hamish heard
CANDIDATES boasting a mixture of youth and experience have emerged as early runners in the race for seats on Hobsons Bay Council at November’s municipal elections.
Twenty-three-year-old Luba Grigorovitch last week announced her intention to enter local politics.
The ambitious Labor staffer will be joined on the ballot cards by 60-year-old Williamstown trader Greg Murray, who also threw his hat in the ring last week.
Ms Grigorovitch, who works as the electorate officer for the Member for Altona Lynne Kosky, believes her blend of youth and enthusiasm will get her over the line.
“I have been encouraged to run for local council by my family, the ALP, friends in Rotary and my local basketball team,” Ms Grigorovitch said.
The former Mount St Joseph’s Girls College student has a double degree in arts and business from Victoria University.
She has revealed a detailed agenda of local issues that she plans to address as a councillor.
These include keeping rates low, cracking down on unsightly nature strips and vacant blocks, upgrading council facilities, stopping the illegal use of dirt bike and retaining hard waste collection services.
Ms Grigorovitch said she wanted to win the Altona Meadows ward, currently held by ALP councillor Carl Marsich.
“ALP rules allow for any members who wish to run to do so and I have spoken to the current ward councillor who is supportive of my candidature,” she said.
None of the seven sitting councillors has revealed whether they were planning to stand for a seat in the next four-year term of council.
Pundits have tipped Mayor Bill Baarini will bow out of the council after his the current term expires but he has remained silent on the matter.
“The truth is I haven’t decided either way,” he said.
His fellow Labor councillors, Mary Ann Lindsay, Carl Marsich and Renee Caruana, did not return Star’s calls for comment before the paper went to press.
However, sources have claimed Cr Marsich would not run for election again in the Altona Meadows ward.
Ms Grigorovitch’s revelation that Cr Marsich was “supportive of (her) candidature” backs those claims.
Independent councillors Peter Hemphill and Angela Altair both said it was too early to say whether they would stand again.
Cr Leigh Hardinge also failed to return Star’s calls.
Hobsons Bay Community First co-convenor Tony Briffa said the organisation would field at least one candidate in the election but said he doubted whether he would personally stand.
Former Newport councillor Brad Mathieson has also been tipped as a contender and has refused to rule out standing.
