By Campbell Spence

What is your vision for the City of Port Phillip? Should our rates be higher than other Councils? Are you getting value for money for your rates? Why don’t we have green waste and food waste bins and free parking permits when other Councils provide these? 

The City of Port Phillip is seeking Expressions of Interest from the community to participate in workshops to help shape the Council Plan and 2022-23 Budget. In our experience these workshops are dominated by rent seekers and those with vested interests who want their pet projects funded. We want COPP spending to be efficient and reasonable when benchmarked to other Councils. COPP should only provide those services and infrastructure that most ratepayers and business owners require.  We strongly encourage you to register your EOI because the silent majority will be ignored while you remain silent. Do not delay in registering as the deadline is 23 December. Click on this link to register: 

Help shape our City | Have Your Say Port Phillip

COPP will select attendees, which we hope will ensure there is a fair representation of residents, ratepayers, business owners, age groups, gender, postcode, number of people who you live with and affiliation to community groups.

1 December 2021

Last night Port Phillip Councillors voted in favour of Cr Rhonda Clark’s motion for the Mayor to urgently request additional police to support the safety of residents, the local area traders, Victoria Police, and the Victorian community who wish to enjoy St Kilda and the beach during the summer months.

The Council supports Victoria Police and in particular the St Kilda Precinct in its role to manage antisocial behaviour, verbal abuse, physical assaults, rough sleeping, and other safety issues, but the St Kilda police branch does not have the resources or powers required to adequately manage the St Kilda beach areas when large crowds regularly visit.

Councillors have shown leadership in responding to a small percentage of people who are occasionally making St Kilda and the beach an unsafe environment which recently resulted in the horrific death of a young man after being stabbed. There have been numerous unsafe incidents whereby greater resourcing for Victoria Police is required, particularly on these peak days.

One of the Councillors acknowledged the December 2019 petition with close to 1,000 signatures presented to Council requesting Council to address community safety. The motion also addresses recent discussions between Councillors, council staff, business owners, residents, and police in relation to ongoing violent and antisocial behaviour in the City of Port Phillip.

This motion gives authority to Mayor Pearl to write to the MP for Albert Park, Martin Foley and Police Minister, Lisa Neville to urgently provide additional police resources to ensure community safety, and that St Kilda is a safe and welcoming location for all Victorians.

Councillors who voted on the motion:
FOR: Cr Bond, Cr Clark, Cr Cunsolo, Cr Pearl, Cr Sirakoff
AGAINST: Cr Baxter, Cr Copsey, Crawford, Cr Martin,

More than a month after ex-Mayor Louise Crawford defended the City of Port Phillip's new customer service system in an interview with Tom Elliot on 3AW (10 October), residents are still frustrated with the new system. In the interview, Cr Crawford highlighted the expected benefits of the new $23 million customer service system, which was needed to replace multiple legacy systems and manual processes, and aimed to improve the customer experience and deliver cost efficiencies. It seems the new system was launched before adequate testing, and has experienced major operational problems and some customer information has not been migrated from the old legacy systems. Residents told us they cannot access the Planning Applications Register and are having problems obtaining parking permits. In acknowledgement of these problems, the City of Port Phillip have advised there will be a 60-day grace period for renewing parking permits. 

Anna from Albert Park emailed us to ask “Has anyone else tried to renew their residential parking permit on this website? It was a truly Monty Pythonesque/Mr Bean customer experience! Website so bad it was laughable. I'm not tech savvy but I can navigate your average website. Finally, in irritation and frustration I called Assist and got onto Parking Permit Help Desk! - very helpful and sympathetic to my plight, and that of many others. They organised the permit renewal and sent it to me. It seems Council is paying staff to help us bypass the new system - absurd. I am horrified at  ratepayers’ money spent on this terrible system - will somebody be held accountable? ”

Pam in Albert Park mentioned on Nextdoor on 18 November “Applying for parking permits in Port Philip. Is anyone else struggling with the changes introduced by Port Philip council for renewing car permits? There were very poor communications beforehand on the new online system which itself is cumbersome - I couldn’t seem to get through the process on my iPhone 11. This has been introduced at a time when 2 Town Halls are being renovated and the queues to do the renewal in person are long. Each customer takes between 10-20 minutes”.

Michael from Elwood said “Last week I visited the town hall office to also renew my parking permits. What an absolute stuff up from the serving staff member. I had brought in all the previous year’s paperwork. I was told sorry it’s a new system. Two return trips home and maybe 45 minutes in front of the counter. What a dismal effort from Port Phillip Council. I would rather visit my dentist 10 times than endure that process again!”

Source - Interview with Tom Elliot (3AW) https://www.3aw.com.au/mayor-defends-efficiency-of-new-multi-million-dollar-customer-service-system/?fbclid=IwAR26LXLZIM1U7DgNzzhh4i0Lv_BhjXegWHIgLsuHfNpg_yxl3kkGb36Mg1Y

1. LONG - TERM PARKING:
Some people left their car in the long-term parking at the airport while on holidays, and someone broke into the car. Using the information on the car's glove compartment, they drove the car to the people's home and robbed it. So, I guess if we are going to leave the car in long-term parking, we should NOT leave any home information or car service records in it, or your remote garage door opener. This gives us something to think about with all our new electronic technology.

2. GPS:
Someone had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard. When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents. Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address in it. Put a nearby address (like a store or petrol station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

3. MOBILE PHONES:
I never thought of this! This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says, "I received your text asking about our Pin number and I replied a little while ago." When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen mobile phone to text "hubby" in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

4. PURSE IN THE GROCERY CAR SCAM:
A lady went grocery shopping at a local supermarket and left her purse sitting in the children's seat of the cart while she reached something off a shelf. Wait till you read the WHOLE story! Her wallet was stolen, and she reported it to the store personnel. After returning home, she received a phone call from the Security to say that they had her wallet and that although there was no money in it, it did still hold her personal papers. She immediately went to pick up her wallet, only to be told by  Security that they had not called her. By the time she returned home again, her house had been broken into and burgled. The thieves knew that by calling and saying they were Security, they could lure her out of her house long enough for them to burgle it.

Moral lesson:
A. Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mum, etc.
B. And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.
C. Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet "family and friends" who text you.

* PLEASE PASS THIS ON

Even if this does not pertain to you, please let your family and friends know so they don't get caught in a scam …

What is an example of how Rotary is involved in the local community?

In the spring of 2020, Rotary led the formation of PorTTogether, which is a part of the Town Team initiative.  Quite simply Town Team is a coalition of business, council, service organisations and most importantly, residents of an area, all coming together to work collaboratively for the betterment of a specific area. It is about connecting, organising and acting to regenerate the fabric of their neighborhood’s and to create better places. We abide by the Town Team charter which can be found at the Town Team website https://www.townteammovement.com/. There are 81 Town Teams spread across 34 local government areas in Australia.

How is Port Phillip Rotary involved?

Our Town Team is a coalition of Port Phillip Rotary, the City of Port Phillip, Port Melbourne Business Association, SHIP (Star Health Inclusion Port), Southport Community Centre, and community members and stakeholders.  For more information on how to get involved simply email pres@rcpm.org.au

What does PorTTogether do?

PorTTogether works toward goals.  The first goal is the betterment of the entire area, which we will accomplish through a series of smaller specific projects.  Our first project is to help make Bay Street one of the most vibrant town cores in Australia.  By revitalising Bay Street, we make Port Melbourne and the City of Port Phillip even more compelling for residents and attractive for visitors.  We have so much to offer.

Our broader mission is to work together.  By building a strong, inclusive and democratic coalition we will shape our communities for ourselves and the people who come after us. Our Town Team is another example of service organisations impacting local areas.  It’s also a model that can be rolled out quickly and efficiently in virtually any part of the country.  

Is something happening soon where we can be involved?

Covid has impacted us in so many ways and due to the restrictions we have been under, it has been hard to plan ahead too far with definitive and expansive plans for this year but  there will be an event on Saturday 4th December at Bay Street, which the  Business Association have organised so pop the date in your planner and come on down to support your community, purchase some goodies and have fun.  Come and chat to me, too, as I will be there.

Kevin Beagle
Port Phillip Rotary Membership Officer

email: kmbeagle@gmail.com

Congratulations to Cr Marcus Pearl and Cr Tim Baxter elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor of City of Port Phillip, respectively for the next 12 months at a Special Meeting of the Council on 17 November.

Marcus becomes Mayor in his second term as Councillor after being elected as a representative for Gateway Ward in 2016 and 2020. Marcus has a reputation for business acumen, commitment to accountability, delivering essential projects, acting to strengthen planning regulations and fighting for common-sense decisions. Marcus’ profile states “Your Council is at its best when focused on results for residents, ratepayers, and local businesses. There has never been a more important time to support our local traders and residents through targeted services, reduced costs, and less red tape in the post-COVID-19 world. You elected me four years ago to bring energy, integrity and action to Port Phillip.”  

Councillors also voted to extend Peter Smith’s contract for an additional two year. Several people have told PPM that they were surprised that the CEO’s contract was extended as Peter has been the CEO of the City of Port Phillip for nearly five years. 

Author: Rod Mitchell

As a long-term resident, I have watched the ebb and flow of St Kilda – at times pumping with atmosphere and now looking sadly neglected. Whatever the economic tide, St Kilda has always been at the centre of bohemian culture, the arts, writers, and life on the edge.

One of the few constants in this “arts focused” suburb has been the National Theatre. As well as being a registered heritage building, it is the home of ballet and drama. Its contribution not only to St Kilda, but also to the Victorian arts cannot be underestimated. As well on its books when productions are under way, are over 100 people that can be called on for part time work.

As I walk through the adjacent park for my morning coffee, there is always a throb of activity, whether it be young school kids getting ready for their first audition or performers in costumes lining up at the entrances for rehearsal.

At night pre Covid, there were cars parked for 100’s of metres belonging to patrons and proud parents watching their children performing on stage. This institution over acentury has silently borne witness for the tens of thousands of young people who have had their first real taste of the arts within its walls.

And here lies the question: What would happen if such a venue for economic reasons ceased to exist; not just for patrons, but also being the nurturing ground for aspiring dance and drama students?  Who in these days would or could fill that void?

The heritage building urgently needs better lighting and external renovation to show case this wonderful community asset. As St Kilda is also going through a drug and graffiti scourge, better lighting would assist in protecting this asset and ensure greater safety to patrons and performers.

Assistance to the National Theatre, would have an economic benefit, meaning our currently decimated local economy, especially the restaurant scene would be given a badly needed boost. For example, the financial ability to stage some free or low-cost productions would draw patrons from well outside the City of Port Phillip. As we are all aware, a better local economy reduces the cost of crime and brings revenue back to the community including taxation revenues generated by increased economic activity.

So, when we hear Councilors, chest beating about $300,000 for pop up art or another $300,000 to fund musicians that have an investable life span of only 12 months, how about investing money in an institution that ensures that the National will still stand a further 100 years from now?

When free information is not free.

In pursuit of a cause or action one typically requires information. Information is key to our understanding. Understanding oneself, others, the immediate world in which we immerse ourselves. Without information we can know that something exists, but not why. Without knowing why we are helpless in effecting change. Life is like this in many ways. The actions of those we encounter are generally based on information. If we are not privy to the relevant information, then causation is unknown, and we are left with baseless reactions as our only means of effecting change.

Now to the matter at hand: Some time back I attempted to change a decision made by the local council. To be successful in this endeavor my proposition had to be logical and substantiated by fact. I was going well until encountering a hurdle on the second point, substantiated by fact. I figured the council archives would hold the information I needed. So, I approached the council to supply me with the necessary information. Being a member of a family residing in their own home, within the same local government area as the council to whom I was to submit my FoI request, I figured this would be a no-brainer. But alas, no! This is where the “Freedom of Information” Act A.K.A. “FOI” comes in.

The FOI Act provides the public (me in this case) with certain rights. The rights to request and be granted access to documents about the operation of council, government departments, and documents in the possession of government Ministers or agencies, and by law the holders of the information must undertake to satisfy the request. At least as far as is possible?

But, as it turns out, Freedom of Information does not equate to the free provision of information. Only that an applicant is free to request it. Under the Act, the provider of information can charge the applicant (in this case me) for the free information. Hardly free is it? Here are two examples.

Port Phillip Council charges applicants a fee of:
$30.10 to process a request.

Casey charges applicants’ fees of:
$22.50 per hour (or part of an hour)
PLUS
Supervised viewing of documents fee: $5.60 per 15 minutes (if applicable)
PLUS
Photocopying: 20 cents per black and white A4 page

Here’s the thing, could council be seen here to be fiscally Double Dipping?
Surely, if you live and pay rates in the area subject to your FOI request, the council should not charge you FOI fees. After all, local ratepayers already finance council services through the rates they pay. The term fiscal double-dipping is the best way to describe this.

FOI Was Not Named “A tax on Information”.
To this author, it seems that FOI legislation was initially named “Freedom Of Information” for a reason. The act was not named “A tax on Information” or “Information for those who can afford it”.

In Summary.
The restriction of information to those who can pay only serves to obfuscate issues raised by the public. The unfettered, free provision of information is of benefit to all. Perhaps councils may read this article and reconsider their position by, at minimum, proving FOI services at no charge to local ratepayers.

Further FOI Act reading.
https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/the-foi-act
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019L00348
Port Phillip FOI Fees: https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/about-the-council/governance-performance-and-advocacy/freedom-of-information
Casey FOI Fees: https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/make-freedom-of-information-request

Author Emma Cutting

Hello Lovely Local!, My name is Emma Cutting and I have been a resident of City of Port Phillip for 20 years. I am also the Founder of The Heart Gardening Project, a community initiative that brings humans and nature together through street gardening. We turn barren, undernourished pieces of public land into gardens of wriggling, buzzing beauty for everyone to enjoy (around 70 so far and counting!).

I am writing to let you know (if you didn’t know already!) that the City of Port Phillip’s (CoPP) new draft Nature Strip Guidelines (NSGs) have just been released for community feedback and, if there isn’t a strong community response to change them, these would mean the end of street gardening for the vast majority of residents in the City of Port Phillip.

There are so many issues with this document but the main two are that…
• Tree squares are not allowed to be planted in
• ‘Clearance areas’ are so enormous that only a few plants at the most can be planted in even the hugest of nature strips

Not only that, but CoPP declares that gardens which don’t adhere to the new guidelines are also subject to removal. This means that, again, the vast majority of existing street gardens, many of them decades old, would be subject to removal at council’s whim.

While there is a definite need for updated, clear and safe Nature Strip Guidelines in the City of Port Phillip, CoPP has demonstrated overblown, short-term thinking around the safety of council assets. These new NSGs effectively deny residents the many positives that can come from street gardening including community cohesion, the ability to contribute to the natural beauty of our city and also individually respond to climate change and declining urban biodiversity.

We need to act now and tell our Councillors and Council Officers that this is not good enough. We need these draft NSGs rewritten to be inclusive, researched properly and empowering. Basically, if you love street gardening, are appreciative of your local street gardener, enjoy walking around your local street gardens, think that street gardening is more beneficial than not for your community, think we need more beautiful gardens, believe that increasing biodiversity is important and/or think we need to do more to fight climate change then please do the following…

• Read council guidelines at
  https://haveyoursay.portphillip.vic.gov.au/nature-strip-guidelines 
• Sign the petition at
   https://www.change.org/keepourstreetgardensgrowing 
• Contact your local ward Councillors directly
• Get out and create a street garden!!
• Place the small sign below (or something similar!) in your front window

Thank you! Love Emma

For more info on street gardening:
www.theheartgardeningproject.org.au 

For lots of pics of street gardens: Instagram
@theheartgardeningproject 

Email The Heart Gardening Project at:
info@theheartgardeningproject.org.au

 Rising Sun Hotel

 Prince Bandroom

 Middle Park Hotel

 Prince Alfred

 Esplanade - St Kilda

 Inkerman Hotel

 George Lane

 Iddy Biddy

 Republica

 Cornerstone

 Jimmy ONeils

 Captain Baxter

 Palais Theatre

 Memo Music Hall

 Recital Centre Melbourne

 Alex Theatre - St Kilda

 Arts Centre - Melbourne

 Crown - Southbank

 Astor - St Kilda

 Palace Dendy - Brighton

 Classic - Elsternwick

 Hoyts - Docklands

 Palace - Brighton Bay

 Village - Jam Factory

 Gasworks

 Whats On in St Kilda

 Jewish Museum of Australia

 Whats On in Port Phillip

 Events @ South Melb Market

 Markets in the Area

 Special Events

 Middle Park Bowls Events