Aaron is an IT professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry, including 12 years at three levels of the Australian government and has worked on several award-winning government IT projects.

Since 2008 he has worked at various government departments and research organisations, including the State Library of Victoria, the Department of Business and Innovation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The project he worked on in 2009 won the Victorian Government's 2010 Arts Portfolio Leadership Awards, Leadership in Business Improvement.

Aaron has lived in Wyndham since 2012. He has researched the western suburbs since 2007 while living in Melbourne's CBD and Docklands for 10 years. Aaron has first-hand knowledge and experience of the opportunities and challenges facing fast-growing areas. He is passionate about community life. He started volunteering when he lived in Wyndham and has contributed to policy and strategy work, particularly in the areas of education and cultural diversity, which are critical to the community and overall liveability of the region. He continued this work after being elected to Council in 2016, and his research and advocacy in this area played a crucial role in establishing one of Wyndham's most successful evidence-based advocacy champions - Schools4Wyndham.

In 2016, Aaron initiated Wyndham City's Smart City portfolio and served as its inaugural Chair. The portfolio focuses on creating and delivering sustainable smart city solutions through innovation and cutting edge technology to help Wyndham become a more efficient and connected place to live, work and visit. He has overseen related work that won the National Award for Excellence in Local Government in 2017, as well as the category winner for innovation to create more liveable cities.

From 2016 to 2020, Aaron was also Wyndham City's Deputy Chair for the Learning City Portfolio and the Future-Focused Economy Portfolio, as well as the delegated representative on the following internal and external advisory committees:

• Audit and Risk Management Committee
• Social and Economic Inclusion Taskforce
• Community Grants Program Evaluation Panel
• Innovation City Strategic Alliance

Wyndham Smart City Related Awards

✓ 2017 National Award for Excellence in Local Government (Overall)
✓ 2017 National Award for Excellence in Local Government - Liveable Australian Cities (Category Winner)
✓ 2017 World Smart City Expo Finalist in Barcelona
✓ 2019 IPWEA Excellence in Innovation Award
✓ 2019 iTnews Benchmark Awards Finalist
✓ 2019 MAV Tech Smart City Award Highly Commended
✓ 2019 Smart City Strategy Award - Smart Cities Council ANZ
✓ 2020 MAV Tech Awards: Smart City Achievement of the Year Finalist, Strategy and Planning Achievement of the Year Finalist

Harrison Ward Achievements In the 2016-2020 term including:

Better Economy, More Local Jobs

✓ More than $2.2 billion projects have been issued permit or completed. 40% increase in project value comparing with the previous term.
✓ Estimated 8,600+ new local jobs created in Harrison Ward. Equivalent to almost 6 new jobs every day.
✓ Company headquarters to Harrison Ward, including Target Australia, CDC Victoria, Kmart Victoria, Isuzu Australia, Western United FC.
✓ Approved planning application WYP11645/19 - 2 Overton Road Williams Landing, which could bring $300+ million investment and create 5000+ jobs.
✓ Harrison Ward is becoming the state’s logistics & e-commerce hub. With $440+ million invested or committed. Companies including Charter Hall & Toll Group, Woolworths, Coles, Target, Nippon Express, Visy, etc.
✓ Funds and programs to help small start-up businesses.
✓ Established Social and Economic Inclusion Taskforce.
✓ Continuing Innovate to Excelerate Business Growth Program.

Community Infrastructure

✓ Williams Landing Library and Community Centre Planning Phase, Mainview Boulevard Family Learning Centre, Brookdale Road Reserve Pavilion, Clearwood Drive Reserve Pavilion.
✓ Expansion/upgrade: Point Cook Community Learning Centre, Featherbrook Sports Pavilion, Dunnings Rd Sports Pavilion, Point Cook Skate Park, Central Park Community Centre.
✓ Masterplans and Implementation: Lawrie Emmins Reserve, Jamieson Way, Truganina South East Master Plan.
✓ Motion adopted to improve land use around train stations.

Education

✓ Established Schools4Wyndham and ILoveKinder campaign to fight for more schools and kinder funding for families (Williams Landing school and more schools in Point Cook and Truganina).
✓ Adopted Wyndham Learning City Strategy 2018-2023.
✓ Wyndham became UNESCO Learning City in 2019.

Safety

✓ Successfully lobbied state gov to allocate more police in Wyndham.
✓ Successfully lobbied state gov to remove Hoppers Crossing level crossing before the end of 2022.
✓ Deployed IoT technologies to improve safety in public areas: parks, community centres.
✓ Committed $3m for Point Cook Rd and Sneydes Rd intersection signalisation.
✓ Pedestrian Operated Signals - Dunnings Rd/Main St, Point Cook.
✓ Supported the use of security cameras at key locations to improve safety.

Transport

✓ Bike:

• Adopted Active Transport Strategy (formerly Wyndham Pedestrian and Cycle Strategy).
• Started Bicycle Plan - Implementation.
• Already working on more bike cages at Williams Landing train station.
• Most State Government’s Western Road Upgrade works include bike paths.

✓ Parking:

• Changed long term parking to short term drop off bays during peak hours around Williams Landing train station.
• Motion adopted to support multistorey car parking around train stations.

✓ Pedestrian:

• Started Footpath Construction Program.
• Started Shared Paths in Reserves Project.
• Skeleton Creek Bridges & Talliver Terrace Park & Interpretive Trail.

✓ Roads:

• Completed $7.5m Forsyth Rd Duplication - Sayers to Old Geelong Rd.
• Completed $4m Hacketts Rd Upgrade.
• Completed Dohertys Rd Duplication.
• Started Road Reconstruction Forward Design Program.
• Starting Ashcroft Ave Duplication (Design Work).
• Advocating for Sayers Rd Duplication.
• Committed $3m for Point Cook Rd and Sneydes Rd intersection signalisation.
• State government duplicated Palmers Rd.
• State government committed to remove the level crossing at Hoppers Crossing Train Station before 2022.

✓ Other

• Motion adopted to improve land use around train stations. Already advocating for more bus routes.
• Adopted Wyndham Coastal and Marine Management Plan.

Efficiency & Innovation

✓ Initiated one of the first Smart City portfolios in local government in Australia.
✓ Adopted Wyndham’s first-ever award-winning Smart City Strategy.
✓ Smart City project WynLens won 2017 National Award for Excellence in Local Government.
✓ Other Smart City projects, eg: IoT Network, Smart Parks, Smart Bins, Smart Car Parking, Smart Sports Field Planning, Monitoring & Management, Transport Data Analytics.
✓ Citizen dashboards: Capital Works Dashboard, Tree Plant Dashboard, myWyndham Services Dashboard, Report an Issue Web App.
✓ Started building a more efficient councillor request dashboard.
✓ IT & ERP System Upgrade: $6m invested in the technology to improve productivity and to support our organisation to be flexible & responsible in times of uncertainty to ensure that services continue to be delivered uninterrupted in 2020/21 alone.
✓ Lighting the West: Council has invested $8.4 million in this program, with the Federal Government contributing $1.5 million. Over the 2019/20 financial year, Council upgraded 1500 streetlights across the municipality. The program will save ratepaers' money for approximately $13 million over 20 years, reduce greenhouse gas output by 2,600 tonnes annually and Improve community safety.
✓ First time Council officially supported GovHack event at Wyndham in 2017.
✓ First-ever Wynnovation started in 2018 and had the first-ever pitch competition in early 2020.
✓ Started Large Scale Solar project.
✓ Motion adopted to improve land use around train stations.
✓ Established Small Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship Fund.
✓ Innovate to Excelerate Business Growth Program at Wyndham.

Local Amenity & Environment

✓ Greening The Pipeline Pilot Park.
✓ Lawrie Emmins Master Plan Implementation.
✓ Starting off-leash dog parks review.
✓ Open space and reserve works: Arndell Park, Brookdale Rd Reserve, Dunnings Rd Sports Reserve, Mainview Blvd Reserve, Saltwater Active Youth Space.
✓ Upgraded 60+ neighbourhood park.

Cultural Diversity & Arts

✓ Supported many multicultural festivals.
✓ Adopted Festival and Events Framework.
✓ Committed $25.8k art funding pool.
✓ Working on multilingual street signage.