I am a long-term resident of St Kilda. Every morning, I walk to Acland Street for a newspaper and coffee. I would like to take you on my walk.

When I leave my doorstep, graffiti confronts me everywhere. Looking down the street, the sidewalk is a patchwork of uneven bitumen, due to repeated digging up and resealing. The footpaths are a mess. There does not appear to be any real plan from Council for amenity improvements in St Kilda, by cleaning up pathways and engaging with businesses to enable graffiti removal.

I walk across Greeves Street, where the sex worker industry is booming. In summer more than winter, there is an almost continual stream of gutter crawlers. I have no problem with sex workers and understand fully that their stories are not relatable for most people and their trade is often harsh and exploitative. If we are prepared to turn a blind eye to this activity, then we should at least make it safe for the women who ply their trade. With sex workers, it often comes with the added baggage of their pimp(s), drug dealing, letterbox thieving and customer violence.

If Council were proactive, they might seek Victorian Government assistance to have Vale and Greeves Streets monitored by 24 hour cameras to ensure that there is a law enforcement overlay on violence, drug selling, and most importantly, for the protection of the women.

Having requested security cameras be installed with the assistance of State Government, and received no substantial Council response except “maybe we could install fake cameras as a deterrence”, it occurred to me that some within Council may not be capable of driving reform. In fact, in many ways, it sometimes appears that the decision makers are focused more on optics than substance, more on pet causes than service delivery. This view was reinforced when I tuned into the ABC morning show recently and a question was raised about the promise of security cameras on parts of the St Kilda foreshore area in response to violence over 18 months ago. This was met with the response that the Council was still working through it. Perhaps the Councillors should take responsibility for this failure of Council to act.

On my way to the coffee shop, I talk to locals, one whom established a small business in the arts space. She is sad. “I have lost my business. I cannot afford the rent and Covid-19 has been a real problem for me”. She is not alone in her anxiety. This is a message I hear everywhere - businesses that St Kilda desperately needs, fall one by one and the area is diminished by their absence. Covid-19 may be one cause, but excessive rates, excessive restrictions and lack of action over a sustained period of time have taken their toll. The risk and hard work that these businesses take on, and the stresses of endless bureaucracy, making monthly rent, high rates and fees make it difficult to be a Port Phillip business owner. I am not convinced that some of our elected Councillors understand.

Looking at our current Council, it struck me that there seems to be an imbalance in Council's make up. Actors, green activists, and teachers all have a role to play, but where are our corporate leaders, and those with private sector experience? Do our Councillors have sufficient financial education to understand financial statements and ensure the wool isn't being pulled over their eyes by Council officers? Do they enter Council service to improve our roads, rubbish collection, resident safety, and basic infrastructure, or to support their minority interests and further their political ambitions?

My coffee finished, I walked home, pondering where we are at as a community, and how we can improve our neighbourhood.

In the next edition, I will continue my walk to Acland Street and see how Melbourne is enjoying our newfound freedoms.