By Cara Waters
The promises from Melbourne’s lord mayoral candidates are becoming increasingly frenetic as their campaigns enter the final weeks.
Candidates have so far made announcements about expanding the free tram zone, turning office buildings into apartments, providing free coffees and even reforming fringe benefits tax to bring back long lunches.
Lord mayoral candidates Nick Reece and Arron Wood have both pledged to expand Melbourne’s free tram zone. Credit: Penny Stephens
But many are not within the remit of the City of Melbourne to act on alone, and require the backing of either state or federal governments.
Dr Colleen Lewis, of integrity group the Accountability Round Table, warned candidates were acting in an unethical manner and treating voters with contempt if they made promises they knew they did not have the power to deliver when elected.
“They are probably confident that most voters will not be aware of which level of government has the power to enact particular policies,” she said. “I firmly believe in the intelligence of the Australian voter, and when they keep on seeing misleading promises in the lead-up to elections, trust just plummets.”
Nick Reece defended his far-reaching policies, and said that since becoming lord mayor he had worked with government at all levels to ban cattle trucks on City Road and get a federal minister for cities.
“None of these are traditionally the role of the City of Melbourne, but I didn’t let that stop me,” he said. “You’ll never hear me say, ‘I don’t hold a hose.’”
Rival Arron Wood said he had been focused on putting forward policies that could be delivered in a realistic and affordable manner.
“While we recognise that expanding the free tram zone and reducing the cost of public transport are state government responsibilities, it’s important that [there is] strong and independent leadership at town hall to advocate for policies that deliver major benefits for our residents, ratepayers and businesses,” he said.
A spokesman for Anthony Koutoufides said he had met planning and property experts and believed he could unlock up to 10,000 homes using some of the 80 vacant office buildings in Melbourne.
“The coffee incentive is just one plan of his policy to encourage people back into the city, and this will be managed via a voucher system as an opt-in program for cafes across the city,” the spokesman said.
Mariam Riza said she would work with the state government on her plan to remove bike lanes.
“It’s about working with the department of transport in terms of what is feasible and what is not,” the Liberal-endorsed candidate said.
Can the candidates actually deliver on what they have promised if they are elected at the end of the month?
Expand the free tram zone
Current lord mayor Reece and rival Wood have pledged to expand the free tram zone, saying it would boost the city’s economy, help tourists get around and ease cost of living.
Reece will extend the zone to cover stops at the Arts Centre, Melbourne Park, Melbourne Museum, the convention centre, the casino and the University of Melbourne.
Not to be outdone, Wood has promised to deliver an even bigger free zone extending to the top of Royal Parade and Flemington Road, through North Melbourne’s Errol Street, and as far as the Domain in South Yarra.
Despite the popularity of such pledges, expanding the zone is a promise the lord mayor has no ability to deliver as it is determined by the state government.
A spokesman for the state government said the government had no plans for expansion.
Verdict: No
50¢ myki fares
Wood wants to cut myki fares to 50¢ on weekdays, saying he’ll push the Victorian government to do it as a way to encourage workers and visitors to return to the city, noting “a similar initiative has been popular in Queensland”.
Public transport is the state government’s responsibility and is entirely outside the lord mayor’s remit.
“Mayoral candidates’ election commitments are a matter for them, but they should stop promising things they can’t deliver like changing the cost of a myki fare or getting rid of bike paths on state government roads,” a state government spokeswoman said.
Verdict: No
Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood wants to reduce Myki fares to 50¢ on weekdays. Credit: Justin McManus
Freeze rates
Reece and Wood both want to freeze rates if elected. The state government imposes a cap on how much councils can increase rates, but there is no issue with them reducing rates.
The only hitch is council still needs to balance the books – given the City of Melbourne’s budget was only $100,000 in surplus last year – and get approval from council.
Verdict: Yes
Turn office buildings into apartments
Transforming old CBD office buildings into apartments is one of Reece’s key housing commitments and has also been seized on by independent Koutoufides as a potential solution to the housing crisis.
Reece adopted the plan from the Property Council, which last year identified 86 office buildings in the city that were suitable for conversion. However, property owners would need to agree, and so far they have not.
Verdict: No
Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece and candidate for deputy lord mayor Roshena Campbell are unlikely to be able to proceed with plans to sell the Regent Theatre if elected.Credit: Simon Schluter
Sell the Regent Theatre
Reece wants to sell the City of Melbourne’s 51 per cent share of the Regent Theatre to bring in a potential $25 million to fund a new arts festival and creative hubs in the city.
However, the state government owns the remaining 49 per cent of the theatre. A government spokeswoman said any sale would require the government’s permission, and it had no plans to sell its share.
Verdict: It depends
Free coffee on Mondays
Koutoufides has pledged to give a free coffee to city workers on Monday mornings for one month to encourage them back into the city.
Funding coffee is within the lord mayor’s powers, but whether it will bring workers back into the city is another question, given a coffee costs about $5 and a return fare on public transport is at least $10.60.
Verdict: Yes
The CBD bike lanes are a hot topic for lord mayoral candidates. Credit: Jason South
Remove bike lanes
Riza has vowed to remove Melbourne’s bike lanes, while candidate Anthony van der Craats has made his intentions clear in the name of his ticket: “Rip Up The Bike Lanes”.
Reece wants to reinstate a lane of traffic on Exhibition Street while retaining the bike lane, and Wood said he would reopen all lanes of traffic between Flinders and Bourke streets by moving the bike lane to the centre.
Whether bike lanes can be removed depends on what street they are in. Some streets in the City of Melbourne are controlled by the council, such as Exhibition Street, while others are controlled by the state government.
Verdict: It depends
Bringing back the long lunch
Reece has pledged to lobby Canberra to reform fringe benefits tax paid by employers on gym memberships, entertainment or meals for employees.
Reece said getting rid of the tax would bring back the long lunch and attract more employees back into the office and to the city’s cafes, restaurants and bars.
FBT is administered by the federal government.
Verdict: No