Electorate: Niddrie
Location: The district is a metropolitan electorate located approximately eight kilometres north-west of Melbourne.
Area: 35 square kilometres
Suburbs: Aberfeldie, Airport West, Avondale Heights, Essendon West, Keilor East, Keilor Park and Niddrie and parts of Essendon, Keilor, Moonee Ponds, Strathmore Heights and Taylors Lakes.
Features: The District centres around the junction of the Calder Freeway and the Western Ring Road contains residential and industrial areas, recreational reserves, including Brimbank Park, several large shopping centres and the Maribyrnong River.
Margin: ALP 4.5%
Sitting member: Ben Carroll
A redistribution has eroded Labor’s hold of this north-western seat from 6.9 per cent to 4.5 per cent.
The sitting member Ben Carroll won the seat easily in a 2012 by-election, which the Liberal party did not contest.
The debate in the electorate, which covers the northern parts of the Moonee Valley Council area, is more concerned with schools and jobs than with the east west link.
Mr Carroll, has promised $10 million to the Essendon Keilor College to rebuild its Niddrie campus, provide new science rooms at its Keilor East campus and a new performing arts centre at the Essendon campus.
He said other schools like Rosehill Secondary College and Aberfeldie Primary School needed funding for major capital works.
He said Labor planned to create 100,000 jobs and restore funding to TAFE which would help unemployment and a lack of training facilities across Melbourne’s north-western suburbs.
The Liberal candidate Rebecca Gauci Maurici is trying for the third time to win a seat in state parliament, and said the Liberals planned to create 200,000 jobs as well as providing training opportunities.
She said jobs and employment security were key concerns in the electorate along with infrastructure and said the east west link would ease traffic congestion even in the northern suburbs.
Lawyer Andrew Gunter is standing as an independent in Niddrie after a new party, the Voice of the West claimed him as their candidate without his permission earlier this year.
Mr Gunter said many educational facilities were run-down in the electorate and he said that as an independent he would advocate for local projects “without party restrictions”.
He said other issues included traffic bottlenecks like the Buckley Street rail level crossing.
Voice for the West have fielded a paediatric surgeon Professor Paddy Dewan who said he wanted to cut out “huge waste and inefficiencies” in the health system across the state.
Questions & Answers
ALP: Ben Carroll
What will you do for the electorate that your opponents will not?
Only Labor will provide $10 million to rebuild and transform Essendon Keilor College with a complete rebuild of the Niddrie campus, new science rooms at the Keilor East campus and a new performing arts centre at the Essendon campus; and remove the Buckley Street Level Crossing meaning less congestion, more trains and safer roads. Labor also has a plan to create 100,000 new jobs in two years, as well as restoring funding for our TAFE system. These policies will tackle the rising level of unemployment and lack of training opportunities which are a serious problem right across Melbourne’s north-western suburbs.
What is the most pressing issue that needs attention in your electorate? Why?
Education is the most valuable investment our community can make. Our local community is blessed with a great network of schools however some such as Essendon Keilor College, Rosehill Secondary and Aberfeldie Primary require vital funding for major capital works. Essendon Keilor College in particular has been identified as the state’s most run down school, yet for the past four years the Napthine Liberal government has refused to rebuild the school. Only Labor will invest the $10 million needed to provide a 21st century learning environment at Essendon Keilor College.
Does the electorate need the east west link? Why?
This election is a choice for either Labor’s plan to invest in public transport, remove our 50 worst level crossings and improve our local roads, or Denis Napthine’s $8 billion dud tunnel. Only by investing in public transport with more frequent buses and trams, removing our worst level crossings and building the full Melbourne Metro Project to double the size of the city loop can we really get the population moving.
Do you think gay marriage should be legal in Australia? Why?
Yes, couples who love each other should be able to join in that most meaningful of unions.
Rank these issues in order of importance to the electorate: Public transport, roads, health, education, climate change, asylum seekers?
Education, health, public transport, roads, asylum seekers, climate change.
Liberal: Rebecca Gauci Maurici
What will you do for the electorate that your opponents will not (be specific)?
Only a Napthine Coalition government will offer a strong plan for the long term future of Victoria. From the Essendon Fields / Airport West employment precinct to the east west link, we are ensuring investment and infrastructure are delivered to an area overlooked for over a decade under Labor.
What is the most pressing issue that needs attention in your electorate? Why?
The things I hear most often when I speak to people locally are that people are concerned about jobs and job security, that’s why the Napthine government has released the 21st century jobs plan which will create 200,000 jobs, training for 850,000, plus 60,000 apprentices. People are concerned about delivering infrastructure, which supports our community in the long term like the east west link, the Airport Rail Link and the Melbourne Rail Link, and improving transport within Niddrie and supporting business with a strong economy, and reductions to payroll tax and work cover premiums.
Does the electorate need the east west link? Why?
Many locals in Niddrie drive to work on congested local streets and overloaded freeways and bridges. The east west link will provide a vital second river crossing, ease traffic congestion and take trucks off suburban roads. This is about building transformational infrastructure to support Melbourne for the future. The project will also deliver thousands of Victorian jobs.
Do you think gay marriage should be legal in Australia? Why?
The Australian Constitution gives the Commonwealth Parliament undisputed power to make laws with respect to marriage. While this is a Federal issue, my personal view is that all couples should be able to marry legally through civil unions.
Rank these issues in order of importance to the electorate: Public transport, roads, health, education, climate change, asylum seekers.
Over the past few months I have met thousands of locals with their own individual view about the issues that are the most important to them. I believe that it is the job of a good local member to listen to locals and provide the best possible outcomes for everyone in our community. Some of the most commonly raised issues have been roads, public transport, health and education. The Napthine government is investing in all of these areas to deliver the services and infrastructure Niddrie needs.
Independent: Andrew Gunter
What will you do for the electorate that your opponents will not?
As an independent MP I would advocate for all Niddrie neighbourhoods both in Parliament and with bureaucrats – without party restrictions. A party MP trying to advocate for Niddrie is competing with other MPs for attention to what Niddrie needs – school upgrades, reducing transport bottlenecks (the Buckley Street level crossing affects Niddrie drivers and public transport users every day), keeping public land at Keilor Park and Calder Rise for future schools (and community sport and recreation in the meantime) and giving Keilor residents a referendum choice between staying in Brimbank Council, joining Moonee Valley or the new Sunbury Council.
What is the most pressing issue that needs attention in your electorate? Why?
Many education facilities in Niddrie need upgrading after years of safe-seat neglect. Government-seat neglect. Opposition-seat neglect. The same run-down facilities. Good schools of all types are important to the wider community, not just families with children attending. Schools build community networks. Like all infrastructure, our home values depend on schools being there, in good condition, providing a good service to the Niddrie community. Education is just ahead of transport (road and rail) and health (a public emergency facility for the north-west, shorter ambulance times) because it’s specific to Niddrie. Transport and health are vital – they are regional and metropolitan issues.
Does the electorate need the east west link? Why?
The east west link would not directly affect Niddrie, and there would be some direct benefits for some Niddrie residents. Until we know the full business case for the east west link and all its assumptions, we don’t know if it is good or bad value for money. If it’s bad value for money, it would soak up public funds that other more effective projects could use. The North East Link (preferred by the RACV in 2012 as being more effective and cheaper), Melbourne Metro Rail Link and Airport Rail Link could be brought forward and built sooner. Niddrie electorate would benefit from those.
Do you think gay marriage should be legal in Australia? Why?
The issue is more a federal than a state issue. It’s important to provide a sound legal and social framework for long-established couples, whether it’s through civil unions, or marriage or by other changes. That helps couples with retirement (superannuation entitlements between partners, with the bonus of reducing the burden on the pension system) and senior years (next-of-kin rights in medical emergencies, for example), and in providing fair inheritance provisions for spouses who die without having made a will. Any of these changes could help to provide fair and equitable outcomes.
Rank these issues in order of importance to the electorate: Public transport, roads, health, education, climate change, asylum seekers.
Education, roads, public transport, health, climate change, asylum seekers.
Education is top-of-the-list because of Niddrie schools being neglected for so long. Roads and public transport are key because we use one or both every day. The longer we spend commuting, the less time for family and friends. Health services are vital even when we hope never to use them. Faster ambulance services to better equipped and more accessible emergency departments for example.
Climate change is not for Niddrie alone. Encouraging rooftop solar (more every day in Niddrie’s neighbourhoods) is the way to go. The lower power bills are a bonus! Asylum seekers: a federal issue where the states have no power.
Voice for the West: Paddy Dewan
What will you do for the electorate that your opponents will not (be specific)?
An understanding of regional and state-wide healthcare management which impacts on all voters; knowledge that can enhance the cost effectiveness of healthcare that will improve access and outcomes. We should stop the bean-counting mentality, and give the West the services that people deserve.
What is the most pressing issue that needs attention in your electorate? Why?
The need for community consultation and collaboration. State-wide issues such as the desalination plant and the north-south pipe-line indicate that the major parties do not formulate policy without appropriate consultation. In the Niddrie electorate, issues such as the Essendon airport, waste management and access to healthcare, and the tunnel details need to presented before contracts are signed.
Does the electorate need the east west link? Why?
The electorate needs good transport infrastructure, both public and private. Facilitating through traffic across the city is important, as is getting heavy traffic off local roads.
The local councils have lodged objection against aspects of the tunnel, indicating that they have not been adequately involved in the process of formulation of the contracted outcome of planning; begging the question – is this a north-south pipe-line look-alike. I gather the Environmental impact statement has not yet been prepared, yet a contract has been signed.
Do you think gay marriage should be legal in Australia? Why?
Marriage law is a Federal issue, having the right to a loving relationship is a matter for all. I support the right to freedom of expression; any right comes with responsibilities.
Rank these issues in order of importance to the electorate: Public transport, roads, health, education, climate change, asylum seekers?
Public transport, roads, health, education, are local issues, noting the conflict government conflict with both the ambulance workers and preschool teachers. Climate change is a global issue that individuals, councils and state governments should take action about – shifting targets and impacting negatively on the clean energy providers is unacceptable; the asylum seeker issue is a matter of national policy, and a matter of national shame, but a problem to be managed to consider protecting our country, but being kind to those in our global village. I would want the electorate to assign the order of importance, not me dictate what their view is; my job as their representative would be to present their view, not to preempt their view.
OUR COVERAGE
Check out stories on the Niddrie electorate:
Appollo Yianni takes up the issue of power
East Keilor pedestrian crossing promise
Cam Nation shelves No East-West Link party plan
Check out our Essendon electorate profile:
Essendon electorate profile + Q&A
