Macri 4 Marrickville: the local councillor focused on local issues

By GEMMA BILLINGTON

Local council, local issues.

That’s the mantra of Marrickville’s ex-mayor and current independent Inner West councillor Victor Macri.

When it comes to navigating the diverse needs of the Marrickville community, Macri’s goal is for every voice to be heard and for his policies to transcend what he considers political barriers.

“I’m not hamstrung by ideology. My commitment is to the people and delivering the best outcomes for the community I wanted to do something more for the community, give them ease of passage and try to make the place better,” Macri told the Inner West Independent.

“People try and paint me as some sort of conservative but I’m actually far from conservative. I’m actually just a person who gets stuff done. I don’t want to talk about it, I just want to get it done.”

Having served Marrickville as an independent councillor for 16 years, Macri’s community involvement began with scissors and shears in hand at Fernando’s Hair Design on Marrickville Road.

“Being born in Marrickville and growing and doing all of my schooling here and playing for the local sports teams, being a barber and working for the past 30 years, the clients become like friends, and you become a part of the community,” said Macri.

Now, residents can walk through the doors of Fernando’s Hair Design, confident that their council concerns will be heard, and their hair revitalised.

Macri is running for council re-election in September this year, hopeful he can continue to make a difference to every facet of community life, from sports fields and libraries to dog park safety and childcare.

“At the moment, [my aim] is giving people their say on the amalgamation. Also, in the way of climate change and the environment, looking after our community services, allocating resources in an equitable way across the LGA. I’m looking after the diverse community that we are,” said Macri.

“They’re quite high-level statements but it’s important that the community has a voice that is actually not politically aligned. It’s just giving them the story as it is.”

Dubbed “Coolest” Neighbourhood

Marrickville has ascended to global prominence after the cultural hub was ranked tenth in Time Out’s coolest neighbourhoods in the world, though the transition didn’t occur overnight.

“When I was mayor in 2012, a lot of the shops were going downhill in Marrickville, and we were having a bad time. We needed something to invigorate and bring more life into the street,” said Macri.

After leading a policy to waive fees previously required by cafes and restaurants to operate outdoors, Macri said Marrickville’s café scene took off.

“They didn’t have to pay for outdoor dining anymore which was costing council more to administer the actual collecting of the money. Shops weren’t taking it up because it was probably too expensive,”

 “All of a sudden, everyone working in high quality cafes began coming to Marrickville… they brought life and vibrancy back into the area.”

If elected for another term, Macri has high hopes for a continuation of his holistic and far-reaching council approach.

“We’ve got to support our creative community, but we need it to be intergenerational. We’ve got our First Nations community; we need to engage with our Torres Strait Island and Aboriginal communities and co-produce events and spaces to showcase that in our community.”

“Local council, local issues. That’s why Marrickville Council has the highest approval rating of any council in New South Wales.”