Inner West Election Candidates Profile: Marrickville-Midjuburi Ward

Inner West Election Candidates Profile: Marrickville-Midjuburi Ward
Image: The Marrickville-Midjuburi Ward will be an interesting battleground in this year's Inner West Council elections. Photo: ArchitectureAU.

By DANIEL LO SURDO

Inner West Council’s Marrickville-Midjuburi Ward promises to be an intriguing battleground come election day on December 4. Neither incumbent councillors Sam Iskandar and Colin Hesse will be seeking re-election, with only Independent and former Deputy Mayor Victor Macri campaigning to retain his seat in Marrickville. 

Victor Macri 

Cr Victor Macri. Photo: Inner West Council.

Cr Macri has been a longtime Independent member for Marrickville and Inner West councils and will seek to extend his stay on December 4. Macri has operated his own hairdressing salon in Marrickville for over 40 years and is focused on delivering stronger outcomes for residents. 

Since the council amalgamation in 2016, Macri has campaigned for issues concerning both the Marrickville and Inner West community. 

Earlier this month Macri tabled a successful motion requesting council officers prepare a report on waiving ground hire fees for sporting clubs whose seasons were cancelled after this year’s COVID-19 lockdowns. At a council meeting two weeks ago, Macri also presented a motion to commence a campaign lobbying a proposed Tempe Bunnings about improving traffic arrangements in the area.

Melinda Dimitriades

Melinda Dimitriades. Photo: Twitter/@meldimitriades.

Melinda Dimitriades is a first-time candidate for the Marrickville-Midjuburi Ward and will run second on Cr Macri’s ticket. She is “staunchly socially and economically progressive” and is passionate about forming relationships and activities that can engage people across the Inner West. 

For over a decade, Dimitriades has been the proprietor of the Marrickville-based CHOP SHOP carnivorium and has also consulted as a chef at The Great Club in Marrickville. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political, Economic and Social Sciences from the University of Sydney. 

Mat Howard 

Mat Howard is a Marrickville local and has worked in the arts and non-profit sector for over a decade, and has been nominated as Labor’s number one candidate for the Marrickville-Midjuburi Ward. 

Mat Howard. Photo: Inner West Labor.

Howard is a community activist who has campaigned and fought for issues concerning the local environment, arts and culture, the LGBTIQA+ community and diversity. 

Recently, Howard has been active in the Tempe community’s campaign for safer traffic conditions around a proposed Bunnings and has supported new outdoor dining for hospitality venues emerging from COVID-19. 

Justine Langford

Justine Langford will run as the Greens candidate for the Marrickville-Midjuburi Ward. She is a member of Inner West Council’s Environmental Strategic Group, the Cooks River Valley Association and the Marrickville Heritage Society. 

Langford believes that amalgamation has turned the Inner West away from prioritising community and into a council dominated by party politics. 

Justine Langford. Photo: Greens on Council.

With extensive lived experience in Marrickville, Langford is concerned that high rise development in the area is unsustainable, and has backed affordable housing and sustainable development as strategies to preserve the area’s arts, creative and live music sectors. 

The Marrickville-Midjuburi Ward covers the southeastern corner of Inner West Council, including Marrickville, St Peters, Sydenham and Tempe. 

City Hub will be hosting its Inner West Candidates’ Forum on the 14th of November at The Gumbramorra Hall at 142 Addison Road, Marrickville. You can register for the event here.

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