About Bridgid

Bridgid has had two terms as a Yarra City Councillor for Nicholls Ward, and is now running for the newly formed Yarra Bend ward, where she has lived for over 40 years. She is passionate about transparent, evidence-based decision making directed by community engagement.

Bridgid has lived in Yarra all her life, including going to Alphington Primary School.

She studied Fine Art and Computer Science, has a BA (Hons) in Women’s Studies and Philosophy, a Graduate Diploma of Education, a Post Graduate Certificate of Mathematics, and a Masters degree in Biostatistics. She is currently enjoying some part time studies in Ornithology while on leave from her PhD.

Bridgid is passionate about education and was driven to empower young women to excel in STEM studies. She taught senior Mathematics at Melbourne Girls’ College, Preston Girls’ College, Mac Robertson Girls’ High School and Genazzano FCJ College.

As an undergraduate student she was at the forefront of the fight to retain free education and the introduction of Anti-Sexual Harassment reforms. Among many other community campaigns, she has been on the organising committee for the Music from the Wetlands Festival for over 10 years. She also volunteers to support orphaned grey-headed flying fox pups at Victoria’s only soft release enclosure at Yarra Bend Park.

As well as representing her community, Bridgid is passionate about the environment, wildlife conservation and the protection of heritage.

She currently sits on the Yana Ngargna Advisory Committee, the Heritage Advisory Committee, the Merri Creek Management Committee and the Community Awards Committee.

Bridgid's Policies:
Bridgid’s policies as councillor for 2024-2028: 

• Revisit the bin tax: It’s purely about revenue raising instead of environmental concerns. It’s going up to 30% on your next rates bill and is not a fair system. Bridgid will replace the “user pays” system with a communal approach to waste management
• Democracy and transparency on council: we need to fix planning by bringing back residents’ ability to object to inappropriate development. 
• Democracy and transparency on council: council is spending far too much money on consultants and senior management. We also need to invest in more efficient in-house services
• Transparency and governance: restore community’s ability to participate in council meetings. 
• Heritage: protect heritage values and maintain neighbourhood character
• Environment: Yarra Council’s “nature strategy” has been merged into the climate emergency strategy which is important but means we are not paying proper attention to biodiversity and riverine habitats
• Environment: Bridgid will ensure the nature and biodiversity strategy is properly resourced, including the “Gardens for Wildlife” program
• Socially progressive: Bridgid is a lifelong feminist who aims to get more women into politics and is heavily inspired by Monique Ryan and Helen Haines from the Community Independents Project
• Transport: Yarra Council’s proposed parking policy will remove all angled parking due to safety concerns. Instead, Bridgid proposes that we restructure angled parking to be ‘back-in angle parking’, which is safer while maintaining the same amount of car spots for existing residents, with a gentle hand to encourage the use of cycling and scooters.
• Housing affordability and living standards: Bridgid advocates for more high quality housing which are well constructed and suitable for families (especially when it comes to apartments), more action to be taken on reducing Vacant properties & Land Banking, and a portion should be set aside for fully public housing rather than misleading “affordable” housing (and without knocking down existing public housing).
• Planning: Apartment tower developers should be made to purchase shadowing rights from owners or tenants who are impacted by the loss of sunlight/amenity. More developments should be approved where appropriate, so that more people can enjoy the City of Yarra including keeping families close, and to keep the state government at bay - planning decisions should be kept local, led by the residents who are actually affected by it.

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