Councillor Marghanita da Cruz (Greens) – Gulgadya Ward (Leichhardt)
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Aims as a councillor
- Improve walking, cycling and public transport in the Inner West
- Enable culture, arts, an active community and small business to thrive
- Advocate for ecologically sustainable development, heritage, biodiversity and affordable inclusive housing
- Improve council services, community consultation, accountability and transparency
- Respect the de-merger vote calling for the return to smaller more functional councils
- Improve liveability through welcoming community centres, libraries, pools, gyms and green spaces, looking after our waterways, and harness energy from the sun and wind
Background
Councillor Marghanita da Cruz has been honoured to represent Gulgadya (Grass Tree) – Leichhardt Ward since September 2017. Gulgadya extends along Parramatta Road, including the suburbs of Leichhardt and Haberfield and parts of Annandale, Ashfield and Croydon.
Marghanita was initially elected to the newly formed Inner West Council in 2017 and was re-elected in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Western Australia, which she earned in 1984.
Marghanita has provided Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services for over four decades, working with various organizations, including Commonwealth Government agencies, the ABC, UTS, the NSW Office of State Revenue, and Optus.
Her involvement in sports includes playing, umpiring, and coaching community club netball, hockey, cricket and golf. Marghanita has now has a passion for walking and yoga. She earned the Queen's Girl Guides award.
In 1997, Marghanita established Ramin Communications, and the following year, created Annandale on the Web. She draws her inspiration from figures like Beth Buchanan, the founder of the Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery, and the late Ted Floyd, a retired soil scientist and convenor of Friends of the Earth, who advocated for walking, tree conservation, and water-sensitive design.
Many stories about Annandale emerged, which prompted Marghanita to start writing in Anecdotal History. Guiding an annual walk for the Heritage Festival lead to the publishing the walks as a series of paperbacks and eBooks. She is currently working on a '70s walk.
Marghanita's goal is to enable sustainably lives through connected communities, reducing waste, conserving biodiversity and viable travel.
On Council, Marghanita has worked with the community to deliver positive outcomes for Gulgadya (Leichhardt) Ward. She has also applied her experience and skills to improve the systems of the new council and help the community navigate the resolution of a wide variety of issues.
During Marghanita’s first term on Council she worked with the community:
- to invite First Nations people to open Council events and support the annual Yabun Festival on 26 January;
- towards an Indigenous Ranger program;
- to declare a Climate Emergency;
- to establish a partnership with the Asylum Seekers Centre;
- to install a tap in Ferris Lane magic lane in Annandale;
- to name Ted Floyd Way, to honour the late advocate for the environment and pedestrians;
- to install Pedestrian Refuges along Croydon Road;
- to resolve to not send our waste to polluting incinerators;
- to implement angle parking in Charles Street, Leichhardt and squeezing an extra parking place on Booth Street;
- advocating for more sustainable verges; and
- advocating against the use of explosives in the WestConnex tunnelling
Marghanita was born in Kenya and migrated to Australia with her family in 1970. She has lived in Perth Canberra and Sydney before moving to Annandale in 1993.
Participation on Council committees
- Flood Management Advisory Committee (current nomination)
- SSROC (current, alternative nomination)
- Local Traffic Committee (previous council term, alternate nomination)
- Eastern Region Local Government Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Forum (previous council term nomination)
- Parramatta River Catchment Group (previous Council term, alternate nomination)
- Flood Management Advisory Committee (2017 to 2019 nomination)
- Community member of Leichhardt Council Heritage Advisory Committee (before 2016)
- Community member of Leichhardt Council Climate Change Task Force (before 2016)
- Community member of Leichhardt Council Cool Communities Project Steering Committee (2000)
- Community volunteer at Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery (1998-)