Cale Black

West Ward

Q1. What are your top priorities if elected to the City of Bayswater council?

If elected to the City of Bayswater Council, my top priorities are to:

Grow tree canopy coverage, encouraging close collaboration with community groups and holding the City to account on meeting our targets.
Bring our local offerings and amenities to life, with quality parks and playgrounds, and thriving town centres for our local businesses.
Advocate for a safe neighbourhood, including safer roads for families and older people who walk or cycle to our schools, workplaces and community spaces.
Protect frontline City services such as our libraries, community spaces, and fitness and wellbeing centres - and making sure they remain affordable and accessible services for all.
Promote a prosperous City for all, ensuring that all City residents, no matter their background, needs or circumstances, can be engaged in their local government.
Push for rates to be kept as low as possible, and advocate for budget priorities that reflect our values.

Q2. What will you do to enable more walking and cycling in the City of Bayswater?

When my family walks down to the local café or the park, one of the main challenges - especially in summer - is the lack of tree canopy and shade along our walking routes. The City must not only increase its tree canopy coverage, it should prioritise increasing canopy along key walking and cycling routes to maximise the benefits for our residents and encourage more active transport activity all-year round.

Another challenge for our local families is having a safe way to get around the neighbourhood. That includes footpaths along these key routes, safe methods to cross arterial roads, and slower traffic in key residential and community-use areas. I supported the implementation of the 40 kilometre zone in the Bayswater Residential Area around Bayswater Primary and St Columba's, and I want to see prioritised action on safe crossings on Whatley Crescent, Guildford Road and our other arterial roads so our children can get to school safely and our residents can access community facilities easily.

The Council's Active Transport Advisory Committee does some amazing work in this space already, providing Council with advice on initiatives and programs to promote sustainable and healthy active transport. Continuing to work with this Committee, alongside our passionate community groups who want to see our neighbourhoods more walkable, cycle-friendly and accessible, will be key to seeing real results for the community in this space, and something that I am passionate about seeing.

Q3. What will you do to increase the City of Bayswater's tree canopy?

It was disappointing to see our City's targets for tree canopy pushed back to 2035, with progress moving backwards between 2021 and 2024. While I acknowledge factors including major infrastructure works and the impact of the polyphagous shot-hole borer playing a role in this, it means we need stronger resolve from our City and our Council to make sure we meet our new 2035 target - our environment can't afford us extending it any further.

It is also unfortunate that Council did not support interim targets on this new 2035 target date. I believe achievable interim targets can hold us to account on our progress, and identify if we need to bolster the resources available, work more closely with our community partners and organisations, or advocate for more funding through State Government programs that will help us reach our targets.

If elected, I will support and advocate for initiatives that will help the City reach our 2035 target. That includes not just the planting of new trees, but the retaining of our healthy and mature trees across the City. I will also look for greater collaboration with our community groups, who do fantastic work through their organisations and Friends Of groups to make our suburbs more liveable, and to help get us to our target.

It's also not about talking the talk; it's walking the walk and taking part alongside locals in community planting days and encouraging greater participation in these events, from the smaller and newly-established Friends Of groups, to being part of the days of action in some of our greatest ecological and environmental assets across the City.

Q4. What will you do to help our community reduce emissions and support a move to renewable energy?

I believe it starts at the top - the City has the opportunity to lead the way for the wider community in reducing emissions and supporting moves to renewable energy, encouraging further action for our residents.

The establishment of the City's Climate Action Reserve in early 2024 was an important step in the City recognising its role as a leader in emissions reduction and renewable energy. With $3 million currently in reserves, I want to see these funds used to support moving the City's fleet to electric vehicles where viable and appropriate, electrification of building upgrades, and ecological restoration. These moves not only demonstrate our leading actions, but set the example for our residents and serve as important education tools about how we can flow these principles into our everyday thinking at home with electrification, renewable energy and waterwise initiatives.

We also have a community that cares deeply about the environment and the future that we are leaving our children - it's one of the most frequent things I hear while doorknocking and something that just about everybody raises as their number one priority. Our community's passion in this space is unparalleled, and leveraging this expertise with strong partnerships between the Council, the City and these community groups is the key to helping educate the community on what they can do to reduce emissions in their own home and backyard.