Andrew Ward runs for council

By Jake Pike

Long-time Docklands resident and owner and operator of Push! Fitness Andrew Ward is running for the City of Melbourne at the upcoming election on October 24, in a bid to stand up for small businesses in the post-COVID era.

A former Docklands News health and wellbeing columnist, Mr Ward is a highly regarded local and community-minded Docklander. He’s also a keen volunteer having racked up nine years of service between the Victorian Coastguard and State Emergency Service.

He is also an eight-year veteran of the Docklands Representative Group (DRG), where he was part of a team of like-minded locals who developed and worked on initiatives for the Docklands community from 2011 – 2019.

In the pre-COVID world, his average week would see him interact with a complete cross-section of society – from business executives to long-term inmates – utilising his business as a base to help others improve their health and wellbeing.

Mr Ward helps reintegrate men from the Victorian prison system, helping them socially readjust to everyday life as well as giving them the opportunity to get accreditation in the health and fitness industry. He also runs programs with Melbourne City Mission to improve health and wellbeing within the city’s homeless population.

And now, he wants to put his experience to good use as a councillor at the City of Melbourne saying he was inspired to nominate after becoming disillusioned with decisions being made across all levels of government and a “lack of support and concern for small businesses and sole traders”.

“Rather than just be a victim of circumstance or a whinging bystander, I will start to get involved in the political process, beginning with my hometown and community of Melbourne,” he said.

If elected, Mr Ward plans to focus on reviving the city and the businesses that make Melbourne the most liveable city in the world.

“The community isn’t just corporate people, it isn’t just residents, it’s people who are rebuilding, people who are highly successful and people who are struggling,” he said.

“I’m not from the big end of town, I’m not a politician, I’m a Melbourne boy, I spent 15 years working internationally and for the past 10 [years] I’ve been very happily back in Melbourne and enjoyed everything our great city has to offer and that’s all just been wiped out.”

While he is running as an independent in this election, Mr Ward said he supported Arron Wood and his plan to “reinvigorate Melbourne” •

For more information: facebook.com/AndrewWardMelbourne