Meet the candidates for City of Yarra in the 2024 Victorian Council Elections
Yarra council candidates are pitching directly to you, in videos arguing why you should vote for them. See what they had to say.
Inner East
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More than 50 people have put their hand up for a spot on Yarra council.
Yarra City Council will have nine wards with one councillor in each ward.
It previously had three wards with three councillors in each.
Wondering how the elections will run? Check out our comprehensive FAQ guide here.
For the names of every candidate running across Victoria, see the full list.
Boulevard Ward (1 vacancy)
Sarah McRitchie
Sarah McRitchie is an independent running for the Boulevard ward.
She said there were too many impermeable surfaces and not enough soft landscaping, causing a “heat island effect” in the City of Yarra.
Ms McRitchie said there was also too much traffic congestion and not enough pedestrian-friendly corridors.
“Richmond has three very busy thoroughfares (Swan St, Bridge Rd and Victoria St) from the eastern suburbs to the city, which are also our high streets and central to #3121 life,” she said.
Ms McRitchie said while she was initially supportive of e-scooters as an “easy and practical solution to traffic congestion” she had been left “bitterly disappointed with the way people have been leaving them across footpaths, driveways and wherever they run out of juice”.
“Because of this I’d be happy to see the back of them,” she said.
“The City of Yarra has plenty of options when it comes to getting around and quite frankly, considering congestion and parking, anyone living in Richmond would be crazy not to walk if possible.”
The Boulevard candidate said she would also be campaigning on lifting urban density levels.
“Thoughtful design of low-rise developments, including social housing, should be mandated rather than high-rise public housing,” she said.
“The council should work with developers to ensure green spaces are maximised to create green oases for residents and the community to enjoy, particularly in the heat.
“The key to clever urbanfill is to keep community connected by creating pockets of well-serviced neighbourhoods.”
The Richmond local said she was supportive of the nearby safe injecting room but was looking forward to the City of Melbourne opening a second location.
“I am not against this facility, in fact I visited it when Covic first impacted our lives as I had my first nasal swab there,” she said.
“I know it has made a difference for the local community, particularly for the kids and staff at West Richmond Primary School.
“Safe Injecting Rooms are a necessary service for any city and I hope the City of Melbourne finds a city location soon, just to take some of the heat and hate off the one in Richmond.”
Sharon Harrison
Sharon Harrison is running as a candidate for the Boulevard ward in the Yarra council election.
Ms Harrison is an academic with a PhD in philosophy and is a project manager of Hazelwood Health Study at Monash University, a 10-year $27m research program.
Ms Harrison said the main issues that needed to be addressed by council were roads, rubbish and rates, stormwater upgrades, investment in green spaces and public facilities and fiscal responsibility to avoid rate increases.
Ms Harrison said development and urban growth needed to be balanced with maintaining green open spaces to ensure that “housing that is built is not a blight on our neighbourhoods”.
“While more housing is required across Melbourne, Yarra — and Richmond in particular — has done a lot of the heavy lifting,” she said.
“Council also needs to ensure that there is adequate parking available in new developments, given the pressure on parking in Yarra.”
Ms Harrison said Yarra council needed to improve obsolete stormwater infrastructure that left up to 22,179 that are “liable to flooding”.
“Council needs to work with the state government to ensure that Yarra’s 19th century stormwater infrastructure is upgraded and the risk of flooding is mitigated as part of plans for greater development in Yarra,” she said.
Regarding the Richmond injecting room, Ms Harrison said the location of the controversial site needed to be reconsidered, possibly closer to St Vincent’s Hospital.
“I am concerned about the impact that the medically supervised injecting room is having on the local community, and its location next to the public housing towers and a primary school,” she said.
“There have been anecdotal reports of overdoses in the streets in this area, so there are clearly issues around drug users who are not using the MSIR and are using drugs in the surrounding streets.
“A location closer to St Vincent’s hospital would mean a MSIR would be located closer to the CBD, where there continues to be a number of overdoses. This would also mean that those overdosing would be closer to the hospital where they would receive medical care.
“Now that St Vincent’s Hospital is part of the consortium involved in running the MSIR, and after the State government bowed to significant public opposition and decided against setting up a MSIR in the CBD, the location of the MSIR in North Richmond needs to be (reconsidered).”
Ms Harrison said e-scooters and e-bikes were impacting accessibility for residents with disabilities.
“I am very concerned about the number of e-scooters that are being ridden on the pavements in major thoroughfares like Bridge Rd and Swan St, even though these streets are supposed to be geofenced to stop this,” she said.
“Last week I attended the hearing for the VCAT Human Rights list case brought by Richmond resident and disability advocate Shane Hryhorec. What I heard was very concerning.
“There needs to be a review of the impact of e-scooters before the scheme is made permanent. We need to ensure that geofencing is rolled out properly and e-scooters are not parked in inappropriate locations, noting that 25 per cent of Yarra’s 400km of pavements are 1.5m or less.”
Ms Harrison said she was not a member of a political party. She said she was endorsed by the Yarra for All association and was a member of the National Tertiary Education Union.
Campbell Watkins
Campbell Watkins is running for the Boulevard ward.
He has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
According to his VEC questionnaire, Mr Watkins wants to make the City of Yarra a “cleaner and safer council, enjoyable for all residents”.
A Yarra local for 15 years, Mr Watkins said his expertise or attributes that would help if he were elected were that he knew “many families through local sports clubs and schools”.
He said he was not endorsed by any registered political parties.
Annie Toller
Annie Toller is a Victorian Socialists candidate running in the Boulevard Ward in the Yarra City Council election.
Ms Toller said she was committed to putting “every constituent” before “corporate profits”.
She said housing affordability, cost and availability of council-run services needed to be addressed by council.
Ms Toller said she supported more development to provide more housing to address the housing crisis, “not just deliver windfall profits to developers”.
“We also need to disincentive property hoarding by speculative investors. This greedy practice is tying up 100,000 housing units across Melbourne – that’s more houses than we need to end homelessness in our city,” she said.
“I want council to champion regulations that ensure all new residential developments include green space, communal facilities and social housing, and are built to the highest standards of energy efficiency.”
Ms Toller said the City of Yarra’s public housing needed to be retained publicly and upgraded.
“The state government’s decision to sell off the city’s public housing towers and replace them with for-profit developments will only exacerbate the problem,” she said.
“We should also be providing council-owned property for housing where appropriate, and increasing mandatory inclusionary zoning for social housing in new developments.
“There was an interesting proposal in Merri-bek to impose higher rates on vacant investment properties to disincentive hoarding and free up more housing units – I think that’s something we should pursue in Yarra.”
Ms Toller would also support a rental inspectorate on council to advocate for tenants’ rights.
Ms Toller said she would oppose privatisation of council-run services and work towards keeping costs down.
“Council has significantly increased rates on essential services like child care, aged care, health, rubbish collection, sports and leisure, and it has now fully privatised in-home aged care,” she said.
“These are some of the most crucial services the council provides, and in a cost-of-living crisis people in our community depend on them more than ever.”
Ms Toller said she supported the Richmond injecting room, which “saves lives”.
“It takes pressure off our hospitals and ambulances, and connects people to health and legal services and housing support,” she said.
“But it’s massively overburdened. We desperately need more medically supervised injecting rooms in Melbourne to ease the strain. Victorian Socialists’ Maribyrnong councillor Jorge Jorgquera has been campaigning for an injecting room in the inner west, and we’ll keep up the fight against the state government and its shameful, cowardly backflip on a safe injecting facility for the CBD.”
Ms Toller said another major issue she wished to address on council was the “democratic process” being “undermined” by the “current Greens-led council”.
“They’ve halved the number of council meetings and made it harder for residents to intervene and put questions to councillors,” she said.
“It’s also become much harder to object to new developments, while more decisions have gone into the hands of highly paid, unelected bureaucrats.
“I think communities have a right to be consulted on what happens in their neighbourhoods, and I want to improve democracy, transparency and accountability in Yarra.”
Ms Toller said there “was a place” for e-scooters in Yarra’s transport network, but there needed to be more regulations on operators to increase safety and stop scooters being dumped inappropriately.
“Improving and expanding infrastructure, like bike lanes and parking spaces, would also help reduce injuries and maintain accessibility in our streets,” she said.
Ms Toller works in publishing and is a member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.
Ned Lindenmayer
Ned Lindenmayer is a Labor-endorsed candidate.
He has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
In his VEC questionnaire, Mr Lindenmayer said he wanted to represent Yarra residents on the “areas that matter most to locals”.
“From properly funding local sports to ensuring a waste management system that works for all of us, let’s turn the focus of the council to locals,” he said.
He said the expertise that would help him on council was his “history of engaging with community organisations across the private and not-for-profit sectors, as well as managing a large number of community consultations on key, relevant topics in health policy”.
“As a councillor, I will fight for Richmond and take the fight to council on what matters,” he said.
Oscar North
Oscar North is the Greens candidate for the Boulevard ward.
A member of the United Workers Union (formerly HospoVoice) since May 2022, Mr North is has also been a formal member of the Victorian Greens since December 2019.
He does not live in Boulevard ward, rather he lives in Richmond “about 100m from the border”.
“I spend a lot of time in Boulevard Ward, whether getting coffee, shopping, or going out,” he said.
The Greens candidates in Yarra did not supply individual responses to questions as requested, rather each candidate supplied the same answers.
They said Yarra council needed better streets, including “wider footpaths, more pedestrian crossings, safe bike lanes and more green public spaces”.
The Greens said “people were finding it harder to afford a secure home”.
“On council I’ll stand up for renters, protect public housing, which the state Labor government is trying to demolish, and support quality affordable housing,” each candidate said.
“Increasing the amount of affordable, accessible and quality housing will be a priority for Greens on Yarra council.
“We can achieve this without compromising public green space or the neighbourhood character of our streets. The Greens will always support new and existing public housing in our communities, stand up for renters and encourage well built, medium density housing in Yarra so everyone can afford to live a good life in our wonderful city.”
The Greens candidates said e-scooters were a “great form of micro-mobility” but geo-fencing and e-scooter parking bays needed to be implemented.
They said they supported the safe injecting room in Richmond and there needed to be more installed across Melbourne and Victoria.
Curtain Ward (1 vacancy)
Peter Sprott
Peter Sprott is an independent candidate for the Curtain ward.
He said the three issues facing the City of Yarra were “effective and meaningful access for residents to council”, “providing balance between heritage, green space and more housing,” and “refocusing expenditure to enhance core service provision by council”.
Mr Sprott has never been part of a political party or union and does not live in Curtain Ward.
He said he understood the need for alternative transport methods but was against e-scooters.
“I am opposed to commercial hiring of e-scooters because scooters are constantly left lying around, endangering pedestrian use of footpaths (especially for visually impaired people),” he said.
“I do not object to privately owned e-scooters provided riders are subject to and obey road rules and respect the safety of cyclists on bicycle paths and pedestrians.”
Mr Sprott said accommodation was “essential” as the population of Yarra grew.
“Council has targets for new accommodation,” he said.
“Reaching these targets, including vital social housing, will necessitate multi-story residential developments.
“However, such developments should respect the heritage of the area, have enforced height limits, include decent surrounding green space, and include carparking for residents.”
In July last year the independent candidate joined the board of Fernlea, a not-for-profit providing qualified daycare to enhance the lives of people living with life-limiting illnesses.
Mr Sprott said local residents were “(bearing) the brunt of a social problem not of their making” when it came to the Richmond safe injecting room.
“Government should be open to alternatives … and keep local residents informed of progress,” he said.
“I think there is a strong argument for forming an additional facility elsewhere, taking pressure off the Richmond site and hopefully reducing issues for local residents.
“Unfortunately, the state government would need to have the political will and appetite for such a move.
“I do not advocate for the removal of safe injecting facilities altogether because they unquestionably save lives. But the burden should not be borne by Richmond folk alone.”
Alan Tse
Alan Tse is an independent running for the Curtain ward.
Mr Tse said his campaign centred around financial sustainability.
“My focus is on ensuring the Council provides value for money without duplicating the roles of other government levels,” he said.
“I will fight against unnecessary (rate and fee) hikes, such as the 27 per cent increase in bin collection fees.
Mr Tse said the council needed to be restructured for efficiency, while maintaining “transparent governance and community engagement”.
“We need long-term sustainability without sacrificing essential services,” he said.
“I’ll advocate for reducing management and executive roles, directing funds toward essential frontline services like parks, libraries, and childcare centres.
“Full community consultation must occur before decisions on street closures, playground developments, or asset sales are made.
“I’ll work to restore council meeting access, allow questions without notice, and reject canned responses from council officers.
“Greater transparency is essential, ensuring decisions are not made behind closed doors.”
Mr Tse also said planning reform and heritage protection were needed.
“It’s critical to balance development with preserving Yarra’s cultural and architectural heritage,” he said.
“I’ll work to maintain the character of our neighbourhoods while accommodating development needs.
“I’ll advocate for proper funding to ensure timely and consistent advice, and for quicker approvals on smaller projects, while ensuring larger developments provide community benefits.”
Mr Tse said he supported the adopting amendment C271 to Yarra’s planning scheme and expanding these planning protections across the area.
The independent candidate was formerly a member of the Liberal Party but has since resigned.
“Local councils should remain apolitical, and membership in a political party can create conflicts of interest when addressing community needs,” he said.
“Over time, I have become more progressive, especially on issues like environmental sustainability, social equity, and inclusive governance.
“Unfortunately, the current direction of the Liberal Party no longer reflects these values. I am committed to practical, community-centred solutions that focus on transparency, fairness, and progress for everyone in Yarra.”
He is affiliated with the group of independent candidates called Yarra For All.
Mr Tse said e-scooters were an “excellent mode of transport” but had a plan to ensure their success and safety which included complaint handling, data collection, and dealing with inappropriate parking with timely action.
The specialist anaesthetist said the Richmond safe injecting room was a “crucial harm-reduction service that saves lives, reduces public drug use, and connects vulnerable individuals with vital health and social services”.
“It also contributes to public safety by preventing overdose deaths and minimising the spread of infectious diseases,” he said.
“However, its proximity to a primary school is problematic, and I believe alternative sites should be considered to better balance community concerns with the service’s important objectives.”
Mr Tse said sustainable growth in the LGA was “inevitable” but needed to be “managed responsibly”.
“This means preserving our heritage while adopting and expanding amendments like Yarra Planning Scheme Amendment C271 across wider areas of the city to establish clear rules that reduce disputes over development,” he said.
“Infrastructure needs must also be addressed, from drainage to schools, parking, and local businesses. It’s essential that developments provide adequate parking and not reduce required parking spaces, while also ensuring that new buildings include shop floor spaces sized to support a diverse range of businesses, such as supermarkets and pharmacies.”
Mr Tse is advocating for public transport services to be expanded and environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation to be “central to building design”.
“This includes incorporating renewable energy sources into both small and large developments, ensuring green and open spaces are adequate, and maintaining sufficient permeable areas to manage water run-off and promote environmental resilience,” he said.
Edward Crossland
Edward Crossland is the current mayor of Yarra council, running for re-election in 2024.
The Greens candidate for Curtain ward, and current mayor, Mr Crossland is arguing fore more homes, trees, parks and bikes.
He is a member of the Greens who lived in Princes Hill and Carlton north for “many years” and now lives in Fitzroy North.
As a previous councillor, Mr Crossland, in his VEC questionnaire, said he had attended more than 90 per cent of all council meetings in the 2020-2024 term.
The Greens candidates in Yarra did not supply individual responses to questions as requested, rather each candidate supplied the same answers.
They said Yarra council needed better streets, including “wider footpaths, more pedestrian crossings, safe bike lanes and more green public spaces”.
The Greens said “people were finding it harder to afford a secure home”.
“On council I’ll stand up for renters, protect public housing, which the state Labor government is trying to demolish, and support quality affordable housing,” each candidate said.
“Increasing the amount of affordable, accessible and quality housing will be a priority for Greens on Yarra council.
“We can achieve this without compromising public green space or the neighbourhood character of our streets. The Greens will always support new and existing public housing in our communities, stand up for renters and encourage well built, medium density housing in Yarra so everyone can afford to live a good life in our wonderful city.”
The Greens candidates said e-scooters were a “great form of micro-mobility” but geo-fencing and e-scooter parking bays needed to be implemented.
They said they supported the safe injecting room in Richmond and there needed to be more installed across Melbourne and Victoria.
Anna Spark
Anna Spark is running for Yarra council in the Curtain ward.
The independent candidate, who has never been part of a political party or union, said she was “sick of party politics”.
“They never truly represent the community, and the candidates that run under a party name don’t feel authentic to me anymore,” she said.
“An individual can promise me the stars, but if they’re part of a party they can’t really promise me anything. They’re at the mercy of their party’s policies, even if they’re incongruent with the community’s needs.”
Ms Spark said the current council was treating its constituents “as though they’re less than them”.
“If we want to ask a question at the town meeting, we have to submit it 24 hours before and it is possible for the question to be rejected. I know a resident that has been blocked from communicating with the council officers and submitting any questions,” she said.
“I know this man and he isn’t unreasonable or a threat in any way. He is simply passionate about his community, well-read and quick witted.”
Ms Spark slammed the current policy of requiring public questions to be vetted, limited in time, and accepted without follow up.
“There are now always security guards in the foyer, as a constant reminder that we’re not far off being asked to provide our papers,” she said.
“If I am elected councillor, I will be one of many independents vowing to restructure the council in order to give the power back to the people it serves.
“I promise transparency and open communication, something my community has not experienced from their council in many years.”
Ms Spark said she was focused on the housing crisis as renters were being “pushed out while the rich (were) adding more pages to their property portfolio”.
“We’re in a housing crisis, rent is on the rise, domestic violence is pushing parents and their children onto the street for safety, and yet we are preferencing private investors when it comes to buying property,” she said.
“We should be eradicating homelessness before we give another multi-millionaire another apartment for them to rent out on Airbnb.”
She also said buildings should not be approved without appropriate carparking spaces.
“The Greens believe this will minimise cars in Yarra. But from the evidence of similar builds that have been completed in Brunswick, that is not what happens,” she said.
“The original residents simply find themselves without any on street parking, because you can’t force someone to sell their car in order to rent/buy an apartment.”
As a disability support worker, Ms Spark said she would be advocating for better accessibility.
“It’s heartbreakingly frustrating that so many of our community are incapable of accessing the various services and businesses simply because they can’t go upstairs,” she said.
“The funding given for outdoor seating during the lockdowns was a great way for the government to allow us to enjoy ourselves again. I think we could do the same with compact lifts in inaccessible buildings. These type of accommodations will not only benefit those who are permanently disabled, but also those who may be temporarily injured or have a hidden disability that may mean they can walk but can’t make it up to the top of the Provincial without passing out. Local governments should be thinking of every member of their community, and by doing so, it will encourage individuals and businesses to consider the differently abled too.”
Living in the neighbouring ward of Curtain, Ms Spark said she was well versed on the issues of Carlton North and Princes Hill because she had “lived within a kilometre of it for 80 per cent of my life”.
E-scooters were “dangerous”, she said, and needed to be “sorted out”.
Ms Spark said she was a strong supporter of the safe injecting room because it was “safer for the community and the drug user”.
“I appreciate that people may feel as if injecting rooms are bringing drugs closer to their door, but they’re actually a protective service for both the user and the local community,” she said.
“But we need to do more than injecting rooms. We should increase funding to services and supports for people dealing with the horrible disease of addiction.”
Bronwyn Murphy
Bronwyn Murphy is a candidate for the Victorian Socialist party because she doesn’t “think it’s fair that property developers and big businesses are turning a profit while life is getting harder for the rest of us”.
The student and Carlton North sharehouse tenant said, on her website, there should be a “fight waged against the rich and powerful at every level of politics, including locally”.
“If elected to council I will fight to see that landlords aren’t allowed to prey on our right to housing while jacking up the prices on low quality rentals,” her website states.
“I’ll also fight to see that our community has access to decent public services such as free childcare.
“Importantly, I’ll fight to see that our council stands on the side of the oppressed, in principle and practice, by building and participating in community-led campaigns.”
She has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
Hoddle Ward (1 vacancy)
Tony Lee
Tony Lee is running as a candidate for the Hoddle Ward in the Yarra council elections.
Mr Lee said the three key issues he would address on council were rates, rubbish and parking.
He said he wanted to improve council’s financial performance to stop ratepayers money being wasted, and stop developments from being approved without adequate carparking, bike-racks and green space allocations.
“Yarra will undoubtedly be pushed to unprecedented challenges as the population is expected to rise by another 50 per cent in the next few decades. The City has incredible potential and my push for Council will be to deploy more efficient and pragmatic utility of its resources, reduce costs where possible and outsource non-essential services that do not need to be run by Council if it is more affordable to do so,” he said.
A university lecturer in marketing at RMIT, Mr Lee said he supported introduction of high-density housing.
“But my fear is that the upkeep of public and social housing will continue to be neglected, displacing tenants as land becomes scarcer in Yarra. It is noteworthy that the destruction of several public housing estates has already been signalled by the Allan Government in Yarra and in other districts,” he said.
“I will continue to champion for the upkeep for residents of Collingwood’s housing estates in particular.”
The Fitzroy resident said the “state of squalor from overflowing bins” and “confusion” from the four bin system, along with the eyesore of tagging were also major issues he wished to address.
Mr Lee said the Richmond injecting room had its issues but it saved lives and there was “no putting the genie back in the bottle” after the state government ruled it would stay permanently.
“I will champion for more funding from the state government in order to ease the pressure on the ratepayers of Yarra council and to contend with the ancillary effects of the centre; improving safety, reducing noise, cleaning up sharps and dangerous items in surrounding areas, and minimising harm so that the centre can continue to save lives while not disrupting the peace of the neighbourhood,” he said.
Mr Lee said the e-scooter trial had been a “success for adoption but a massive failure for accessibility” and he wanted to put e-scooter operators “on notice”.
“The rental market for e-scooters has manifested in a lack of consideration and accountability, leaving pedestrians and especially people with a disability to navigate unacceptable levels of hazardous obstructions,” he said.
“I will put the e-scooter rental operators on notice, to monitor and penalise users who do the wrong thing, working with police and introducing community reporting mechanisms if required.”
Mr Lee said he was not endorsed by a political party but was affiliated as an “informal member” of the Legalise Cannabis Victoria party while he was parliamentary adviser to South-Eastern Metropolitan MP Rachel Payne and Western Metropolitan MP David Ettershank.
“I have since let my ‘membership’ lapse,” he said.
He said he was a member of the National Tertiary Education Union.
Mr Lee has posted photos online and participated in protests where he has “danced in solidarity with Drag Storytime”.
Sharie Harrold
Sharie Harrold is running for Yarra council.
The independent candidate has never been a member of a political party but was a member of the Australian Services Union and the Finance Sector Union, including as a union official at the FSU in the 1990s.
She said Yarra needed “cleaner, safer streets” and to support community clubs and hubs.
“Our streets are dirtier and less safe than ever before – it’s time to act now,” she said.
“Due to ongoing financial mismanagement, the council has decided to ‘price gouge’ these clubs.”
Ms Harrold said council also needed to listen to the community it represented more.
The “proud” Hoddle ward resident said she supported e-scooters but with limitations.
“E-scooters are a good alternative mode of transport — my son relies on his daily to go to school and to attend his VET studies — but they need designated parking areas for hire and returns, like e-bikes, so all residents’ needs are protected,” she said.
Ms Harrold said development was “essential for a vibrant future” but that heritage areas and school precincts needed to be protected.
The mum said she had no “in-principle” objection to the Richmond safe injecting room but it needed to be in a different location.
“Next door to the school is unacceptable,” she said.
“The NSW model recognises that proximity to schools must be considered but Victoria does not. We have a duty to our children to do better than that.”
Ms Harrold has previously commented on social media against the Richmond injecting room, arguing it should be closer to a hospital.
“This experiment with our homes and residential streets has clearly failed everyone, those that live there and those that they’re meant to support,” she said.
“It’s time to find a more suitable location immediately. Enough is enough!!!”
In August, she also spoke up in a council meeting, questioning the new Bliss Bar on the corner of Cambridge St and Victoria Pde.
“They previously operated as a family friendly pub with trading hours up to 11pm. We’ve been made aware that this will be a drag bar and will have 11 rooms that they state are “not all available for short term stay” because they’ve been ‘commandeered’ for ‘selfish reasons’, and others they seek suggestions on for usage in their publicity,” she asked.
She was told no planning permit was required for the site to be used for a bar or accommodation.
Brielle Pope
Brielle Pope is an independent running for election on Yarra council who says the three key issues facing the LGA are integrity and transparency; not prioritising local needs over political agendas; and “getting the basics right: roads rates and rubbish”.
Ms Pope, who has never been part of a political party or union, said she had lived in Collingwood for eight years and grew up in nearby Clifton Hill.
“As a single mum and small local business owner, I understand the challenges our community faces and we need local independent representation to serve the best interests of our residents,” she said.
Ms Pope advocated for e-scooters to remain in Yarra but that they needed to be “well-regulated”.
“I support e-scooters with clear rules, such as designated parking areas and geofencing, to prevent obstruction on narrow footpaths, particularly for those with prams, mobility aids, or disabilities,” she said.
“Riders should receive proper education on road rules, and speed limits must be enforced to protect pedestrians and cyclists.
“By addressing these concerns, we can safely better incorporate e-scooters into our community while maintaining accessibility and safety for everyone.”
The local of 28 years said development and urban growth needed to be “balanced to preserve the unique character and heritage of our neighbourhoods, while addressing the needs of a growing population”.
“Thoughtful planning is essential to enhance liveability and reflect community values,” she said, adding that she supported “sustainable, community-led development that prioritises affordable housing, green spaces, and environmentally conscious practices”.
“Growth should never come at the expense of our environment or public amenities, and we need stronger accountability to ensure developers meet their obligations to the community,” she said.
Ms Pope said it was “crucial” the safe injecting room be relocated to a “more appropriate site” rather than next to a primary school and near a park.
“Balancing compassion, public health, and community safety is essential, and future decisions must be driven by evidence and the input of all stakeholders,” she said.
Holly Cruickshank Medlyn
Holly Cruickshank Medlyn is running for a spot on Yarra council.
The Victorian Socialists candidate for Hoddle, Ms Medlyn said, on her website, council had a role to play in “fighting for a society based on human need rather than the profits of big developers and corporations”.
Ms Medlyn, on her website, said she was the “child of left-wing unionists” who has “witnessed the increasing gentrification of Yarra”.
“Skyrocketing house prices and rents are making it harder to get by, which is why Victorian Socialists will fight for measures like rent controls and putting local services back into council hands,” she said.
The RMIT student recently organised a 600-person protest in support of Palestine.
She has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
Sophie Wade
Sophie Wade is a current councillor seeking re-election in the Yarra council elections.
She is a Greens candidate who lives in the Hoddle ward.
As a previous councillor, Ms Wade, in her VEC questionnaire, said she had attended more than 90 per cent of all council meetings in the 2020-2024 term.
The Greens candidates in Yarra did not supply individual responses to questions as requested, rather each candidate supplied the same answers.
They said Yarra council needed better streets, including “wider footpaths, more pedestrian crossings, safe bike lanes and more green public spaces”.
The Greens said “people were finding it harder to afford a secure home”.
“On council I’ll stand up for renters, protect public housing, which the state Labor government is trying to demolish, and support quality affordable housing,” each candidate said.
“Increasing the amount of affordable, accessible and quality housing will be a priority for Greens on Yarra council.
“We can achieve this without compromising public green space or the neighbourhood character of our streets. The Greens will always support new and existing public housing in our communities, stand up for renters and encourage well built, medium density housing in Yarra so everyone can afford to live a good life in our wonderful city.”
The Greens candidates said e-scooters were a “great form of micro-mobility” but geo-fencing and e-scooter parking bays needed to be implemented.
They said they supported the safe injecting room in Richmond and there needed to be more installed across Melbourne and Victoria.
S Geminder
S Geminder has nominated for council but did not provide any contact details.
On their VEC questionnaire, they told people to instead check out fellow candidate Michael Glynatsis.
“Just go to Michael Glynatsis instead,” they wrote.
“He ‘101 per cent agrees’ (his words) with my views contained here, and is the much stronger candidate with actual council experience and time commitment to put in the hard yards.”
The commendations have caused concern that “dummy candidates” are being used to beef-up votes for certain contenders.
The candidate, who said they supported cycling, walking and PTV argued it wasn’t “fair” to take away cars from existing residents who needed them, but that new homes could just bike or scooter.
“Yarra (and Australia) desperately needs much more housing supply, far more than
governments currently propose,” they wrote in their questionnaire.
“Find land in Yarra without displacing people. It should be all public housing, which increases supply for the private rental market, therefore lowering rents.
“New homes do not need cars, they can bike/scooter instead.”
Michael Glynatsis
Michael Glynatsis is a current councillor who scored his spot on this council via a vote countback in January 2023 when former Greens mayor Gabrielle de Vietri was elected to state parliament.
Seeking re-election, Mr Glynatsis also runs a local mechanic workshop and The Aegean Greek Restaurant.
He said he would be advocating for better transparency, particularly in the environmental sphere.
“Council claim to be advocates for transparency and environmental protection, yet they have overseen the destruction of over 100 mature trees in the Burnley Golf Course redesign,” he said.
“Despite obstacles, I remain committed to exposing, sharing and fighting for information and documents that should be public but are classified as ‘confidential’.”
Mr Glynatsis said council needed to support small business to drive down the cost of living and help renters who were experiencing hardship.
He also said consultation with the community needed to be improved.
“The ‘Your Say Yarra’ surveys are poorly analysed and seem to be favouring the council’s position,” he said.
“Data is not adequately shared with the elected representatives in order to make informed decisions in the Chamber. We also need to change the anti-democratic measures that are in place currently — bring back five minute question time rather than the current three minutes.”
The independent candidate said he had never been a member of a party or union.
Despite not living in the Hoddle ward, Mr Glynatsis said he had been in the municipality for almost 40 years and had two businesses — one in Collingwood and one in Fitzroy.
“I am running in the Hoddle Ward and am committed to support local businesses from closing down by introducing measures to attract more people to Yarra,” he said.
He suggested increasing free short term parking bays near businesses and free parking after 6pm like in the City of Darebin.
As a previous councillor, Mr Glynatsis, in his VEC questionnaire, said he had attended more than 90 per cent of all council meetings in the 2020-2024 term.
Mr Glynatsis said the management of e-scooters had been poor and a comprehensive consultation needed to be done.
He said the heritage of Yarra needed to be protected and he didn’t support the state government taking any planning decisions away from council.
“There are certain areas of Yarra that can accommodate high density housing and I will continue to push for social and affordable housing in any large scale developments,” he said.
Mr Glynatsis said the evidence and statistics showed the safe injecting room was saving lives and regardless of the location — which he understood was controversial next to a school — it was out of council’s hands.
Langridge Ward (1 vacancy)
Evangeline Aston
Evangeline Aston is running for the Langridge ward, arguing financial viability was “paramount”.
“We need effective strategy, governance and decision making with a focus on our core responsibilities first — because if our council doesn’t fulfil them, neither state and federal will step in to fill the gap,” she said.
“Restoring trust and confidence in our council is so important.
“The way many people in Abbotsford and North Richmond view the council is typically with cynicism and as a hindrance — the concerns of too many residents have been ignored, too many households have been discriminated against and not received equal service to other areas of Yarra, and the once beating heart of our suburb (Victoria St) has been allowed to decline to such an extent that many residents actively avoid it — and it shows.”
Ms Aston said drainage infrastructure in the City of Yarra was failing and “palming it off to residents (or) property owners via a new flood overlay” was not acceptable.
“We have to tackle it with practical action rather than through policy,” she said.
The independent candidate was a Greens member from about 2010 to 2014 but said she “sadly lost faith in the Greens a long time ago”.
The Abbotsford local of more than 10 years works in the area and sent her daughter to the local primary school.
“I have strong ties to this community and I wouldn’t seek to represent a neighbourhood I don’t live in,” she said.
Ms Aston said e-scooters were a “good alternative for short trips”.
“But like many other residents, I get frustrated with how they’re often blocking the pavement,” she said.
“For most people, it’s merely inconvenient. I can only imagine how frustrating and potentially dangerous it is for people with mobility issues or even for parents with prams.
“I wouldn’t support an outright ban, but rather support methods of enforcing safer rider and parking standards.”
Ms Aston said the safe injecting room was a “highly emotive and contentious matter”.
“I’m not opposed to the concept, but I’ve spent time in North Richmond, I’ve listened to residents and seen highly disturbing things with my own eyes,” she said.
“This has led me to conclude the implementation of the facility has been lacking, and I question the decision regarding its location, particularly putting it next to a school.”
Ms Aston said there needed to be more than one safe injecting room across Greater Melbourne.
“Toronto has 10 of these facilities to service a population of approx. 2.8 million, while Melbourne has approx. 5.2 million and only one facility,” she said.
“Rather than enabling drug use, I would rather the conversation, funding and practical action, be more focused on breaking the cycle of addiction and empowering people to reclaim their lives.”
Ms Aston said council’s lack of collaboration with developers too often meant project applications were being heard and decided on in VCAT rather than by council.
“It’s important for all councils together to advocate for greater planning power for councils, to achieve positive outcomes for their respective communities,” she said.
“Increasing our housing supply across the city is important.
“Abbotsford already has several new, mostly empty, office buildings and enough vacant shop fronts, so we definitely need to focus development on housing first. I’m not anti-development, I’m pro high-quality development – in terms of design standards, materials, energy efficiency, aesthetics, size and affordability.”
Angus Fretwell
Angus Fretwell is the Victorian Socialists candidate for this ward.
An Abbotsford local who has lived and worked in Yarra for a decade, Mr Fretwell said politicians at all levels of government were “in the pockets of the rich”.
“In a well-off country like Australia, everyone should have the chance to live a decent life,” his website states.
“Big business and property developers are turning huge profits, while the rest of us are facing rising rents, stagnant wages, and the price of basic necessities skyrocketing.
“Councils have a responsibility to be part of turning this situation around, and tackling urgent issues like the housing shortage and cost of living crisis.”
Mr Fretwell said he had recently been campaigning in solidarity with the people of Palestine and against Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Councils should be a place where social justice issues are raised and acted on,” he said.
He has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
Harrison Watt
Harrison Watt is the Greens candidate for the Langridge ward.
He lives just outside of the new boundaries of the ward and is a member of the Australian Greens.
The Greens candidates in Yarra did not supply individual responses to questions as requested, rather each candidate supplied the same answers.
They said Yarra council needed better streets, including “wider footpaths, more pedestrian crossings, safe bike lanes and more green public spaces”.
The Greens said “people were finding it harder to afford a secure home”.
“On council I’ll stand up for renters, protect public housing, which the state Labor government is trying to demolish, and support quality affordable housing,” each candidate said.
“Increasing the amount of affordable, accessible and quality housing will be a priority for Greens on Yarra council.
“We can achieve this without compromising public green space or the neighbourhood character of our streets. The Greens will always support new and existing public housing in our communities, stand up for renters and encourage well built, medium density housing in Yarra so everyone can afford to live a good life in our wonderful city.”
The Greens candidates said e-scooters were a “great form of micro-mobility” but geo-fencing and e-scooter parking bays needed to be implemented.
They said they supported the safe injecting room in Richmond and there needed to be more installed across Melbourne and Victoria.
Mr Watt is the leader of the Bike Lanes for Johnston Street campaign, a renter and part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Ha Tran
Ha Tran is running for Yarra council.
They have not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun and did not provide a questionnaire response to the VEC.
Lennox Ward (1 vacancy)
Peter Razos
Peter Razos is running as a candidate for the Lennox ward in the Yarra City Council election.
Mr Razos said the main issues he wanted to address on council were financial mismanagement, the bin tax and stopping fee increases of council run services.
“During this cost of living crisis, we need to support our community, not burden them further. If elected, I will push to freeze charges to residents for sporting and leisure facilities, council kindergartens, and child care centres,” he said.
“While households make sacrifices amid rising costs, council’s expenditures remain unchecked. If elected, I will review spending, end wasteful use of residents’ funds, and prioritise cost control. Every household faces rising costs, making sacrifices to live within means. It’s time the council does the same.
“I will also introduce free one-hour parking to revitalise our retail streets.”
Mr Razos said the Yarra council’s 30 per cent bin tax was “alarming” and “coincides with neglect of essential services”.
“Poorly maintained roads and footpaths, ineffective waste collection, and declining cleanliness; Instead of addressing these basic needs, the council prioritises pet projects with little direct benefit to residents,” he said.
“This misalignment of priorities raises a crucial question: ‘how much will it increase next year?’. The community urgently needs transparency about future increases and a refocus on delivering fundamental services that ratepayers expect and deserve.”
Mr Razos said development and urban growth in the City of Yarra needed “better balance and management”.
“While development is important for urban growth, it should be more evenly distributed across all wards and considerate of existing communities,” he said.
“Lennox Ward has seen the most development among the nine wards, leading to concerns about overdevelopment and inequitable distribution of benefits.
“A more equitable approach should include fair distribution of developer contributions, maintaining appropriate urban planning standards, and ensuring development enhances rather than detracts from residents’ quality of life.
“Development in Yarra should balance progress with the wellbeing of existing residents, avoid overdevelopment, and ensure benefits are shared across all wards.”
Mr Razos said the Richmond injecting room was a necessary public health measure, but it had “created challenges for the local community, particularly in maintaining a clean and safe environment nearby”.
He said the cost of cleaning up the mess of syringes and other debris left by users of the injecting room was dangerous to the community and the cost was footed by the ratepayer.
“This situation unfairly burdens the City of Yarra residents, who are effectively subsidising a state initiative through their council rates. The council’s apparent negligence has allowed the clean-up bill to accumulate significantly, exacerbating the issue,” he said.
“If I am elected, I will seek reimbursement from the State Government to ensure the financial responsibility does not fall on local ratepayers.”
Mr Razos said he would seek to ban e-scooters if elected.
“The introduction of e-scooters in the City of Yarra has raised significant safety concerns, particularly for vulnerable pedestrians such as people with disabilities and the elderly,” he said.
“Melbourne City Council has already taken the step to ban e-scooters, providing a precedent for Yarra to follow. By prioritising accessibility and implementing a similar ban, the City of Yarra could ensure that all residents can move freely and safely through the community without these additional hazards.”
Mr Razos said he was not endorsed by or affiliated with a political party or union.
Vicki Redwood
Vicki Redwood lives in the Lennox ward where she is running for Yarra council.
The independent candidate was a member of the Liberal Party for six years in the 1970s but left due to being “disillusioned by branch politics that had absolutely nothing to do with politics or community”.
“I tried 41 years later to see if things had changed. They had not. I lasted one meeting and left again,” she said.
Ms Redwood said the three key issues facing Yarra council were poor governance by councillors, not enough focus on services and a lack of transparency and facts.
“The community of Yarra are the owners, yet Yarra has been riven with governance driven other master such as parties, or other sponsorship groupings,” she said.
“There is a common law that applies to elected officials – that they beholden to act fairly and fight natural bias when making decisions that affect the rights and interests of others. The rights and interest represented by Councillors must not be those of a Councillor’s sponsor group.”
She said Yarra councillors had been focusing too hard on state and federal issues where it “cannot deliver possible or positive outcomes”.
“(Yet) Yarra has not been diligent in fighting state government move its expenses to the council – again a poor governance issue because it affects the viability of Yarra,” she said.
Ms Redwood said e-scooters needed to be “put on hold” until the council could work out the risk to Yarra and how to make people comply with rules around them.
“Put the cost of enforcement and appeal system on the scooter provider companies to fully address any consumer complaint with date and time photos of unacceptable and dangerous behaviour,” she said.
“If it is too expensive, commercial reality will see the scooters disappear, otherwise we will have a reasonable system.”
Ms Redwood said development and urban growth in the City of Yarra needed to be consistent.
The Lennox candidate did not say whether she supported the Richmond safe injecting room, but instead said there was a “lack of transparency and lots of distrust”.
“We need factual proof, not claims, over a reasonable longitudinal time frame that the injecting room has / has not helped or increased / decreased numbers across a wide range of activities,” she said.
John Bric
John Bric is running in the Lennox ward where he lives.
The candidate, who is not affiliated with any political party or union, said he was refusing to accept any donations from unions or businesses.
“We need to remove political / business influence as much as we can in council,” he said.
Instead, he’s campaigning on revitalising “dying business areas like Bridge Rd”.
“The once-thriving retail strip has gradually become a ghost town, with empty shops scattered throughout,” Mr Bric said.
“The council needs to implement incentives for businesses to establish themselves in the area and develop strategies to discourage landlords from leaving shopfronts vacant.
“We also need to audit and streamline the existing processes for permits and new business applications, as many new businesses struggle with lengthy waits for approvals while incurring costs from landlords and council.
“Improving this process will help new businesses enter the market and thrive from the start. We must create a comprehensive plan to revitalise this area rather than simply ignoring the situation.”
Mr Bric said council spending needed an “urgent audit” to make recommendations on how ratepayers’ money was being spent.
“In recent years the Yarra council has spent tens of thousands of dollars on flags and lighting, hundreds of thousands of dollars on defected art work, and over $1m on controversial park upgrades,” he said.
“If council was a business, there is no way a CFO would allow this kind of mismanagement of finances.
“Because ratepayers money is a given, I feel councillors have no urgency/care on being cost efficient when putting together budgets, or ways to spend money. This needs to be addressed urgently.”
He also said waste management needed fixing, as there were too many bins leaving footpaths blocked.
Having lived in Cremorne and Richmond for more than 15 years, Mr Bric said recent development in Cremorne was a “prime example of council being absent minded”.
“Too many projects have been rushed through, and there are simply too many construction projects taking place at the same time,” he said.
“This has resulted in constant blocked roads, unaccessible footpaths, dangerous walkways and left many residents unable to find any street parking.”
While acknowledging the injecting room in Richmond was a “tricky issue”, Mr Bric said residents had been “totally ignored for too long”.
“If the injecting room is to remain, there must be some changes made to reduce the exposure to young kids and to improve the safety of residents,” he said.
E-scooters would remain on the streets of Yarra if Mr Bric were elected, he said, but key issues of blocked footpaths and reduced accessibility needed to be fixed.
“I would like to explore ideas like having designated scooter parking areas, operator enforced penalties for those who park illegally, and public education on how to park them,” he said.
Thihan Chandramohan
Thihan Chandramohan is an independent running for Lennox ward.
He said the three key issues facing the City of Yarra were “fiscal responsibility and transparency in council spending”, “the need for stronger community engagement and consultation”, and “better public services — improved management of parks, streets, and community spaces for everyone”.
Mr Chandramohan is running as an independent who has never been member of a political party or union.
The physiotherapist working with professional sporting teams said he had lived in Richmond for more than seven years, and within the City of Yarra for more than 20 “on and off”.
He said while he supported e-scooters, there needed to be clearer rules around them.
“E-scooters are a convenient transport option, but we need clear regulations to ensure they are safe and accessible without causing disruption to pedestrians or traffic,” he said.
“Engagement with e-scooter providers including clear boundaries for use and strong enforcement of noncompliance are part of the council’s role in giving the community access to multiple transport options but not at the cost of safety and amenity of other residents.”
Mr Chandramohan said while housing was “undeniably important, particularly affordable housing”, it “should not come at the expense of our green spaces”.
“The fact that our current council has been unable to find this balance is one of my major reasons for running,” he said.
“My priority is to find a balance where we can create affordable housing that integrates well with our existing spaces, protecting what makes Richmond special while meeting housing demands.”
The safe injecting room in Richmond “plays a role in harm reduction and user safety, but local community concerns must be addressed as a priority”, Mr Chandramohan said.
“Ongoing consultation with residents is key to ensuring its impact on the local area is managed responsibly,” he said.
“Engaging with the state government to allocate appropriate funding of not only the injection facility, but also risk management, safety and amenity of the surrounding area, must be an important goal of council if we are to continue to support the safe injecting room and its users.”
Theresa Saldanha
Theresa Saldanha is running as a candidate for the Lennox Ward in the Yarra council election.
Ms Saldanha said Yarra needed to get “back to basics” and focus on better infrastructure and services, parking, rubbish and rates.
“The infrastructure in 3121 hasn’t kept pace with the needs of our growing community,” she said.
“Essential services like parks, sports facilities, and libraries are either underdeveloped, poorly maintained, or, in the case of Cremorne, almost non-existent.
“We urgently need to upgrade our stormwater systems to better handle extreme weather and prevent flooding.”
Ms Saldanha said she would push for more green spaces, modern sports and recreational facilities and investment to improve the Richmond Library.
Ms Saldanha said an “evidence based” review was needed to address the issue of parking in Yarra.
“Of particular concern is the continual removal of parking bays by the council, the extension of time limits on parking spots, the expansion of paid parking zones, and the sale of permits to nonresidents while reducing the number of permit spots,” she said.
“It feels as though 3121 has been unfairly targeted as a revenue source compared to other suburbs, and this has come at the expense of local businesses and the wider 3121 community.
“We need to ensure that local businesses aren’t losing customers due to a lack of parking, and that residents can easily access the services they rely on.
“Additionally, I believe the council should be lobbying for improved public transport infrastructure — greater frequency of trams and trains, station upgrades, and cheaper fares — to help ease the pressure on parking in key areas.”
Ms Saldanha said urban growth and development was needed to meet the housing demand and the “unique blend of old and new are what make Yarra truly special”.
“For me, it’s all about getting the balance right,” she said.
“As we grow — projected to increase our population by 50 per cent in the next decade — the challenge will be to preserve what we love while making space for a bigger, denser community.
“Good urban design is key to our future. Yarra already has examples, such as the Gasworks project, of how heritage can blend with modern development, green spaces, and top-tier facilities and services. But we need to keep pushing, ensuring our open spaces, libraries, sports facilities, and services grow with us, and we must ensure a mix of dwellings, including affordable and social housing.”
Ms Saldanha said Yarra council’s waste services had become a “major frustration” for residents “with an increasing number of bins, inconsistent services, and the introduction of the bin tax — outrageously tied to property values”.
“Council has shifted from providing bins as a basic service to using it as a revenue stream to cover overheads. My priority is to remove this unfair tax on the community, right-size the bin service, and introduce practical solutions like community drop-off points for cardboard and glass. This gouging of essential services must stop,” she said.
“I will focus on reducing overheads, cutting unnecessary costs, and exploring environmentally friendly waste management solutions, such as improved recycling programs. Every dollar we pay must work harder for the community.”
Ms Saldanha said the Richmond injecting room provided “essential health services”, but its placement next to a primary school “has always been a critical concern, compromising the safety and wellbeing of another vulnerable group: our children”.
“By placing this burden solely on the Richmond community, the state government has created a roadblock to expanding these facilities across Melbourne, as other communities fear similar negative impacts,” she said.
“It’s time to adopt smarter solutions — ones that ensure both community safety and the health of those in need, without compromising one group for another.”
Ms Saldanha said she supported e-scooters, but council had “dropped the ball in managing the rollout, failing to address key issues like dangerous riding on pavements, pedestrian collisions, and scooters blocking footpaths”.
“This has negatively impacted residents, particularly the vulnerable. To make e-scooters a real success, we urgently need stronger regulations and improved infrastructure to keep everyone safe and our streets and pavements accessible for all. It’s time for action, not delays,” she said.
Ms Saldanha said she was not endorsed by, or affiliated with, a political party or union.
Andrew Davies
Andrew Davies is running for Yarra council, arguing the key issues facing the council were its core services.
He said council needed to reform parking policies to better serve residents and local traders “including more affordable parking for all ratepayers and renters, affordable flexi multi-visitor passes for family and friends, stronger permit zone enforcement on residential streets, and quarantined zoning for traders”.
Mr Davies committed to removing the 30 per cent bin tax to “help ratepayers with the cost of living crisis” and generally improving Yarra.
“Revitalising our streets with road and footpath repairs, waste and rapid graffiti removal, and safer street lighting (are key issues) while also injecting some spirit back into our communities through local festivals and events that celebrate our national holidays whether they be Christmas, Grand Final Day, or Pride Day,” he said.
“Everyone should have the chance to see themselves reflected in our local cultural celebrations.”
Mr Davies — who is running as a “truly independent candidate” who is self funded and accepting no campaign donations — is a father of three and local business owner who has lived in Richmond for more than 20 years.
He said he supported the e-scooters but the current system wasn’t working.
“Council needs to provide bays for scooter parking and, with this in place, apply strict enforcement on misuse via the scooter service-providers,” he said.
Mr Davies said mid-sized development on transport corridors should be “welcomed” to revitalise communities and shopping districts.
“Targeted development that has (been) undertaken thorough research and consultation with the local community, including responsible car park planning, should be the first step in any expansion,” he said.
“I also firmly believe in respecting and maintaining the beautiful period features of our area because that’s what makes us one of the most desired wards in Yarra.
“I would advocate for responsible, targeted development that respects where we’ve been and offers something promising for its future survival.”
Mr Davies said the injecting room had had a “negative impact on the surrounding area including increased vagrancy, petty crime, break-ins, and unsafe drug paraphernalia and syringe waste” despite good intentions.
“The clean up and syringe management alone has cost ratepayers over $2m since it opened in 2019,” he said.
“Yarra Council must work with the state government to demand solutions to these issues and explore a more suitable location that doesn’t negatively impact those in our surrounding communities.”
Sam Poustie
Sam Poustie is the Greens candidate for the Lennox ward.
The Greens candidates in Yarra did not supply individual responses to questions as requested, rather each candidate supplied the same answers.
They said Yarra council needed better streets, including “wider footpaths, more pedestrian crossings, safe bike lanes and more green public spaces”.
The Greens said “people were finding it harder to afford a secure home”.
“On council I’ll stand up for renters, protect public housing, which the state Labor government is trying to demolish, and support quality affordable housing,” each candidate said.
“Increasing the amount of affordable, accessible and quality housing will be a priority for Greens on Yarra council.
“We can achieve this without compromising public green space or the neighbourhood character of our streets. The Greens will always support new and existing public housing in our communities, stand up for renters and encourage well built, medium density housing in Yarra so everyone can afford to live a good life in our wonderful city.”
The Greens candidates said e-scooters were a “great form of micro-mobility” but geo-fencing and e-scooter parking bays needed to be implemented.
They said they supported the safe injecting room in Richmond and there needed to be more installed across Melbourne and Victoria.
Mr Poustie is an electrical engineer who owns a home in Richmond.
MacKillop Ward (1 vacancy)
Stephen Jolly
Stephen Jolly is a councillor running for re-election on Yarra council, having served for 20 years since 2004.
As a previous councillor, Mr Jolly, in his VEC questionnaire, said he had attended more than 90 per cent of all council meetings in the 2020-2024 term.
The former Socialist Party turned independent candidate said the three key issues impacting Yarra council were “housing, planning (and) bins”.
However, on his social media, the rank-and-file CFMEU member said council was not just about “roads, rates and rubbish” and should be advocating on larger state, federal and international issues.
“Roads, well most of the roads, all the big roads in Yarra are state run,” he posted to his Instagram.
“Rates are set by the state government.
“And even the rubbish collection — the food and organic waste bin — we only have it in Yarra because the state government embarrassed the Green council into hurrying up and bringing it in.”
Mr Jolly is often an outspoken critic of the council’s direction.
He said e-scooter companies could fix the problems they were facing with a “three strikes and you’re out” policy and that needed to begin “immediately”.
The Fitzroy local said growth and development was “good” but couldn’t be “left to the market alone”.
“Developers need to have low cost housing incorporated into their bigger builds and take existing residential amenity into account,” he said.
Mr Jolly said while he supported the concept of a safe injecting room, the current Richmond facility was “in the wrong place next to a primary school”.
Belle Gibson
Belle Gibson is the Victorian Socialists candidate for MacKillop ward.
Working at a local school, Ms Gibson is a member of the Australian Education Union and a founding member of Victorian Socialists.
Ms Gibson said the three key issues facing Yarra council were the “housing crisis, the privatisation and underfunding of important services like childcare and aged care, (and) the climate crisis”.
The MacKillop ward candidate said she lived in the Yarra Bend ward and had no opinion on e-scooters in the LGA.
She said the City of Yarra needed “more medium density public and affordable housing in order to ease the housing crisis while preserving green spaces and heritage” and that she supported safe injecting rooms and “any form of harm minimisation measures”.
“We need more safe injecting rooms and to treat addiction as a health issue, not a moral issue,” she said.
“Politicians at all levels of government are in the pockets of the rich, and have grown increasingly out of touch with the people they’re supposed to represent,” she posted on her website.
She has been involved in the marriage equality campaign, as well as pro-Palestine issues.
“I believe councils should be a place where questions of social justice are raised and acted on,” she wrote on her website.
“If elected in October, I’ll stand up to developers and fight for ordinary people to have a say in the decisions that shape our community.”
Charlotte George
Charlotte George is the Greens candidate for MacKillop ward.
The Greens member is also a member of the Australian Writers Guild and the Australian Director’s Guild, and lives within the MacKillop ward.
The Greens candidates in Yarra did not supply individual responses to questions as requested, rather each candidate supplied the same answers.
They said Yarra council needed better streets, including “wider footpaths, more pedestrian crossings, safe bike lanes and more green public spaces”.
The Greens said “people were finding it harder to afford a secure home”.
“On council I’ll stand up for renters, protect public housing, which the state Labor government is trying to demolish, and support quality affordable housing,” each candidate said.
“Increasing the amount of affordable, accessible and quality housing will be a priority for Greens on Yarra council.
“We can achieve this without compromising public green space or the neighbourhood character of our streets. The Greens will always support new and existing public housing in our communities, stand up for renters and encourage well built, medium density housing in Yarra so everyone can afford to live a good life in our wonderful city.”
The Greens candidates said e-scooters were a “great form of micro-mobility” but geo-fencing and e-scooter parking bays needed to be implemented.
They said they supported the safe injecting room in Richmond and there needed to be more installed across Melbourne and Victoria.
Ms George is a filmmaker, activist and local parent who lives in MacKillop ward.
Renee Smith
Renee Smith is running for the MacKillop Ward.
She has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
In her VEC questionnaire, Ms Smith said she was not endorsed by a registered political party and wanted to see the council focus on the “live music scene, buzzing night-life, multicultural fabric, and thriving queer community”.
“We need affordable housing so that young people can afford to stay in Fitzroy,” she said.
“Our sport centres need to be more affordable and we need dog friendly venues.”
Ms Smith said her credentials centred around growing up in the area and attending Fitzroy High School.
“I bring a younger person’s voice to our Council if elected,” she said.
Melba Ward (1 vacancy)
Karen Hovenga
Karen Hovenga is the Greens candidate for Melba ward.
The North Richmond resident has lived in the area for 35 years and is the chair of the Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood House.
The Greens candidates in Yarra did not supply individual responses to questions as requested, rather each candidate supplied the same answers.
They said Yarra council needed better streets, including “wider footpaths, more pedestrian crossings, safe bike lanes and more green public spaces”.
The Greens said “people were finding it harder to afford a secure home”.
“On council I’ll stand up for renters, protect public housing, which the state Labor government is trying to demolish, and support quality affordable housing,” each candidate said.
“Increasing the amount of affordable, accessible and quality housing will be a priority for Greens on Yarra council.
“We can achieve this without compromising public green space or the neighbourhood character of our streets. The Greens will always support new and existing public housing in our communities, stand up for renters and encourage well built, medium density housing in Yarra so everyone can afford to live a good life in our wonderful city.”
The Greens candidates said e-scooters were a “great form of micro-mobility” but geo-fencing and e-scooter parking bays needed to be implemented.
They said they supported the safe injecting room in Richmond and there needed to be more installed across Melbourne and Victoria.
Meca Ho
Meca Ho is an independent running for election in the Melba ward, having lived in Richmond for more than 40 years.
A former Yarra Citizen of the Year award winner, Mr Ho has volunteered in the community for 20 years.
He said his key issues would be addressing the graffiti and anti-social behaviour, as well as the vacant shops, on Victoria St.
“We need more lighting, CCTV, and investment to support local businesses to have a thriving community,” he said, advocating for a two-year trial of free parking on all City of Yarra shopping strips.
Mr Ho said he was against the privatisation of recreation and kindergarten facilities.
E-scooters were an “eye sore,” he said, and weren’t “highly used” in the LGA.
He said more sustainable housing options were needed but the council needed to maintain the “same level amenities for residents and visitors”.
Mr Ho said the Richmond safe injecting room needed to be either relocated to next to a hospital or become mobile, going around to drug hotspots.
He said its current location next to a school had caused a perception of increased crime rates and people were not coming to Richmond for dining or shopping because they feared anti-social behaviour on the street.
Mr Ho has been president of both the Victoria Street Traders Association and the Collingwood branch of Rotary Club.
He has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
Mubarek Imam
2023 Yarra council citizen of the year Mubarek Imam has nominated for the Melba ward of council.
Co-chair of the health, wellbeing and participation group of the North Richmond Precinct Project, Mr Imam has also been involved in the Yarra Residents Voice group and created the Young Assets Foundation.
The North Richmond resident said community safety was a cornerstone issue in his campaign.
“North Richmond has significant safety concerns, especially around public spaces,” he said.
“My focus is on implementing community-led safety programs and improving public areas to make them safer and more welcoming.”
He said safety concerns around the safe injecting room needed to be addressed, “especially the recommendation that came out of the John Ryan Report”.
“A balanced approach is key to supporting public health while maintaining safety for residents,” he said.
Mr Imam said Victoria St businesses needed support to “recover and thrive post-pandemic”.
“I am committed to boosting the local economy through events, beautification, and stronger business support,” he said.
The independent candidate — who said his campaign was “driven by the needs of our community, not by party politics” — said young people were disconnected from opportunities and council needed to expand its leadership and mentorship programs.
Mr Imam said e-scooters offered an “environmentally friendly alternative to cars” but proper regulation was “crucial”.
In regards to development and urban growth in the City of Yarra, Mr Imam said it needed to be “sustainable and community-focused”.
“I support development that aligns with community needs and ensures that height limits and green spaces are respected,” he said.
“We must balance growth with the preservation of the character and liveability of Yarra’s neighbourhoods.”
Stella Heffernan
Stella Heffernan is the Victorian Socialists candidate for Melba.
The Bachelor of Arts student is a Richmond local who says politicians are “out of touch” with their constituents.
“If elected, I will stand up to greedy property developers and the privatisation of vital services,” she posted on her website.
“I’ve been involved in campaigns against racism and for queer rights.
“In recent times, I’ve campaigned in solidarity with the people of Palestine and against Israel’s war in Gaza, and helped to organise the Gaza solidarity encampment at Monash University.
“I believe councils should be a place where questions of social justice are raised and acted on.”
She has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
Sarah Witty
Sarah Witty is the Labor candidate for the Melba ward, running on a platform to “bring back community to the centre of decision-making in council”.
Ms Witty said the main issues council needed to address were getting back to the basics of roads, rates and rubbish, parking and community safety.
“Focusing on core council responsibilities, ensuring the efficient delivery of essential services and addressing the immediate needs of our community,” she said.
A Richmond resident of more than 20 years, Ms Witty said council needed to do more to “prioritise the wellbeing and safety” of the community through “initiatives that foster community cohesion, promote inclusivity and address diverse needs.”
Ms Witty said development and urban growth in the City of Yarra should enhance both the character of our neighbourhoods and the wellbeing of our community.
“I support projects that boost community pride and create spaces where future generations can afford to live and thrive,” she said.
“This means prioritising environmentally conscious building practices and ensuring that new developments are not only aesthetically pleasing but also offer affordable housing and appropriate parking options. Thoughtful urban growth can help foster a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable Yarra for all residents.”
Ms Witty said e-scooters should be permitted on bike paths, but not on footpaths where they could “endanger” pedestrians.
“We also need to improve the way hire scooters operate — focusing on responsible use, proper parking, and clear rules about where they can be ridden,” she said.
“It’s essential to strike the right balance between embracing new transport solutions and ensuring our streets are safe and accessible for everyone.”
Ms Witty has been a member of Labor for about 18 months.
She has career experience in corporate banking, insurance and real estate but is now working as director of not-for-profit The Nappy Collective, which provides free nappies to families in crisis.
“Previously, I led a team at Homes for Homes, raising money for social and affordable housing. I am proud to say that during my time at Homes for Homes, I raised a pipeline of over $110m, and it is still going strong,” she said.
Ms Witty is a foster parent and has provided temporary safe haven for children in crisis.
“Through foster care, I have witnessed first-hand the impact that simple supports can give to families in crisis,” she said.
Ms Witty did not respond to questions about the Richmond injecting room.
Victoria Chipperfield
Victoria Chipperfield is running as a candidate for the Melba Ward in the Yarra council election.
The Richmond local of 27 years said the main issues she wanted to address on council were a “lack of financial accountability and transparency”, the “reduction in democratic rights” and a “failure to undertake core business responsibilities such as maintenance of footpaths,
roads, and parking”.
The independent candidate with links to the Yarra for All network said the LGA needed an increase in greenspaces or community amenity such as libraries or recreational facilities to match the “exponential growth (of) multi unit developments”.
“Parking for cars needs to be realistically factored into the urban growth and development as well as discussions with the state government to increase the frequency of public transport to allow for the increase in population,” she said.
“There has also been a failure to maintain and upgrade basic infrastructure including footpaths, roads, and drainage systems.”
A former nurse and community worker, Ms Chipperfield said there were major issues with the Richmond injecting room.
“Most people in the state of Victoria would be under the impression that people are medically supervised in the room when injecting,” she said.
“Unfortunately, it was only after going on the MSIR tour that I learned that people could access the injecting equipment (needles, syringes, and medical wipes) from the front of the facility and leave, enabling people to inject in the streets, laneways, and park areas near the
primary school.
“This has had a significant impact on children, residents and business owners living in the area who regularly witness drug induced psychosis and overdoses and deal with discarded used syringes and medical waste daily.
“The injecting room is a vital service that unfortunately did not follow the New South Wales requirement that mandated the injecting room was situated away from residential areas and schools and needs to be moved to a more appropriate location.”
Ms Chipperfield said council needed to address residents’ “ongoing concerns” about “inappropriate use and parking of” e-scooters.
“Council has a responsibility to implement the policies and procedures outlined in the agreement with providers that include geofencing inappropriate streets and providing parking areas to ensure this transport option does not impinge the safety and liveability of others,” she said.
She said she was not endorsed by, or was affiliated, with a political party.
Ms Chipperfield was formerly a member of the Australian Services Union.
Katarina Radonic
Katarina Radonic is running as a candidate for the Melba Ward in the Yarra council election.
Ms Radonic said the main issues that needed addressing by Yarra council were rates, rubbish, accessibility, youth, safety, and the cost of living.
“However, it’s important to recognise that not everyone agrees on the best course of action but working together we can find common ground,” she said.
“What concerns me is that past council members and current candidates have resorted to the old tactic of ‘divide and conquer,’ pitting residents, business owners, riders, drivers, homeowners, and renters against each other due to a lack of clear direction or sincere discourse.”
Ms Radonic said the proposed flood mapping by Yarra was inadequate and needed more investigation.
“Beyond natural causes, the flooding problems in Yarra stem from inadequate drain maintenance and upgrades. In some areas, stormwater drains were sealed over and blocked when streets were resurfaced. This must be rectified,” she said.
She said development and growth in the City of Yarra was “inevitable”, but it needed to be tempered by “good guidelines and community input”.
Ms Radonic said the infrastructure of the City of Yarra needed to be upgraded “to cope with volumes it was never designed for”.
Ms Radonic said Yarra council needed better community consultation, and “dishonesty and concealing information from the community must cease”.
“As a person with a life changing disability I understand what it is like to live with a debilitating condition and pledge to help those most vulnerable,” she said.
“I will never say ‘you’ve been heard’ without follow-up, involvement, and resolution. So – I pledge to establish formal residents forums, ensuring those most impacted by any proposal have the ability and means to be included in the decision-making process.
“The old model of doing things is failing us, so we will implement a new and better way that works for everyone.”
Regarding the injecting room in Richmond, Ms Radonic said more work needed to be done to “mitigate harm with respect and dignity for everyone”.
“My greatest concern is the detrimental impact on nearby residents and children,” she said.
“Every life is of value and needs to be considered.”
Ms Radonic said e-scooters were a “great concept” that had not been “implemented well”, and the program “needs some refining”.
Ms Radonic said she had no political party affiliations and had never been a member of a political party or union.
Christine Maynard - RETIRED
Christine Maynard was planning to run for the Melba ward but has since been involuntarily retired for not completing mandatory training.
Ms Maynard said one of the big issues facing Yarra was safety and amenity.
“Residents feel very unsafe,” she said.
“Even though most issues are government ones, the fact this council has spent at least $2.2m on picking up syringes and drug paraphernalia at ratepayers’ expense and nobody has bothered or even tried to be reimbursed for this, shows so much.
Nicholls Ward (1 vacancy)
Thibaut Clamart
Thibaut Clamart is the Greens candidate for Nicholls ward.
The Fitzroy North local is a barrister who has been an advocate for social justice and climate action for the past decade.
The Greens candidates in Yarra did not supply individual responses to questions as requested, rather each candidate supplied the same answers.
They said Yarra council needed better streets, including “wider footpaths, more pedestrian crossings, safe bike lanes and more green public spaces”.
The Greens said “people were finding it harder to afford a secure home”.
“On council I’ll stand up for renters, protect public housing, which the state Labor government is trying to demolish, and support quality affordable housing,” each candidate said.
“Increasing the amount of affordable, accessible and quality housing will be a priority for Greens on Yarra council.
“We can achieve this without compromising public green space or the neighbourhood character of our streets. The Greens will always support new and existing public housing in our communities, stand up for renters and encourage well built, medium density housing in Yarra so everyone can afford to live a good life in our wonderful city.”
The Greens candidates said e-scooters were a “great form of micro-mobility” but geo-fencing and e-scooter parking bays needed to be implemented.
They said they supported the safe injecting room in Richmond and there needed to be more installed across Melbourne and Victoria.
Mr Poustie is an electrical engineer.
Kenneth Gomez
Kenneth Gomez is an independent running for the Nicholls ward.
Mr Gomez said he wanted to address issues of affordable housing, maintaining and improving public housing, and help out local shops and sports clubs.
He said council needed to “protect” existing public housing and build more affordable housing, “without destroying our homes and the character of our neighbourhoods”.
Mr Gomez said he wanted to increase transparency and accountability on council, consulting the community on major decisions and reducing the amount of secret confidential meetings where decisions are made behind closed doors.
He also wanted to increase the threshold for members of the community to be able to object to development and planning matters before council.
Mr Gomez said he had been a City of Yarra resident for 20 years and he wanted to use his tertiary qualifications and experience in managing budgets and staff to cut down on council’s bureaucracy and expenses and redirect that money into the community.
“Yarra council’s 10 year budget shows cash reserves declining to an unsustainably low level,” he said.
Mr Gomez said the Richmond injection room was “in the wrong location next to a primary school”.
Mr Gomez said e-scooters could be a viable transport option for the City of Yarra, but “dangerous behaviour” by riders needed to be managed by providers.
“Councils need to manage the contracts with the e-scooter providers with public KPIs so that the public knows that standards are enforced,” he said.
Mr Gomez said he had served as a representative on council’s Liveable Yarra initiative, fought for social housing at the Gasworks site and to protect open space at Rushall Reserve and Darling Gardens.
He also organised post-Covid events to revitalise Queens Parade shopping precinct.
The Fitzroy North local said he was not endorsed by, or affiliated with, a political party and had never been a member of a party or union.
Remy Larocca
Remy Larocca is running for the Nicholls ward.
Financial responsibility and transparency, real environmental policies and EV infrastructure, and the preservation of community services are the three key issues facing Yarra, he said.
“It’s time to fix public sector inefficiencies,” he said.
“I will ensure transparent budgeting so every dollar is invested wisely, avoidingthe excessive misuse of these funds seen in past years. Our chief executive represents 0.3 per cent of
Australians and takes home 70 per cent of the prime minister’s salary. I ask you, is that fair and financially responsible?”
Mr Larocca said while he lived “jut a few metres” outside of the Nicholls Ward, he had grown up “embedded” in the community.
“My mother and father for most of my life were small business owners in Nicholls,” he said.
“This lifelong connection gives me firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities residents experience every day.”
The independent candidate with no political or union ties said e-scooters were convenient but safety needed to be the “number one concern”.
He said development was “inevitable” but needed to be balanced.
“I support responsible urban growth that considers the needs of the current residents, provides affordable housing, and promotes sustainability,” he said.
“Community consultation should always be a priority in planning processes.”
The 22-year-old said the safe injecting room had saved lives.
“We need to keep the support for these vulnerable members of our community while working non-stop to address the real issues behind these addictions,” he said.
Samuel Eggleston
Samuel Eggleston is the Victorian Socialists candidate for the Nicholls ward of Yarra council.
The student and Princes Hill renter says he’s seen the cost of living rise and has had to “fight off onerous rent increases”.
“I’ve been part of many campaigns fighting for social justice both on and off campus,” he said.
“I got my start in activism fighting to free the refugees being held in the Park Hotel in Carlton.
“Most recently I’ve been a part of organising the Palestine solidarity encampments that were taking place all across Australia.”
He has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
Catherine Noone
Catherine Noone is running as a candidate for the Nicholls Ward.
A public servant working in the aged care sector, Ms Noone said the key issues she would address on council were safer crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, better community participation in decision making for better governance and accountability and inclusive programs and services “so nobody is left behind as we deal with climate change”.
Ms Noone said the City of Yarra needed more affordable housing, while protecting the character of the neighbourhood.
“Council must advocate for public and social housing to be part of development in Yarra. Heritage, green space and neighbourhood character have to be factored into development decisions,” she said.
Regarding e-scooters, Ms Noone said she was “supportive of active transport while being protective of our footpaths”.
“We need clear and consistent rules that keep us safe, particularly on our footpaths. We need safe and accessible footpaths,” she said.
“As a guide for blind runners, I am always on the lookout for things blocking our paths, and look for ways to help us get better at sharing our paths.”
Ms Noone said she supported the Richmond injecting room.
“I support programs that save lives. Having grown up in the area, I know the impact of drugs on people’s lives and their families. Using the medically supervised injecting room brings people into contact with other services that can improve their lives, including housing, GPs and mental health services,” she said.
Ms Noone has worked in the public service in health and human services, and volunteered extensively in the Yarra community for more than 20 years.
She has volunteered as an adult literacy tutor at Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre and been Chairperson at Holden Street Neighbourhood House.
Ms Noone said she was not endorsed by or was affiliated with a political party, and had always joined the union relevant to her job.
Yarra Bend Ward (1 vacancy)
Bridgid O’Brien
Bridgid O’Brien is seeking re-election for a third term in Yarra Bend ward for the council elections.
As a previous councillor, Ms O’Brien, in her VEC questionnaire, said she had attended more than 90 per cent of all council meetings in the 2020-2024 term.
The Alphington Primary School alum has lived in the LGA her whole life and has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Women’s Studies and Philosophy, a Graduate Diploma of Education, a Post Graduate Certificate of Mathematics, and a Masters degree in Biostatistics.
She said community consultation needed to be “improved”.
“‘Your Say Yarra’ surveys are often badly constructed, analysed poorly, and do not sample enough of the community. Other consultation strategies are not reaching enough of the community and data is not adequately shared with elected representatives to inform their decision-making in the chamber,” she said.
“We need to bring back the community’s ability to ask questions in the council chamber without having to register to speak, submit them in writing first and we need to return to the five-minute speaking time. Having pre-prepared responses by officers to questions from the public has resulted in questions not being adequately responded to and is eroding community confidence in council.”
Ms O’Brien said the council also needed to focus on planning, environment and overpopulation.
“We need a review of the governance rules around the number of objections required for a planning application to be heard at a Planning Decisions Committee (elected representatives run public meetings where applicants and objectors come together to reach mutually agreeable solutions), greater transparency of planning decisions taken under delegation by officers and a push notification system implemented by council to inform residents of planning applications in their area,” she said.
“This is not a NIMBY thing — it is about residents sharing their expertise on matters they are very familiar with and that impact them.”
She said the LGA had “more remaining heritage than pretty much anywhere else in Victoria”.
“This is something to be proud of,” she said.
“There are areas of Yarra that can accommodate high density housing and I will continue to advocate for social and affordable housing in any large-scale developments. This works to protect the diversity of our community and ensure people can live close to where they work.
“We need to protect our neighbourhood amenity and advocate to protect our heritage. I do not support the state government taking planning decisions away from local government and out of our community’s hands.”
On her website, Ms O’Brien argued for the implementation of planning rules that required apartment tower developers to “purchase shadowing rights from owners or tenants who are impacted by the loss of sunlight/amenity”.
Ms O’Brien told the Herald Sun the council needed to do more to address the “climate emergency” including supporting businesses to reach “zero emissions, plan for emergencies like pandemics and protect our environment”.
Council also needed to work towards fixing the cost of living crisis.
“Council must support small businesses, save our activity centres, help renters experiencing hardship, and stop gouging residents with fees for services such as the 30 per cent increase in the bin tax and the hikes in leisure centre fees. Let’s get back to serving the community,” she said.
The former maths teacher is a “community independent” who was a delegate at the Victorian Education Union and the Victorian Independent Education Union while she was teaching.
“Our community is best served by people who will listen to the needs of the community rather than represent a particular political party or interest group,” she said.
“I am a strong advocate for better community engagement, strengthening community cohesion and protecting our environment. I want to improve the delivery of council services and make council more accountable to the people it serves.”
Ms O’Brien said e-scooters were littering the footpaths and creating hazards.
“Private companies have made huge profits with little oversight of their responsibilities to our community,” she said.
“Personally, I think they could make a good contribution to our transport needs, but they must be managed properly. I would like to see comprehensive community consultation to decide on their future.”
Ms O’Brien said she supported the safe injecting room and while community members had concerns about its location, it was a “state government issue where council has no jurisdiction”.
Leonie Gnieslaw
Leonie Gnieslaw — a candidate for the Yarra Bend ward — has advocated for “free drugs” to be given to users of the Richmond safe injecting room.
Ms Gnieslaw — who declined to provide a photo because women’s safety was a “risky topic prone to bringing out the creeps” — said one of her key issues for council was community safety, especially for women.
The Richmond safe injecting room was a “good idea”, she said, as the war on drugs was a “total failure”.
Free drugs needed to be given out to addicts, she said “so that they don’t have to commit crimes to afford them, which would take dealers off the street at the same time”.
“Society needs a whole rethink when it comes to drug policy and be more empathetic to the health needs of people rather than fear tactics which don’t work and are a misuse of the police resources, based on hysteria which we imported from America in the 60s which were designed to criminalise hippies because they are partial to some psychoactive substances which are relatively harmless and can have the risks managed with quality testing and education of potential side effects and treatment,” Ms Gnieslaw said, adding security was required to monitor safety but not drug use and detox centres should also be installed with better drug education.
The independent candidate said she had been affiliated with many political parties but was not endorsed by any particular group for this election.
“My family were strong Labor supporters, and I even handed out how-to-vote cards for Bob Hawke when I was a little girl,” she said.
“While it’s possible I held a Labor membership many years ago, I haven’t been involved with the party or its organisation for a long time.
“Over the years, I’ve supported various minor parties, sometimes signing up to help friends meet membership requirements or back parties that align with my values. I’ve explored a wide range of political perspectives, including Labor, Greens, Democrats, Reason Party, Fusion, Pirate Party, Animal Justice, Sex Party, Mental Health Party, Progressives and even Community Independents/Teals, if you consider them a party.”
She also said she would be advocating for disability rights and accessibility, the protection of animals and the environment, and anti-bullying.
Ms Gnieslaw said she “loved” the e-scooters but they needed to be given the “proper space to thrive” to prevent reckless riding
She also said the City of Yarra needed “more high quality and high density constructions to solve the housing crisis, balanced with heritage”.
Jill Post
Jill Post is the Greens candidate for Yarra Bend ward.
She lived in Alphington for more than 35 years but now lives outside of the Yarra Bend ward in Abbotsford.
Ms Post was a member of the Australian Services Union and the Community and Public Sector Union from 2004 to 2022.
The Greens candidates in Yarra did not supply individual responses to questions as requested, rather each candidate supplied the same answers.
They said Yarra council needed better streets, including “wider footpaths, more pedestrian crossings, safe bike lanes and more green public spaces”.
The Greens said “people were finding it harder to afford a secure home”.
“On council I’ll stand up for renters, protect public housing, which the state Labor government is trying to demolish, and support quality affordable housing,” each candidate said.
“Increasing the amount of affordable, accessible and quality housing will be a priority for Greens on Yarra council.
“We can achieve this without compromising public green space or the neighbourhood character of our streets. The Greens will always support new and existing public housing in our communities, stand up for renters and encourage well built, medium density housing in Yarra so everyone can afford to live a good life in our wonderful city.”
The Greens candidates said e-scooters were a “great form of micro-mobility” but geo-fencing and e-scooter parking bays needed to be implemented.
They said they supported the safe injecting room in Richmond and there needed to be more installed across Melbourne and Victoria.
Amaya Castro Williams
Amaya Castro Williams is the Victorian Socialists candidate for the Yarra Bend ward of Yarra council.
Ms Castro Williams is a student and retail worker, and member of the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union.
On her website, she says “rents and mortgages are skyrocketing, and public housing in Yarra has been savaged by cuts and sell-offs”.
“Councils have a responsibility to stand up to property developers and big corporations,” she posted.
“If elected, I’ll fight for rent caps and against the destruction of public housing.”
Ms Castro Williams been involved in campaigns for refugee rights, against racism and the far right, and for action on climate change.
She has not yet responded to questions from the Herald Sun.
Sarah McKenzie
Sarah McKenzie is a Labor candidate running for the Yarra Bend ward.
She is director of policy and research at independent public policy think tank Per Captia.
Ms McKenzie said the three main issues impacting council were social cohesion, cost of living pressures and housing affordability.
Ms McKenzie said Yarra needed increased housing density and urban renewal, but new development needed to be compatible with the character of the neighbourhood and “positively contribute to the local economy, community interaction, and cohesion”.
“I strongly support increasing the availability of housing in Yarra with a focus on affordable housing and social housing (public and community). But I’d like to stress that as our population grows, we must have the necessary infrastructure in place like kindergartens, schools, aged and disability support services, green spaces, and transport. This should be a focus of our council for the next term,” she said.
“According to the latest census, nearly 85 per cent of people who work in Yarra do not live here. While not everyone wants to live in Yarra, it’s clear that many who come here every day cannot afford to live in the area. People in my age group (30s) who grew up in the inner city are staring down the barrel of moving to areas far away from their communities and families.
“Housing is connected to various aspects of our life. It impacts family life, community engagement, employment and education opportunities, and access to health services. I want people to feel like they belong to our community and can contribute to our neighbourhoods, but when housing is insecure, establishing roots in the community becomes challenging.”
Ms McKenzie said she supported the Richmond injecting room but there was room for improvement.
“Since opening in 2018, it has handled nearly 6,000 overdoses without a fatality and prevented an estimated 63 deaths,” she said.
“The facility has also reduced the burden on emergency services, reducing the number of ambulance and hospital attendances related to overdoses.
“However, the MSIR is not a fix to all drug-related issues in the City of Yarra. Syringe litter remains an issue, and there are community concerns about the continued visibility of the drug market, which makes people feel unsafe. This is a real concern but it’s important to acknowledge that the MSIR is not itself the cause of the longstanding drug activity in North Richmond. It is one part of a strategy to support vulnerable members of our community.
“I support the continued operation of the MSIR. It would benefit from more funding, so staff are better able to offer care, make referrals, follow up with clients, and support the broader recovery and social reintegration of those who use the MSIR.”
The Clifton Hill resident said she supported the continued use of e-scooters in Yarra.
“I own and ride an e-scooter myself. Hireable e-scooters offer eco-friendly transportation alternatives which help us reduce our reliance on cars, but poor management and the lack of regulations have had negative impacts on our community,” she said.
Ms McKenzie said council should “demand more accountability from operators” instead of banning e-scooters entirely.
“E-scooters are often left in the middle of footpaths making paths unsafe and unusable for some residents. Unsafe and illegal behaviour from riders makes our roads less safe for everyone,” she said.
“If these companies are making a profit from the people in our community, they should carry a greater burden in mitigating negative impacts on our community.”
Ms McKenzie said she was a member of the Australian Services Union. She was previously a member of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance when she worked as a stage manager and theatre technician. She then went on to work for the MEAA as an organiser from 2016 to 2020 in the Equity section (live performers).
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