Simon Crawford

Councillor for Maribyrnong City Council - Yarraville ward

I would like to acknowledge that the City of Maribyrnong sits on the traditional lands of the people of the Kulin Nation and pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

It’s been an honour to serve the people of Maribyrnong for the last four years as a Councillor. It has given me the opportunity to meet so many great people in our community and learn about many of the amazing things that are being done to make Maribyrnong an even better place to live.

When running for election in 2016 I stood for better bike paths, cleaner waterways and a more responsive and accountable Council. I’m proud to say that I have been successful in changing the direction of Council to a more sustainable and socially conscious organisation, with specific successes including acknowledging the Climate Emergency, developing the Maribyrnong Bike Strategy and the Stony Creek Future Directions Plan.

Now that I am re-elected, I will work to ensure that these initiatives are all fully funded and implemented. I also want to focus on new initiatives such as getting Council to:

  • Improve its processes for community engagement, giving residents greater ownership of the decisions that affect them;
  • Be more responsive to resident enquiries;
  • Being more transparent in its decision making by reducing the number of decisions made in meetings closed to the public;
  • Make more ethical investments such as ethical procurement and moving savings into ethical investment funds;
  • Act more sustainably, such as developing a biodiversity plan.

I’m also keen to hear the priorities of residents, so if you have suggestions please get in touch.

I live in Maribyrnong with my wife and three children (8, 5 and 3) and love the vibrancy and diversity of Maribyrnong’s culture. In addition to being a Councillor, I have worked in local government for nine years and have experience in other sectors such as not-for-profit, charities and small business. I have a double degree in Sports Administration / Business Management and have almost completed a Master of Business Administration (Environmental Sustainability).

For leisure I enjoy going for family bike rides along the Maribyrnong River or walks along Stony Creek. I love taking my kids to all the amazing events we have at our doorstep (when not in lockdown) and being able to go around the corner to our local park to play with family and friends.