Legislative Assembly · District of Ringwood
Amy Mills
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Ringwood›
Ringwood covers about 35 square kilometres of Melbourne's east, including Heathmont, Mitcham, Forest Hill, Vermont, Nunawading, Ringwood East and parts of Blackburn. Labor has held it since 2018. Will Fowles won it in 2022 with 39.0% of first preferences and 57.5% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Cynthia Watson, then left the Labor caucus in 2023 and has sat as an independent since 2024; local coverage reports he is not recontesting, so the seat has no incumbent candidate. The 2026 field found is five candidates: Labor's Rachel Halse, the Liberals' Nick McGowan (a sitting Legislative Council member), the Greens' Amy Mills, the Victorian Socialists' Jack Gardner and independent Prue Cutts. Wikipedia's 2026 candidates table lists Gardner as One Nation, which conflicts with the Victorian Socialists' own page.
Background
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Housing affordability and homelessness prevention, cost-of-living relief, mental health care, climate and bushfire risk, tree canopy and public spaces.
"I'm an advocate who looks out for people, our environment and fights for stronger communities."
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
Names cost-of-living relief as a priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make public transport permanently free and freeze rents for two years.
Crime and community safety
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14; nothing is attributed to Mills personally.
Housing affordability and supply
Names housing affordability and homelessness prevention as priorities, as a renter herself.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would build 88,000 public homes with $4 billion initial investment.
State government debt and fiscal management
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would raise land tax to 5.3% for investors with $5 million or more of residential property; nothing is attributed to Mills personally.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make trains, trams and buses permanently free; nothing is attributed to Mills personally.
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 Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reinstate $2.4 billion in delayed public-school funding; nothing is attributed to Mills personally.
Health and healthcare access
Names access to mental health care as a priority, and works in disability support.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would fund 500 more psychologists and psychiatrists.
Urban planning and housing density
Wants tree canopy protected and neglected public spaces restored.
Climate and energy transition
Names climate change and bushfire risk mitigation as priorities.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reach 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and ban new coal and gas projects.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would back the Statewide Treaty Bill without amendment; nothing is attributed to Mills personally.
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.
Her stated priorities sit within the Victorian Greens' statewide platform. SSelf-stated — GREENS-MILLS, ET-GREENS-POLICYVictorian Greens, "Amy Mills"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "Greens policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
Was the Greens' candidate for the federal seat of Deakin in 2025, polling 11.9% of first preferences according to local coverage. RReported — EM-GUIDEEastern Melburnian, "Who are the candidates in this year's state election across Melbourne's eastern suburbs?"View source
She is not among the candidates in the 2022 Ringwood results; the Greens' candidate was Reuben Steen (15.5%). VVerified — WIKI-RING-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Ringwood"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission's funding guidance (vec.vic.gov.au, accessed 2026-09-29 via search snippets of its independent-candidate and registered-party funding pages), a candidate is eligible for public election funding if they receive at least 4% of first-preference votes in their contest, or are elected. Funding is reimbursed against an audited statement of campaign expenditure, and advance funding must be repaid in full if the threshold is missed.
Mills has not previously contested a state election. The Greens' 2022 Ringwood candidate polled 15.5%, above the 4% mark, and local coverage records her own federal Deakin vote in 2025 as 11.9%.