Would I were king: a town of talking statues - TheAge.com.au

BOB "King" Crawford is the latest, somewhat unconventional, lord mayor aspirant. In the 1970s, he pioneered free entertainment in Melbourne's public parks. Today he promises the people of Melbourne not one, but two monorails.

Thrilling idea, of course. Possible? Probably not. And that pretty much can be said about many promises made by Mr Crawford and his more earnest competitors in the 2008 race to lead the City of Melbourne. The lord mayor's role has profile, but little power after successive state governments trimmed the council's planning responsibilities and dictated how elections are run, through the City of Melbourne Act.

But the lord mayor is not a total power vacuum. He or she can drive policies on rates, parking, clean streets, bike paths, some roads, city marketing and child care. They also get to wear the possum-skin cloak and mayoral bling. But some of the city's biggest issues - public transport, late-night street safety, sustainability and traffic congestion - cannot be solved from Town Hall alone.

This is why in some candidates' policies you will find the words "State Government" preceded by words like "urge", "encourage", "insist", "in partnership with" and "lobby". But others believe they can and will deliver major state achievements single-handedly...

Read the rest of the article at TheAge.com.au , and learn more about some (but not many) of the policies of the candidates.

Hmm... will Melbourne be the next Brockway, Ogdenville or North Havenbrook?

Labor muscle ready to take on the Greens

BATTLE lines in the Melbourne City Council election are being drawn to shut out the Greens and replace Lord Mayor John So with a new, compliant leader, commentators say.

Labor candidates spread across several tickets have combined with councillors from Cr So's team and his chief of staff, in what some predict will become a bloc designed to keep crucial preferences locked among the incumbents.

Concern about the Greens is warranted: in 2004 they came second to Cr So, who is not running this time.

Cr So's five-member team is renowned for voting as a bloc at council and committee meetings, and has been accused by rivals of being too subservient to the State Government.

Nominations for all 79 Victorian councils close on Tuesday.

Cr So's departure blows the mayoral and council contests wide open.

Independent mayoral candidate Gary Morgan says there are three groups in the field, his team included. There is a strong chance he will give his preferences to the Greens in an effort to get around what he says is a Labor bloc. "I think Labor will spend a lot of money," he said. "I think they're desperate."

ALP insiders admit the Government does not want a Green lord mayor.

Political commentator Nick Economou said a Greens victory would add to the "sense of momentum the party has in the inner city".

"If a Green mayor were to be elected that would be quite an extraordinary achievement and it would probably cause some nervousness in the ALP, because it would be certain indication of decline in support," Dr Economou said.

Monash University's David Dunstan said the election held danger for the Government.

"An articulate and progressive lord mayoral opponent of Brumby's ALP right centrism, prepared to endorse New Age urban and inner-city quality of life ideas, such as Copenhagen bike paths and a voice at the table on the transport and infrastructure debates, could cause him discomfort," he said.

He said the Government had had "a dream run" with the effervescent Cr So and would be looking for another non-political, pro-business lord mayor.

Greens mayoral candidate Adam Bandt believes there is a strategy to keep him out.

"I think there's a concerted effort by the John So and John Brumby forces to field a range of candidates that appear to be independent but in fact are all cut from the same cloth," he said. "What better way to avoid scrutiny of your record than to have the old guard split up before the election, pretend they're all different candidates, hide their affiliations and then regroup afterwards?

No one in Cr So's team is running on the same ticket, but some have teamed up with ALP candidates....

Read the rest of the article, which includes comments about some of the other current candidates, at TheAge.com.au

I, for one, try to not have an overt political bias on this site (apart from opposing the digging up of the park, of course), but keep in mind that currently the City of Melbourne oppose the digging of a tunnel through our park, and that the Labor State Government have brought about that prospect in the first place. If a labor-aligned candidate became Lord Mayor... well... I don't like to think about that. See you tomorrow where we can show them all how passionate we are!

Help Yarra Council make the right decision

Yarra Council Meeting: 6.45pm, July 15th 2008 Fitzroy Town Hall

YARRA’S RESPONSE TO THE EDDINGTON STUDY IS CRITICAL TO THE CAMPAIGN

Council will debate Yarra’s draft report responding to the study. Council’s full draft response is on pages 405 to 443 of the Council Agenda. Join YCAT and other groups at the Council meeting, make your presence felt and your views know. The Council meeting is at: 7.00 pm Confidential hearing and Open meeting starts at 7:30pm.

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

Tunnel fate uncertain

The Melbourne City Council has overturned its support for the proposed East-West road tunnel.

Councillors last night endorsed a report that advises against the tunnel, proposed by Sir Rod Eddington.

The underground tunnel is part of a transport strategy recommended by Sir Rod Eddington for the State Government, linking the Eastern Freeway to the western suburbs.

Former Lord Mayor, Kevin Chamberlain, says increasing fuel costs make it clear a road tunnel is not the solution to Melbourne's transport problems.

"The Council meeting was a major victory for the inner Melbourne residential and business community who'd been opposed to the East-West link tunnel and linked roads," he said.

"The community will be going back to the council and working with the council to mount a strong case to the State Government for them to have a rethink."

David Ettershank from the Kensington Association, says the council win is only the first step in a long campaign to stop the tunnel from being built.

"We think it's a terrific decision from Council, they've taken a very strategic response in terms of recognising that we need to have an intelligent dialogue involving the community and the State Government to find long term, sustainable transport options," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/25/2285135.htm