A lack of women contesting seats in the coming council elections has led a former female mayor to throw her hat in the ring.
Kim McAliney, who served on Wyndham council for seven years until 2012, twice as mayor, said more women were needed to represent and govern the city. She will run for a spot in Harrison Ward.
Nominations for the election open on September 15 and close September 20.
As of Tuesday, only 14 of Wyndham’s 51 declared candidates were female, despite 50.1 per cent of the municipality being made up of women.
“Many services provided by the council relate to women and children so it’s only fair that they are equally represented at council level,” Ms McAliney said. “We should be aiming for at least 50 per cent representation”.
A spokesman for acting Local Government Minister Richard Wynne said more women candidates were needed across Victoria, not just in Wyndham. “The government is urging women across Victoria to consider standing as candidates this October to ensure our councils better reflect our local communities,” he said.
Of the 11 current Wyndham councillors, only four are women.
Ms McAliney isn’t relying on her gender to get on council, citing her experiences as a mayor, councillor and qualified accountant as reasons why she should be elected.
“The state government recently introduced rate capping, which will bring challenges for this council. Rather, I see this as an opportunity. We must seek ways to introduce new efficiencies and look to other, revised revenue streams that ultimately aim to improve service delivery to residents,” she said.
“The recent council restructure is the beginning of this.”
