Cr Simon Crawford
Local government elections are held every four years and the next election will be held in October of this year.
While it has been an honour to represent the interests of our local community as a councillor for the past eight years (two terms), I have decided not to run for the role again as I think it is important to share the leadership of our city.
I feel two terms (eight years) is long enough to make a positive impact on our community, and will now support others to run in my place.
Democracy is stronger when more people actively participate, it’s that simple! I want to encourage residents with diverse opinions and experiences to engage in local government – what really matters is your connection to the community. You may not think you know much about being a councillor, but Maribyrnong needs candidates of all genders, ages, backgrounds, abilities and experiences who can actively represent the interests of our diverse community.
It is also important that we encourage more people from under-represented groups to stand for council this year. The state government is looking to close the gender gap in councils by 2025 and to achieve this goal, at least 1000 women need to run for council across Victoria.
It’s encouraging to see initiatives such as the Women Leading Locally Program underway, providing women across the state with the skills and resources to advance their leadership ambitions and campaign with confidence.
If you’re passionate about community and can run for council, you should seriously consider it. If you’re unable to run, please make the effort to understand what each candidate stands for to ensure you vote for the person that best represents the community’s needs – it is important to understand their policies and how they plan to implement them. For example, if someone says they will reduce council rates, they also need to say which council services, programs or capital works they would be willing to cut to allow for the rate reduction.
Remember, the more involved we are in our democracy the stronger it will be. I am happy for anyone interested in getting more involved to contact me. Otherwise, you’ll find key dates and details of the election process on Maribyrnong City Council’s website, maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/About/2024-Council-Elections, or through the Victorian Electoral Commission.
