Ask your candidates what they would do to encourage cycling and make it safer.
IWBC has put three questions to all candidates:
1. What do you see as the key benefits of Active Transport in the Inner West?
2. Do you support a safe and connected bike network that women and children feel comfortable to use?
3. What will you do to support walking and cycling in Council?
See responses in Posts.
Interested to know what you would reply, too.
They also got an information package, which included our Policy recommendations. Chief recommendation is to get a dedicated bicycle facility engineer and coordinator so that projects can be developed and implemented more quickly. Nearly all the current projects under way were developed four or five years ago. No new projects.
List of main candidates (not complete) for the five wards. Three candidates are elected for each ward.
Labor: Darcy Byrne, Mark Drury, Philippa Scott, Mat Howard, Chloe Smith
Liberal-leaning: Julie Passas. Vittoria Raciti. Morris Mansour (These 3 not endorsed as Liberals, and none elected)
Independent: Vera-Ann Hannaford (Ex-mayor making a comeback), Pip Hinman, Jack Robertson, John Stamolis, Pauline Lockie, Vic Macri. (Later note- Stamolis and Lockie elected)
Greens: Dylan Griffiths, Kobi Shetty, Justine Langford, Marghanita da Cruz, Liz Atkins. (Later note: all elected)
See The Tallyroom for a fuller list of candidates and discussion of the intricacies of Lib/Lab and Green/Lab alliances over the years. Independents could be powerful too. Liberals aren’t fielding an endorsed team, but some candidates are members of the Liberal party. Vittoria Raciti may be under threat from Vera-Ann Hannaford, which would be a very good thing. Hannaford was a strong supporter of cycling on Leichhardt Council.
Darcy Byrne was recently deposed as Mayor after an adverse finding by a Local Govt body. Says he will stand again.
Rochelle Porteous was elected Mayor, but is not standing in December. Marghanita Da Cruz seems likely to be a contender for Mayor after the elections.
Note added in 2024. Darcy Byrne was elected Mayor. ALP controlled the Council with 8 councillors, against 7 for the Greens and Independents. It was a close election and ALP just managed to get an extra candidate up in one ward to make it 8 ALP.
The City Hub independent news is running a series on candidates.
For responses to questions and updates see Posts.