I understand that council responsibilities extend beyond roads, rates, and rubbish, and I agree that our scope is broad. However, I firmly believe that the core services of Council should be prioritized, with a focus on maintaining our roads, ensuring our footpaths are clean and safe, using rates efficiently without compromising service quality, and restoring weekly rubbish collection.
Over the past 4 years, I have consistently advocated for increased funding for our road network, stricter footpath safety standards, enhanced street sweeping and cleaning, and the continuation of weekly domestic rubbish collection.
I'm working on improving rubbish collection in our retail strips!
Looking ahead, I will continue to strongly advocate for better presentation of our suburbs and an improved cleaning regime in our activity centres. My focus will be on enhanced maintenance of our roads, open spaces, and footpaths, including comprehensive weeding programs and reducing footpath misalignment tolerances to better serve our aging community.
Over the past four years, I’ve successfully directed additional budget resources to resurface several streets in Dendy Ward, including Bay Street, Cochrane Street, and Sussex Street. Increased expenditure on footpaths has also allowed the Council to fast-track replacements on Carpenter Street, Well Street, Lindsey Street, Bay Street, Church Street, and Were Street, to name a few.
I believe we can do much more to improve our roads and footpaths. This includes robust advocacy to the state government regarding state-controlled roads and reducing the current 25mm footpath misalignment tolerance in Bayside. This is a major safety issue for elderly people who often trip and injur themeselves because of uneven footpaths.
Bayside City Council has a strong financial position (debt-free Council) which provides for the amenity of living in this wonderful municipality. Prudent fiscal management requires both sensible and strategic decisions; we must not burden rate payers with cost of Council activities that fall within the purview of State and Federal Government.
While I acknowledge climate change is a very serious issue, I do not support council spending significant funds on international carbon credit schemes, when this money could be spent locally, reducing emissions in Council's operations. Council's purchase of carbon offsets (from outside Australia) are in part, the reason that I have voted against adopting the Bayside City Council Budget for the past 4 years.
Our council has operated with a surplus in every year that I have represented the Dendy Ward since 2020. Furthermore, we have cash reserves well over $120 million. I believe this provides the basis to freeze increase council rates and I have voted against rate increases every year I have been a Councillor.
Watch my debate on the 2024-25 rate increase
Bayside ratepayers should benefit from the Council’s strong financial position, especially when operating with a surplus. The ongoing rate increases have been particularly unfair to residents of the Dendy Ward, where residential property rates can be up to 15 times higher than the average in Bayside. Additionally, it’s important to recognize that over 50% of commercial rates and fees are generated from the Brighton commercial areas. This current rate system is inequitable, and I strongly believe that a maximum ceiling should be introduced to curb these unfair rate increases faced by Dendy Ward residents.
As your representative, I will continue to advocate for ratepayers with both rationality and rigor. Council budgets must be authentic and adaptable, reflecting economic changes as they occur. Above all, the interests and fairness of ratepayers should remain at the core of every budgetary decision.
Community safety should be a right, not a privilege in Bayside. Crime has become an increasing concern for many of us - both at home and in public spaces.
I am committed to working with Victoria Police and the State Government to improve security so that we feel safe again.
Crime should firstly be prevented, but equally as important, offenders need to be prosecuted.
During my time on council, I have actively advocated for the re-establishment of a police station in the Dendy Ward and continue to work with our State Member of Parliament to achieve this objective.
I have supported the Brighton Neighbourhood Watch Program and conducted meetings with Senior Victoria Police officers to request greater police resources in Bayside. I have also moved a number of council resolutions to increase public safety and lighting with the most recent being Notice of Motion no. 338 surrounding CCTV security in our main Activity Centres.
If re-elected, I will continue to prioritize public safety by pushing for increased police patrols, CCTV security in public spaces, the rollout of better street lighting, and the re-establishment of a permanent police station in Brighton (including the investigation of a suitable location for such a facility).
Bayside has some of the best parks and gardens in Melbourne. These extend from small neighbourhood spaces to expansive nature reserves and waterways. As climate change affects our traditional seasons and rainfall, it is essential that we work to maintain these
areas for the enjoyment of everyone. Through sensible initiatives and management, we can ensure that our parks and gardens are preserved for future generations.
Key initiatives that I am committed to include:
Sports and recreation facilities play a vital part in our local community. From football ovals, soccer fields, basketball stadiums, netball and tennis courts to swimming pools, skateboard ramps, walking and cycling tracks, the benefits of this critical infrastructure are essential to the health and wellbeing of Bayside residents.
I appreciate the need to maintain and expand upon these wonderful facilities so that people of all ages have a variety of recreational options available.
Since 2020, Bayside City Council has commenced and completed a number of facilities including:
I am committed to supporting the following projects over the next 4 years:
During this term of Council, I have proudly supported key community projects, particularly those enhancing Early Years infrastructure. As Mayor, I delivered two exceptional, purpose-built children’s centres: firstly the North Brighton Children’s Centre
Secondly we delivered the brand-new Fern Street Children’s Centre. These facilities cater to three and four-year-old kindergarten, with multipurpose rooms for occasional care and maternal and child health consulting spaces.
If re-elected, I will continue to invest in early years infrastructure to ensure our youngest residents receive the best start in life and that mums and babies receive the support they need.
Bayside’s Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Program plays a vital role in supporting our community, particularly our homeless and most vulnerable residents. During COVID, there was a noticeable increase in rough sleepers moving into Bayside, especially around our activity centres, creating unprecedented challenges. Despite proactive efforts by Council and state government bodies, managing this situation was often difficult.
As a local trader, I saw firsthand how homelessness was impacting our community and recognized the need for more effective action. I felt it was crucial to improve the management and support systems in place, which led me to move Notice of Motion No. 333. This motion aimed to establish Council protocols ensuring that any person experiencing homelessness in Bayside is monitored, engaged, and provided with the necessary support to transition from sleeping in public places to suitable accommodation and services. My goal was to create a more targeted and effective response to help those in need while ensuring the safety and functionality of our public spaces and vibrancy of our retail strips.
One of the achievements I am most proud of over the past four years on Council is the expansion of our home care services. This vital enhancement underscores our deep commitment to supporting our aging community, ensuring that older residents can live independently and safely in their homes for as long as possible. It’s a reflection of our empathy for the needs of seniors and their families.
I’m also proud that Bayside City Council is one of only four Melbourne Metropolitan Councils committed to continuing the delivery of in-home care services after the Australian Government’s aged care reforms are fully implemented. Being part of this decision, which prioritizes the well-being of our elderly residents, is something I hold close to my heart.
As I reflect on a project close to my heart, I can’t help but remember the countless moments I shared with my kids at the Brighton Recreation Centre. It was a place full of joy and laughter for our family. So, when a devastating fire damaged the building beyond repair early in our term, it was heartbreaking to stand before the charred walls, knowing how much it meant to the community. Determined to minimize the impact on centre users and nearby residents, I worked hard to fast-track the redevelopment project.
As Mayor, I had the privilege of opening the new and improved Brighton Recreation Centre, which now features an extended gymnastics area with a viewing space, childcare facilities, dedicated pottery and art rooms, multi-function spaces, an adult change facility, extensive solar installations with on-site battery storage, and additional car parking.
Today, I am proud to see the centre thriving once again, and I look forward to one day, hopefully, taking my grandkids there to create new memories.
Commercial business and retail traders are paramount to the Dendy Ward. They are the heartbeat of our economy and provide services essential to our local community. The three principal Activity Centres located in Bay Street, Church Street and Martin Street need suitable council support to ensure that they retain their identity and function.
It's difficult to understand the needs of retail traders and what really makes a difference to them if you haven't been one. My family have operated retail businesses in Brighton for almost 40 years!
I will lead the establishment of a new Bayside Chamber of Commerce that focuses on the relative needs of commercial enterprise particularly on the subject of public safety, security, parking, graffiti, vagrancy and cleanliness.
Previous motions I have moved relating to Business and Retail include:
Importantly, I also moved the following motion #331 to protect all existing car parking in the Activity Centres such as Church St and Bay St (click the image for a large view)
A future key objective is to supply additional parking capacity in the Bayside Activity Centres (the retail strips). This involves a comprehensive approach that transforms at-grade parking to double current capacity and incorporate open spaces on the rooftop levels. I have already moved a Notice of Motion about this matter and will remain focused on its delivery in the next council term.
As Melbourne’s burgeoning population continues to grow, the need for efficient planning in Bayside is paramount to our quality of life.
Inappropriate development should be opposed, while projects that give due consideration to neighbourhood character and amenity should be supported.
I am concerned that residents are being increasingly ignored when it comes to planning decisions – especially as the State Government centralises policy around the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) and Activity Centre Programs (ACP). The Planning permit for 84 townhouses on the former Xavier College site in South Road is a recent example of ministerial intervention in Bayside impacting our local communities.
While urban development is a normal part of the city’s expansion, I am committed to strengthening council policies and laws to ensure that a building’s typology, materials, landscape, parking and heritage are properly applied when considering neighbourhood character.
Furthermore, the poor presentation of various building sites in Brighton prompted me to move a Notice of Motion on the impact of construction sites and to advocate for the Planning Minister to provide capacity for councils to address the cumulative effects on local amenity. State Government inaction led me to move an additional Notice of Motion in August 2024 requesting that the Neighbourhood Amenity Local Law 2021 be reviewed by the next elected Bayside City Council no later than May 2025 in an effort to strengthen local laws to provide the necessary mechanisms to control rogue builders and better improve the presentation of construction sites and their surrounding areas.
An objective is to bring further changes to local government regulations that ensure suitable protection is provided to residents living adjacent to construction sites and enforce stronger constraints making developers more accountable.
During my time as Mayor, I was proud to bring back the Christmas Carols at Dendy Park, restoring a cherished event that had been paused due to COVID-19. It was heartwarming to see so many of you join in the festivities. I’m also pleased to share that we kicked off the Christmas season with a vibrant community gathering at the grounds of St. Andrew’s in Brighton, where we unveiled a brand-new 6-meter Christmas tree.
Looking ahead, I remain committed to celebrating Australia Day in its current form. This includes ensuring that the Council continues the tradition of holding a Citizenship Ceremony on Australia Day, as we have done in my Mayoral year. These ceremonies are a vital part of our community’s fabric, and I will work tirelessly to uphold their significance.
Additionally, I am deeply committed to supporting the Bayside Healthy Ageing Seniors Festival. This month-long celebration is a cornerstone of our community, and I aim to enhance the variety of performances and activities to attract all age groups. By doing so, we can ensure that the festival remains inclusive and engaging for everyone, from our seniors to younger generations.
Finally, I want to reaffirm my support for our local community clubs and initiatives. Events like the Rotary Club of Brighton’s Great Bayside Swim are essential in fostering community spirit and bringing us together, and I will continue to champion these activities.