Zhang to make council bid

Intlang Consulting Group founder and managing director Gloria Zhang has told Business News she will run for a seat on council in the City of Perth’s upcoming election.

Ms Zhang has been the managing director of Intlang since its founding in 2009, working with an array of Chinese and Australian organisations.

She maintains extensive ties to the city’s Asian community, serving in leadership roles with the Western Australian Oriental Culture and Art Association and the Australian Association of International Business

She has been a director of International College of Communication since 2016.

Ms Zhang told Business News her experience in business as well as her roots in the Asian community made her an ideal candidate to tackle some of the city's major issues.

"My office is in the city ... and I've seen the city developing and in the last few years have a bit of a struggle," she said.

"I'm quite happy to put my hand up and say I can do something.

"I'm multilingual, and I have business experience in Australia and the Asian community, and I hope that experience can be useful."

Ms Zhang said she was not yet ready to make a mayoral endorsement but said she found Channel 7 presenter Basil Zempilas' views to be "refreshing" and that she was "monitoring him closely".

She is now the fifth candidate to declare their candidacy for council after RSL WA chief executive John McCourt declared his bid over the weekend.

Mr McCourt told Business News his platform would focus predominantly on law and order issues.

Former City of Bayswater councillor Brent Fleeton, Mustang Bar managing director Michael Keiller and Friends Restaurant owner Clyde Bevan have all also declared council bids in recent weeks.

Elections to the City of Perth’s lord mayoralty and eight vacant council positions will be held on October 17.