Legislative Assembly · District of Niddrie
Samantha Byrne
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Niddrie›
Niddrie is a safe Labor seat in Melbourne's north-west, represented by Ben Carroll since a 2012 by-election. Carroll became Victoria's 50th Premier on 28 July 2026, succeeding Jacinta Allan, and is recontesting Niddrie. The Liberal candidate is Samantha Byrne, a Moonee Valley City councillor (Steele Creek Ward) who has twice previously served as Mayor (2019/20 and 2021/22) but does not currently hold the mayoralty; the Victorian Socialists' candidate is Brendan Laws, a teacher and Australian Education Union rank-and-file organiser. The Greens' candidate is Lana Nguyen, a community-events coordinator.
Background
Works professionally as a podiatrist and as a community-health respite-care coordinator, splitting her time at a Moonee Valley-area community health centre between podiatry clinical work and coordinating a respite service for elderly residents and people living with dementia. RReported — 3KND-BYRNE3KND (Kool'adi Ngala Datj), "Mayor of Moonee Valley Samantha Byrne" (3 Apr 2020)View source
As of August 2026, her elected public role is Moonee Valley City Councillor for Steele Creek Ward, which covers Niddrie and Airport West. The current (2025–26) Mayor of Moonee Valley is Dr Rose Iser, elected by fellow councillors in October 2025; Byrne does not presently hold the mayoralty. VVerified — WIKI-MOONEEVALLEY, TALLYROOM-MV2024Wikipedia, "City of Moonee Valley"View sourceThe Tally Room, "Moonee Valley council election, 2024" (13 Oct 2024)View source
First elected to Moonee Valley City Council in 2016, representing the then three-member Rose Hill Ward as an independent; re-elected in 2020; won the newly created single-member Steele Creek Ward (covering Niddrie and Airport West) in 2024 after a council-wide ward restructure. VVerified — WIKI-MOONEEVALLEY, TALLYROOM-MV2024Wikipedia, "City of Moonee Valley"View sourceThe Tally Room, "Moonee Valley council election, 2024" (13 Oct 2024)View source
Has twice served as Mayor of Moonee Valley City Council — 2019/20 and 2021/22 — but is not the current Mayor. VVerified — MVCC-SUSPENSION-STMT, 3KND-BYRNEMoonee Valley City Council, "Suspension of Samantha Byrne" (10 Sept 2024)View source3KND (Kool'adi Ngala Datj), "Mayor of Moonee Valley Samantha Byrne" (3 Apr 2020)View source
A Facebook page titled "Samantha Byrne – Rose Hill Councillor Moonee Valley" suggests she used this branding while representing the council's former Rose Hill ward before the 2024 single-member-ward restructure. RReported — FB-ROSEHILLFacebook, "Samantha Byrne - Rose Hill Councillor Moonee Valley"View source
The page's content was not independently fetched or confirmed against official council records. RReported — FB-ROSEHILLFacebook, "Samantha Byrne - Rose Hill Councillor Moonee Valley"View source
Represents Steele Creek Ward on Moonee Valley council, which covers Niddrie and Airport West — the same suburbs at the core of the Niddrie state electorate she is now contesting. VVerified — WIKI-MOONEEVALLEY, TALLYROOM-MV2024Wikipedia, "City of Moonee Valley"View sourceThe Tally Room, "Moonee Valley council election, 2024" (13 Oct 2024)View source
Has said she resides in East Keilor with her husband, daughter and son. SSelf-stated — 3KND-BYRNE3KND (Kool'adi Ngala Datj), "Mayor of Moonee Valley Samantha Byrne" (3 Apr 2020)View source
Has described enjoying "spending time with family, long runs around our beautiful parks and waterways, playing netball and socialising with friends" in the local area. SSelf-stated — 3KND-BYRNE3KND (Kool'adi Ngala Datj), "Mayor of Moonee Valley Samantha Byrne" (3 Apr 2020)View source
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Protecting Moonee Valley's parks and waterways
Supporting local businesses
Improving community infrastructure
Ensuring state government, not local councils, funds social and affordable housing investment
Says she is committed to solutions on rising costs and rising crime.
What Victorians say matters most
5 poll-led issuesCost of living and crime have ranked 1st or 2nd in every Victorian poll since mid‑2025, with debt and housing close behind — see schema §3 for the polling this grouping is based on (DemosAU, Ipsos Issues Monitor, Roy Morgan). The 0-10 'priorityScore' on each candidate's issue entries is NOT a measure of true importance or an independent ranking of what a candidate actually cares about. It reflects how much detail and specificity exists in what that candidate has actually said publicly on that issue -- a named policy mechanism and a verified voting record score higher than a one-line stated priority, regardless of the issue's real-world weight. Render this distinction in the UI wherever the score appears; do not label it just 'Priority' without the qualifier.
Cost of living
Under the Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 statewide platform, a Liberal government would scrap Labor's 'schools tax' so no government or non-government school pays payroll tax, aiming to cut costs for parents.
The same platform commits to abolishing the 'GP tax' to reduce the cost of seeing a doctor and ease pressure on hospital emergency departments.
It also pledges to lift the land tax threshold from $50,000 back to $300,000 over five years, which the party says will save around 280,000 Victorians up to $975 a year and ease upward pressure on rents.
Crime and community safety
The Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 platform commits to recruiting 3,000 more police officers, including filling 1,500 existing vacancies and funding 1,500 additional positions.
The platform also commits to reopening more than 40 police stations that have closed or had reduced hours, and returning Protective Services Officers to all 119 train stations where they have been removed.
It includes 'Break Bail, Face Jail' and 'Adult Crime, Adult Time' policies alongside stronger police pursuit powers.
Housing affordability and supply
As Mayor, welcomed the Victorian Government's 2022 decision to abandon planning reforms that would have stopped local councils charging rates on social housing properties, saying: 'The decision made by the State Government to not go ahead with their planning reforms was the right one.'
Said Moonee Valley is 'home to the third-highest proportion of social housing dwellings in Victoria with around 2,600 dwellings,' and argued funding responsibility should sit with state government rather than local councils: 'The Government needed to pay for the investments, not local Councils.'
The Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 platform commits to fast-tracking home building in existing growth areas, expanding the Capital City Zone into parts of inner Melbourne, and abolishing stamp duty for first home buyers on properties up to $1 million.
State government debt and fiscal management
The Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 platform says Victoria carries 'nearly $200 billion in debt, leaving taxpayers paying $1 million an hour in interest,' and sets a goal to balance the budget by 2032.
It commits to a public expenditure tracker for spending transparency, a freeze on hiring back-office public service roles, and redirecting the roughly $1 billion earmarked for the state's Treaty process toward reducing debt.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
As Steele Creek Ward councillor, has raised the Niddrie Library's premises directly, noting it is 'currently in a leased space that's too small for our growing community.'
The Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 platform commits $5 billion to road repairs addressing what it calls 1 million potholes statewide.
And to directing Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution revenue toward earlier delivery of roads, schools, utilities and community facilities in growth communities.
Also on the record
6 substance issuesThese don't top “biggest issue” polling, but carry real 2026 policy weight and genuine differences between parties.
Education and training
The Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 platform proposes a Literacy and Numeracy Guarantee with an interim target of 15% improvement and a long-term goal of 90% proficiency under NAPLAN.
It also commits to reforms addressing classroom behaviour, a review of the school curriculum, and a 'Safe from the Start' plan responding to failures in early-childhood-setting safety.
Health and healthcare access
The Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 platform commits to abolishing what it calls Labor's 'GP tax' to reduce the cost of seeing a doctor and reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments.
It also commits $132 million to a Mental Health Early Access Plan, including $63.5 million for local early-intervention services and nearly $70 million for statewide crisis support, suicide prevention and youth mental health services.
Urban planning and housing density
Stated councillor priorities include "protecting our beautiful parks and waterways" across Moonee Valley.
The Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 platform pledges to 'restore local planning control and return decision-making to local communities,' including scrapping Labor's high-rise activity centres in the suburbs and establishing clear timelines for cultural heritage approval decisions.
Climate and energy transition
The Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 platform commits to establishing a technology-agnostic Energy Security Requirement for Victoria to address a forecast energy shortfall, alongside scrapping Labor's ban on gas appliances in new homes and expanding gas exploration.
It also proposes new 'Urban Solar Parks' encouraging solar and battery installation on commercial and industrial rooftops in urban areas, which the party says could supply up to 25% of demand and reduce the need for new transmission lines on farmland.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
The Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 platform commits to 'stopping the $1 billion being spent on Labor's divisive Treaty' as part of its plan to reduce state debt and wasteful spending.
Regional and rural Victoria
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Local & party context
2 fieldsNot scored the way the eleven issues above are — these are fixed facts about the seat and the party, not positions with more or less emphasis behind them.
The Niddrie Library and Community Hub: as Steele Creek Ward councillor, has raised that the library operates from a leased space "too small for our growing community" — a genuinely local Niddrie-area facilities issue. SSelf-stated — MVCC-LIBRARYFBFacebook (Samantha Byrne - Moonee Valley), "Niddrie Library post"View source
Social housing concentration and council rates: as Mayor, highlighted that Moonee Valley (which includes Niddrie) has the third-highest proportion of social housing dwellings in Victoria (around 2,600 dwellings). SSelf-stated — MVCC-SOCHOUSING22Moonee Valley City Council, "Social housing news a pleasing outcome" (2 Mar 2022)View source
Argued the state government, not the council, should fund related infrastructure investment. SSelf-stated — MVCC-SOCHOUSING22Moonee Valley City Council, "Social housing news a pleasing outcome" (2 Mar 2022)View source
On housing, her own comments as Mayor — that state government funding, not local council rates, should pay for social and affordable housing investment — sit alongside the state party's supply-side housing platform (fast-tracked growth-area approvals, Capital City Zone expansion, first-home-buyer stamp duty exemption). SSelf-stated — MVCC-SOCHOUSING22, VICLIB-PLANMoonee Valley City Council, "Social housing news a pleasing outcome" (2 Mar 2022)View sourceLiberal Party of Victoria (Vic Liberal-Nationals Coalition), "Our Plan — Victorian Liberal-Nationals 2026 Election Platform (Ten Year Economic Plan)"View source
Adding a local-government financing angle the statewide platform document does not itself emphasise. SSelf-stated — MVCC-SOCHOUSING22, VICLIB-PLANMoonee Valley City Council, "Social housing news a pleasing outcome" (2 Mar 2022)View sourceLiberal Party of Victoria (Vic Liberal-Nationals Coalition), "Our Plan — Victorian Liberal-Nationals 2026 Election Platform (Ten Year Economic Plan)"View source
On planning, her stated council priority of "protecting our beautiful parks and waterways" and her advocacy for the undersized, leased Niddrie Library premises both align with the state platform's "restore local planning control" theme. SSelf-stated — MVCC-BYRNE, MVCC-LIBRARYFB, VICLIB-PLANMoonee Valley City Council, "Cr Samantha Byrne"View sourceFacebook (Samantha Byrne - Moonee Valley), "Niddrie Library post"View sourceLiberal Party of Victoria (Vic Liberal-Nationals Coalition), "Our Plan — Victorian Liberal-Nationals 2026 Election Platform (Ten Year Economic Plan)"View source
Framed through her specific record as a Moonee Valley councillor rather than as a fresh statewide talking point. SSelf-stated — MVCC-BYRNE, MVCC-LIBRARYFB, VICLIB-PLANMoonee Valley City Council, "Cr Samantha Byrne"View sourceFacebook (Samantha Byrne - Moonee Valley), "Niddrie Library post"View sourceLiberal Party of Victoria (Vic Liberal-Nationals Coalition), "Our Plan — Victorian Liberal-Nationals 2026 Election Platform (Ten Year Economic Plan)"View source
On cost of living, crime and safety, debt and fiscal management, education, health, energy and the Treaty, her platform tracks the Victorian Liberal-Nationals' 2026 statewide platform ("Our Plan") directly. SSelf-stated — VICLIB-PLANLiberal Party of Victoria (Vic Liberal-Nationals Coalition), "Our Plan — Victorian Liberal-Nationals 2026 Election Platform (Ten Year Economic Plan)"View source
Which commits to measures including recruiting 3,000 more police, scrapping the 'schools tax' and 'GP tax', an Energy Security Requirement, a Literacy and Numeracy Guarantee, and redirecting Treaty-related spending toward debt reduction. SSelf-stated — VICLIB-PLANLiberal Party of Victoria (Vic Liberal-Nationals Coalition), "Our Plan — Victorian Liberal-Nationals 2026 Election Platform (Ten Year Economic Plan)"View source
Track record & prior candidacies
First elected to Moonee Valley City Council in the 2016 Victorian local government elections, representing the then three-member Rose Hill Ward as an independent. RReported — WIKI-MOONEEVALLEY, MVVOICES-PODCASTWikipedia, "City of Moonee Valley"View sourceMoonee Valley Voices (via ListenNotes), "Samantha Byrne on Community and Moonee Valley" (27 Mar 2025)View source
Re-elected to Rose Hill Ward at the 2020 Victorian local government elections; declared elected first on the count with 5,869 first-preference votes (22.68%), alongside fellow ward incumbents John Sipek and Pierce Tyson. VVerified — VEC-MV-2020Victorian Electoral Commission, "Moonee Valley City Council election results 2020"View source
Following the 2024 ward redistribution, which split the three-member Rose Hill Ward into the new single-member Canning, Milleara and Steele Creek wards. VVerified — VEC-MV-2024, TALLYROOM-MV2024Victorian Electoral Commission, "Moonee Valley City Council election results 2024"View sourceThe Tally Room, "Moonee Valley council election, 2024" (13 Oct 2024)View source
Recontested and won the new single-member Steele Creek Ward (covering Niddrie and Airport West), defeating fellow incumbent Pierce Tyson after distribution of preferences, 5,333 votes (61.38%) to 3,355 (38.62%). VVerified — VEC-MV-2024, TALLYROOM-MV2024Victorian Electoral Commission, "Moonee Valley City Council election results 2024"View sourceThe Tally Room, "Moonee Valley council election, 2024" (13 Oct 2024)View source
Sworn in for her current four-year council term on 19 November 2024, alongside the rest of the newly elected Moonee Valley council. VVerified — MVCC-NEWCOUNCILLORS-2024Moonee Valley City Council, "Moonee Valley welcomes new councillors" (20 Nov 2024)View source
Has served two one-year terms as Mayor of Moonee Valley City Council — 2019/20 and 2021/22 — but is not the current Mayor. VVerified — MVCC-SUSPENSION-STMT, MVCC-BYRNE, WIKI-MOONEEVALLEYMoonee Valley City Council, "Suspension of Samantha Byrne" (10 Sept 2024)View sourceMoonee Valley City Council, "Cr Samantha Byrne"View sourceWikipedia, "City of Moonee Valley"View source
As of the council's own website (accessed 22 August 2026), the sitting Mayor is Dr Rose Iser (Myrnong Ward) with Cr Phil Burn as Deputy Mayor, both elected by council in October 2025 for the 2025–26 term. VVerified — MVCC-SUSPENSION-STMT, MVCC-BYRNE, WIKI-MOONEEVALLEYMoonee Valley City Council, "Suspension of Samantha Byrne" (10 Sept 2024)View sourceMoonee Valley City Council, "Cr Samantha Byrne"View sourceWikipedia, "City of Moonee Valley"View source
She currently holds no mayoral or deputy-mayoral office and is listed simply as the Steele Creek Ward councillor. VVerified — MVCC-SUSPENSION-STMT, MVCC-BYRNE, WIKI-MOONEEVALLEYMoonee Valley City Council, "Suspension of Samantha Byrne" (10 Sept 2024)View sourceMoonee Valley City Council, "Cr Samantha Byrne"View sourceWikipedia, "City of Moonee Valley"View source
Elected Mayor of Moonee Valley City Council by fellow councillors around 28 October 2019, for the 2019/20 mayoral term, with Cr John Sipek elected as Deputy Mayor. VVerified — MVCC-LINKEDIN-2019Moonee Valley City Council (LinkedIn), "Moonee Valley meet your new Mayor" (29 Oct 2019)View source
As Mayor in early-to-mid 2020, represented the council publicly through the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in local media interviews about the council's pandemic response. RReported — 3KND-BYRNE3KND (Kool'adi Ngala Datj), "Mayor of Moonee Valley Samantha Byrne" (3 Apr 2020)View source
Elected Mayor of Moonee Valley City Council for a second time around 27–28 October 2021, for the 2021/22 mayoral term. VVerified — IG-BYRNE-2021MAYOR, MVCC-SUSPENSION-STMTSamantha Byrne (Instagram), ""Last night I was elected as the Mayor..."" (28 Oct 2021)View sourceMoonee Valley City Council, "Suspension of Samantha Byrne" (10 Sept 2024)View source
Her current Moonee Valley City Council councillor profile lists no committee memberships or additional portfolio roles beyond her Steele Creek Ward councillorship, and no deputy-mayoral role in her current (2024–2028) term. VVerified — MVCC-BYRNEMoonee Valley City Council, "Cr Samantha Byrne"View source
Suspended from her role as a Moonee Valley councillor for 14 days effective 10 September 2024, after an independent Arbiter appointed under the Local Government Act 2020 ruled she had breached three of four standards of conduct — respectful treatment of colleagues, governance rules, and bringing council into disrepute. VVerified — MVCC-SUSPENSION-STMTMoonee Valley City Council, "Suspension of Samantha Byrne" (10 Sept 2024)View source
In an internal arbitration brought by Cr Rose Iser. VVerified — MVCC-SUSPENSION-STMTMoonee Valley City Council, "Suspension of Samantha Byrne" (10 Sept 2024)View source
The Arbiter described her conduct as "relentlessly disruptive." It was the first councillor suspension in Moonee Valley's history; only eight councillors were suspended statewide during that four-year council term. VVerified — MVCC-SUSPENSION-STMTMoonee Valley City Council, "Suspension of Samantha Byrne" (10 Sept 2024)View source
The dispute underlying the suspension stemmed from a council budget meeting earlier in 2024 over roughly $200,000 in funding for playground equipment at FJ Davies Reserve in Keilor East, during which she repeatedly used the phrase "playground killers" toward fellow councillors. RReported — THEAGE-BYRNE-SUSPENDThe Age, "Back in a fortnight: councillor suspended over 'playground killer' jibes" (12 Sept 2024)View source
As part of the suspension, was required to provide a verbal apology to fellow councillors and was barred from using council resources, attending meetings or representing Moonee Valley for the 14-day period. VVerified — MVCC-SUSPENSION-STMTMoonee Valley City Council, "Suspension of Samantha Byrne" (10 Sept 2024)View source
No record of any prior candidacy for state or federal office was found; her electoral history before the 2026 Victorian state election consists entirely of Moonee Valley City Council contests (2016, 2020 and 2024). RReported — WIKI-CANDIDATES-2026, POLLBLUDGER-BYRNEWikipedia, "Candidates of the 2026 Victorian state election"View sourceThe Poll Bludger, "Victorian election minus 16 weeks" (10 Aug 2026)View source
Wikipedia's page on candidates of the 2026 Victorian state election lists her only as the new Liberal candidate for Niddrie, with no prior state or federal candidacy noted. RReported — WIKI-CANDIDATES-2026, POLLBLUDGER-BYRNEWikipedia, "Candidates of the 2026 Victorian state election"View sourceThe Poll Bludger, "Victorian election minus 16 weeks" (10 Aug 2026)View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au/candidates-and-parties/funding), a candidate — or, for a party-endorsed candidate such as Byrne, the candidate's registered political party on their behalf — is eligible for public election funding if the candidate receives at least 4% of first-preference votes in their contest or is elected; the funding amount is then calculated from the audited statement of election expenditure and the number of votes received, up to the maximum amounts set in the Electoral Act 2002.
As of August 2026 this 4%-or-elected threshold test is unchanged by the 2026 Electoral Further Amendment Act, which reintroduced donation-cap and disclosure provisions after the Hopper v Victoria High Court ruling struck down Part 12 of the Electoral Act (15 April 2026) — the funding-eligibility mechanism itself was not altered by that overhaul.