How new Melbourne mayor plans to make the city great again

New Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece has outlined a bold plan to generate “game-changing” ideas for the city’s future, if he remains in the top job.

Ten leading Melburnians will be brought together to generate “game-changing” ideas for the city’s future if new Lord Mayor Nick Reece remains in the top job.

Mr Reece last week announced he will run for Lord Mayor in the October local council election after stepping into the role following Sally Capp’s resignation.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal that Mr Reece, if elected, will launch a new board – dubbed Melbourne 3000 – and summit to “help cultivate, implement and deliver major ideas” to the City of Melbourne.

The board, which would be led by Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra as inaugural chair, is expected to focus on business, major developments, events and culture.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece at Flinders Street Station in Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: Jason Edwards

More specifically, the Sunday Herald Sun understands it may look at, among other things:

FLINDERS Street Station and how to unlock its potential as the beautiful building sits largely empty;

DOCKLANDS and what’s next for Melbourne’s waterfront neighbourhood;

CHRISTMAS TIME in Melbourne and how to make it bigger and better; and

INTERNATIONAL students in Melbourne and how to harness the potential of this huge population.

Mr Reece said Melbourne could not “rest on its laurels” as other cities step up their efforts.

“As Lord Mayor, I want to bring our city’s people together and work closely with our leaders so we can seize every opportunity for Melbourne in the years and decades ahead,” he said.

“Melbourne is now the biggest and fastest growing city in Australia and we should be thinking big and bold.

“Let’s decide what sort of city we aspire to be in 25 years and map out a plan to make it happen.”

Well-known restaurateur and Lucas Restaurants chief executive Chris Lucas and Victoria Racing Club incoming chief executive Kylie Rogers would also sit on the board, with up to seven others.

According to the policy, the board’s ideas would feed into the City of Melbourne’s decision-making processes at Town Hall.

Mr Reece also hopes to host a summit – dubbed the M2050 Summit – to help shape a long-term strategy for Melbourne’s future.

Cr Reece has a bold plan to generate ideas for the city. Picture: Jason Edwards

The summit would invite 1000 Melburnians from all walks of life to share their ideas for the city’s future and help shape a “vibrant and dynamic road map” for Melbourne’s pathway to 2050.

The board would hold its inaugural meeting in the first 100 days after the election results are declared and the summit would be held in the first half of 2025.

Mr Guerra said he would be “delighted” to make a contribution to the city’s future by chairing the board, while Mr Lucas described it as an “innovative idea”.

“Establishing a board of successful Melburnians who can assist council and the lord mayor with policy and ideas to make Melbourne Australia’s pre-eminent city will be a game changer,” Mr Lucas added.

Ms Rogers said she wants to make sure “we’re doing everything we can to keep us as the envy of the rest of the world”.

The Sunday Herald Sun last week revealed Mr Reece’s first election policy that would see 20 of Melbourne’s iconic laneways fitted with decorative lighting.

He promises to dedicate $10m to illuminating the city in a bid to increase safety and boost night-time trading.

Mr Reece’s policies are the first of the mayoral election, which appears to be shaping up as a battle of the ex-deputies, with fellow former deputy mayor Arron Wood all but certain to run.

Originally published as How new Melbourne mayor plans to make the city great again