Melbourne’s Decline Sparks Mayoral Battle to Tackle Crime and Make the City Great Again

Rising crime and revitalising businesses key to winning voters’ hearts from mailed-in preferences.

A tram passes in front of Flinders Street Railway Station on August 18, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. Scott Barbour/Getty Images

A central focus of the upcoming Melbourne mayoral race is to restore the city to its former status as the world’s most “liveable city.”

With postal votes for the next mayor closing on Oct. 26—there are no physical polling booths—the four major candidates: incumbent Nick Reece, the Greens’ Roxane Ingleton, and Independents Anthony Koutoufides and Arron Wood have all made this their priority.