Clr Philippa Scott – Gulgadya Ward (Leichhardt)

Background

Philippa Scott is a lifelong Inner West local, and an experienced governance, policy and management professional, committed to social justice.

In 2021, she was elected as a Labor Councillor for the Gulgadya Ward (Leichhardt) of Inner West Council. Philippa is a Board Director of Metro Assist, a migrant resource centre serving the Inner West and Canterbury-Bankstown LGAs, and is President of Sydney Secondary College P&C.

Before politics, Philippa worked as a governance and policy manager in the university sector for ten years, and still holds a position as a senior manager at the University of Technology Sydney, where she works on strategic programs to enhance the student experience.

Philippa holds a combined Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws degree from the Australian National University, a Master of Laws (Honours) degree from UTS and a Master of Education degree from the George Washington University in Washington D.C.

She has devoted her whole career to providing legal and management advice to the not-for-profit and public sector. In Australia she has worked for the University of Sydney, the Guardianship Tribunal of NSW (now a part of the NSW Department of Justice), and Salvos Legal Humanitarian. While living in the USA for several years, she worked for Harvard University, the Massachusetts Disability Law Center, and the Human Services Research Institute.

Philippa has two children in local public schools, and is a lifelong Wests Tigers supporter, excitedly looking forward to their NRLW team joining the comp.

Aims as a councillor

Philippa cares deeply about ensuring that the Inner West remains a vibrant, functional, accessible and fun community for people of all languages, abilities and economic backgrounds. She is committed to creating the conditions for a diverse, vibrant and inclusive community to exist.

Her policy priorities include:

• Main street revitalisation and development, and developing strategies to activate, beautify, and support main streets in every suburb in the local government area.
• A stronger local economy, supporting businesses, community organisations and workers to reinvest in the common wealth of the Inner West.
• Boosting our arts and creative industries and supporting the Inner West’s place and reputation as the heart of Sydney’s live music scene and nightlife, with more public art, the creation of Special Entertainment Precincts and making permanent the recent changes to enhance outdoor dining.
• Ensuring that the Inner West keeps the diversity that makes us strong. All people in the Inner West have the right to access our community irrespective of their income, age, gender, culture, sexuality, or disability, and our policies, services and planning should reflect this commitment.

Representation on committees

• Member, Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee
• Member, Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel
• Alternate member, Parramatta River Catchment Group
• Customer Service Review Committee
• Major Capital Projects Committee

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