About Councillor Hathway
Describe yourself
I have lived most of my life in Geelong, completing primary school, high school, TAFE and University all locally. I grew up in the Thomson / Whittington area and for the last near 5 years I have been living in Norlane / Corio with my partner and daughter.
In 2022 I completed my Social Work degree, and I am in the midst of completing my graduate year in community mental health services. Prior to this I worked as an organiser for a health union for just over five years, including through COVID-19. Equitable access to services that promote good healthcare and wellbeing is something I am particularly passionate about.
As an experienced organiser and long-term community campaigner on range of issues such as environment, worker's rights, and social justice more broadly, I look forward to utilising these skills and experiences for the benefit of my community.
Why did you run for council?
I ran for council in 2020 as an endorsed Socialist Alliance candidate, with the support of the local branch. It was a challenging campaign, in the midst of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, however it still afforded me and campaign volunteers the opportunity to talk to Windermere Ward residents about local amenities, services and other issues important to the community.
I ran because I didn’t feel like the community I lived in - which at the time was Norlane - was adequately represented.
Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in 2020, coming third in a ward that is only represented by two Councillors. I am grateful now to be elected via VEC countback and to have this unexpected opportunity to represent the residents of Windermere Ward for the next 15 months.
Top three areas of focus during this term
Working with the community to:
- Advocate for properly funded council owned and operated services for residents.
- Provide localised community leadership at state and federal levels of government and work with those representatives to advocate for funding and services.
- Represent a very diverse and geographically large ward of Windermere, whilst also operating via principles of equity to ensure that the communities and areas that need representation and services the most are prioritised.
What does a ‘clever and creative’ Geelong region mean to you?
Working with the community as much as possible, who have the knowledge, experience, and expertise needed to address and overcome challenges such as social inequity, climate change, housing pressures and more, in and social and environmentally just way.
Favourite thing about Greater Geelong?
Geelong has a long proud history of the community coming together to campaign and advocate for issues that are important to them.
The city’s diversity and resilience through the process of shifting from a largely manufacturing town, to now largely a service provision city, are core strengths that set us up well to overcome future challenges as already mentioned.
Environmentally, I love that Geelong offers something for everyone, whether that is city vibes, rural / regional towns, the You Yangs, as well as the close drive to Melbourne or to the Surf Coast.