Cr Geoff Lake - Glen Waverley Ward

Geoff Lake

Geoff Lake has been a Councillor at the City of Monash since 2000.

Since that time he has worked hard to improve services and facilities in Glen Waverley and the wider City of Monash while keeping council rates as low as possible.

Geoff is a lawyer at a national commercial law firm and serves on a number of boards and committees including as a Trustee Director of a major industry super fund.

During his time on Council, Geoff has played a prominent role at the local, state and national levels - including terms as a Board member of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB), President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) and President of the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV). As part of his role as President of ALGA, Geoff was a full member of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and represented local government there alongside the Prime Minister and state and territory leaders.

In 2002 and at the age of 22, Geoff became the youngest person ever to be a Mayor in Victoria when he was elected Mayor of the City of Monash.

As Mayor, Geoff exposed councillors at the South East Regional Waste Management Group who were travelling for no purpose and at ratepayer expense to extravagant places all over the world.

Despite criticism and push back from the establishment, he took on these vested interests on behalf of all ratepayers and put a stop to these junkets and the wastage of public money. He also abolished the mayoral robes and use of the 'Your Worship' title, got rid of the personalised number plates for the Mayoral vehicle and slashed the Council's spending on hospitality and lavish functions.

Right through his time on the Council, Geoff has pushed hard to limit annual rate increases. Monash now has the lowest council rates in the greater Melbourne metropolitan area (an area comprised of 31 councils) - an outcome achieved by Council following Geoff's second term as Mayor.

Geoff believes in lean, effective and responsible government and he has driven greater efficiencies through the Council budget. He also believes that councillors and local government should not get carried away with a false and inflated sense of importance. While promoting fiscal restraint and accountability, Geoff has also been a key driver of major projects in the local area such as the Monash Aquatic and Recreation Centre (MARC), the Wheelers Hill Library, the Monash Gallery of Art, the Wellington Community Centre and the Clayton Community Centre.

He has also championed initiatives to strengthen services for disadvantaged people in Monash and has played a leading role in the exciting transformation and reinvigoration of the Glen Waverley Activity Centre into the bustling restaurant, hotel, office, retail and entertainment hub it is today.

Geoff's current focus on Council is:
  1. keeping Monash rates as low as possible;
  2. introducing a rate discount for pensioners;
  3. minimising the intrusion of council regulations into the lives of residents wherever possible;
  4. further enhancement and development of the Glen Waverley Activity Centre; and
  5. providing smarter, higher quality and more efficient council services which are better aligned to changing community needs.

Committee Memberships:

  • Glen Waverley Activity Centre Advisory Committee
  • Municipal Association of Victoria

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Last updated: 24 June 2011

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