‘Who’s getting your vote?’: Fresh poll reveals homeowners’ feelings about lord mayor candidates
City of Melbourne homeowners have been asked who is least and most likely to win their vote in the race for the city’s top job, offering an insight into voter sentiment as the election draws to a close.
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Almost 25 per cent of inner-city homeowners say Carlton champion Anthony Koutoufides and Lord Mayor Nick Reece are the least likely to win their votes in the race for the city’s top job, according to a fresh poll.
The results of the poll, commissioned by the Sunday Herald Sun and conducted by Melbourne-based firm Snap-Poll, have shed new light on voter sentiment within the City of Melbourne ahead of the council election.
The poll, conducted over the course of late September and early October, surveyed about 250 homeowners across the municipality before ballots were mailed out on October 7.
When asked which candidates were least likely to win their vote, the majority of respondents (32 per cent) said they were not yet sure.
But 24 per cent said they were least likely to vote for Koutoufides, followed by Mr Reece (22 per cent), current councillor Jamal Hakim (20 per cent) and the Greens’ Roxane Ingleton (12 per cent).
When asked then which candidate would get their vote if the election was held tomorrow, the majority of respondents (36 per cent) again said they were not yet sure.
About 18 per cent said former deputy lord mayor Arron Wood, who is among the frontrunners in the lord mayoral race, would get their vote, followed by Mr Reece (12 per cent), Koutoufides (7 per cent) and Ms Ingleton (7 per cent).
Voters were invited by Snap-Poll to leave responses after making their picks, with some indicating they would vote for Mr Reece because it was “better the devil you know”.
“Too risky to vote in someone new,” one resident wrote.
“Nick is currently doing some great work, rather not change horses midstream.”
But others said Mr Wood had won their vote, with one saying he seemed the “most genuine”.
Another voter, who was happy to throw their support behind Koutoufides, said the city needed an “outspoken and good looking stallion to represent us”.
But others were not convinced.
“Anyone but Kouta! I’m a Kangas supporter,” one resident wrote.
“Seriously … Koutoufides is running for lord mayor?” wrote another.
Supporters of Ms Ingleton spoke about the need for greater female representation in politics.
“We need to support women more, especially in positions of governmental leadership,” one wrote.
The City of Melbourne takes in the CBD and suburbs including Carlton, Docklands, East Melbourne, Kensington, North Melbourne, Parkville, Port Melbourne and Southbank.
It is the only municipality in Victoria where businesses and corporations get to vote, scoring two votes each, while residents get one.
This means that the results of any residents’ poll cannot capture the sentiment of the electorate as a whole in the same way as state and federal polls.
However, the flow of preferences could mean that a candidate with less than 10 per cent of the primary vote could could claim victory, with the race much tighter than previous elections.
Ranil Rajapaksha, community engagement specialist at Snap-Poll, which specialises in polling for insights into community behaviour and beliefs, said what stood out to him based on the responses was how many residents “felt unheard”.
“The consistency in the Snap-Poll responses point to a growing sentiment in the City of Melbourne that the needs of locals are being sidelined,” he said.
“There’s an overwhelming sense … that people want to feel connected to Town Hall leadership and right now, that’s just not happening.”
Many responses expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the city and council policies, particularly concerning bike lanes and homelessness.
Mr Rajapaksha said residents felt disconnected from the current leadership.
“The fact that the current lord mayor scored highly on the ‘least wanted’ poll, combined with the high number of undecided voters, points to a trust deficit,” he said.
“Voters want leaders who not only have strong policies but who they can trust to listen and act on behalf of the community.”
Voters are required to post their ballots by October 25.
Wood’s poll position
Lord mayoral hopeful Arron Wood plans to put Formula One fans in pole position at a free Australian Grand Prix parade where they could catch a glimpse of their favourite drivers.
If elected to the city’s top job, Mr Wood said he would introduce the parade from 2026.
It would come to an end at the newly restored City Square, which he said would become a “mecca for motorsport” in the lead-up to the race.
“We want to ensure that Melbourne remains one of the biggest and best F1 races on the planet,” Mr Wood said.
He said his team would work closely with the state government and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation to bring the event to life, dedicating $2.4m over three years.
AGPC chief executive Travis Auld said that he welcomed any initiative that showcased F1 and extended the buzz generated by the sport.
Talks are already under way between the City of Melbourne and the AGPC to make F1 a week-long event in Melbourne.
Why not take a punt?
Lord mayoral hopeful Anthony Koutoufides wants to bring US college football games to the ‘G, if elected to the city’s top job.
The Carlton great said he wanted to attract National Collegiate Athletics Association matches in a bid to boost the number of major events in Melbourne.
He said NFL’s popularity was growing in Australia, as was the number of Aussies playing the sport at college and professional levels.
“The popularity of American football in Australia has grown rapidly and eight of the past 11 winners of the Ray Guy Award – given to the best punter in college football – have been Australians,” he said.
“It’s the perfect time to showcase them at MCG.”
The sons of Eddie McGuire and Essendon legend Dustin Fletcher have recently played college football in the US, with several high-profile AFL players, including Saverio Rocca, previously making the switch to NFL.
Koutoufides also wants to run a week-long sea sports festival at Docklands to showcase kitesurfing, waterskiing and windsurfing.
Originally published as ‘Who’s getting your vote?’: Fresh poll reveals homeowners’ feelings about lord mayor candidates
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