Alida McKern

I've lived, worked and raised my family in Ivanhoe for more than 17 years. My husband and I chose to raise our family in Ivanhoe for its great liveability, with its parks and leafy neighbourhoods, schools, shops, and public transport, all within walking distance. I'm a professional landscape architect and work in urban planning. My tertiary education is in urban planning, landscape architecture, and horticulture. I love the local area and I'm involved in various local community groups and sporting clubs. My interests include: getting together with family and friends, tennis, cross country skiing, hiking, cycling, walking our family dog, reading, and, sustainability in planning, design and lifestyle.

Our community's values are reflected in my priorities for a leafy, locally connected, safe and prosperous Banyule: led with competency and care for its community, environment, and local businesses. While population growth and climate change bring their challenges, we need to protect and enhance the qualities that make Ivanhoe and Banyule such a great place to live. Ours is a beautiful city of abundant parks and leafy neighbourhood character, and our people deserve to feel a sense of pride, belonging and inclusiveness.

We will continue to do all we can to help our community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and reactivate our local businesses and shopping strips. Further key priorities include: supporting development sympathetic to neighbourhood character, protection and enhancement of our trees, parks, waterways, cycling and walking paths; giving local people a more effective voice on the shape of Banyule's future and local economy, supporting community and sporting clubs, and maintaining a diversity of quality services for residents - all of which needs to be informed by the urgent need for action on climate change to sustain our community and environment into the future.