Incoming Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece says CBD has challenges but “great bones”
Some want the City of Melbourne under a new mayor to get back to basics like rubbish while others want an “icon” with the status of the Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty built — but leaders agree the time is ripe for change.
Victoria
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A new Melbourne icon with the status of an Eiffel Tower, cleaning up the CBD, and accommodation for city workers are some of the priorities business, social services and residents groups want Melbourne’s next Lord Mayor to address.
The resignation of Sally Capp six months ahead of local government elections has fired the starting gun for an unofficial campaign for the top job.
Deputy Lord Mayor Nick Reece, who will fill the mayoral robes until an October election, will be among candidates in October, while another former acting mayor, Arron Wood, is also likely to be a contender.
Current councillors will vote on who should replace Cr Reece as Deputy Lord Mayor when he takes on the top job.
The Southbank Residents Association has called for all candidates to focus on core services such as rubbish collection and graffiti removal, as well as addressing e-scooter concerns, while Salvation Army commander Major Brendan Nottle says job opportunities and accommodation for battlers should be a priority.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive, Paul Guerra, said the next Lord Mayor has a golden opportunity to help Melbourne reclaim its position as the best city in the world.
“It’s time for Melbourne to have leadership that can focus on enhancing our capabilities, leveraging our strengths and inspiring everyone to contribute to Melbourne becoming the World’s Most liveable city again,” he said.
“It’s time for action by delivering projects on time and on budget.”
Mr Guerra said fixing transport and accessibility issues were imperative to this task, and more collaboration would drive this forward.
He said a weekly meeting should be introduced between business leaders, police, the Salvation Army, residents and State Government with an “active plan” to boost safety and cleanliness.
The city should also consider a visionary proposal to build a mega icon that would be a “must see and do attraction” for visitors.
“It has to have the same status as Sydney Harbour Bridge, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and Statue of Liberty,” he said.
Mr Nottle also put forward a radical plan, for a new precinct that has accommodation for city workers and those who have fallen on hard times — as well as training and job opportunities through a new social enterprise connected to the city’s hospitality sector.
“Social enterprise could see people who were pariahs supply products to the hospitality sector so those who previously were seen as being troubled are suddenly valuable,” he said.
What city leaders want for Melbourne
Paul Guerra, CEO, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
1. Improve accessibility, by implementing a holistic and pragmatic plan to improve how all transport modes can get into, around and through the city quickly and safely. Let’s design a solution for Melbourne, not just an overseas city copy.
2. Stimulate active collaboration with city stakeholders to propel Melbourne forward. A weekly meeting with business leaders, Police, Salvation Army, residents and State Government with an active plan to address and fix amenity, safety and cleanliness.
3. Create and deliver a plan for Docklands. Let’s make it an entertainment, business and tourism mecca that will attract businesses, workers, residents and tourists alike.
4. Create and Deliver an inspirational business precinct for Fishermans Bend that attracts the key businesses, Universities and TAFEs. It should focus on the growing global opportunity for Defence, Aerospace and Renewable Energy.
5. Design and build a Melbourne icon that will become the must see and do attraction to set our city on the global stage. It has to have the same status as Sydney Harbour Bridge, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and Statue of Liberty.
Tony Penna, President of the Southbank Residents Association
1. Get back to basics. Focus on what councils are meant to be focusing on. Things like rubbish and keeping our city clean. That’s a big one. I’ve spent three months taking photos of overflowing rubbish bins and put them in groups detailing the time and location, but it all falls on deaf ears.
2. Graffiti all around the city is a problem. I understand that graffiti is a tricky one. It’s sometimes on places that they don’t have control over, especially things like railway bridges.’
3. Residents in other areas of the City of Melbourne have different concerns, such as heritage matters in East Melbourne or parking in Kensington and Carlton.
4. A key task for the next Lord Mayor should be strengthening its ties with the state government and advocating for the council. What is the relationship like between the state government and the City of Melbourne?
5. E-scooters are a divisive issue for residents. You either love them or you loathe them. We understand the importance of e-scooters in the transport mix but why can’t the people who use them use them properly? Why do they have to ride on the footpath?
Major Brendan Nottle, Commanding Officer of the Salvation Army
1. In the 1890s Melbourne was seen as the world’s first social experiment; people came from around the world to see how Melbourne took care of those that were locked out. We need to focus on Melbourne returning to being that same compassionate caring city that it once was renowned for, globally.
2. Connect a growing group of people who are vulnerable to health, dental, legal and mental health services so they can become productive members of the community.
3. Create mobile teams that provide those services — dental, health, mental health — that go to the most vulnerable in the community and can connect with them on the streets.
4. Develop a precinct that provides accommodation and services to vulnerable people, but also training opportunities and potential employment opportunities. Social enterprise could see people who were pariahs supply products to the hospitality sector so those who previously were seen as being troubled are suddenly valuable.
5. Develop accommodation for critical workers who help keep our city operating; cleaners, hospitality workers, gig economy workers, emergency services workers. They often live in outer suburbs so we would like to see accommodation closer to their working environment.
Felicia Mariani, CEO, Victorian Tourism Industry Council
1. Create a destination management plan to better manage the flow of visitation to Melbourne and maximise the experience for visitors. Every region of Victoria has created a destination management plan.
2. We are the leading capital city destination for overnight interstate visitation, driven by our extensive major events calendar. We need to start to think about how we actually leverage the most potential out of those events as we possibly can and spread visitors across the city.
3. Make getting around the city as easy as we possibly can. We do have a great public transport network but our tour and transport operators really struggle because of restrictions at the moment around where buses can go, and vehicle parking.
4. Focus on building ‘experiences’ for visitors; it’s not just about the places to stay or the places to eat. The Green Line project is the first discussion of a deep and engaging visitor experience that we’ve seen on the agenda for Melbourne in a very long time.
5. Consider the “safety and security” reputation of our city. Our reputation as a safe and secure destination is really important and we need to protect that.
Melbourne’s next Lord Mayor ‘thrilled' to take role
Incoming Lord Mayor Nick Reece has revealed he is “absolutely thrilled” to take on the top job in June but has kept his policy priorities close to his chest.
“I want to be Lord Mayor because I’m just absolutely thrilled by the opportunity to help Melbourne be everything it can be,” he said on Friday.
“This city has got great bones and it’s got great people. When we all come together, there’s nothing that isn’t possible in Melbourne.”
Speaking at the Good Friday Appeal, Mr Reece said he was well placed to take over from Sally Capp as Melbourne’s new Lord Mayor.
“I’ve spent my life in public service and community service. I’ve done my apprenticeship at Town Hall as a councillor (and) as deputy Lord Mayor,” he said.
“I’m a husband, I’m a dad. I live, work and am raising my family here in the inner city.
“I’m absolutely passionate about Melbourne. We live in the best city in the world. This is a city of so many great opportunities. I want to help Melburnians be all they can be and make the city everything it can be.”
Paying tribute to his predecessor, Mr Reece said: “It’s been an honour to work alongside Sally. She led our city through our darkest hour, and she was a ray of sunshine for our city, helping us get us back on our feet.”
Mr Reece said the city still faced “plenty of challenges”, but added that “the positive trajectory that we’re on now is undeniable”.
But as to what his grand plan to boost the CBD looks like, Mr Reece said he’d have more to say in time.
“I’m here to help raise funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital, not here to talk about those issues. There’ll be plenty of time to talk about those things down the track,” he said.
“Today, it’s all about raising funds for sick kids at the Royal Children’s Hospital.”
Cleaning up the city and removing graffiti, Mr Reece flagged, is a big priority area.
“Safety is obviously always a number one priority for the City of Melbourne, and also keeping our city clean, and bringing back the buzz to Melbourne,” he said.
“They are the things that we’ll be talking about in our budget and our annual plan, and that’s what we’re focused on at the moment.”
Mr Reece said getting through the annual budget was his immediate focus.
“It’s probably the most important thing we do at council each year so that’s where we are very much focused at the moment,” he said.
Who is Melbourne’s next Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece?
Academic, Labor stalwart and Movember pioneer Nick Reece will become Melbourne’s 105th Lord Mayor after Sally Capp’s decision to step aside before the council elections in October.
First elected in 2016 as a councillor, Cr Reece joined Cr Capp’s successful mayoral ticket four years later.
Since then he has been a staunch supporter of Cr Capp and his loyalty has been rewarded with the top job to boost his chances of electoral success.
The 50-year-old father of three is a Labor Party member and worked as deputy chief of staff for Prime Minister Julia Gillard and also worked for state Labor premiers Steve Bracks and John Brumby.
Despite his political allegiance, Labor city branch recently confirmed it would run endorsed candidates for the mayoral race, and against Cr Reece.
Cr Reece currently holds the Town Hall’s important city planning portfolio which oversees building and development in the city.
A senior executive at the University of Melbourne, Cr Reece also teaches public policy and politics programs in the Melbourne School of Government.
One of the original Mo Bros, he is an ambassador and past chairman of the men’s health charity Movember which was founded in Melbourne.
Cr Reece is also an advocate of community TV and celebrated Melbourne’s Channel 31 securing its immediate future thanks to a Bill passing in Canberra this week.
At this stage, pollster Gary Morgan is the only other definite named starter in the 2024 Town Hall race.
The Greens will also announce their team in coming months, although respected councillor Rohan Leppert will absent from their ranks after 12 years at Town Hall.
Arron Wood who filled in as acting Lord Mayor in the wake of the Robert Doyle turmoil in 2018 is also considering running again after finishing second on preferences in the 2020 mayoral election when he contested with digital marketing entrepreneur Lisa Teh.
Other possible mayoral contenders are current councillor Roshena Campbell and Ann Peacock.
Radio icon and former senator Derryn Hinch has withdrawn his candidature because he conceded he wouldn’t be able to raise the funds – between $250,000 and $300,000 – to run his campaign.
Originally published as Incoming Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece says CBD has challenges but “great bones”
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