The City of Melbourne has sworn in its 105th Lord Mayor on 2 July, who will remain in the position until Council elections take place in October.
Elected as a Councillor in 2016 and Deputy Lord Mayor in late 2020, Nicholas Reece has helped drive the city’s post-pandemic boom.
As deputy lead of the finance portfolio, Mayor Reece helped bring the Council back into surplus for the first time in five years. As lead of the planning portfolio, he has overseen the approval of 20,000 new homes, new policies to improve the quality of architecture and design across the city, and higher sustainability standards for buildings.
Mayor Reece has led a distinguished career in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors – primarily in Melbourne.
He has helped shape Melbourne through his experience as a councillor, lawyer, journalist, public servant, university leader, and pioneering roles with Movember and The Big Issue.
Lord Mayor Reece said that he has sought all his life to be actively engaged in public service to help others.
“I will be hitting the ground running to deliver the services and infrastructure our community needs and deserves,” Mayor Reece said.
“I will be a hands-on Lord Mayor. I love fixing things, solving problems, making decisions and making things happen. I will work hard every single day to make life better for the people of Melbourne.
“To the residents, businesses, ratepayers, workers, international students and visitors to Melbourne – I promise strong leadership, I will listen and act.”
Mayor Reece said that Melbourne has gone through some difficult times as the most locked down city in the world.
“While the city is bouncing back, I know there are people and businesses who are still doing it tough. I won’t shy away from the challenges – I will be a Lord Mayor for every Melburnian.
“Melbourne’s best days are ahead, with more shovels in the ground than ever before through our city-shaping projects – like the redevelopment of the Queen Victoria Market, the Greenline Project river front transformation and our life-changing Make Room initiative for the homeless.
“I want to thank outgoing Lord Mayor Sally Capp for her extraordinary energy and drive – together with the Council group, she steered Melbourne through COVID lockdowns to emerge as a stronger and more resilient city.”
City of Melbourne CEO, Alison Leighton, said that Mayor Reece has been a passionate supporter of Melbourne and that she looks forward to working with him as Lord Mayor to continue to deliver what counts for Melburnians.
“I also want to thank outgoing Lord Mayor Sally Capp for her everything she has done to serve our community and set up our city for success.”
Image: Richie Chan/shutterstock.com
