Sally Capp will stand aside as lord mayor of Melbourne after six years in the role, with her deputy, Nicholas (Nick) Reece, a former adviser to prime minister Julia Gillard and Labor state secretary, taking over for the remainder of the term.
Capp, who was first elected mayor of the City of Melbourne in 2018 before being re-elected in 2020, has announced she won’t contest the Victorian local elections in October.
The former Victorian director of the Property Council of Australia said she loved her job and had mixed emotions about quitting.
“I have given everything to this role,” the former commercial lawyer said in a statement on Thursday.
“As you know, I like to work at full pace, full-time – and I believe that anyone contesting the election must be all-in for a full term.
“I have decided that at 56, having spent my 50s so far at Town Hall, it’s time for me to seek new opportunities to propel me into my next decade.”
“There were significant internal and external issues – including a culture of unacceptable councillor behaviour and delays on major projects, such as the renewal of Queen Victoria Market,” Ms Capp said.
“We faced acts of terrorism in the city, followed by the profound challenges of the global pandemic and long lockdowns. Despite this, together we have driven the revitalisation of this magnificent city – emerging as Australia’s largest city, the world’s third most liveable, and the fourth best student city globally.”
Premier Jacinta Allan said Ms Capp told her she was quitting on Wednesday night and thanked her and commended her leadership.
“It was a pretty turbulent time at City Hall. She’s stabilised the organisation,” she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
“She’s had to lead the city through the pandemic and I know from first-hand experience just how hard she has worked.”
Capp expects to finish up as lord mayor at the end of June and will work with councillors and the chief executive on an orderly transition plan.
Until then, Nicholas Reece who previously told Neos Kosmos that he is “Greek at heart”, will take over as Melbourne’s lord Mayor.
“My beautiful wife, Felicity (daughter of George Pantelidis and Mersina Miritis), is Greek, and my children are growing up as Greek-Australians. They are learning the Greek language, and we consider ourselves to be a significant part of the diaspora,” Reece stated in his interview with Neos Kosmos.
However, it is not only his marriage that makes him… a Greek by wedlock. He attends every opportunity at events of our diaspora and often narrates, in a humorous tone, experiences and incidents from his – regular – interaction with Greek-Australians.
He is himself an immigrant as he arrived in Australia with his family when he was just four years old. He was born in London in 1974.
Reece was elected Deputy Mayor of Melbourne in November 2020, after previously being elected a municipal councillor (2016).
He is an executive member of the Chancellery of the University of Melbourne, holds a principal fellow academic position, and teaches at the Melbourne School of Government.
He is a former president of the global men’s health charity organisation Movember.
For over 10 years, he was the director of The Big Issue, a successful social enterprise for homeless and marginalized people in Australia.
He has significant experience in governance and policy-making, having worked as a senior advisor to federal Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Premiers of Victoria, Steve Bracks, and John Brumby.
He is a commentator for SKY News and a regular columnist for The Age newspaper.
Currently, he heads the portfolio for Planning and is deputy head of the portfolios of Economics, Governance, and Risks, Heritage.
In a Facebook post, Nick Reece thanked Sally Capp stating that it has been a great honour and a privilege to serve alongside her.
“Sally led the City of Melbourne through a once-in-a-century crisis and did a brilliant job. In our darkest days she was a ray of sunshine that helped Melbourne get back on its feet,: he wrote.
“No one has ever worked harder in the role of Lord Mayor, Sally would front up every single day and give 100 per cent. She has been irrepressible in her efforts to establish a new positive rhythm for Melbourne. Melbourne still faces many challenges but the upward trajectory of the City is undeniable. Sally Capp deserves much of the credit for that positive direction. As a colleague, Sally is professional and is not afraid of tough decisions. She is also a very good person, a very decent person. Thank you for your public service to Melbourne,” he concluded wishing her all the best for what comes next.