Who is running for Alice Springs mayor in 2021 and what they stand for
As local elections draw closer, three councillors and one former councillor have set their sights on the town’s top job. Find out who they are and what they stand for.
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AS Alice Springs council elections draw closer, and with Mayor Damien Ryan’s announcement last week he will step down, three councillors and one former councillor have set their sights on the town’s top job, ahead of the Territory-wide local government elections on August 28.
Mr Ryan said last Friday his decision to step aside when he did would allow the public to turn their focus to others who are contemplating running for his role.
“We can concentrate on those candidates, we can concentrate on those people, we can concentrate on what they’re going to do for our community,” he said.
Meanwhile, long-time councillor Eli Melky has thrown his hat in the ring for the mayoral race, declaring community safety as his number one priority.
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“The office of mayor carries a great deal of influence, and I would look to utilise that influence for the best interest of community.” he said.
Mr Melky said he would use his commercial background to grow Alice Springs through strategic investments.
“What the office of mayor can do is invite and encourage investment into the town, by way of infrastructure such as roads, parks, footpaths and waste management,” he said.
“But also on a commercial economic level, I’d look to encourage investors so we can have all the things a small town needs in terms of retail and services.”
He said the town would be disadvantaged if they select a mayor with political affiliations.
“I am never going to be compromised to do the bidding of political masters,” he said.
“I don’t have any.
“I will only do the bidding of what is in the best interest of community – I only support what is right, not what is popular.”
After 13 years as chief executive at the Arid Land Environment Centre, councillor Jimmy Cocking is stepping down from his role at the end of June, and is putting all his chips on the mayoral race.
Mr Cocking said Alice Springs is lacking a clear vision and needed to improve relationships with the Territory government and other stakeholders.
“I want to see a town that acknowledges its past and works towards its future, and that means engaging with Arrente people in a meaningful way,” he said.
“I want to make sure that we’ve got a safe community that everyone can enjoy – for young people and anyone that lives here or visits.”
He said he wanted people to be able to invest in Alice Springs with confidence.
“I want to make sure that we’ve got opportunities for the CBD to be invested in and for the town to be a place where people want to put their money,” he said.
“We need to embrace where we are and be the capital of inland Australia.”
Mr Cocking highlighted the council’s climate action plan, waste management program, and CBD activation as key projects he would focus on under his watch.
Lifetime local Cr Jamie de Brenni said, if elected, he would seek to continue developing Alice Springs “without losing our character”.
“We need to develop ideas to ensure the history of our town is never lost,” he said.
Mr de Brenni flagged his desire to develop a recognition garden in town to acknowledge “people who have helped build Alice Springs”, including key figures in the town’s transport, business and Indigenous history.
He said he also wanted to develop Council as a training platform for apprentices to create more avenues for people to learn trade skills.
After a four year break from local government, former councillor Steve Brown will contest the mayoral position, saying “a lack of progress in dealing with the issues Alice faces” had led him to make a comeback.
Mr Brown said youth crime was the biggest issue in the town, and claimed that the current council had “always stood aside” of the problem.
“Sure, it’s a Territory government issue, but it’s also an Alice Springs issue and a community issue,” he said.
“It takes a community to change the situation, and Council is the head of the community and should have been heavily involved all along.”
He said, if elected mayor, he would push to build a large community youth centre, which would operate 24 hours a day with kitchen and sleeping facilities.
“It would operate as a community connection for kids that are on the streets, a safe place for them to go, activities, and a front for mentoring, and educational facilities,” he said.
Nominations for local government elections officially open on July 16, and election day across the Territory is August 28.
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