Nirmal SINGH
Candidate for Central Ward
Q1. What are your top priorities if elected to the City of Bayswater council?
My priorities that I am taking to the Council are:
- Refocus the City's activities to its core activities securing value for money. The City reported a $3.7 million deficit in 2023 and cannot continue running at a loss hoping for increased rates to pay for the shortfall.
- Advocate for a collaborative approach to upgrade the Morley Town Centre benefiting from the upcoming Galleria redevelopment activities
- Advocate making our shopping strips a destination of choice for economic activity connected by multiple transport options.
- Expand City roads, lanes and place naming to include multicultural names
- Fight for well-maintained parks and sporting facilities focusing on youth activities
- Support Transit-Oriented-Development initiatives
- Modernise Morley Library and surrounding amenities along Coventry Village
Q2. How will you improve the management and reduction of waste in the City of Bayswater?
In the Council, I look forward to using my professional contracting experience to secure value for money in the City's spending. The City must concentrate on its core activities to keep the rate increase at a minimum & eliminate the deficit ($3.7m in 2023) at the earliest.
Q3. What will you do to enable more walking and cycling in the City of Bayswater?
In the Council, especially as a small business owner myself, I will be advocating to make our City a destination of choice for businesses and shoppers connected by good transport. Walking and Cycling form an important component of the multiple options in transport to connect our Bayswater, Morley, Maylands, Beechboro Central, and other shopping strips.
Having safe and easy Walking paths is very important to our Senior and Primary schools in our city and for our fellow residents to benefit from and use our fantastic parks, playgrounds and sporting facilities. In the Council, I will be advocating for the City to maintain walking and cycling pathways on priority and create where required.
Q4. What will you do to increase the City of Bayswater tree canopy from its current 14.55%, to its target of 20% by 2030?
As shared earlier, I lived in heat-island effects for most of my life and understand the value of increasing tree canopy in our community. In the Council, I will be working on increasing the tree density on all City-owned assets, and on verges next to properties in consultation with the property owners.
In my personal capacity, I will be also initiating more discussions with the City residents so we also take care of our tree assets collectively and on our private properties.
Q5. How will you help our community reduce emissions and support us in a move to renewable energy?
In the Council, I look forward to reviewing the City's activities in meeting its Environment and Liveability Framework targets. In consultation with the residents, I will also be looking for ways to how we can reduce the City's energy usage that creates emissions in the first place.
