Council Dreams For Vic Greens Teams

By Your Vic Greens Campaign Team

In the last week of Victoria’s local government elections, and the biggest council campaign the Victorian Greens have ever run, 3 candidates from the inner city, suburbs and regions share their experiences of their people-powered campaigns.

Jay Iwasaki - Bulleke-bek ward, Merri-bek City Council

As the campaign winds down and votes come in, I can finally relax a bit and enjoy some of the highlights of the campaign. One of my favourites was when I was greeted during a door knock with “It’s You! Come in!” Their kids had loved that I was a bee scientist from my flyer and had it on the fridge. It was great to chat about native wildlife and represent local politics in a really grassroots way. 

There are plenty of Greens supporters in the area, but having people reach out after the 'meet the candidates' event to volunteer has also been really rewarding. I’ve been focused on having a forward-looking, pragmatic message for the community, and clearly it has had an effect. Of course there have been some negatives. It was really disappointing to see the double-speak of cynical attacks from opponents (in a wholly progressive area), but it’s only reinforced to me that Greens are the party with the best potential to show what a positive vision for government could be, and to try to set that example.

Lucy Ngyuen - Kororoit Creek ward, Brimbank City Council

This is my first time running in an election and I wasn’t too sure what to expect but it’s been such a great experience. I really welcomed all the opportunities to meet local residents, learn more about Brimbank and all the issues that locals care about such as wanting more dog parks, green corridors, safe pedestrian crossings and solidarity with Palestine. I’ve had a really positive experience door knocking residents these last few months with most residents pleasantly surprised by my presence, as they’ve never been door knocked before so they welcomed the opportunity to raise their concerns.

We’re now at the tail end of the election campaign and I’m still getting used to seeing my face on locals’ fences and being recognised on the street! I most recently attended a local Palestine vigil and the organisers greeted me with open arms as though we’re old friends. I think the most rewarding part of the local government campaign for me has been the opportunity to build stronger connections with my community. 

Veronika Levchenkova - Coolibah ward, Melton City Council

There were a few definite highlights for me during this campaign. First and foremost is meeting the local residents and hearing their expectations of a new council. I’ve heard directly and received emails with people's concerns about wildlife and state nature in our area - one of the issues I'm looking forward to addressing, if elected. Involvement of my family into flyer delivery and door knocking  - is another highlight. My mom, who is 83 and of limited English, was running before me, advocating for my election. My youngest kids, 9, 6 and 4 years of age helped with  mailboxing, along with my husband, who did about 2000 houses on his own. Special thanks to my fellow candidate Aamer Kiani from Melton West, who supported me along the way and our Brimbank-Melton brunch members for their guidance and assistance! Go Greens!
 

Izzy Scherrer - Deakin ward, City of Greater Geelong

Running as a candidate for the first time has been a thrilling and messy journey. As one of seven Greens candidates in Geelong—the most ever—I felt the excitement of being part of a larger movement for change and on reflection very naive. My car, my garage and my life were going to be eaten whole by my campaign! 

I wasn’t seen as a serious contender in my ward, where a former Labour councillor, a Liberal ex-MP, and prominent figure are fighting it out. But things shifted dramatically when the Murdoch press listed me as a "major threat," putting my campaign on the map and giving me a great alter ego.

My background in community development proved to be a good asset. It gave me the skills to navigate the "interesting" conversations that come with doorknocking and connecting with voters. Although I braced myself for the risks of solo doorknocking —like abusive encounters, barking dogs, or even magpie swoops—I was pleasantly surprised to find none of that. Instead, my challenges were more unexpected: figuring out how to recruit volunteers (thanks friends!), working out weird ward boundaries, navigating hail and moving conversations from congestion and more roads to 'cycling is amazing'!

Doorknocking has been a favourite part of the campaign. Even on tough days—like the time it was hailing, and I was feeling the wear and tear of being  on the campaign —I persisted, and those ended up being some of my most memorable encounters. I had heartfelt discussions about mental health, community, and local issues, and even got invited in for cuppas.

From wielding an electric drill, chasing flyers in the wind to attending community events, my campaign has given me a taste of the dynamics and rush of local politics. Being recognised as a “major threat” was a peak moment, shifting my campaign from underdog to contender and made me even more determined to advocate for a better, more sustainable future for my ward of Deakin and Geelong as a whole.