Sally Capp says masks are a small price to pay in order to keep Melbourne open
Newly re-elected Lord Mayor Sally Capp is happy for masks to stay compulsory if it means Melbourne can stay open.
Victoria
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Lord Mayor Sally Capp has advocated for the continuing wearing of masks if it means the city can recover more quickly.
Newly sworn in for a second term at Town Hall, Ms Capp said masks were a continuing topic of discussion, and the council was talking to the state government about ongoing restrictions.
“If wearing masks means that more people can come into the city, that more people can be inside shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes, inside museums and art galleries - then we are all for the masks,” she said.
“Whatever it takes to maximise the number of people back into the city and back into venues, office buildings etc, then we are up for that.”
The Lord Mayor said that the return of workers and visitors to the city was a priority for the new council, and she hoped Christmas would be as normal as possible.
“There will still obviously be restrictions and measures in place, but for us it is about people being able to come back and experience traditions that they’ve been sharing with their families for generations,” she said.
“This quarter really is often the make or break quarter for our retailers, for our hospitality, for cultural organisations and if we can welcome as many people as it’s safe to do so, that is our aim.”
Ms Capp and the new City of Melbourne council were sworn in on Tuesday at a ceremony at Town Hall.
It began with a “smoking ceremony” by representatives of the Bunorong Land Council on Swanston Street, with councillors and council executives then filing into the main council chamber.
The public was excluded from the chamber due to pandemic restrictions, but proceedings were livestreamed.
Ms Capp took the oath of office and signed the councillor code of conduct before being presented with the mayoral robe shortly after 11am.
Deputy Lord Mayor-elect Nicholas Reece followed suit and then the remaining councillors.
The 11-member council comprises five sitting councillors and six new faces.
The existing councillors are the Lord Mayor, Mr Reece, Kevin Louey, Philip Le Liu and Rohan Leppert.
The new ones are Davyyd Griffiths, Olivia Ball, Jason Chang, Elizabeth Doidge, Jamal Hakim and Roshena Campbell.
Ms Capp’s election ticket comprised Mr Reece, Mr Louey and Ms Campbell.
Ms Capp’s main challenger was Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood, who leaves the council after two terms.
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