Why Independent?
Being independent means I can address local community issues that candidates from other political parties can't or won't.
Why Independent?
I am running as an independent because it lets me speak openly about any issue. Being part of a political party often means that you have to stick to what the party believes, which can make it hard to focus on and respond to what our community really needs.
Talking about local issues is crucial for democracy. If representatives can't talk openly because of party rules, they aren't truly representing their communities. Political leaders should put their communities first, not their parties.
Political parties are often influenced by their funders, like wealthy individuals and multinational corporations, who want to keep things the same. This focus on money and power means parties can sometimes be hesitant to make real changes. The alignment within political parties flows from Federal to State all the way down to the Local Councillors.
People in political parties can also vote as a bloc, which means that even though the policy or issue might not be in the best interest of the community, its in the best interest of the party.
We've seen independents like Jackie Lambie, Monique Ryan, and David Pocock make a big impact by standing up to major parties and fighting for everyday people. Even though local government doesn't have as much power as the federal government, we can still make a real difference by focusing on what our community needs and wants. To me, this means addressing the growing wealth disparity between the North and South of Darebin.
The North/South Divide
The difference between the North and South of Darebin is growing.
Take as an example the Darebin Development Contributions Plan which looks at projected infrastructure spending between 2019 and 2041. The development contribution plan outlines how funds received from new development is reinvested in Darebin to support growing population. This includes buildings, roads, open spaces, footpaths, and cycleways.
In Darebin there are 155,000 residents with $115 million dollars predicted to be received from developers and spent on infrastructure, that's roughly $741 per person.
If we split Darebin along Dundas Street (just south of Bell St) into North and South, there are 100,000 people living in the North while 55,000 people live in the South.
Yet only $35 million is spent in the North while $80 million is spent in the South.
That means, only $350 is invested in infrastructure per person in the North, while the South gets $1,454 per person instead. Despite the North seeing more development.
The two biggest infrastructure projects in Darebin shows this inequality.
$63 million was spent to redevelop the Northcote Aquatic Recreation Centre, while only $15 million is being allocated to the potential redevelopment of the Reservoir Leisure Centre, with the expected construction start time in 2035.
We need to fix this growing divide between the North and the South.