By Mikayla van Loon
As the Yarra Ranges Council election nears, candidates are making themselves known, including a 19-year-old from Mooroolbark.
Mitch Mazzarella will be vying for the Melba Ward councillor position come October with a focus on getting back to basics.
The current teacher’s aide at a local school, who is studying teaching at Australian Catholic University, said politics had always been something of interest to him.
“From a young age, I’ve had an interest in politics and the inner workings of government and council,” he said.
“Local councils have a significant presence in our daily lives, from rubbish collection to playgrounds. Yet, it often seems that residents only notice the council when something goes wrong.
“I’m running for council to draw attention to the areas where council isn’t meeting the mark. My goal is to bring back common sense and refocus attention onto these issues and advocate for the much needed improvements in the Mooroolbark and Lilydale area.”
Mr Mazzarella’s campaign message aims to highlight “the slow drift away from council’s core functions as a service based organisation” and see a return to the five R’s of roads, rates, rubbish, recreation and repairs.
“My main goals are to call out the council where it is overstepping the boundary, to bring back some common sense and to get our council back to the roles our community needs and relies on,” he said.
As a young person who has always called Mooroolbark home, Mr Mazzarella said he sees the Yarra Ranges as an “amazing and beautiful place to live” but he wants to ensure the shire has been forward-planned, with thought-out decision making especially for infrastructure.
“I’d like to see the Yarra Ranges look to the future and put money into projects that benefit our community. We closed the Kilsyth pool without any forward planning and a dream of an indoor Lilydale pool.
“Before we start closing our community infrastructure, let’s look at whether viable alternatives actually exist.
“Maroondah ratepayers certainly aren’t going to pay for a joint swimming pool in Yarra Ranges and I wouldn’t expect our ratepayers to do the same. Driving to Healesville or Yarra Junction isn’t a viable option for residents in Mooroolbark and Lilydale.”
Similarly, Mr Mazzarella said he has met and spoken with the Lilydale Flood Watch group to better understand the flooding and drainage issues to enable his ability to advocate for his community.
“Regardless of whether I am elected or not, even having these conversations is a step in the right direction. Drawing attention to these issues means that these issues are brought to the front of the council’s mind,” he said.
As a “passionate Saints fan and a proud member of The Lilydale [Squash] Club” as well as an ice hockey player, Mr Mazzarella’s interests vary.
He has declared he is a member of the Liberal Party but is not endorsed, funded or influenced by the party.
Despite the result, Mr Mazzarella said he’d love for his campaign and running to inspire more young people to involve themselves in politics.
“By running for council, I aim to show that anyone, regardless of age, can make a meaningful difference in their community.”
