Susanne Newton

Mayor for Darebin City Council - Councillor for West ward

I’m your councillor for the new West Ward in Darebin.

With your support, I’ll be your champion and your voice for West Preston and South West Reservoir on council. 

I work at La Trobe University, where I am union vice president. As a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors with extensive board experience and a Masters in Business, I will act with integrity, transparency and respect for all residents.

Achievements:

  • $11.8m COVID recovery/resilience package supporting food relief, family violence support, grants to businesses/artists – 7% of council’s overall budget.
  • Protected Preston Market through opposing planning applications/permit extensions and placing a permanent heritage overlay over it.
  • Introduced food waste into green bins, doubled solar power, and became the first city worldwide to declare a climate emergency.
  • Convinced state government to remove four extra level crossing removals.
  • Increased funding for disabled toilets, new LGBTIQA+ grants and funded a new intercultural centre.
  • Event celebrating First Nations people and the wider Darebin community.
  • Strong action on gambling that saw the biggest reduction in pokies losses state-wide. 
  • Improved safety for women, providing $50,000 for lighting at Crispe Park dog park 
  • Improved street safety for children through the Octopus School program.
  • Developed a strategy for every resident to have a park within 500m of home.

Priorities:

  • Pandemic support for those most affected – homeless people, Mantra refugees, local businesses and artists. 
  • Safer streets, traffic management and parking.
  • Extending the food waste into green bin and solar savers programs, review hard waste system, power Darebin with renewable energy.
  • Protecting neighbourhood character, better quality development, more affordable housing, extend the number 11 tram.
  • Providing high quality council-run services for all ages, including aged care.
  • Reduce graffiti through expanding our program to paint murals on walls previously tagged. 
  • Planting 30,000 plants and trees and enhancing the beauty of Merri Creek and Edwardes Lake.