⊸ News ⋅ By Emily Kulich
Published at 10:55pm on Tuesday 29 April 2025

Longtime Darebin City councillor and former mayor Gaetano Greco has been remembered by peers and community members following his death from cancer on Saturday.

Image: Flags flying half mast at Darebin Intercultural Centre tonight in honour of Gaetano Greco.

Serving on the council for over 16 years, Cr Greco took office in 2008. He served as mayor between 2013 and 2014, and was Darebin’s only successful independent candidate at the 2024 Victorian council elections.

Councillors cleared the agenda of their ordinary meeting on Monday to hear statements on Cr Greco’s contributions and advocacy, and to call for flags at Darebin’s Civic Flagpole sites to be flown at half mast.

Image: Cr Greco wears a distinctive orange shirt in his City of Darebin portrait. Source: City of Darebin

In a statement read at the meeting, Mayor Kristine Olaris thanked the independent North West ward representative for his service.

“Tonight, we are missing a key member of Council,” Cr Olaris said.

“Throughout his long and dedicated career serving the people of Darebin, Cr Greco was a tireless advocate for social justice, community wellbeing, and inclusive governance.

“Cr Greco always made time to listen and respond to requests or concerns from the community, and he championed decision making that was informed by community voices and views. His commitment to the community was unwavering, even as recently as last week continuing to work from his hospital bed.

“We thank Cr Greco for the remarkable legacy he leaves in making Darebin a better place and our thoughts and condolences are with his partner Susana and family and friends at this sad and difficult time.”

Deputy Mayor Emily Dimitriadis read a statement of condolence on behalf of the council, which included Cr Greco’s three “final instructions”, penned days before his death – covering land back and reconciliation, the Preston Market, and Palestine.

“It is with a profoundly heavy heart that I stand before you tonight to honour and farewell a giant among us – my dear friend, mentor and colleague, Cr Gaetano Greco, who passed away two days ago after a courageous and relentless battle with cancer.

“To his beloved partner Susana, his cherished family and his many friends – I extend my deepest condolences. Thank you for entrusting me with the immense privilege of speaking tonight on behalf of all who loved and admired him.

“Gaetano was not just a Councillor. He was the living embodiment of what it means to serve – not for title, not for recognition – but because justice demanded it.

“Elected to Darebin Council in 2008, Councillor Greco gave over 16 years of his life, heart, soul and every ounce of strength to this community. But Gaetano didn’t just represent Darebin. He carried Darebin – its struggles, its hopes, its diversity and its fight for fairness – on his shoulders every single day.

“His leadership was never about comfort or convenience. Gaetano stood where it mattered most – on the frontlines of justice. For our multicultural communities, for First Nations people, for those whose voices were too often ignored or silenced – Gaetano was their unwavering champion. He understood, deeply, that true leadership is measured not by popularity, but by the courage to confront injustice, especially when it’s hard, especially when you stand alone.

“When Council threatened to privatise aged care, Gaetano didn’t hesitate – he stood with our elders, safeguarding their dignity.

“When developers circled Preston Market, ready to erase a cultural and community icon, Gaetano led from the front – not just to save buildings, but to protect the heart of a community where migrant stories were told in every stall.

“When prejudice surfaced in decisions – like denying a 50-meter pool at Reservoir Leisure Centre because ‘new migrants may not have experienced swimming’ – Gaetano called it out, demanding better, demanding respect!

“This was Gaetano Greco – a man of unyielding integrity, a truth-teller who never flinched in the face of power, and whose compass was permanently set towards justice.

“Even as illness took hold, Gaetano’s spirit remained indomitable. Days before his passing – as others might have sought rest – Gaetano was still leading – sending us three final instructions, not for himself, but for us, for you, for this community:

1. “To continue the hard, necessary conversations he began in 2020 – to return land to First Nations people. Because reconciliation without action is hollow!
2. “To pursue the public acquisition of Preston Market. Because communities should never have to beg to keep their heritage and livelihoods intact.
3. “To remember Gaza. To remember that while headlines fade, the suffering of over 50,000 lives lost demands that we, as a Council, as human beings, stand firm in solidarity – consulting with the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network and the community before any decision to lower the Palestinian flag he fought so fiercely to see raised.

“These were not requests. They were Gaetano’s final calls to conscience – his reminder that leadership is a trust bestowed upon us by those who believe in a fairer world.

“For me, Gaetano was far more than a colleague. He was my anchor in turbulent times, the voice of wisdom when the easy path tempted us away from the right one. He mentored me, believed in me, and stood beside me through battles that tested every fibre of our resolve. Together, we fought for aged care, for community dignity, for equity – and every victory was a testament to his relentless drive.

“Tonight, we are bereft. His absence is a chasm that words cannot fill. I will miss his counsel, his fire, his unwavering belief that local government is not a bureaucracy -but a battleground for justice.

“But if Gaetano taught us anything, it is this – grief must never turn to silence. Mourning must give rise to action.

“Cr Gaetano Greco’s legacy is not just etched into Darebin – it is etched into each of us who had the honour to witness his leadership. His voice may be gone, but his message is clear:

“Stand up. Speak out. Fight on!

“For our multicultural communities.

“For First Nations justice.

“For every person who dares to believe that equity is worth the struggle.

“Vale Cr Gaetano Greco. Your vision, your courage and your uncompromising commitment to justice will echo through these chambers, through Darebin and far beyond – for generations to come.

“Now, it is our turn to carry the torch. Let us not fail him.”

Councillors observed a minute’s silence before passing a motion that the national, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander flags to be flown at half mast across Darebin today, as well as on the day of Cr Greco’s celebration of life event.

A date for the celebration of life event is yet to be determined.

Preston Market group remembers ‘lion’ with ‘loving heart’

Image: Cr Greco (in orange) stands with campaigners from the Save Preston Market group in a photo shared to his Instagram account in October 2022.

A staunch supporter of the Preston Market, Cr Greco was a vocal campaigner for the public acquisition of the community hub and for it to be protected from proposed relocation.

The Save the Preston Market Action Group published a statement to its Instagram account farewelling “a lion of the struggle”.

“We send our love and condolences to Gaetano’s partner Susana and his whole family, who loved him and were loved by him, and who have surrounded him with kindness and spirit in the last days of his life,” the st

“Gaetano will be terribly missed for his loving heart, his humour and the warmth and joy he brought to everyone he knew. We are proud, honoured and grateful to have had the extraordinary privilege of having Gaetano in our lives.

“From all of us in the Save the Preston Market Action Group, and everyone who contributed in any way to saving our beloved market, we say this: Gaetano, you led our fight with such courage and tenacity, and it was because of you that everything we have achieved was possible. The integrity, the steadfastness, the generosity of spirit that you have shown in fighting for this remarkable place is unmatched. We can never thank you enough.

“We join with people from many groups and walks of life who loved him and worked with him to pay tribute to his extraordinary legacy – not the least of being the continued survival of our beautiful Preston Market, the heart of our community, which endures as a testament to his love for the people of the Northern suburbs, and the working class everywhere.

“We can’t think of anyone who has brought the community of the northern suburbs together, or served them with as much heart and soul as Gaetano did. The best way to honour Gaetano Greco and his memory is to follow his example: have courage, connect with your people, and fight for what you believe in. We will continue your legacy – fighting for what is right, for working-class and migrant communities – with pride and with gratitude for having known you.

“Every time we visit Preston Market, we will remember you.”

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