The battle for votes in the marginal electorate of Prahran has only weeks to run.
The electorate stretches from South Yarra along Chapel Street to St Kilda Town Hall and St Kilda Primary School, and includes St Kilda Road, Queens Road and Kings Way.
Since 2002, Prahran has changed hands between Labor, the Liberals and the Greens, making it a seat no candidate can take for granted.
Westaway said law and order and cost-of-living pressures were prominent campaign issues, but public housing had become a particular focus of her advocacy.
She describes politics not as a career, but as a contribution to the community she has called home for more than 25 years. Having raised three children in the area, Westaway said her connection to the electorate shaped her approach to public life.
Now in campaign mode, she is seeking to retain the seat and build on the support that carried her through the February 2025 by-election.
Westaway says government has failed public housing tenants
Westaway described conditions in Prahran’s public housing estates as unacceptable. She blamed years of Greens representation and the long-serving Labor government for allowing the estates to deteriorate.
“When I go into my public housing, people are living in black mould,” she said. Westaway said residents had also raised concerns about subletting, drug activity and personal safety across estates including Horace Petty, Sussex Rd, Essex Street, Simmons Street, Surrey Road, Inkerman Street, Union Street and King Street.
She said the problems extended beyond maintenance to safety and dignity, citing graffiti, broken lighting, encampments and the removal of security services.
Westaway said she had lobbied former housing minister Harriet Shing and current minister Nick Staikos for temporary security and the removal of fire hazards. She wants permanent, around-the-clock security at the estates.
She also opposes the government’s plan to demolish and redevelop the estates, arguing that long-term residents have built strong communities and should not be displaced.
“Why does it have to be bulldozed? Why can’t we renovate them?” she asked. Westaway said residents had not received clear answers or a cost-benefit analysis.
Local facilities and services are essential
Westaway pointed to a $6 million Liberal commitment for sporting facilities at Orrong Romanis Reserve, home to Melbourne Rugby Club and Toorak Prahran Cricket Club. A former volunteer parent at the cricket club, she said the existing facilities lacked disability access, women’s change rooms and a proper kitchen.
She is also campaigning to retain Uniting’s Chapel Street outreach services. The site hosts Hartley’s, which provides meals, employment assistance, legal and psychological support, and homelessness services, but is at risk as Uniting prepares to sell the building. Westaway said funding was needed to keep those services in central Prahran.
Red tape is hurting Chapel Street businesses
Westaway described Chapel Street as “ground zero” for both the best and worst of Victoria. She cited an 11 per cent shopfront vacancy rate, firebombings and the illegal tobacco trade as pressures on local traders.
Drawing on her corporate background and her roles as Shadow Assistant Minister for Melbourne and Shadow Assistant Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Major Events, Westaway said state taxes and red tape were holding back growth. She said a Liberal government would establish a “business concierge” service as a single point of contact for small businesses.
A progressive Liberal pitch on migration
Westaway, whose father is Thai-Chinese and mother is Anglo-Australian, describes herself as a progressive Liberal. Drawing on 20 years in immigration law and her experience as a Commonwealth tribunal member, she supports what she calls a balanced migration program to meet workforce needs in hospitality and agriculture.
She said Prahran’s mix of great wealth and deep disadvantage demanded an experienced, long-term local representative able to work across the electorate.
“Public housing tenants tell me they need maintenance and security — not the threat of bulldozers taking their homes.”
Rachel Westaway, Liberal MP for Prahran
