Well-known, passionate, and devoted community advocate Councillor Joseph Haweil will lead Hume City for the next 12 months, after being elected by his peers at Council's Statutory Meeting on Wednesday 2 November.
When accepting the nomination, Cr Haweil gave a moving and very personal thank you to the outgoing mayor Cr Carly Moore, and Deputy Mayor Cr Sam Misho – acknowledging their continued friendship, devoted service, leadership, and progress made over the past year.
Stepping up to his second term as Mayor, the Aitken Ward Councillor said his focus for the year would be putting residents at the centre of everything Council does, ensuring a high-functioning and strategically focused Councillor group, and a well-run and community-orientated organisation.
In his Mayoral election acceptance speech, Cr Haweil said this means having services that deliver for everyone, infrastructure development that supports both growing and established communities, and a transparent and open Council and organisation.
Cr Haweil has a solid connection to Hume, having lived in Melbourne's north-west area his whole life. He also put down roots with his wife Sheena and daughter Larsa in the booming growth suburb of Greenvale.
As a resident of Melbourne's north-west his entire life, Cr Haweil spoke of his pride in representing one of Australia's fastest growing communities and highlighted his commitment to working towards a better Hume for residents living at the heart of Hume's growth areas. He plans on using his lived experience to inform his contributions as Mayor, alongside the directions of Hume City Council's Community Vision and Council Plan 2021 – 2025.
Looking to the year ahead, Cr Haweil outlined several key priorities he intends to work on, which include:
- Addressing the growth challenges of the booming northern growth corridor through proactive advocacy for vital new community infrastructure and assets.
- Overseeing the delivery and commencement of $101 million of new community infrastructure, including the Aitken Boulevard Duplication, Merrifield West Pavilion, Seabrook Reserve Major Playspace, and Sunbury Multi-deck Carpark.
- Addressing gambling harm endured by residents.
- Applying a social justice lens to new and old policies to support all residents.
- Prioritising the next stage of Broadmeadows redevelopment and revitalisation.
- Continuing to fight illegally dumped waste.
Cr Karen Sherry was elected Deputy Mayor, following six years of service at Council first being elected in 2016, representing Meadow Valley ward.
Hume City Council Mayor, Cr Joseph Haweil said:
"I have never sought this role simply for the sake of holding it. I believe strongly in the power of government at all levels to make meaningful contributions that make people's lives better"
"I have lived in Melbourne's north-west my whole life. During the last 6 years, not only have I had the privilege of representing one of Australia's fastest growing communities, I have actually lived at the heart of one with my family."
"My family has personally experienced the challenges that many residents living at the heart of a growth area face. I will harness these personal insights derived from lived experience to inform my contribution to public policy and decision-making in this role."
"In the next 10 years alone, we expect to welcome more than 70,000 new residents to come to Hume. Therefore, we will continue to prioritise significant planning to ensure we have the right infrastructure in place."
"I'd like to thank my fellow Councillors for giving me this honour. I will work tirelessly to prove myself worthy of their trust, and the trust of our community."
