One of our Directors and Co-founders of Master Advocates Mark Errichiello, is a second generation real estate agent and during 2024, after 25 years of operating local real estate business in Moonee Valley with family and serving both business and community networking and Local Traders Association Executive Committees, Mark decided to stand for the first time as an Independent Candidate to represent his local community, ratepayers and residents in the Local Government elections 2024.
The Moonee Valley City Council Election is now finalised and results of the ballot and elected candidates were confirmed November 2024.
A statement by Mark Errichiello post election:
“I was not elected as a Councillor of Woodlands Ward on this campaign, though the experience has been great.
I’ve met more passionate like minded candidates, local residents, business owners, community associations and gained some new friendships and a deeper under standing of a broad range of concerns, aspirations and goals that our community want addressed in our great city.
I’m proud to have run a self-funded campaign and not endorsed by a political party. I would like to take a moment to congratulate 🎊 all of the elected candidates that will now represent our city as our Councillors.
Commiserations to all of the other candidates that made an effort to stand for our city but were unsuccessful.
Most importantly, I’d like to thank all of our constituents and local residents that voted for me and local business owners, friends and my wife and children, our German Shepherd Dog Strudel, and all of my family members that supported me throughout the campaign with generous dedication of time, encouragement and physical participation and signage.
I’ll continue to love and serve our city wherever possible going forward.
Best wishes, love and gratitude ❤️”.
My memoirs post The Moonee Valley Local Government Election and Voting period 2024. Despite the debacle with ballot papers not arriving for many residents and the contingency voting in person at local Victorian Electoral Commission offices to the final hours and duration of long waiting queues for voters.
This election campaign for me personally as a first time candidate standing to be elected in our Local Government Moonee Valley City Council – Woodlands Ward was an excellent experience. Meeting new people in our community, highly passionate locals that love our city and forming the beginning of new friendships with like minded people and candidates was a highlight. Sparking even more fire in my belly to meet the needs of local aspirations and seek solutions to resolve the concerns and needs for our city. Now we wait for the results of the voting 🗳
Thank you to all those that supported me and who Voted #1 Mark Errichiello Woodlands Ward Moonee Valley
WHAT’S THE WORD ON THE STREET IN WOODLANDS WARD MOONEE VALLEY? ESSENDON & MOONEE PONDS
The following series of text was not pretty as far as formatting or slides and fairly long for social content, but it is a raw journal of my notes and observations during the campaign and interaction with community engagement.
There were people that helped me in the community during this campaign from local residents and business traders support, industry colleagues and endorsement and my own family and friends, and most importantly my wife and children ❤️. None of the campaign would have been possible without their collective efforts and support.
The creative groups that helped with my print media and digital content creation, website and social posts would be shocked with the length and style of this campaign memoir and image bank. I’m very grateful for their support and assistance. Including:
-Commerce Media Group
-The Social Lens https://www.instagram.com/the_social_lens.au – Stephanie Kyriakidis
- Content Hype
- Rete Italia Tony Tardio 3AW
- Australia Overnight Pat Panetta 3AW
- ABC Photosigns
- Photography Rosanna Faraci www.instagram.com/rosannafaraci
- www.instagram.com/webdesignbythebay
- Bricks & Mortar Media
- Bossman Media
- Plus other creatives which helped along the way.
- The literature in point form in my brochures and website does not always articulate enough detail about my priorities and position on matters that important to the community.
I do strongly believe in reasonable development and housing in proportion to infrastructure and key amenities and services. When I say reasonable, the VPA Activity Centre Plans and radius of higher density and higher rise development of apartments being imposed on the community, I find to be highly unreasonable and lack of variety of dwelling types, excessive height, density and radius, I communicated this in my feedback to the VPA and local petitions.
The below list of information and observations gathered and shared during public engagement that I have conducted and gathered personally via surveys and face to face discussions during the past few months, highlighting points on the above matter and more local topics that need addressing, which I have encountered since standing as an Independent Candidate of the Woodlands Ward in the current Moonee Valley City Council Election.
I possess two generations of serving local community in Moonee Valley housing as real estate professionals, across all community demographics and lifestyle cycles and stages of life from 18 year olds starting out to 90+ year old community members downsizing to move into smaller dwellings or an independent living community after giving their blood, sweat and tears contributing to build our community and city as we know it today with their rates and taxes.
If I am elected, I will be the second generation in my family to serve as a local government Councillor. My father served 9 years as an Independent Councillor in the City of Brunswick and later Chairman/Chairperson of the Brunswick Electricity Supply during my childhood. I’d like to think my 25 year career in real estate and the last 10 years as an Independent Buyers and Vendors Advocate has developed my skills and understanding of what people and rate payers need and want and the effects that are realised based on good and or poor town planning choices and investment or lack of investment in core infrastructure.
During my career and more so in the last 10 years, I have also served in local Business Traders Association and Business Networks of Moonee Valley and Real Estate Industry Associations State and National Executive Committees and Boards. I’ve gained knowledge and experience through dealing with thousands of local home sellers, buyers, renters and investors in Moonee Valley which has afforded me a deep, well rounded understanding of what is important to our community at both a residential, commercial, business and personal life perspective.
In order to gain a live understanding of our current affairs, I took to the streets of Essendon and Moonee Ponds in the newly formed Woodlands Ward since I declared to stand as a candidate and we visited the door steps of thousands of households and businesses combined. I had the privilege of being able to meet with and survey a few hundred locals directly during this process.
Public Discussion and Survey, Common Points of Concerns and Aspirations from our local public raised during the last two months of my local government candidate campaign.
The following common points of information were repeatedly raised and captured through various means that resonated strongly with me and locals I engaged with, including:
- Live in person street talk with local residents, local business traders and visitors,
- Local Liveable Moonee Valley group public gathering and forum discussions on community and Activity Centre Housing Plans, Wed 11th September
- My own public event held at Punthill Essendon Conference Room to Survey Community Thur 12th September
- Attendance at Victorian Planning Authority led public information session held at Essendon Bowling Club, Wed 18th September.
- Essendon North Village and Liveable Moonee Valley group meeting at Max’s Corner with John Pesutto and Evan Mulholland on Thur 3rd October
- (I missed the gathering of the Liveable Moonee Valley session at Moonee Ponds Bowls Club Sun 20th October. I’ve apologised to the group of constituents).
The sessions on the Activity Centre discussions and Liveable Moonee Valley group is growing rapidly and the community has gathered again to oppose the Activity Centre Plans imposed by State Government and more so the manner the plans have been imposed without public rights for consultation and reasonable contribution or objection. The Liveable Moonee Valley event was attended by hundreds on Sun 20th October, with guest speakers including the State Leader of the Opposition, John Pesutto, Evan Mulholland MP, and James Newbury MP. - Common points and concerns raised which I have personally heard on repeated occasions over the recent months:
- Runway – Planning Height Restrictions Essendon Airport, concerns with 12 plus level buildings in the Essendon North Village and Keilor Road Niddrie area.
- Infrastructure, Major Roads, Intersections, Roundabouts, Pedestrian Crossings, Public Transport, Principal Transport Train, Tram, Bus, Impact Local Amenities and Services Multiplier Effect with Population Growth.
- The need to advocate state government on the imposed Activity Centre Plans for high density, high rise development. Improve infrastructure of the Essendon North Village dangerous roundabouts and intersections. One of the most dangerous intersections in Victoria as declared by the RACV.
- Staying active on the advocacy agenda of the level crossing removals at Puckle Street and Park Street, re-designing and improvements of major roads and intersections of our activity centres, many we have discussed between Moonee Ponds to Essendon North and Niddrie as priority. Demanding better consultation, planning and updates with community.
- Ask the questions, what financial year will planning be completed? What financial year will the vital infrastructure improvements and upgrades be completed? Why are our local residents and local municipality being ignored by State Government and Victorian Planning Authority with regards to rights to object and or make reasonable contributions and compromise recommendations when it comes to the imposed plans of our Activity Centres?
- Why has the governance of the Rose Street Essendon Activity Centre not been returned to the care of Moonee Valley City Council and still Governed by State Government years after the Buckley Street redevelopment of the road and Essendon Station was completed?
- Parking
- Schools
- Kindergarten/Childcare
- Sporting Grounds, Clubs and Recreational Facilities and Parkland
- Aged Care
- No budget to complete existing projects and maintenance from local and state. What assurance is there that development contributions will be used to improve infrastructure and amenities before an increase in development and density of activity centres
- No feasibility and due diligence conducted to accommodate an increase in dwelling height capacity and density of Moonee Valley, based on the way we live and travel today and current infrastructure capacity.
- Increase of public transport services on the train and tram lines
- Tolls on Freeways have been implemented for longer than anticipated and excessive cost, drivers avoid the tolls and push traffic and congestion back into local roads, travelling through, not stopping or visiting.
- Incentives for investors and developers to take risk and fund construction to assist with supply crisis. The opportunities need to be for creation home ownership and or rental affordability opportunities of property that is desirable to live in, broad variety of apartments, houses, units and townhouses, not just high density, higher rise concentration of apartments overloading our activity centres and surrounding areas. Designs should be of reasonable height restriction in proportion to activity centre zoning and radius of a reasonable perimeter. An 800m radius and 12 plus level apartment towers is excessive based on our current infrastructure and amenities capacity.
- Support for Small Business, statistics of significance of small business contribution to local and national economy should be considered with a sense of priority to ensure the future vitality of our local economy
-Crime and illicit drug, violence, unprovoked attacks on our streets. Mainly in our high density activity centres, such as Moonee Ponds Puckle Street, Essendon Station Russell and Rose Street and Essendon North Village Mt Alexander Road, close to principal transport, train and tram hubs, not just night, daytime blatant and brazen crime in the streets our families, children, residents and visitors frequent in their daily lives and now feel unsafe in their neighbourhood.
Just recently on 17 October, there was a local alarming incident that occurred just before we arrived at Puckle Street to meet locals during my campaign for Woodlands Ward. Police were called to the scene of an armed attack by a person with a knife to an elderly citizen at the Reject Shop. Crime has been rising, so has hardship pressure, mental health and illicit drug issues across the state. Our city is not immune to it. The man that was attacked, was hospitalised and a woman was arrested.
Whatever the reason for the attack, as a citizen, I’d always support a zero tolerance policy with regards to abuse and violence of the vulnerable people in our community, children, elderly, people living with a disability and pets. I believe in love and peace as a focus, though sometimes the use of proportionate force is necessary to protect the safety and well-being of our city. I don’t know what provoked this incident and I was not a witness. However, there is a need for Victorian Government and Train and Tram services to have a strong presence around our principal transport and activity centre hubs. I will call for more VIC Police presence and or PSO Protective Service Officers, to patrol our key hubs that are experiencing more issues, and frequent the patrols on random rostering.
If the aim of the Victorian Government Housing Statement is to increase the number of dwellings in the Moonee Valley City Council area to an approximate additional 60,000 dwellings/households by the year 2050. Essentially double the existing number of dwellings with a large proportion expected to be developed in the new Activity Centres plan for Essendon and Niddrie.
The population growth has a multiplier effect on Real Estate and services a city requires.
- CBRE developed some great data on Real Estate Maths at a recent REIV – Real Estate Institute of Victoria Economic Forecast event that was based on an increase in population by 1 million people.
- We, my wife Michelle Errichiello and I at Master Advocates – Real Estate Services applied this formula to the anticipated growth of an additional 60,000 dwellings in Moonee Valley.
- Before any compromise or increase in density or building height overlay thresholds for new development can increase. Proper research and due diligence with expert matter consultation must consider the following, infrastructure to be established and major arterials, intersections and roundabouts of our main roads re-designed and upgraded and the services of our city and key amenities and facilities/buildings must be available with easy access for the community as a necessity.
- An extra 60,000 dwellings would equal an approx increase of population to an additional 142,800 people (based on approx 2.38 people per household).
- Based on the way we live today, an additional –
- 142,800 people will need access to the following:
- -An additional 649,090sqm of Logistics space
- -An additional 114,240sqm of Retail space
- -An additional 114,240sqm of office space
- -An additional 60,000 Dwellings/Houses/Units of Residential property
- -An additional 1,642 Rooms/Hotel services
- -An additional 471 Beds/Hospital services
- If this is ignored, our city and activity centres could turn into the worst game of The Sims ever played.
- -An increase of our existing waste and waterway management services
- An urgent increase to our Daycare, Kindergarten, Aged Care and Disability services
- Access and capacity for our Emergency Services which are already under extreme pressure to reach our communities during personal health emergencies and road trauma emergencies as a result of major accidents on our roads
Recent comments by current encumbered councillors and candidates standing in the current election, an increase of 60,000 dwellings will also require additional youth services and additional space and facilities of approx 5 new football ovals and introduction of an indoor high ball basketball and netball stadium, plus other sporting facilities, parks and recreation.
The Victorian Planning Authority
Activity Centre Plans
Consultation Phase 2
Call for public feedback opened for a short period and closed the weekend of 28 September 2024. This was a poorly managed feedback process and no fair consultation with community was afforded, rather imposed. It was also during a period the local government went into Caretaker period for the current election and unfair as the decision will be finalised without the council being able to advocate for the people. The poorly managed public and council consultation process alone should be grounds for an appeal to delay the imposed plans and re-open the matter for a fair consultation and review, compromise process.
Our community is filled with numerous questions and concerns that demand sustained efforts to deliver satisfying plans, solutions, and actions aimed at enhancing our city’s future services and standards of living. The concerns and questions listed in the earlier parts 1 to 5 of my journal were compiled through several months of public engagement and surveying. While they represent common issues, many more remain, and undoubtedly, more will emerge.
Regardless of the outcome of this election, my dedication as an advocate for our community, its associations, and groups will persist. I aim to embody a statesperson’s perspective rather than a politician’s when approaching our Local Government and Community matters. The legacy and mindset of a statesperson—valued for integrity and committed to the common good—are principles I aspire to adopt and be recognised for within my local community. This passion and desire will be realised through my continued work as a local Independent Buyers and Vendors Advocate, service to community, business owners and ratepayers participating in local Traders Associations and Community Groups and Chamber of Commerce and service in the professional peak industry association REIV (Real Estate Institute of Victoria) as the first elected Licensed Buyers Agent to the Board of Directors.
I’m committed to continuous learning and fervently advocating for the best interests of our community, striving for improvements that lead to a brighter future. I seek to bring about peace and balance in contrast to self-serving interests and political party influence and corruption that has embedded itself into all municipalities.
Mark Errichiello
Local Community Enthusiast and Business Owner
Independent Candidate 2024
Woodlands Ward
Essendon & Moonee Ponds
0408 988 118
mooneevalley@markerrichiello.com.au
www.markerrichiello.com.au
Mark Errichiello – Moonee Valley
Authorised by: Warwick Ryan, 19 Leake Street ESSENDON VIC 3040.
Special mention to the media and local journalists that shared my voice during the Local Government campaign: Content embedded below:
MOONEE VALLEY VOICES – CONTENT HYPE – MARK ERRICHIELLO COMMUNITY ENTHUSIAST – LOVE YOUR LOCAL
Thank you to Matt Galea and @content.hype 🙏. It was amazing to be a guest on your Moonee Valley Voices show and experience your new studio. What a great initiative and service Content Hype are providing to highlight the people and services and businesses in our great City of Moonee Valley.
Matt was a great host and I’m looking forward to seeing great things develop from this show.
Anyone in the community that is interested in being Matt’s next guest or nominating an individual person, community group, club, association or business in our community of Moonee Valley to be on the show, do yourself and the community a favour and get in touch with Matt.
Content Hype
Moonee Valley Voices
Podcast and Videocast
Studio 🎙 located in Moonee Ponds.
Matt Galea
0438007511
matt@contenthype.com.au
Mark Errichiello – Moonee Valley
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564025910231&mibextid=ZbWKwL
Mark Errichiello – Local Independent Candidate Woodlands Ward Moonee Valley City Council – Essendon and Moonee Ponds
Content Hype – Moonee Valley Voices with Host Matt Galea
Episode 2 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SKScWuF9beY?si=OtofAFdBNUjAcemC
It’s also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-2-mark-errichiello-real-estate-community-and/id1762610534?i=1000668943117
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/43wIp73JtM7CQdgsJeExwX?si=XyEnhGT0RXS3emdxO303FA
Rete Italia Australia – Viva L’Italia with Tony Tardio On-Air, Joint Guests with My father Tony Errichiello.
It was a pleasure to be a guest on Rete Italia Australia – Viva L’Italia with Tony Tardio and a wonderful experience to capture on-air, being a joint guest with my father Tony Errichiello during the 2024 Local Government Election Campaign.
Talking two generations of Real Estate in Moonee Valley City Council and if I’m elected as the first Councillor of Woodlands Ward, it will be two generations of Local Government Councillors in my family.
When I was a child, my father Tony had already dedicated almost 9 years service as an Independent Municipal Councillor in what was once Brunswick City Council.
CERES was one major community initiative that he was involved in establishing as a Councillor among other great projects during his service that improved the city, local services and amenities, economic development, energy projects, roads and infrastructure. CERES was in it’s infancy when I was a child and it’s a place I still love to visit with my family today. https://ceres.org.au/
My father passed on skills and knowledge in the real estate profession to my brother George and I. Now, I still seek advice from him when it comes to his experience in life and local government. My father migrated from Calabria, Italy to Brunswick as a young boy with his family post World War II. He was one of the first Italian born elected Councillors in Brunswick City Council and Chairman of the Brunswick Electricity Supply, operated local hairdressing salons with my mother Sina and he later moved into a career in Real Estate which he still practices today in Ascot Vale Raine&Horne, one of Australia’s Real Estate Super Brands and well established franchise networks.
‘Viva l’Italia with Tony Tardio’ now on Rete Italia Australia – the Italian radio in Australia.
You can tune in on DAB+ Niche Radio 📻
Download the Rete Italia App 📱
Or stream online by clicking the link in the comments 🌐
https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NICHERADIONETWORKPTYLTD8303188235.mp3?updated=1729036127
https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/tony-tardio?selected=NICHERADIONETWORKPTYLTD8303188235
MASTER ADVOCATES
Mark Errichiello
Independent Licensed Buyers & Vendors Advocate and Property Management Advisor
Director, Licensed Estate Agent, CEA [REIV], DipPropServ [Agency Mgt]
-Elected to the REIV Board of Directors 2023
-REIV Buyers Agent Chapter Committee and Members Council Delegate 2014-2023
-REIV AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE – FINALIST Buyer’s Agent of the Year 2021, 2022 & 2023
-Chairperson of the Essendon North Village Traders Association 2019-2021
-Accredited Member [REBAA] – Victorian State Representative 2020-2023
-Member [PIPA] Property Investment Professionals of Australia
M: 0408 988 118
www.masteradvocates.com.au
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