Mel Yuan for Brunswick

I hope I’m wrong about a lot of things from this election:

• that single-member wards results in fewer independents and minor parties in local government
• that Brunswick becomes 100% Green party and the rest of the north is Labor, resulting in a more entrenched north-south divide along party lines
• that the state government has no incentive to plan for, or prioritise, the inner north on transport
• that we have a highly inexperienced set of councillors who are an easy “capture” to vested interests
• that the annually rotating mayoralty is good for councillors’ re-election prospects but gives the bureaucracy free reign over too much decision-making
• that Merri-bek is a council less maintained, more poorly planned, with weaker infrastructure than our neighbours of Moonee Ponds and Darebin

I hope I’m wrong but I will be watching the next term of council very closely, especially when we see the impact of the forthcoming Federal (2025) and State (2026) elections.

Congratulations to all candidates, but thanks especially to those interest & lobby groups surveying candidates and improving the quality of debate in local government.