Earlier this week, we had to change the registration plate on our car. This seemed like a good opportunity to compare the service at the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) with other jurisdictions.

As you can imagine, changing a registration plate involves notifying approximately six government, semi-government, and private authorities. Here's how the time investment broke down:

• Vic Roads: 10 minutes, including 7 minutes in the phone queue
• Linkt: 7 minutes, had to access the app and also call
• Insurer: 8 minutes, required two phone calls
• EasyPark: 6 minutes, used the app and phone assistance
• PayStay: 5 minutes, via the app
• CoPP: 54 minutes and counting

I called CoPP and waited 6 minutes in the phone queue. The 18-minute conversation that followed was with a genuinely helpful young man. He said CoPP would need a "vehicle ID form" and the pass returned. Neither Vic Roads nor our insurer had required such a form.

We then went to the CoPP front desk on Carlisle St. It was 4:40 pm. After a 14-minute wait, we were assisted by a trainee. Despite his best efforts, including consulting with more senior staff, we were eventually issued a temporary digital permit. We were also advised to locate a "vehicle identification document," a form that, as of three days later, we're not sure even exists.

Two questions arise from this experience:

• If we were to receive a parking ticket, the council would have no trouble identifying us as the car's owner. So why do they need additional documentation from us?
• Why does it take CoPP over six times longer than other authorities to complete the same task? And the clock is still ticking.

As residents, we need to question the efficiency and necessity of such bureaucratic processes. It's high time for CoPP to streamline its operations and respect its constituents' time.