Our Community
A community where everyone belongs.
Community Safety
Safety is more than a crime statistic.
A safe community is one where residents feel confident in public spaces, where businesses operate without fear, and where council and police work together to respond quickly when things go wrong. That's the standard I hold us to.
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Safety satisfaction across Stonnington fell from 81% to 63% between 2024 and 2026. In South Ward, which includes Windsor, Prahran and Armadale, nearly half of residents don't feel safe. I've raised this formally at Council more than once.
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Safety is split across three levels of government, and it matters where council's job starts and stops. Local laws, lighting, CCTV, public space design and street-level crime prevention are ours. Policing, the justice system and mental health services sit with the state. I'm on the Safety Taskforce and liaise regularly with social services and traders across Stonnington, but more police, tougher laws and better mental health support aren't things council can deliver on its own.
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And we're investing in our part. Officers estimate council will put around $3 million into safety in FY27 across CSPIP, Local Laws, operating programs and capital works: joint patrols with Victoria Police on Chapel Street, the Stonnington Zero homelessness outreach with Launch Housing, the Salvos' nighttime Pink Car program, a new alcohol exclusion zone for Prahran Square, a street lighting audit, and $870,000 for Local Laws staffing. That's a substantial commitment, and it's only half the job.
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I'll keep pushing through my own channels, and I want you doing the same: raise it with your local state MPs, with ministers, and with police directly when they ask for feedback.
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We don't want to give up our streets to the threat of unsavoury behaviour.
We want those streets for our community.
Inclusion
A ward that sees everyone.
South Yarra Ward is progressive, diverse, and engaged. I show up for every part of this community consistently, not occasionally.
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I march in the Pride March and support Council's Rainbow Advisory Committee and LGBTIQA+ Action Plan. I have spoken clearly in solidarity with Stonnington's Jewish community, Victoria's second largest, and was part of the motion to install Stonnington's first Menorah. I chair the Reconciliation Advisory Committee. And I support the Disability Advisory Committee's work to make streets, facilities, and services genuinely accessible.
Families
Families deserve a councillor who fights for them.
As a parent, former Toy Library committee member, and Brookville Kindergarten President, I know what inner-city families need: safe streets, good parks, and affordable services.
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Keeping early learning costs down has been a consistent fight. When Council proposed a 6% fee increase in April 2026, double the rate cap, I succesfully opposed it. It was not the first time.
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And when the Windsor Community Children's Centre faced closure, I pushed hard for Council to act. We have nearly finalised the purchase of the site, secured federal funding through Josh Burns MP, and given eighty families and thirty staff the certainty they had spent two years fighting for.
Sport
It is 2026. The facilities should reflect that.
I have sons in local club sport, so I know what it means for kids to have a team and a ground that feels like theirs. Sport builds community in ways that are hard to replicate.
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I have supported the Stonnington Sports Centre and Toorak Park upgrades, both of which have delivered more opportunities for girls and women in sport. But too many of our sports pavilions are poor-quality assets: inadequate women's facilities, accessibility failures, and infrastructure that has simply not kept pace with the communities they serve. The solution is a proper, funded masterplanning program that systematically rolls through our pavilions and enables Federal and State funding. That is what I am pushing for because cocunil alone will not be able to fund the assets our community desperately needs.
Aging Well
Stay connected.
Council is no longer a direct provider of aged care services, but our responsibility to older residents does not end there. The infrastructure of a good life as we age, places to connect, accessible public spaces, programs that support health and independence, remains very much a council matter.
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Loneliness is a genuine and growing health issue in inner-city communities. Tackling it requires active investment, not passive goodwill. I want South Yarra to be a place where people age with dignity and connection, and I will keep pushing for the services and spaces that make that real.
Volunteers
The people who make it work.
This community runs on volunteers. From the Toy Library to the SES, from community breakfasts to sporting clubs, they are the connective tissue of everything that works in this ward. I show up for them, celebrate them, and support Councils to shift their recognition program to focus on volunteers rather than a broader citizen of the year model.
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But I am concerned. Across the ward, local organisations are struggling to find people to step up. If you have ever thought about volunteering, this is the prompt. It is good for your community, and the evidence is clear that it is good for you too. Talk to the organisations in this ward and they will find a role that fits.
Animals
Our animals deserve better.
Our pets are a big part of our lives, and how a council treats its animals says something real about its values.
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When the pound services tender came before Council, I pushed hard to pause it. Not because procurement is the wrong process, but because we had not done the foundational work first: defining what we actually stand for when it comes to animal management. Stonnington should be a no-kill council, and that commitment needs to be locked in before we sign any contract.
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That advocacy led to the creation of an Animal Management Taskforce. As a result, Stonnington's Animal Management Plan has been updated to include a no-kill expectation, and we are now exploring a shared pound facility with neighbouring councils, a smarter, more humane approach than going it alone.
"During the COVID years, Kate emerged as a pillar of strength for our community. Her commitment to ensuring the wellbeing, inclusivity and sustainability of our community was always at the forefront. I am confident in saying that Kate's zest and passion for community will enrich the future of all children and families alike".
Lydia Bustin, Director, Brookville Kindergarten
"Kate is the real deal. She's not in this for politics, she's in it for our community. Kate's the kind of leader who listens with her whole heart and treats everyone with respect. She's a tireless and passionate advocate for what's right, and we're lucky to have her on our side."​
Andy Miller, Prahran Football Club Chairman
What I've delivered
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Formally raised at Council the drop in safety satisfaction from 81% to 63%, and called for safety investment to become a named, consolidated budget line in future reports and budgets
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Moved the adoption of the Rough Sleeping Protocol 2025 (August 2025), giving Council a clear, compassionate framework for responding to rough sleeping that balances safety with dignity and practical support
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Supported the establishment of the Stonnington Neighbourhood Policing Forum, bringing local police and residents together to share information and improve responsiveness
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Supported the CCTV registration drive, a privacy-respecting way to help police map cameras and speed up investigations
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Advocated for improved safety infrastructure along Chapel Street
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Supported extended library hours, providing safe, inclusive evening spaces for residents who need them
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Pushed for a strong Council response to domestic violence, including formal motions
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Marched in the Pride March and attended IDAHOBT events, and supported Council's Rainbow Advisory Committee and LGBTIQA+ Action Plan
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Spoken out clearly in solidarity with Stonnington's Jewish community, Victoria's second largest, during a period when that solidarity has mattered
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Am chair of the Reconciliation Advisory Committee
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Moved the endorsement of the Healing Ceremony format for 26 January 2025 and revised Acknowledgement of Country signage at Council-owned facilities across Stonnington, translating reconciliation commitments into visible, permanent action
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Moved a motion for a Charter for Mutual Respect within Council, promoting a collaborative and constructive environment
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Advocated for accessible streets, facilities, and services, and supported the Disability Advisory Committee
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Moved the adoption of Stonnington Tomorrow: Community Vision 2040 and Council Plan 2025-29 (September 2025), the strategic framework that sets the direction for everything Council does over the next four years and reflects the priorities our community set together
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Fought to save the Windsor Community Children's Centre (WCCC): seconded a formal Council acknowledgement of WCCC's contribution to the early years sector in November 2025, then was a key advocate for Council's purchase of the site in May 2026 for $8.4 million, against independent valuations of $12.2 to $13.8 million, with $4.3 million in federal funding secured through Josh Burns MP. Eighty families and thirty staff now have the certainty they spent two years fighting for.
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Went on record at Council opposing the proposed 6% increase in early learning fees, double the 2.75% rate cap and led an amendment that successfully capped the increase to 4% in FY27
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Pushed for childcare-sensitive provisions in the Councillor Expenses Policy
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Backed the Stonnington Sports Centre development with explicit focus on addressing gender equity gaps in facilities
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Advocated for the Toorak Pavilion upgrade
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Raised the inadequacy of women's facilities publicly and made it a formal Council advocacy priority
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Supported floodlighting upgrades now complete at Como Park, DW Lucas Oval, Basil Oval, and Righetti Oval, improving access for women's and evening competitions
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Supported Council's Aging Well plan and the services and infrastructure it funds
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Supported the Seniors Showcase and similar events that celebrate older residents' contributions
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Attended and helped at community events including the Winter Breakfast program and Clean Up Australia Day
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Participated in Volunteer Awards to formally recognise the ward's volunteers
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Championed the Stonnington Toy Library through its expansion
What I'm working on
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Serve on the Stonnington Safety Taskforce
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Pushing for safety to be a named, consolidated line item in the Council budget so investment is visible and measurable
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Continuing to push for low childcare fees
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Safe, well-maintained public spaces that genuinely serve children and families
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Advocating for budget funding for sports pavilion masterplans, prioritising those with the most urgent equity gaps to be prepared for grant readiness
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Ensuring new and upgraded facilities are designed to contemporary standards from the outset
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Advocating for wrap-around services alongside new social housing developments at Essex Street and Horace Petty Estate
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Ensuring public spaces remain genuinely accessible as the ward grows denser
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That there are tangible outcomes on Chapel Street after years of cocunil masterplanning. We need action not more thinking.
