Mel Yuan for Brunswick

Moreland Council needs a long-term Mayor, elected by Council, to represent ratepayers and residents for a full term of Council. Continuity, relationships, and a deep understanding of processes are needed to ensure management accountability.

Councillors are to be congratulated for the mature way in which they have “shared” the Mayoralty, and avoided some of the partisan politics seen in other inner-city councils. The shared, annual model, also gives more people the chance to speak on behalf of ratepayers. We have been fortunate to have Green, ALP and Independent mayors, male and female.

However, 12 months is too short a term. By the time Mayors “know the ropes”, they are out again. This does not provide sufficient oversight of the CEO and bureaucracy in ensuring the Council’s majority agenda is implemented. 12-month Mayors have the chance to put their photo in a year’s worth of publications, but those same policies may have simply been inherited from the previous incumbent.

The next term of council will undoubtedly be one of the most challenging of recent decades. We must have elected, accountable leadership to guide implementation of the Council’s agenda.