Mayor and Councillors
Councillors are your local elected representatives, they advocate on behalf of residents and work to assist them. Councillors are responsible for managing the City's assets, provide a wide range of services and facilities and ensure finances are allocated in the best interests of the whole community.
Journalists should email media@darebin.vic.gov.au for comments.
Wards
The City of Darebin ward structure has been changed effective from the 24 October 2020 General Elections. The City is now divided into nine single member wards.
For details of the nine wards visit the Victorian Electoral Commission website.
Darebin Ward Map(PDF, 2MB)
Mayor and Council Elections
On 30 November 2023, Council elected Cr Susanne Newton as Mayor and Cr Tim Laurence as Deputy Mayor for the 2023-2024 Council Year.
The next General Council Elections will be held on 26 October 2024.
Councillors
Cr Susanne Newton (Mayor) – West Ward
Mobile: 0419 764 245
Email: Susanne.Newton@darebin.vic.gov.au
Terms as Councillor: 2016-2020, 2020-2024
Term as Mayor: 2023-2024
Term as Deputy Mayor: 2022-2023
Councillor profile: I choose to live in Darebin because it's so diverse and vibrant, and I've gotten to know and love Reservoir.
Reservoir is an amazing example of different ethnic communities living in harmony. But there’s room for more small businesses and a livelier shopping strip - enhancing what's good about Reservoir now while maintaining the sense of community.
Our city faces significant challenges with population growth, the impacts of traffic, and climate change. As a Council we need to ask if we have good enough planning to cope with density and manage the impact.
At a local level, my key concerns reflect what the community told me: hoons and safety on our streets, appropriate development and open spaces to balance the increase in housing density.
Cr Tim Laurence (Deputy Mayor) – North East Ward
Mobile: 0419 750 234
Email: Tim.Laurence@darebin.vic.gov.au
Terms as Councillor: 1996-1997, 1998-2002, 2008-2012, 2012-2016, 2016-2020, 2020-2024
Terms as Mayor: 2000-2001, 2012-2013
Term as Deputy Mayor: 2023-2024
Councillor profile: No other place can match the vibrancy of this easy-going and culturally diverse community. People are quick to say hello and we're a multilingual lot with many languages in our midst.
We're spoilt for food choice with Preston market and a diverse range of cultural providores, and our large urban parks and creek valleys provide great open spaces.
I ran for council again to make a difference. I believe we must ensure a fair go for all, equal access to council services, and equal allocation of ratepayer funding across our suburbs.
Our biggest challenge is restoring our City to being the best place to live in Melbourne. We need better roads, replanted parks, affordable housing, greener streetscapes, renewed sports facilities and first-class community centres and services.
Cr Julie Williams – North Central Ward
Mobile: 0419 750 152
Email: Julie.Williams@darebin.vic.gov.au
Terms as Councillor: 2012-2016, 2016-2020, 2020-2024
Term as Mayor: 2022-2023
Councillor profile: I've lived, worked and played in Darebin nearly all my life and am now raising my family here.
Darebin is so culturally diverse with an abundance of food, schools, sporting clubs and innovative businesses, open spaces, and great transport. The Preston Market is a great reflection of the culture that makes this community so wonderful and liveable.
With our growing population, within the next 15 years 25 per cent of our residents will be over the age of 65. I want to ensure Darebin continually invests in infrastructure, trees, safety and appropriate development so that our next generation will be accommodated for.
I was motivated to stand for council again because I wanted to ensure that Darebin builds appropriate development, protects sensitive interfaces, manages parking, and protects local amenities.
Cr Emily Dimitriadis – South East Ward
Mobile: 0437 918 708
Email: Emily.Dimitriadis@darebin.vic.gov.au
Term as Councillor: 2020-2024
Councillor profile: As a lifelong resident of Darebin, I stood for Council to make a positive contribution to our growing community during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
I am a pharmacist, a human rights and migration lawyer in Darebin and a social justice activist. I dedicate my time working with migrant and refugee communities, assisting survivors of family violence, promoting gender-equality and working with women’s advocacy groups, while also fighting on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.
Darebin has always been my home. My husband and I celebrate the diversity it brings, its friendliness and vibrancy, its great access to restaurants, shops, transport, entertainment and its vast employment opportunities. We could not think of a better community to raise a family in.
Cr Gaetano Greco - North West Ward
Mobile: 0419 750 214
Email: Gaetano.Greco@darebin.vic.gov.au
Terms as Councillor: 2008-2012, 2012-2016, 2016-2020, 2020-2024
Terms as Mayor: 2013-2014
Councillor profile: Darebin is the best multicultural city in Victoria, with people from all over the world living side by side in harmony and supporting one another.
We have great local businesses, cafes and restaurants - my top priority is protecting the iconic Preston Market’s character and culture. I’m eager to get things done for our city, to make Council more transparent and accessible and help people have a real say about how ratepayers’ money is spent.
It’s time to get on with big projects like the multi sports stadium, new intercultural centre, Edwardes Lake Boat House, city beautification, and environmental initiatives.
We also need to stop inappropriate development. Enough is enough. We need to fix traffic and parking problems and ensure the State Government fixes our dangerous rail crossings.
Cr Tom Hannan – South Ward
Mobile: 0437 917 078
Email: Tom.Hannan@darebin.vic.gov.au
Term as Councillor: 2020-2024
Councillor profile: I live with my family in Northcote and acknowledge the thousands of years of ongoing culture and care of this place by the Wurundjeri people, Traditional Owners of the land. We love the unique combination of open spaces, diverse communities, and independent businesses that make up Darebin.
My professional background is in public policy, international development and community services management.
I am passionate about taking on the big challenges of our time, such as the COVID pandemic and the climate emergency. I believe Council can make a big difference to the everyday lives of people locally, while playing a leading role in national and international change. We need to continue Council’s focus on supporting people facing disadvantage, while promoting a thriving natural environment, strong communities and a vibrant local economy.
I am committed to services and infrastructure that are well managed and inclusive for people from all walks of life. I want to get the balance right by welcoming new generations into Darebin and ensuring development is affordable, sustainable and appropriate to the local character.
Cr Trent McCarthy – South West Ward
Mobile: 0419 750 604
Email: Trent.McCarthy@darebin.vic.gov.au
Terms as Councillor: 2008-2012, 2012-2016, 2016-2020, 2020-2024
Term as Deputy Mayor: 2021-2022
Councillor profile: The place we now call Darebin has a rich history of human settlement going back thousands of years. We should look to how the Wurundjeri Nation has lived in harmony and connection with this land to meet the challenges we face, now and into the future.
With Darebin’s population expected to grow by 40,000 over the next 14 years, we need to make better and fairer use of what we have. We must secure, rejuvenate and create the services and infrastructure our diverse community needs, from community centres and sports facilities to children’s services and aged care. We must always keep an eye on what makes Darebin a great place to live - our inclusive and vibrant community, our unique streetscapes and urban spaces and our bushland, parks and creeks.
I'm excited to work with you and our new Council team to meet the big challenges, ensuring we have well-designed, accessible and sustainable housing and that we take strong local action on climate change. We need open and accountable governance and community-led solutions - everyone should feel ownership of Council’s plans.
Cr Lina Messina – Central Ward
Mobile: 0419 750 504
Email: Lina.Messina@darebin.vic.gov.au
Terms as Councillor: 2016-2020, 2020-2024
Term as Mayor: 2020-2022
Councillor profile: Darebin is a great municipality - I love our unique social and cultural diversity.
We know there are many things we can do to collectively make our city even better. For me that includes transparency, social inclusion and good governance. We need to ensure that our planning scheme balances growth with sustainable and appropriate developments that are congruent with our neighbourhood character. We need to stimulate jobs and economic development and foster the arts, culture and heritage that underpin our community identity.
As a council we will need to capitalise on Councillor’s individual strengths, talents and attributes. We’ll need to embody cohesion, trust and strong working relationships. I am passionate about making a contribution to our community and honoured and humbled by the trust placed in me and the Council.
Cr Susan Rennie – South Central Ward
Mobile: 0419 750 035
Email: Susan.Rennie@darebin.vic.gov.au
Terms as Councillor: 2016-2020, 2020-2024
Terms as Mayor: 2018 - 2020
Councillor profile: Cr Rennie was elected to Council in 2016 and served as Mayor from November 2018-2020.
I am a long-term public health campaigner and community activist for gambling reform and equality.
I work to enhance community health and wellbeing and believe we cannot achieve good community health without environmental health and social justice. I push for decisive action to respond to the climate emergency and address inequality in our community.
In addition to my role as a Councillor, I am employed at the Victorian Local Governance Association and have many years’ experience working alongside councils on public policy and community development projects. Prior to being with the VLGA, I worked for Primary Care Partnerships for almost 10 years.
In addition to holding a Doctorate in Social Work, I am a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course. I’m enormously enthusiastic about being a Councillor, Mayor of Darebin in 2019 and 2020, and the many ways in which local governments can shape and improve the lives of communities.