By Corey Everitt and Violet Li
Mayors in the South East are pleading for the major parties to learn the lesson of the Werribee by-election by addressing the issues of the voters in outer Melbourne.
Appearing on ABC Melbourne on Friday 14 February, Cardinia Shire Mayor Jack Kowarzik spoke on behalf of advocacy group Outer Melbourne Councils (OMC) to state their view on the Werribee by-election.
The chair of OMC said the issues that affected Werribee applied to all residents on the urban fringe and pleaded with both Labor and Liberal to not take their issues for granted.
“I think the Government and the opposition won’t be properly learning the lessons of Werribee if they think those voter frustrations stop at the Ring Road, and that is fair to say for both the State and Federal Government,” he said.
OMC represents 10 councils that wrap around Melbourne, including the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire.
Traffic congestion, infrastructure gaps, local jobs and overall quality of life were the matters Mayor Kowarzik raised regarding the 1.6 million people who live in outer Melbourne.
When asked if he shared the same concern for the City of Casey, Mayor Stefan Koomen said the growing population in the City of Casey needed more investment than ever before.
Casey’s population is approximately 410,000 residents and is forecast to grow to more than 550,000 by 2041.
Mayor Koomen said the council was committed to advocating to the Federal and State Governments to support Victoria’s growth areas like Casey, with the critical projects and services they needed and deserved.
“Our engagement with our residents indicates roads, rail, and transport upgrades are the most important for the Federal and State Government to invest in, followed by local job opportunities, health services and facilities, and other infrastructure,” he said.
“Among our key advocacy priorities are the upgrade and extension of Thompsons Road, the upgrade of the Clyde Road corridor, the construction of the Women’s Centre of Excellence at Casey Fields, and the construction of the Clyde Rail Link.
“These priorities are integral to support our rapidly growing population and provide the services, infrastructure, and community connectivity that our city needs.
“As Mayor, I am committed to continuing to work with all levels of government to ensure the best outcomes for our community.”
The Werribee by-election saw an unprecedented collapse of the Labor Party’s vote in the seat they have held safely for decades.
Recording a 16.5 per cent swing away, Labor’s primary could not break 30 per cent where it was previously polled at 45 per cent in 2022.
The South East is strongly Labor, with the exception of opposition leader Brad Battin’s hold of Berwick.
Pakenham and Bass will be key seats to pick up for the Liberal Party in 2026, as they are held by margins of less than 0.5 per cent.
Narre Warren North, Narre Warren South and Cranbourne are all held by 8 per cent for Labor.
“I think politicians need to stop assuming there are safe seats and respond better to voter concerns,” Mayor Kowarzik said.
“The impacts of growth are two-fold. Firstly, new residents rightly demand infrastructure, but also with those new residents, it means there are a lot of first-time voters in these seats, no one really knows who these people will vote for and that is certainly enough to swing any of those seats.”
