It’s council election time again

With nominations for the City of Melbourne council elections closing on September 20, the field of candidates is slowly emerging.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle was slow to reveal his team for the October 22 postal election but on August 25 introduced a team of nine.

Environment chair Cr Arron Wood replaces long-time deputy lord mayor Cr Susan Riley in the highly-sought, second-in-charge position.  Cr Riley has been given the potentially unwinnable position of number four on the councillor ticket.  At the 2012 election, only three team Doyle councillors were elected.  

Cr Beverley Pinder-Mortimer will appear at number five on the councillor ticket.  Heading the Team Doyle councillor ticket is Cr Kevin Louey, followed by newcomers Nicholas Reece and Tessa Sullivan.  Bringing up the rear of the Doyle ticket are Sue Stanley and Hope Wei.

The only other fully-declared candidates for the lord mayoralty are perennial hopeful Gary Morgan and Greens candidate Olivia Ball.

Mr Morgan is offering first place on his councillor ticket to current councillor Jackie Watts.  

He says he is also happy to support former councillor Peter Clarke, should he wish to stand.  Mr Clarke says he is “unlikely” to stand.

The Greens have revealed their full team.  Headed by Dr Ball and deputy lord mayoral candidate, Roxane Ingleton, the party’s councillor ticket is being led by incumbents Rohan Leppert and Cathy Oke.  

Filling the rest of the positions are Apsara Sabaratnam, Jenny Pitts and Benjamin Curnow.

Cr Richard Foster will run with lord mayoral team candidates Nic Frances and Brooke Wandin.

Without lord mayoral tickets, aspiring councillors have a harder road in front of them.  

Incumbent councillor Ken Ong says he is interested in remaining a councillor but had not given much thought to joining or forming a ticket.  

Independent Stephen Mayne said he was still undecided about his candidacy.

Southbankers will have an opportunity to meet the candidates on October 13 at the Boyd Community Hub.

Organised by the Southbank Residents Association, the event will be open to the public.