Cr Adam Pulford has been elected as Mayor of Merri-bek City Council for the 2023-24 term.
Cr Pulford delivered his acceptance speech at Coburg Civic Centre this evening.
"I am so incredibly grateful to be here tonight and to be entrusted in the role as Mayor. As a proud queer person, I'm honoured to represent our progressive and diverse community here in Merri-bek—leading our Council over the next 12 months with the support of my fellow councillors," Cr Pulford said.
"We have such a vibrant community here in Merri-bek who are constantly in touch, sharing their ideas, priorities and concerns with Councillors. I look forward to continuing to work with community members.
"Having moved to Merri-bek later in my life, I am proud to have made my home here. I look forward to representing our community as Mayor, advocating on the issues that matter most."
Cr Pulford also said that Council is making great progress towards the goals and actions set out in the 4-year Council Plan, centring on the themes of: moving and living safely in Merri-bek, an environmentally proactive Merri-bek, a healthy and caring Merri-bek, vibrant spaces and places in Merri-bek, and an empowered and collaborative Merri-bek.
"We're proud to say that we're making great progress on the delivery of our current Council Plan and will continue to do so over the next year. In exciting news, the Fawkner Leisure Centre redevelopment works are progressing on time and to budget—on track to be completed by summer 2024-25. The development of the $29 million-dollar 33 Saxon St Brunswick site is also set to be completed by the end of 2024, providing the community a valuable cultural hub with over 3500sqm of floorspace for a range of activities and events," Cr Pulford said.
"A sustainable future also remains high on our priority list, and we will continue to deliver on actions under our Zero Carbon Merri-bek 2040 Framework. We will also continue our work on reconciliation, and in the advocacy space with work on important topics such as the duplication of the Upfield railway line, improvements to bus networks, and on social and affordable housing."
Cr Adam Pulford is in his first term as a Merri-bek City Councillor. He was elected in 2020 to represent the North-East Ward of Merri-bek.
Cr Lambros Tapinos, 4-term Councillor and former Mayor, was also elected Deputy Mayor for the next 12 months.
