Nicolas Zervos is running for the City of Melbourne in Team Wood, led by Arron Wood. The lawyer aims to make Melbourne the most liveable city in the world again. Arron Wood, a former Deputy Lord Mayor and Acting Lord Mayor, is a small businessman, with “environmental and economic sustainability” as his catchcry.
Zervos, who was a Melbourne City councillor in the 1980s, spoke to Neos Kosmos, saying: “I was invited to become a member of the team by Arron Wood because of my passion for the city. I’m all about promoting this city as the capital of Victoria. To me, Melbourne is the heartbeat of Victoria.”
Zervos emphasised his involvement in the Bourke Street Mall Committee, the Moomba Festival Board, the Lonsdale Traders Committee, and the Melbourne-Thessaloniki Friendship City Committee. He was recently honoured as the 2024 Kastellorizian of the Year for his outstanding community contributions.
“I am frustrated by the fact that the city has become neglected over recent years,” Zervos said.
While he recognises the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on office employees, stating that “people are not coming into the city,” he also highlights other factors, such as accessibility and traffic flow.
“We’ve got to avoid gridlocks. While we have bicycle paths, there must be a balance so that people can enter and exit the city efficiently,” Zervos noted.
“Statisticians say that 60 per cent of the vehicular traffic that goes through the city doesn’t stop in the city,” he added. “Why aren’t we building things around the perimeter and allowing the 40 per cent to have access to the city?”
Zervos also discussed the public transport in global cities. “What makes New York, Paris, London, and even Athens today great cities is their superb, comprehensive public transport,” he said.
He’s concerned about homelessness: “There are facilities in metropolitan Melbourne owned by the state government that could be used to accommodate homeless people. Some overseas cities encourage the homeless to stay near hospitals or rehabilitation centres,” Zervos explained, noting the “chronic” conditions leading to homelessness.
Additionally, Zervos commented on Melbourne’s cleanliness: “The city is not as tidy as it once was.”
He stressed that Melbourne is “a drawcard for tourism,” adding, “the last thing you want is an untidy city.”
He hopes to see Melburnians take pride in their city once again: “Melbourne, back in the late 1880s, was considered the fourth most international city after London, Paris, and New York,” Zervos noted. He wants “drawcard events” that reflect Melbourne’s status as a multicultural and cosmopolitan city.
On city governance, Zervos acknowledged the challenge of accommodating both residential and commercial needs in a cost-effective way. He highlighted Team Wood’s three main foci; Supporting the sustainability of existing businesses. “A lot of businesses, especially midweek during the day, are suffering,” he said.
“We need to get employees back into the city. I would advocate for the state government to follow NSW Labor’s example, which has encouraged its public servants to return to work five days a week.”
Addressing homelessness: “You have to ask, what put a person into that position? Are they on Centrelink? How do they survive? Where do they come from? Because they’re not all from Melbourne,” Zervos said. He believes in a more holistic approach, tackling the root causes of homelessness and finding spaces near major hospitals for those dealing with chronic issues.
Ensuring responsible financial management: “You’ve got to find wastage in the budget and be more efficient with spending,” Zervos said. Much of the waste, according to Zervos, is due to being “over-administered.” He even advocates for a salary cap. “Complacency sets in, so knowing how to spend and where you should be spending is important.”
Team Wood are led by Arron Wood OAM vying for the Lord Mayor’s role, Erin Deering an entrepreneur and the co-founder of the successful Australian swimwear brand Triangl as Deputy Mayor, and runnin as councillors, Philip Le Liu currently a councillor who is an advocate for residents and international students, Dr Cathy Oke with 25 years’ experience in environmental science, policy and communications, Hala Nur from Carlton an advocate for children’s well-being and community empowerment, Michael Caiafa a second-generation trader and a respected figure in the Dairy Hall of the Queen Victoria Market, Hope Wei, a Docklands’ resident and businesswoman, Steve Michelson a communications expert and Nicolas Zervos.
