Not sure who to vote for? We put the tough questions to all candidates to help you make up your mind – read on for their answers. All candidates have been sent the same questionnaire, which we will post as we receive them – check back here regularly for updates. Candidates have been given until October 6 to submit their responses.
PAPERBARK WARD
Keysborough, Noble Park
2008 election results: Elected: Pinar Yesil (not re-contesting) 5845, Roz Blades 4596, Peter Brown 2625
Enrolment: 25,772 (74.92% voted)
Formal votes: 16,965
Informal votes: 2343
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THE CANDIDATES SAY …
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NATALIA SUPEL
Suburb of residence: Noble Park
Occupation: Nurse
Ward nominated for: Paperbark Ward
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? I’ve lived in Greater Dandenong since I was a little girl.
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? If so, please list details (where, when, length of time, etc). No.
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? If yes, which party? If no, with which political party do you most identify? No.
Are you or have you ever been a member of an political interest or lobby group? No.
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? Yes.
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? My current funding comes from family and friends who understand why I want to help the local community.
Where will you be campaigning? I will be campaigning at shopping centres and distributing pamphlets
Who will you direct your preferences to? N/A.
Describe your involvement in the local community. Supporter of charitable organisations, for example, Red Cross, Salvation Army.
What do you think being a councillor involves? Being a passionate advocate for the local community; providing our community with better access to council services, for example, home care programs, establish more youth centres for those dealing with issues from the past/present and provide them with education training and employment opportunities. Other factors that I would address is our current community and be a part of the town planning.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward? Planning, rates, traffic, development, preservation of green spaces
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong?
Our growing community.
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MENG HEANG TAK
Suburb of residence: Noble Park
Occupation: Lawyer and radio broadcaster
Ward nominated for: Paperbark
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? I have lived in Greater Dandenong for 16 years.
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? If so, please list details (where, when, length of time, etc). No I have never run for council or been a councillor before but I am keen and committed to serving the needs of our community.
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? If yes, which party? If no, with which political party do you most identify? Yes, I am a member of the Australian Labor Party; however I will be completely independent in my role as a Councillor. Serving the interests of the residents will always come first.
Are you or have you ever been a member of a political interest or lobby group? No but I work with local organisations to provided much needed support for families in need. I fight for the rights for equality and justice.
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? Yes if elected I will certainly remain as a Councillor for the full term. This is my long term commitment to serving our community.
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? I do not have an exact figure at this stage as there may be other expenditures to assist the operation of the campaign. My budget would be in the vicinity of $10,000. My wife and I have funded this campaign with the great support from family and friends.
Where will you be campaigning? I am committed to giving my utmost dedication to this campaign and with an army of volunteers I have so far been able to hand deliver pamphlets to residents of Paperbark ward, putting up posters and engaging residents and sharing my views on important topics. I have met with many of our residents while doing door knocking, meeting at shopping centres and community events.
Who will you direct your preferences to? I will direct my preference to candidates who have demonstrated strong commitment to serving the community. My preference will go to Peter Brown and Roz Blades. More details on my ‘How To Vote Card’, which will be sent out to residents’ homes one week before the election and on the election day.
Describe your involvement in the local community. I am a strong supporter of multiculturalism. I have been actively involved in various local community committees in many capacities from being a public officer for the local Buddhist temple to being a founder of a student organisation group since 2001.
I am the public officer for the Cambodian Buddhist Centre, located in Springvale South but my role is also to serve the wider multicultural groups. I have recently coordinated a successful multicultural New Year event in April 2012 to raise much needed funds for construction of the Buddhist temple and heritage centre on Springvale Road in Springvale South. The centre once completed will open its door for the community and tourism activities. I have also been involved in many charity organisations such as Save Australian Children Funds to raise funds for disadvantaged groups.
Most importantly, as a local lawyer, the majority of my clients come from non English speaking background. I have learnt that they are the backbone of our multicultural society and our economy and this is what makes our community so rich in diversity. It is something we should embrace.
As an SBS Radio broadcaster I have meet and worked alongside many of our local organisations.
I attended the local high school and have lived in this neighbourhood for the past 16 years and so I have grown up understanding the needs of the community.
What do you think being a councillor involves? Being a Councillor is to represent residents in the ward and be their voice and action their concerns. It is about having short term and long term visions to solve issues that that are at the heart of the interests of the community. It putting the residents first and being willing to put in hard work and be accountable for your own actions while promoting mutual respect. I am committed to being the Councillor for ALL, not just for a particular community group.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward? Paperbark ward is growing fast with young families moving into the local area and existing residents continuing to thrive here. I know this is a good place to live and to raise a family; however Noble Park has not had good reputation due to the high crime rates and high number of youth employment. However I want to change this. Over the last weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet with many residents.
The top three issues which have been repeatedly raised with me are:
1. Community safety,
2. High council rates
3. Poor traffic management, ie the Chandler Road railway crossing and the roundabout at the intersection of Lightwood and Heatherton roads.
Addressing these problems will be my immediate focus if I am elected. I am determined to work cooperatively with local police and advocate for more police presence while also working with local businesses and traders to increase jobs for our youth. I also want to see more focus on providing support and programs for newly arrived migrants to better settle and integrate into the community.
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong? Greater Dandenong is one of the most culturally diverse area with residents from over 150 birthplaces and about 60% of its population (142,000) born outside of Australia, however Figures shown by www.socialstatistics.com.au (2010/2011) indicated that Greater Dandenong:
1. Crime rates in were 43% higher than metropolitan Melbourne,
2. Drug offences were 119% higher than metropolitan Melbourne,
3. Violent offences were 90% higher than metropolitan Melbourne.
Whilst a lot of commendable efforts have been dedicated to solving these issues, Council still needs to address these challenges which will require strong leadership, commitment, energy and efforts to change.
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MINH TRAN
Suburb of residence: Springvale
Occupation: Small business owner of Taxation agent
Ward nominated for: Paperbark ward
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? I have lived in Greater Dandenong since 1989.
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? If so, please list details (where, when, length of time, etc). I ran for council in 2005 and I was not successful in being elected
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? If yes, which party? If no, with which political party do you most identify? Yes, I have been a member of ALP
Are you or have you ever been a member of an political interest or lobby group? N/A
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? If I was elected, I would sit the whole term because commitment and dedication to our Greater Dandenong residents.
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? I am funding my election from my own resources.
Where will you be campaigning? I will be distributing pamphlets and letters all across the Paperbark Ward, the ward in which I am standing for the city of Greater Dandenong council election.
Who will you direct your preferences to? I shall direct my preferences to candidates who want to work for the community and who genuinely want to make a difference in Greater Dandenong.
Describe your involvement in the local community I have enjoyed over 10 years of community work including the SICMAA’S and HOA NGHIEM Buddhist Temple Tax Help Volunteer Program, helping many people low income earners with their tax issues. I have also worked as a voluntary worker with SEMVAC Inc. to assist disadvantaged people to complete forms or apply for services; contact with ATO or Centre link. I am also an active member of the Rotary Club. We do fund raising through our activities, such as BBQ sausage sizzle at Bunning store on Saturday and Sunday market activities to assist disadvantaged families, children and charitable organisation in Australia and around the world. I have been also involved in fundraising program for Royal Children Hospital Research and volunteering for Clean Up Australia Day that takes place on the first Sunday in March every year.
What do you think being a councillor involves? There are many community groups who need resources, space, rebuilding, renovations and assistance with council. So, a councillor’s role is to advocate at council for these resources to be allocated. The councillor must also be responsive to the needs of individual residents who encounter issues on a daily basis that affect their quality of life in Greater Dandenong, such as barking dogs, overhanging branches, rubbish collection and parking fines.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward?
• Council rates are always going up.
• Wastage and inefficiencies in council
• Maintenance of our footpaths
• Supporting for local groups, sporting clubs and associations
• To advance parks, recreation and conversation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people.
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong?
• Criminal issues such as rape, robbery and burglary etc.
• Securing low rates for all Greater Dandenong residents
• Car parking in the city and surrounding areas
• Improved road and public transport systems.
• Funding to community groups and sporting groups
• Upgrade in aged care program
• Counselling for young people- keep supporting & helping our youth
• Well resources our library
• Make more opportunity for families, children and young people to enjoy great entertainment by fantastic festivals and events in the city of Greater Dandenong.
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NINA SPRINGLE
Suburb of residence: Noble Park
Occupation: Manager of the Noble Park Community Centre
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? I have lived in Greater Dandenong for three-and-half years with my two children. My family have lived in Paperbark Ward for over 50 years, settling in Noble Park after they emigrated to Australia from Europe after WWII.
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? I ran as the Greens candidate in the seat of Lyndhurst in the 2010 State Election. This is my first time running for local government.
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? I am a member of the Australian Greens Victoria.
Are you or have you ever been a member of a political interest or lobby group? Never.
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? Yes.
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? I have a budget of approximately $2500, funded by the Australian Greens Victoria, as well as my own personal contribution.
Where will you be campaigning? Throughout Paperbark Ward.
Who will you direct your preferences to? I will be running an open ticket allowing voters to decide on their own preferences. This basically means that I am asking voters to vote for me by putting a 1 next to my name. After that, it’s up to each voter to decide in what order they vote for all the other candidates. I’ve chosen to do this, as I believe it is a more democratic and transparent method of election.
Describe your involvement in the local community. I work in the local community everyday in my role as the manager of the Noble Park Community Centre, situated in Ross Reserve behind the Noble Park Aquatic Centre. My son plays for the Noble Park Junior Football Club and I served on their committee of governance in 2010. We have also had involvement with the Springvale Little Athletics Club and my son studies at St Anthony’s Primary School in Noble Park. I am a member of the Noble Park Football Social Club.
What do you think being a councillor involves? I believe being a councillor involves really listening to the people you are representing and acting on their concerns and needs. A common criticism of government at every level is that constituents only ever see their elected representatives around election time. This approach couldn’t be more damaging, particularly at local government level, as it is the closest model of governance we have that involves true community leadership.
I also think that one of the most vital roles a local councillor can play is as a conduit for positive change. Through lobbying other levels of government on behalf of the people issues such as public transport and public school resourcing can be greatly influenced by local government, if they act on the best interests of the community.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward? The level crossings in Noble Park need to be addressed ASAP, not only for the convenience of the residents travelling by car and train in terms of timeliness and traffic congestion, but also for the general safety of the local community. The rate of road accidents caused by such poorly designed transport infrastructure is substantial. Lack of buses from Keysborough to central public transport hubs is another issue that must be urgently addressed.
Funding and resourcing to our public schools is an issue I am very passionate about. While this is absolutely a statewide issue, I do believe schools in our region are particularly worse off from neglect and funding cuts. I would like to see our local government lobby the state to rectify this, not only for the good of our children, but also so that other regions have a model to work from in increasing their pool of resources as well.
Community safety is something I have worked hard on during my time in Noble Park and through concerted efforts I do believe we are making progress with overall perceptions of safety. However, there is certainly more work to be done in that regard.
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong? It’s a little hard to answer this question without sounding all doom and gloom because according to the social statistics released by the ABS from the last census, we have a lot of work to do to improve living conditions in Greater Dandenong.
We have the substantially higher rates of crime in comparison to metropolitan Melbourne, both violent and drug related. Particularly concerning is the rate of family violence incidents reported which is 90% higher in Greater Dandenong than almost all other parts of Melbourne and the second highest in the State. Average incomes are substantially lower and the rate of gambling losses is increasing.
However, we also know that this is not the whole picture and while its important to acknowledge there is work to be done, it would be hard to find another place where the richness and beauty afforded by living in such a multicultural environment occurs so fully. We can also happily say unemployment rates have decreased significantly.
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ROBERT BISSET
Suburb of residence: Keysborough
Occupation: Driver/labourer
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? 23 years.
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? Yes. Run for City of Oakleigh council about 25 years ago, and the federal seat of Holt.
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? If yes, which party? If no, with which political party do you most identify? I’ve no time for political parties. I can’t stand both sides.
Are you or have you ever been a member of an political interest or lobby group? No.
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? Yes.
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? I am self-funded.
Where will you be campaigning? Keysborough and all parts of Paperbark.
Who will you direct your preferences to? I don’t know any of the candidates. It’s too early to say.
Describe your involvement in the local community. I’m pretty well-known in the area. My kids play local footy. I work with a lot of people in the area.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward?I want Noble Park shopping strip and centre to be cleaned up so there’s no one hanging in the railway stations. Some of the parking needs to be upgraded and resurfaced, eg Springers and near Parkfield velodrome.
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong? I don’t go to Dandenong much. You’ve got to pay a dollar to park anywhere. The traffic in Lonsdale Street at 4pm is ridiculous. We need more services for your rate-dollar. My mother is a pensioner. If someone needs to get their gutters or windows cleaned, the council should say we’ll send someone out. At the moment, if you ring up Greater Dandenong, it takes forever to get help.
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PETER BROWN
Suburb of residence: [no response]
Occupation: Secondary School Teacher
Ward nominated for: Paperbark
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? Ratepayer since 1983
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? If so, please list details (where, when, length of time, etc). Greater Dandenong Councillor since 2003
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? If yes, which party? If no, with which political party do you most identify? Labor Party member
Are you or have you ever been a member of an political interest or lobby group? NO
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? Longer if possible…it’s a most rewarding community-based responsibility.
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? Self-funded, approximately $10,000
Where will you be campaigning? Paperbark Ward
Who will you direct your preferences to? My Ward Colleague of nine years, Councillor Blades
Describe your involvement in the local community. A former teacher at Heatherhill and Coomoora Secondary Colleges for 14 years (now Keysborough College)
What do you think being a councillor involves? Objectivity,understanding, commitment, intelligence, honesty.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward? In Paperbark Ward, the key issues for the future are the retention of the Springvale Offices to be transformed into a community centre to serve the whole community when staff relocate to Dandenong, the continuing development of Ross Reserve according to the adopted Master Plan, improving traffic management in central Noble Park, continuing upgrades to Keysborough Reserve and the purchase of farmland in Keysborough to create additional sporting fields to meet the increased demand from a range of leisure activities.
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong? Removal of the 5% development levy which is holding back the sale and development of land owned by Places Victoria and Council reducing its debt arising from the construction of the new Civic Centre.
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ROZ BLADES
Suburb or Residence: Noble Park
Occupation: Retired from the medical sector 3 years ago. Currently elected in Paperbark Ward City of Greater Dandenong
Ward nominated for: Paperbark
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? (formerly the amalgamations of the former cities of Springvale and Dandenong) 43 years
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? If so, please list details (where, when, length of time, etc). I have been a councillor in two councils and Mayor of both councils (Greater Dandenong and former City of Springvale). Currently 21 years in office.
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? If yes, which party? I joined the Australian Labor Party in 2003.
Are you or have you ever been a member of a political interest or lobby group? I have been involved with a huge amount of committees and lobby groups over the years, e.g. Eastern Transport Coalition, Family Mediation Centre, Patron of Multicultural Shed project and Patron of the Opening Doors Inclusion Programme, as well as many other groups.
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? Absolutely, my record in local government demonstrates my commitment
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? We are still getting quotes in. So far we have paid for one Paperbark Ward leaflet. The campaign will be paid for by Terry and Roz Blades
Where will you be campaigning? Paperbark Ward City of Greater Dandenong, with a mixture of door knocking, letters to residents and billboards. Most importantly I will be speaking to the residents and community groups.
Who will you direct your preferences to? This is largely finalised, but not quite. I expect it to be completed soon.
Describe your involvement in the local community. Prior to being elected as a councillor, I was heavily involved in school councils, kindergartens and the Safety House Committee of Australia. Local government was a natural extension to views that I could make a difference. I represent the residents on wide ranging committees, such as the Noble Park Community Action Forum, Springvale Community Aid and Advice Bureau, Eastern Transport Coalition, Interfaith Network, Cyrene Centre to name but a few. I am proudly a Paul Harris Fellow and have been awarded a Silver Arrowhead award from the Scouting Movement. Additionally I am proudly an honourary member of the Noble Park RSL and a life member of the Springvale Benevolent Society.
What do you think being a councillor involves? A passion and interest in the varied needs of all of the residents. Paperbark Ward is a hugely diverse ward with many interests and different community groups. It is the role of a councillor to take all of these views into account in all facets of a large ward. For example, the Parkmore Customer Service Centre provides a great service for the community in that area. It is also about explaining how local government works and enabling and empowering the community. I really enjoy speaking to groups who are active locally. We can then make this city the best place for our people who live here. Lobbying is most important at state and federal government levels, which enabled this Council to build the Noble Park Aquatic Centre and Civic Centre. It is very important to propel this city into national importance.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward? Well public transport is one and with this in mind we have had some success with lighting at Noble Park Station and a Railway Precinct Plan in Dandenong. No buses on a Saturday or Sunday run from Noble Park – work still needs to be done. So placed based activities are important. The Ross Reserve Master Plan is going to produce fantastic benefits for the area in terms of quality open space and sporting fields. And the massive free public festivals we have just had at Ross and Wachter Reserves. Youth needs are high on the list, working with all of the outside agencies and our own in house team, we can supply good quality school holiday programmes, as well as sporting programmes for young people. Good quality open spaces for families with play equipment for the families. Basically tapping into the needs of all of the different interests in Paperbark Ward. Accessible councillors.
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong? Well there are many, but many success stories along the way. Again I come back to public transport. If we could get some buses in Abbotts Road, Dandenong, we could employ many in our own community and make a positive difference to their lives. The level crossings in Greater Dandenong are down 35 minutes out of every hour, making travelling difficult and is an impediment to creating bus routes. We have actively campaigned on this issue to open up the City of Greater Dandenong. There are diverse needs also. We need to take into account the needs and provision of services to an aging community. The Regional Food Kitchen model has assisted in this regard. The three major precincts of Greater Dandenong need to be treated individually. We are fortunate to have a large industrial base backed up by a council economic development department, to assist us in developing wealth combined with service delivery, again improving lives. Mostly what it takes is a group of 11 hard working councillors working together with all of the differing components to make this a wonderful city.
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BRAD WOODFORD
Suburb of residence: Noble Park
Occupation: Bus Driver
Ward nominated for: Paperbark
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? I have lived in Noble Park for six years, having previously lived and grown up in Oakleigh.
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? If so, please list details (where, when, length of time, etc). This is the first time I have run as a candidate in a council election. I have never been involved in any other level of government.
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? If yes, which party? If no, with which political party do you most identify? I am not a member of any political party, and have always been a swinging voter. At any state or federal election my vote is determined by the policies and objectives offered at the time.
Are you or have you ever been a member of a political interest or lobby group? Due to my strong interest in public transport as a local issue, I have recently become a member of the Public Transport Users Association. I am not currently a member of any other political interest or lobby group, nor have I been in the past.
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? Yes I will. A great deal of thought and preparation goes into campaigning for a role like this and it is a role I am most certainly ready to take on for the entire four-year term.
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? This is my first campaign, and being truly independent means that all campaign costs are being funded using my own money. To date, my campaign will have cost in the vicinity of $2000. Where possibly I have utilised local businesses during my campaign, the construction of my campaign website was carried out by myself, and with my brother being a graphic designer, he has kindly provided his services free of charge in designing printed materials.
Where will you be campaigning? In coming weeks leading up to the election, I will be visiting residents in Noble Park and Keysborough to discuss the local issues which matter most to them. We have planned a couple of public listening post sessions in public areas within Noble Park and Keysborough. The details of those will be provided on my website as they are confirmed.
Who will you direct your preferences to? At this stage I am yet to finalise my preferences as I need to consult with a couple of my fellow candidates. However, I will be aiming to direct preferences to other independent candidates who display a transparent, logical and commonsense approach to improving the local community.
Describe your involvement in the local community. Within the Greater Dandenong community, I have been actively involved in the Learner To Probation (L2P) driver mentor program since its introduction in 2010, which has successfully provided young people with training to earn their drivers licence. The program is aimed at young people who would otherwise find it difficult to get appropriate driver training for a vast number of reasons. I have seen this program allow young people to prosper, find excellent employment opportunities, not to mention a wonderful boost in self-confidence in the young people accepted into the program.
What do you think being a councillor involves? A councillor’s job involves being a voice for all members of the community, and to represent the views of the people who live in our municipality. I have developed a wide scope of key focus areas with an aim to seek improvement of living in Greater Dandenong to a vast array of people, whether they are the elderly, our youth, families, business operators or new migrants. I will be focused on bringing an honest, transparent, and common sense approach back to local government.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward? Like much of Greater Dandenong, Paperbark is in a period of evolution. Town planning is going to become a common point of discussion in the near future as more and more multi-dwelling developments appear around the Noble Park and Keysborough areas. Maintaining a reasonable and commonsense approach to these developments is vital in maintaining a good balance between having a range of living options for local residents, while also being considerate of the potential issues such developments bring to surrounding residents, including traffic/parking issues, privacy and quality of living issues. Another important issue is that we need to continue to seek out and advocate for better public transport opportunities for residents, particularly in parts of Keysborough. We also need to continue to strive for improvements to support services for our elderly, our young people with some becoming more and more disenfranchised, and migrants, many of whom make an outstanding contribution to our local community.
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong? One of the biggest challenges facing Greater Dandenong in coming years will be manufacturing and business. Greater Dandenong is a hub for the manufacturing, construction and transport industries and as a result is often on the receiving end of flow-on effects directly related to events in the national and international economies. We need to continue to encourage and support businesses to invest in Greater Dandenong, with a view to providing as many employment opportunities to members of the local community as possible.
Town planning will be another strong issue in Greater Dandenong, particularly in and around central Dandenong with multi-level apartments earmarked for this area, as well as around Springvale and Noble Park. While I’m not strictly against apartment complexes, I am determined to ensure that such developments fit in with the characteristics of the surrounding area, and therefore maintaining quality of living for all residents in the area. I’d like to see Greater Dandenong lead the way in providing effective efficient and innovative means of providing council services, so rate-payers get maximum benefit for their money.
Finally, I believe in the next couple of years portions of the local community, such as the elderly and our young people, are going to experience more challenges as people struggle with the cost of living. Employment opportunities could become scarcer and we could possibly see a higher rate of people struggling with mental health and social issues. We need to continue to find ways to offer top quality support services for these people. This includes working closely with migrant communities with a view to expanding Greater Dandenong’s reputation as a world class socially cohesive city of great opportunity.
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VICTOR VICTOR
Suburb of residence: Noble Park
Occupation: Student
Ward nominated for: Paperbark Ward
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? Since arrival in Australia 2003.
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? If so, please list details (where, when, length of time, etc). No.
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? If yes, which party? If no, with which political party do you most identify? I’m not a member of any political party, I like each aspect of each political party but they hasn’t been a political party which has drawn my full attention.
Are you or have you ever been a member of an political interest or lobby group? No.
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? I would be devoted for the whole term on being on council because I believe change cannot just happen without a length of progress and being on council and working with the community, we together will accomplish CHANGE.
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? I don’t have a campaign budget and I don’t have anybody funding my campaign.
Where will you be campaigning? Paperbark ward.
Who will you direct your preferences to? N/A.
Describe your involvement in the local community. I have a real passion for serving my community and have volunteered at various groups includingYouth Affair Council of Victoria, Youth Affair Council Of Victoria (Youth Reference Group),Multifaith Multicultural Youth Network,New Hope Foundation, Wyndham Youth Resource Centre (Youth Reference Group), Foot Prints Enterprise, R.I.S.E,City Of Greater Dandenong Youth Service (Young Leaders Program) and St Martin’s Youth Art Centre.
What do you think being a councillor involves? I believe being a councillor is a rewarding way of having a direct communication with the local community and making changes that dictate their life’s in a positive way.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward?
* Community safety
* Community cohesion
* Community participation
* Youth
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong?
* Young people (alcohol, policing,)
* Community safety
* Community cohesion
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GIORGIO MIGLIACCIO
Suburb of residence: Noble Park
Occupation: Executive & Business Coach
Ward nominated for: Paperbark
How long have you lived in Greater Dandenong? I’ve lived in the Greater Dandenong region for over 40 years, firstly in Springvale for 5 years and then in Noble Park where I still live. I went to school at Harrisfield Primary and also to Noble Park High School (now Noble Park Heights Secondary College). I believe that we live in a wonderful area that has successfully embraced multiculturalism and should be celebrated for that.
Have you run for council/ been a councillor before, or any other level of government? If so, please list details (where, when, length of time, etc). I ran for council unsuccessfully back in 1992. My experience now as a family man and small business owner means that I am better positioned to bring value to the role.
Are you/have you been a member of a political party? If yes, which party? If no, with which political party do you most identify? I am not a member of any political party and I would classify myself as a swinging voter. I strongly believe that local councils should be run on local issues and decisions made based on the benefits to the residents not on party lines. I am fiercely independent and as councillor will continue to push for the greater good of residents and not be swayed by some of the political manoeuvring that we have witnessed in the recent past.
Are you or have you ever been a member of an political interest or lobby group? Never.
If you are elected, will you commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term? If elected I will commit to remaining a councillor for the whole term. There is no point entering into a race that you have no intention of completing. I am committed to getting the best for all residents and that takes commitment, not part-time involvement.
What is your campaign budget? Who is funding your campaign? I am financing my campaign myself. To maintain independence it is important not to feel beholden to any outside influences. The budget is fluid; there are costs that crop up along the way so I have no set budget as such.
Where will you be campaigning? I will be campaigning in Noble Park and Keysborough. I will try to get out and meet as man people and business owners as I can.
Who will you direct your preferences to? I haven’t decided as yet but will preference those candidates that share my commitment and passion for this area.
Describe your involvement in the local community. I am a member of Rotary Club, involved with Springvale Little Aths and actively involved in my daughters school where I instigated our healthy eating program and arranged for fruit to be distributed to the children. I have also been actively involved in organising a working group to meet with the Melbourne Racing Club (Sandown Raceway) to determine how we can best utilise the resource of the raceway whilst minimising the impact to the local residents.
What do you think being a councillor involves? Being a councillor is about making decisions that benefit the ratepayers and the area in general in a fiscally prudent manner. This means listening to the concerns of the residents and business owners that will be impacted by the issues in front of the council. I don’t believe we have enough dialogue with ratepayers about the issues that concern them and making decisions in council without proper debate or without knowing what ratepayers want leads to disillusionment and a council that is out of touch with the people it is supposed to represent.
What do you think are the most important issues for your ward? Community safety is a critical issue. The perception is that we live in a relatively unsafe area. By improving street lighting and introducing CCTV into our shopping strips and at risk areas we can deter crime but also make people feel safer. We also have a large elderly population so we need to ensure that damaged footpaths are fixed quickly so it’s safer to walk and, again, improved street lighting also makes it safer to walk our streets. Graffiti is also an issue so we need quick response teams to clean up graffiti, research shows that the quicker graffiti is removed the more likely it is to remain clean.
What do you think are the most important issues facing Greater Dandenong? The most important issue facing Greater Dandenong is getting people to come, stay and shop in the area. There has been enormous upheaval with the redevelopment of Dandenong to the detriment of business owners. We need to do what we can to help businesses survive and grow. We have to make it safe, attractive and easy for people to come to Greater Dandenong as that is what will ensure the survival and growth of the area.
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