsement of the constituents of the South Ward in the recent election.
Your dedication, integrity, intelligence and activism are qualities I truly admire. It is an honour to take over from you as mayor. You provided a wonderful example of leadership, You have lead by inclusion, by offering support to all councillors and by encouraging other councillors to fulfil their passion for particular projects. You recognise that by harnessing the sum of all our talents it produces better outcomes for the city we serve.
I am thankful to the people of the North West Ward for re-electing me for this term. As an independent councillor, I have no political affiliation. Those who voted for me voted on my policies, my beliefs
1 | P a g e and my vision, and they have entrusted me with re-election and I will continue to do what is best for the people of Moreland. It is truly an honour and a privilege.
I congratulate the other returning Councillors: Cr, Ratnam, Cr Tapinos, Cr Bolton, Cr Yildiz and Cr Kavanagh. And I welcome and congratulate newly elected Councillors: Cr Riley, Cr Carli-Hannan, Cr Irfanli and Cr Martin, I believe the community has made the right decision in electing a Council that is talented, passionate and visionary.
The term of a councillor is a short period of time – 4 years – which does pass quickly where as individuals and as a group we can achieve many lasting things for the people of Moreland. Many of these achievements will go unnoticed but that does not reduce their importance, nor the satisfaction that comes from being part of these accomplishments. The role also requires us to make hard decisions and this is when our leadership qualities come to the fore.
I am but one of eleven councillors and who come from every corner of this municipality and I look forward to working with you over the next four years and continuing our work for this community.
2 | P a g e For the coming 12 months I will dedicate myself to this role and will be steadfast in continuing to serve in the best interest of the people of Moreland. I will continue to advocate on issues the people of Moreland hold dear, I will continue to conduct myself with honesty, I will continue to act with fairness and will continue to value inclusiveness.
I also look forward to working closely with the CEO Nerina Di Lorenzo, a woman whom I admire greatly, the Moreland Executive Group and all staff.
Each person around this table has their own experiences that have contributed to their desire to represent the citizens of Moreland and these experiences have resulted in our shared desire to serve. However, each of our individual circumstances are different and so I’d like to explain who I am and what motivates me in public life.
I have lived in Moreland, for 30 years and I have developed a love for this municipality and am thankful for all that it has given me. I remember the street I walked down as a child to get to the Glenroy Library. In spring it was full of tall trees with pink and white blossoms and in winter the leaves were burgundy and would collect on the nature strip and in puddles (which probably was not such a
3 | P a g e good thing to have an uneven surface on the foot path but I thoroughly enjoyed jumping in the puddles.) I spent many hours in summer at the Oak Park pools putting my hand on the pink elephant’s trunk and redirecting the water that came out and getting a 10 ticket ride pass for the big blue slide. I enjoyed going up to the Glenroy shopping strip and coming home with treats from the baker or hotdogs from the butcher.
These are the small but significant memories that I cherish and they translate into urban planning, sporting facilities and supporting local businesses which are all facets of this council.
As an only child my parents became my best friends my father, Robert Davidson, has a great love of literature and every morning without fail he would read to me. He loves classical literature and he would fill my imagination of peoples plights from differing settings and differing times. They excited me and motivated me and for that dad I will be forever grateful to you. I often thought our house looked more like a library and was convinced of this when my dad started to arrange the books in alphabetical order.
My mother, Nancy Davidson, has been my hero. She was older mum and I saw from the earliest of times the importance of being compassionate and caring for others. Mum I remember you visiting elderly people in our street, taking them shopping or picking up their
4 | P a g e medication from the pharmacist. You made me realise that it was natural to help others. You taught me to listen quietly, to act compassionately and to always strive to learn more and try to grow as a person. If I could sum it up I would say that you taught me to live a life that is of use to others. It is a responsibility that I believe each councillor has recognised and as an organisation, I believe that Moreland fulfils this as well.
When I look back and reflect I can see how many of my childhood memories have motivated me throughout my working life. I worked as a Family and child protection Lawyer for Victoria Legal Aid in the Broadmeadows office. Working for Victoria Legal Aid was a deliberate choice. It is an organisation that assists the most vulnerable members of our community, those who cannot afford the exorbitant fees of a private law firm and people who may have many difficulties in their life, including mental health issues, drug and alcohol problems. These are the people in most need. They often need a voice, and passionate advocate to take their issue, tell their story and navigate an often complex legal system.
Being elected as a Councillor in 2012 was an extension of my desire to reach out and further assist members of this municipality. I am strongly committed to this community and will serve it with energy and passion. And if this is what I can be remembered for after my term as mayor I will have accomplished what I set out to do.
5 | P a g e I will mention one other Councillor, Councillor John Kavanagh who was the first Independent mayor to be elected in 2011. Councillor Kavanagh has served this community since 2004 and I have had the privilege to work with him since then. From the onset he has been a mentor and a friend. You continue to be an inspiration to me and I am looking forward to the coming years.
5. Now as we look ahead, there are a range of challenges on the horizon for Moreland’s seventh Council. Moreland, like all other metropolitan Councils, is experiencing the challenge of high population growth. In fact, we are growing at the largest and fastest rate in our history. Our municipality is visibly changing and our land value is increasing quickly. We know that our citizens are relying on us over the coming term to make sure Moreland is ready for the future and continues to be a vibrant, compassionate and livable place. 6. In a growing city, we know our citizens are concerned about the amount of development, and want us to ensure high quality standards are put in place. Our role in guiding development and advocating to the state government has never been more important than it is right now.
6 | P a g e We have worked hard to come up with a balanced approach to managing development. To date we have had some significant successes, such as getting mandatory sustainability and environmentally friendly building and design elements adopted. We have also had some innovative developments in our city like ‘The Nightingale’ in Brunswick. 7. But we have also had unsuccessful attempts to persuade State Governments to allow us to introduce mandatory height limits in our activity centers. Similarly, our attempts to introduce design and building standards for apartments, have been knocked back. As a new Council, we recommit ourselves to pursuing good quality in development decisions and advocating to the State Government for continued improvement initiatives. 8. In a growing city, we know our citizens want good transport alternatives. Moreland has had a strong history of supporting and advocating for alternative transport modes to ease the pressure on our roads. We have had some great success, for example, we have the second highest number of regular cycling commuters in the nation. Also, after many years of advocacy, Premier Andrews has committed to removing the three main level crossings in Moreland, with works to commence before the 2018 State election.
7 | P a g e But we must continue, to improve public transport services and other active transport modes in our city. 9. In a growing city, we know our citizens want us to make sure we are planning for future open space and recreational needs. This year, in partnership with the State Government, there will be netball courts built at Charles Mutton Reserve, Cole Reserve, the J.P. Fawkner Sporting Precinct, Martin Reserve and Morris Reserve. This Council term will also be the first where we start to actively plan for and take steps to acquire open space on a proactive basis with our future population in mind. 10. In a growing city, we know our citizens want us to do more to manage the way construction sites are being managed. This year we are starting the review of Councils Local Law and of our construction management practices. This presents us with a big opportunity to change how we control and monitor building sites. 11. In a growing city, we know energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and keeping the city cool are concerns for our citizens. In this past year we have completed the bulk change-over of old street lighting technology across the entire municipality. LED lights are both cost and energy efficient and provide better light, making our public areas safer at night.
8 | P a g e Our Zero Carbon Evolution Strategy set out an ambitious plan to reduce carbon emissions across Moreland. We are making steady progress, even against a backdrop of a Commonwealth Government that has removed subsidies for domestic solar installation. Council is leading by example with the installation of solar cells across Council facilities, which are significantly reducing Moreland’s carbon footprint, and we are implementing strategies to overcome the heat island effect by planting more than 5,000 trees this year alone. 12. In a growing city, affordable housing will remain a high priority for us and our citizens. This year Council established a Moreland Affordable Housing organisation and a land trust to provide better opportunities for Moreland residents to find accommodation. In the year ahead, Council will be testing what has been set up this year, through the exploration of a demonstration housing project. 13. In a growing city, there are many challenges, and this Council continues its commitment to plan for the future. At the same time, we know the local government sector is going through a cycle of reform which also poses challenges to us during the coming term. 14. The Municipal Rate Cap introduced by the State Government will mean significantly less revenue for Council over the coming years to deliver its many projects and services.
9 | P a g e These changes will really begin to have an impact during our term of office. This new financial environment means the choices we make about where to spend money in the community become more important than ever. 15.
Looking forward to the next year, Moreland will continue progressing its ambitious agenda of project and service delivery. 18. One of our first and most important tasks as a new Council will be to develop the new Council Plan and Five Year Financial Plan. It is our responsibility to establish our plans and priorities for the next four years and beyond. How we manage our growing community and respond to the pressure of development while maintaining the things we all love about Moreland will be a delicate balancing act. 19. Over the past year the last Council developed a strategy to fund the renewal of the Oak Park Aquatic Centre, an incredibly important and much loved community asset. The project is expected to cost 26 million dollars, and is by far the biggest single project in Moreland’s history.
10 | P a g e The design is complete and it will now be our role to make the decision to build this project and commence construction in this coming year. 20. Construction of the impressive Pascoe Vale Community Facility commenced earlier this year and is due to be completed in 2017. We anticipate this facility will become a very important community hub, available to all residents, community groups and local service providers. 21. The past year has seen Council commence work to respond to the Federal Government reforms for Aged Care and the National Disability Scheme. These reforms fundamentally shift the way clients will receive these services in the future, and this will be a challenge for Council as we consider how to best to serve our community in this changing environment. It is our responsibility as a council to ensure the more vulnerable members of our community are cared for. 22. We will also continue to shape and design improvements to important community infrastructure assets over the coming year, including Merlynston Hall, the former Glenroy Primary School site, the new Coburg Children’s centre and the future construction for stages 2 and 3 of the Oxygen Youth Centre. 23.
11 | P a g e In the coming year there will major streetscape works around Moreland. Works will start on Sydney Road, Coburg in January, which will significantly improve one of our most iconic thoroughfares. Streetscape works will also continue in activity centers such as Pascoe Vale. 24. When I look around at my colleagues tonight, I can’t help but be excited about this new term and what it brings. We are a diverse group of Councillors, from all parts of the political spectrum. This may mean that we bring different ideas and views to the table. It may also mean that we won’t always agree unanimously on every issue. But it doesn’t have to stop us from working as a team. It doesn’t have to stop us from being unified in our purpose to serve our community, and I call on all Councillors to let our diversity be our strength. 25. It is both my honour and pleasure to serve as your Mayor for the coming year, and I will work faithfully with my fellow Councillors to serve our citizens and advance this city, that we all love. Thank you
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