In 2014 it’s a privilege to be the Darebin Mayor and to be accountable to such a diverse and lively Melbourne municipality.

Our current vision is for Darebin to be ‘the place to live’. We’re already home to over 140,000 people who enjoy the fabulous lifestyle in Melbourne’s inner North, and we have many more who seek to move in every year. Darebin is characterised by its rich diversity. We have the highest Aboriginal population in Melbourne, and one in four of our residents speaks a language other than English at home.

We celebrate diversity and social inclusion through colourful festivals and events – like Ganesh Charturi, a Community and Kite Festival, Diwali, a Homemade Food and Wine Festival and Chinese New Year. Our unique Intercultural Centre has become a lively hub for community gatherings. It’s a place where people share knowledge about each other’s cultures, and where newly arrived residents of all nationalities can feel at home – like those who visit the welcome room for asylum seekers to learn English and share stories.

I’ve attended many events at the centre, each of them different but all of them making me proud that this unique Council initiative is a roaring success. We’re backed by a strong suite of policies to ensure that diversity is considered in everything we do, from arts programming to service provision.

We are also a growing municipality.

We’re close to the city with excellent transport links, which makes Darebin a desirable place for development and investment. We need to plan carefully for the future and put measures in place that influence a balanced outcome -providing more jobs and housing, and especially affordable housing, while also taking into consideration the impacts of higher density living on our residents and environment.

What makes Darebin ‘the place to live’? We think the rich mix of people and cultures gives Darebin a vibe you don’t find in every part of Melbourne. We have the iconic Preston Market, vibrant high street precincts for shopping and dining, and some of the best dumplings in Melbourne.

Our thriving arts and culture scene is apparent in locations all over Darebin, and highlighted in key venues such as Northcote Town Hall – once a Council headquarters and now a community hub, Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre and the Bundoora Homestead Art Gallery. The new Islamic Museum of Australia also recently opened in Darebin which expands our existing diversity.

Darebin is known for home-grown music. Every year we hold Darebin Music Feast – one of the biggest local music festivals in Melbourne, which attracts talent and visitors from all over the city. We also have excellent parks, playgrounds and green spaces – including the expansive Bundoora Park and Cooper’s Settlement farm, which is a tourist attraction in its own right.

As Mayor, I am deeply committed to helping all of our residents enjoy absolute quality of life in Darebin.

To be the ‘place to live’ we need to look after everyone in our community, regardless of their income, age, gender, abilities, family status or ethnicity. We need to build a city where everyone is welcomed and everyone is able to seamlessly access the services they need.

There are many challenges for Darebin Council in balancing the needs and desires of residents with the capacity of our budget to deliver. I’m proud to lead a Council that strives to match service provision to genuine need in the community, such as delivering one of the largest aged care services provided by local government with no waiting lists.

Darebin really is a great place to live and I know I will look back on this year as Mayor with pride, pleasure and the knowledge that I have done my very best to serve my community.