Samanta Ratnam new Mayor for Moreland City Council

Congratulations to Samantha Ratnam on being elected as the mayor of the Moreland City Council. The City of Moreland is a local government area in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the inner northern suburbs between 4 and 10 kilometres from the Melbourne city centre.

The contest for mayorship was between Labor councillor Meghan Hopper and Greens councillor Samantha Ratnam .Samanta has been an active member of the Moreland Greens since 2009 and volunteered in the inner city area through the Collingwood Soup Van, Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria and Hotham Mission Asylum Seeker Project. Representing the Australian Greens political party, Samantha was elected to Australian local government in October 2012.

Samanta Ratnam is a social worker and have worked in drug and alcohol rehabilitation, mental health, international development and migrant settlement services. After completing high school in Australia, Samantha entered the University of Melbourne and completed a double degree – Bachelor of Arts (Politics) and Bachelor of Social Work (with honours). She is currently completing a PhD in youth sociology that focuses on how young people participate in their communities as citizens.

Samanta was born in Sri Lanka and her parents later migrated to Australia.