Arron Wood: Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne reveals why he’s running for the top job
After months of speculation, Melbourne’s Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood has revealed he will take on Sally Capp for the top job at Town Hall in a bid to get the city back to work. But he says the decision to run was one of the hardest he has ever made.
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Exclusive: Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood will run for the top job on a platform of getting the city back to work and standing up to the Andrews Government.
After months of speculation, Mr Wood has exclusively revealed to the Sunday Herald Sun that he will challenge Sally Capp in a bid to make history by becoming the first candidate to unseat a Lord Mayor.
“Sally is a nice person, but she is too close to some of the big end of town players, and is too scared to say no to the state government on certain matters,” he said.
“Worse than that, lately what we have seen is that the state government dictates to the City of Melbourne and to the Lord Mayor.”
Mr Wood, 44, who lives in the municipality, said he would look after ratepayers, and pledged to repeat this year’s rates freeze in 2021-22 if he wins.
“I am not beholden to developer mates, big business, unions or a party machine,” he said.
“If elected, I don’t owe anyone anything, which means that I can govern purely with the city’s interests at heart.”
A former Prime Minister’s Young Environmentalist of the Year, who grew up in Mildura, Mr Wood is married to advertising executive Stephanie with whom he has children Addison and Sam.
He founded not-for-profit environmental education program Kids Teaching Kids, and this year became a Member of the Order of Australia for contribution to local government, the environment and the community.
Mr Wood, who chairs the council’s finance and governance portfolio, said the decision to run for Lord Mayor was one of the hardest he’d ever made.
“My head kept saying don’t run, usually when waking at 3am, because I don’t have the deep pockets and big end of town networks that others might have,” he said.
“But I’m a small-business owner and every hour I get business owners reaching out with devastating stories of their livelihoods going up in smoke. I just feel I can’t walk away from them and city right now when they need the greatest support.”
Mr Wood said he didn’t really enjoy politics, and had “massive self doubt”, but credits wife Stephanie for providing stability and confidence.
“She’s regularly talking through fears, and gently pointing out the less scary reality. She just sees things differently to me and I’m very lucky to have her sense of balance and happiness in my life,” he said.
First elected in 2012, Mr Wood became deputy to former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle after the 2016 poll.
He was Acting Lord Mayor for a while when Mr Doyle resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal that led to misconduct findings.
“There was a lot of pain and impact for many during that period,” Mr Wood said.
“I worked hard to stitch together a broken council as Acting Lord Mayor. I spoke out publicly at the time about what happened. It was wrong.”
Mr Wood, who didn’t run in the 2018 lord mayoral by-election, said his priority now was to get Melbourne “back to being an economic powerhouse, and harness the best and brightest minds to help me do it,” he said.
“We must get people safely back into the city.”
Mr Wood said he won’t make extravagant promises, claiming that Ms Capp had lost credibility through unrealistic policies like a local version of New York’s High Line Park and expansion of the free tram zone.
“Sally has had two years to lead for all, to deliver, to be for ratepayers and not just for re-election, and she hasn’t delivered,” he said.
Mr Wood said that even before the pandemic, council advocacy to the state government was too weak.
“Basic CBD issues like graffiti and waste management were being neglected, homelessness issues were persisting and there was a nagging leadership drift,” he said.
“Ratepayers and small business weren’t put front and centre of everything the city council did.
Mr Wood said he would call out the state government when necessary, such as its dithering over the road map out of stage four restrictions.
“Our hospitality, retail, events and a whole list of other small city businesses are bleeding. Give them the respect to let them open COVID-safe or we’re signing a death notice for those businesses and livelihoods,” he said.
If elected, Mr Wood will organise a series of mini-festivals to help revive the city as pandemic restrictions eased.
Mr Wood said he wouldn’t be a “yes man” to the government or any interest group.
“But I am also a pragmatic and generally positive person who can negotiate and collaborate to achieve the best results to Revive Melbourne,” he said.
Others contesting the October 24 postal vote election include ALP-endorsed lord mayoral candidate Phil Reed and pollster Gary Morgan.
ARRON WOOD’S ACTION PLAN
BRING PEOPLE BACK
Consultation with industry and business groups has shown that at least one third of workers are desperate to return to their jobs in the inner city for a range of reasons including mental health issues and inadequate home setups.
We must bring people back to the city under COVID-safe work plans, including social distancing and mask wearing.
Many industries such as Australia Post, distribution centres, and transport and logistics firms have worked through this period.
Will support and help organise a staggered, sensible approach to get back to work.
REVIVE RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY
Create a calendar of weekly block-by-block events to boost business for cafes, restaurants, bars and shops when shutdowns ease.
These mini-festivals will see traders offering discounts, promotions, activations and giveaways, as we manage the foot traffic to keep people safe.
Outdoor dining permits will be processed in 24 hours allowing hospitality to spill safely, under social distancing rules, on to footpaths, laneways and some carparks.
Will work with groups like Australian Hotels Association, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and City of Melbourne’s liquor licensing forums.
Will be the biggest alfresco summer the city has ever seen.
EASE PRESSURE ON RATEPAYERS
Ratepayers are doing it tough which is why I advocated for the zero per cent rate rise in the city council’s 2019-20 budget.
Given continuing financial pressure on individuals, families and households, I will freeze rates next year too if elected.
Reviving our businesses will have the most significant positive impact on residents and mum and dad investors, meaning they and their families have jobs.
People who own investment properties need a return to normality so they can rent out their premises again.
REVIVE THE CONSTRUCTION BOOM
Current city planning controls are stifling commercial development and reducing property values.
Scaling back the controls would create thousands of new jobs and increase property values in the CBD.
Planning controls can be relaxed and still have superior urban design, sustainability outcomes and better apartment guidelines by finding a middle ground.
Building works program must be accelerated and strong advocacy needed to bring on major projects like E-Gate, Fishermans Bend and Metro 2.
FIX HOMELESSNESS
My experience on SBS TV show Filthy Rich and Homeless showed that we need more homes since many people slip through the cracks.
Housing is largely a state and federal government issue, but council can do more to deal with rough sleepers and chronic homelessness.
I will appoint the first local government Chief Homelessness Advocate to work with the state government to turbocharge social housing and identify gaps in wraparound services
Will double funding to our joint operation with homelessness agencies, Salvation Army and Victoria Police to get remaining rough sleepers, many with highly complex mental health and addiction issues, off our streets.
Will build 200 affordable homes on council-owned land.
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