A recent meeting of the newly formed M9 alliance to discuss the councils’ key priorities saw members agree to undertake a strength in numbers approach to push for significant change in the upcoming 2022 Victorian election.
The M9 also met with Victorian Minister for Local Government, Melisa Horne, and Shadow Minister for Local Government, Richard Riordan, to outline key objectives in the leadup to the election.
Top of the agenda items for the alliance included Melbourne’s economic recovery, waste, transport, climate change and renewable energy, community resilience, and affordable and social housing.
The M9 alliance includes representatives from the City of Melbourne, Darebin, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Port Phillip, Stonington and Yarra.
The M9 councils represent one in five Victorians and more than a third of Victoria’s Gross State Product.
Melbourne Lord Mayor, Sally Capp, said the pandemic brought Melbourne’s local governments closer than ever before, fostering a growing cooperation which the M9 aims to harness.
“There’s no denying COVID has deepened the underlying vulnerabilities and inequalities in our system. These underlying issues must urgently be addressed to ensure they do not become further entrenched.
“With little over 100 days until Victorians head to the polls, the advocacy work of the M9 alliance has never been more important as we strive to make inner-Melbourne a better, stronger and more sustainable place to live, work and study.”
According to the Council for Homeless Persons, Victorian homelessness services assisted 38 per cent of total clients nationwide in 2019 and 2020.
Ms Capp said people across all forms of government must collectively prioritise long-term and integrated responses to this growing crisis.
“Mandatory affordable housing controls would be a significant first step, enabling councils to deliver social and affordable housing with certainty and scale, and helping to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping,” Ms Capp said.
“Over the coming months the M9 alliance will be pushing hard to see strategic, evidence based and community supported policies from both sides of government which address the biggest issues faced by Melburnians.”
