Chalking up 20 years as an elected councillor this week, Maribyrnong mayor Catherine Cumming is adamant she still has unfinished business.
The Stony Creek ward councillor says she is proud to be starting her third decade in local government, extending a tenure that stretches back almost to the creation of Maribyrnong council in 1994 when Footscray merged with part of the city of Sunshine.
Cr Cumming said her survival through seven terms has been full of ups and downs, but always an “interesting ride”.
“The more I do it, the more I love it,” she said.
“Because I grew up in Footscray, seeing how it has improved in the last 20 years has been really enjoyable.”
The acquisition of her home as a teenager awoke her to the direct role of government in people’s lives, but it was the decision to change the name of her beloved Doggies that fired her passion for politics.
“When [then club president] David Smorgon came out and said he was changing from Footscray Bulldogs to Western Bulldogs because Footscray had a stigma to it, I was infuriated,” she said.
“All these people had an opinion on Footscray, even if they had never been here.”
Cr Cumming said the council has come a long way in 20 years, clawing its way out of heavy debt.
She is proud of the improvements that have been made to Whitten Oval, the saving of local libraries, and the creation of the Braybrook Hub and library.
The Bulldogs’ first premiership since 1954 has coincided with her term as a mayor, and remains a highlight.
A mother of five, Cr Cumming said she hopes she is leaving a positive legacy for her own children as well as the broader community.
Her next mission is improved public housing in Braybrook, and she still hasn’t lost hope in a revival of the abandoned Westlink project.
“Not many people get this opportunity, and I just want to make the most of it, especially speaking up for those most in need in our community.”
