The Victorian Greens are thrilled to announce Roxane Ingleton and Marley McRae McLeod as the Greens Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor candidates for the City of Melbourne at the 2024 Local Government election - vowing to run on the issue of housing affordability, pushing for more public and affordable housing in the inner city.
As part of their Lord Mayor announcement, the Greens have also announced their first housing policy for the Council campaign: requiring that 30% of new developments in urban renewal areas in the City of Melbourne be public and genuinely affordable housing, so that young people, essential workers, and people of all income levels can afford to live in our city.
The Greens Lord Mayor candidate Roxane Ingleton is a renter in North Melbourne, a midwife in the public hospital system and an experienced union representative supporting healthcare workers with their rights at work. She's lived in Melbourne for over 20 years. Roxane has long fought for workers rights and knows firsthand the struggles that essential workers, like nurses, are facing to find affordable housing near their place of work.
The Greens Deputy Lord Mayor candidate Marley McRae McLeod is a 20-year-old CBD resident, mental health peer support worker, student and outspoken campaigner for young people. Marley says the housing crisis has locked young people out of Melbourne, and that young people deserve a seat at the decision making table. As the City of Melbourne has one of the youngest populations in the country, Marley will be a strong advocate for those who are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis.
The Greens Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor candidates join the Greens two Council Candidates, Olivia Ball and Karl Hessian. The Greens candidates are all local residents who are deeply embedded in their local community, unlike many other council tickets who run candidates from outside the City of Melbourne, and who are only eligible to run for Council because they own investment properties or businesses.
As stated by the Greens candidate for Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Roxane Ingleton:
"Our housing and renting system is totally broken. The cost of living and housing crises have put essential workers - like nurses, cleaners, and teachers - into an impossible position where they've been totally priced out of our inner city.
"I'm running for Lord Mayor because as a midwife and union representative I know first-hand the crises our city is facing - in housing, healthcare and cost of living - and I have the experience to make a difference.
"The City of Melbourne should be leading the way in mandating public and affordable housing in new developments, so that people from all walks of life can live in our city, not just the most wealthy.
"The Greens are the only ones with policies that address the housing and cost-of-living crises people are facing in our city right now".
As stated by the Greens candidate for Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Marley McRae McLeod:
"The housing crisis is locking young people out of Melbourne. The rent is too high, and for most young people owning a home is a total pipe dream.
"We're in the middle of a housing, cost of living and climate crises, and its young people who are bearing the brunt.
"We need to turn things around for the people who are going to inherit the consequences of years of inaction. The Greens are the only ones with policies that can get us out of this mess."
Roxane Ingleton bio:
Roxane is a 43-year-old Endorsed Registered Midwife currently working in the public health system. She's a unionist and has fought for fairer work conditions and advocated for essential workers who are being forced from the city due to a lack of affordable housing. She has previously ran as the Greens Deputy Lord Mayor candidate in 2016 and 2020 City of Melbourne local government elections. She has lived in the City of Melbourne for 20 years and currently rents in North Melbourne.
Marley McRae McLeod bio:
Marley is a 20-year-old CBD resident and mental health peer support worker. They're a student at the University of Melbourne and a steadfast advocate for young people, who believes that it's about time young people had a seat at the decision making table as the people who are disproportionately affected by the housing, cost of living and climate crises. They also ran as a Greens candidate in the division of Macedon at the 2022 Victorian State election prior to moving to the Melbourne CBD.
