About Greg Barber

Greg Barber is a current member of:

Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration

Select Committee on Train Services

and

a former member of:

Select Committee on Gaming Licensing

Public Accounts and Estimates Committee

Greg Barber holds the Environment, Finance & Indigenous Affairs Portfolio

This includes:

Aboriginal Affairs

Agriculture

Energy & Resources

Finance

Gambling

Major Projects

Planning

Public Transport

Transparency & Governance

Treasurer

Water, Environment & Climate Change

Biography

Greg Barber is no stranger to the challenges of government. In 2002, after one year as a councillor on the Yarra City Council, he was elected Australia's first Green Mayor. Greg and his fellow Greens councillors were instrumental in restoring public confidence in the council. Their achievements include:

• the planting of over 1,500 street trees,
• a massive increase in spending on bicycle paths,
• soil contamination surveys of playgrounds and child care centres,
• a ban on building works on Sundays and before 9am on Saturdays,
• tackling disability discrimination,
• closing illegal brothels and speaking out against exploitation in the sex industry
• cracking down on illegal development, and
• encouraging the community to become more involved with the direction of their local government.

"We’ve had fantastic feedback on how much the council, and the City, has changed for the better since The Greens arrived."

Greg has strong experience in financial matters – he was the Chair of Finance at Yarra City Council, and successfully worked to rescue the city from the financial difficulties into which it had fallen. Under his Mayoralty, administration costs were cut, and the management restructured. The skills Greg learned whilst studying for his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in the mid 90s allowed him to take a hands-on approach where the council finances were concerned.

Before he was elected to the Yarra City Council, Greg was active in the community campaign which led to the creation of the Plenty Gorge Park. In the past he has been media manager for Cities for Climate Protection, and Bicycle Victoria. Greg Barber has also campaigned for the Tenants' Union, Environment Victoria, the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, and was until shortly before his candidacy in the 2006 State Election, a corporate campaigner for the Wilderness Society.

Greg Barber's years on the Council provided him with an in-depth knowledge of local community needs, such as health, housing, childcare and transport. He has either lived, worked or studied in six of the eleven lower house seats which make up the Northern Metropolitan upper house region and can therefore identify with local issues across the seat.

Greg Barber was elected to the Parliament of Victoria in November 2006, joining his colleagues Sue Pennicuik and Colleen Hartland to be the first members of The Greens to enter State Parliament in Victoria as Members of Legislative Council.