At a community forum with seven candidates across the political divide today, would-be MPs heard firsthand what matters most to residents. With new state housing targets and growing safety concerns, the message was clear: our community needs more spaces to play, exercise, and connect, and greater support to ensure everyone feels safe.

Council highlighted key shovel-ready projects it says will achieve those goals, including:

• revitalising the Elsternwick Club site — purchased by Council last year for $15 million — into a community space
• turning a Council-acquired site on Porter Road in Bentleigh into vibrant green space
• converting the former Rosstown Aged Care site in Carnegie into a new park
• making safety improvements at Queens Avenue in Caulfield East, Carnegie Library, and the Eat Street carpark in Bentleigh.

Glen Eira Mayor Cr Simone Zmood said any candidate standing at the next federal election has a responsibility to listen to locals.

“Our community has told us loud and clear that these are their priorities — open space, community connection, and their sense of safety,” Cr Zmood said.

“That’s why we are asking candidates to publicly commit to supporting projects that will deliver on these community priorities, delivering real benefits, improving access to high-quality open spaces and ensuring safer, more welcoming environments for everyone.”

Council’s priorities are based on findings from extensive community consultation programs over recent years, and a clear understanding of community needs, with thousands of survey responses demonstrating the projects are community priorities.

“We will keep the pressure on until election day and beyond for the next Australian Government — and our local MPs — to support these key community priorities,” Cr Zmood said.

For more information on Glen Eira’s advocacy priorities, visit Election advocacy.