Young gun to vie for John So's job

Jason Dowling
August 2, 2008

Will Fowles.

LABOR high-flyer Will Fowles is set to run for Lord Mayor in the Melbourne City Council elections this year.

Mr Fowles, 30, the youngest person appointed to the Melbourne Cricket Club committee, confirmed yesterday that he would lead a Labor-supported ticket.

"I am certainly very flattered to have been considered for this role, very keen to be articulating a strong vision for the city of Melbourne," he said yesterday.

Former Melbourne city councillor Kate Redwood is expected to be Mr Fowles' running mate and deputy lord mayor candidate. The only other declared candidate for the Lord Mayor position is the Greens' Adam Bandt. Former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett says he is considering a tilt for the job.

Incumbent John So has yet to say if he will seek a third term.

Mr Fowles, a former Scotch College and Monash University student who now runs a hospitality and property investment business, said he was approached a few weeks ago to run for Labor and quickly agreed. He said he had not discussed it with the Premier.

"At this stage we are not going to be releasing detailed policies except to say we are a passionate and energetic team who are seeking to deliver a strong vision for the city," said Mr Fowles, who sits on the national committee of the Australian Republican Movement.

"We are going to be talking about the detail of all that over the course of next few weeks."

Asked for a glimpse of a John So impersonation that he is said to be very good at, Mr Fowles said: "No way, I am not going to be doing that publicly any time soon."

Read the original article at TheAge.com.au

I've yet to read if he has a stance on transport in Melbourne. The Age has a few articles on him :

• What's Will Fowles Game?
• The newest MCC committee member
  

Perhaps now is a good time to write to him and let him know how you feel about the park and the tunnel, as he hasn't yet put together his policies...

Will Fowles
366A Bridge Road
Richmond VIC 3121

That's his 'Authorised by...' address put on his polical notices, so I'm guessing it's fine to disseminate it?

Minutes from City of Melbourne Council meeting

For those of you who couldn't be there in person, or couldn't follow what on earth was going on, because you were in the antechamber and the microphones kept cutting out, here it is in all its glory... (or just scroll down to the bit I bolded for the good stuff).

Shanahan voted against it, because he felt it wasn't anti-tunnel enough!

3
PLANNING COMMITTEE

5.1. City of Melbourne Submission to State Government on the East West Link Needs Assessment
(EWLNA) Recommendations

On 2 April 2008 Sir Rod Eddington released his report Investing in Transport – East West Link Needs Assessment
(EWLNA) which he has submitted to State Government. The State Government are seeking comment on the
EWLNA report by 15 July 2008.


4
Moved: Cr Ng

1. That Council:
1.1. abandon Council’s support for an East West Road Tunnel;
1.2. oppose the use of parks for any works associated with an East West Road Tunnel;
1.3. note the redrafted submission to the EWLNA reflecting this change along with the
prioritisation of all public transport initiatives including the Doncaster Rail (refer
Attachment 1 to the Council Report);
1.4. request a further report to the Planning Committee on redrafting its Transport
Policy to reflect these changes; and
1.5. state its strongest possible objection to any use of Holland Park or Royal Park or
any other Park for the purposes of any road works or associated activities.

Seconded: Cr Brindley

Amendment
Moved: The Deputy Lord Mayor Gary Singer moved the following amendments:
• replace paragraph 1.1 above with “oppose the Eddington East West Road Tunnel and the use
or reduction of any parkland and disruption to the community”; and
• to add “provide in principle support for the development of a sustainable transport
infrastructure to reduce congestion across Eastern and Western Melbourne and to continue
discussions with the State Government along these lines.”

Seconded: Cr Wilson

Discussion ensued.

The amendment was put and carried with the Chair Lord Mayor John So, Deputy Lord Mayor Gary Singer and
Councillors Clarke, Ng, Jetter and Wilson voting in favour of the amendment and Councillors Brindley, Shanahan
and Snedden voting against the amendment.

Amendment
Moved Cr Clarke moved the following additional paragraphs:

• “recognise that the Eddington Report fails to adequately deal with North-South traffic
movements at Hoddle Street off the Eastern Freeway
• that Council call on the State Government to adequately fund public transport as an
alternative transport solution to overcome the congestion on our road network:
• that the City of Melbourne request abutting Councils to undertake its own study to identify
solutions for resident, commuter and freight movement in the City of Melbourne and broader
study area and adequately resource such a study by the city’s budget in the 2008/2009
financial year.”

Discussion ensued.

The amendment was put and lost with Councillors Clarke, Jetter and Snedden voting in favour of the amendment,
and the Chair Lord Mayor John So, the Deputy Lord Mayor Gary Singer and Councillors Brindley, Ng, Shanahan
and Wilson voting against the amendment.

Cr Clarke suggested that the words “as a high priority for the Doncaster Rail” be included after the words “public
transport initiatives including” at paragraph 1.3 above.

The Deputy Lord Mayor Gary Singer and Cr Wilson as mover and seconder respectively, agreed to incorporate Cr
Clarke’s suggestion.

Cr Clarke suggested the addition of the following paragraphs:

• that Council call on the State Government to adequately fund public transport as an alternative transport
solution to overcome the congestion on our road network; and
• that the City of Melbourne request abutting Councils to undertake its own study to identify solutions for
resident, commuter and freight movements in the City of Melbourne and broader study area and adequately
resource such a study by the city’s budget in the 08/09 financial year.

The Deputy Lord Mayor Gary Singer and Cr Wilson, as mover and seconder respectively, agreed to incorporate Cr
Clarke’s suggestion.

Cr Brindley offered an apology to the Manager Strategic Planning and Sustainability, David Mayes, for his
comments during the Planning Committee meeting held on 3 June 2008, which was not in accordance with the
Councillor Code of Conduct. He also stated that the administration is a lot more accountable in their conduct than
that of some Councillors. Cr Brindley acknowledged the administration for doing great work even when in a
difficult situation. He also congratulated the residents and the public for their participation.

The substantive motion was put and carried with the Chair Lord Mayor John So, the Deputy Lord Mayor Gary
Singer and Councillors Brindley, Clarke, Jetter, Ng, Snedden and Wilson voting in favour of the motion and
Councillor Shanahan voting against the motion.

The motion in its entirety reads:

1. That Council:
1.1. oppose the Eddington East West Road Tunnel and the use or reduction of any parkland and disruption to the community
1.2. oppose the use of parks for any works associated with an East West Road Tunnel
1.3. provide in principle support for the development of a sustainable transport infrastructure to reduce congestion across Eastern and Western Melbourne and to continue discussions with the State Government along these lines;
1.4. note the redrafted submission to the EWLNA reflecting this change along with the prioritisation of all public transport initiatives including a higher priority for the Doncaster Rail (refer Attachment 1 to the Council Report);
1.5. request a further report to the Planning Committee on redrafting its Transport Policy to reflect these changes; and
1.6. state its strongest possible objection to any use of Holland Park or Royal Park or any other Park for the purposes of any road works or associated activities;
1.7. that Council call on the State Government to adequately fund public transport as an alternative transport solution to overcome the congestion on our road network
1.8. that the City of Melbourne request abutting Councils to undertake its own study to identify solutions for resident, commuter and freight movements in the City of Melbourne and broader study area and adequately resource such a study by the city’s budget in the 08/09 financial year.


ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING

Moved: Cr Brindley

That Council adjourn at 6.40pm and resume at 6.43pm.
Seconded: Cr Ng
Carried unanimously.

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/opm/bc/CTEE/meetings/C4_minutes_200806240530.pdf

City of Melbourne vote against East-West tunnel

As shown on Ch 2 news