August 2007 Yarra Council report
The following is a report of last nights Yarra Council meeting written by SP Councillor Stephen Jolly.
Last nights Council meeting heard from Joan Doyle, State Secretary of the Posties Union (CWU), who spoke about the union’s campaign to stop Australia Post’s replacement of 17 fulltime posties covering Abbotsford and Fitzroy with casual staff on four hour shifts and 15% less pay.
Council voted 8-1 (Cllr Jackie Fristacky against) to put up ‘Save our Posties’ banners at Fitzroy and Collingwood Town Halls.
Desexing of cats
I successfully moved a resolution seeking a report on the question of mandatory desexing of cats. Last year 36,000 cats were put down in Victoria (about 100 a day) which is very stressful for the staff concerned. A coalition of 12 animal rights groups including the RSPCA, the Cat Protection Society, Blue Cross and The Lost Dogs Home, has been created to press Council’s to act. The main opposition comes from the pet food industry and some pet shop owners. Next month we will decide on how to proceed with this desexing and if there should be any exemptions (eg for professional breeders). Please send in any thoughts on this issue to our National Office.
Petition for St. Vinnies Community Shop
I tabled a petition of 301 names of Collingwood residents collected by the Socialist Party calling for Council support for the St. Vinnies de Paul community shop on Johnson St. This battle has been won, with Council voting last month to give $15,000 a year for three years to ensure they can pay their higher rent.
Promoting junior sport
I asked a ‘Question without notice’ regarding the exclusion of junior soccer players by Clifton Hill United Soccer Club at the newly restored Yambla Reserve in Clifton Hill. Ratepayers did not pump tens of thousands of dollars into this pitch for it to be effectively privatised by two senior teams who only use it once a week and, up until recently at least, forced the growing number of junior teams to train and play on the dangerous Coulson Reserve. I am meeting with the club President on Thursday and then with junior parents on Monday to get some resolution.
New Council policy that relies on police action isn’t working
Questions were raised last night by residents and myself concerning the new policy of Council (which I oppose) to tell residents to go to the already over-stretched police for public behaviour complaints by pub patrons. In the past, Council officers would investigate, collect evidence, and then pass it onto the police for action. Now nothing happens and some pub owners know this and are pushing the envelope.
The new laissez-faire attitude from Council on this important issue seems to go hand-in-hand with a new zero tolerance attitude on relatively minor issues. Now if you are found with an unleashed dog in a park or are fixing your pergola on a Sunday you will probably get an immediate fine – very different from the previous ‘ask, tell, enforce’ approach. A return to the old approach will be an election pledge from the Socialist Party in the November 2008 Council election.
Finally
If you missed ABC TV’s JTV show last Friday night, here is link to their story on young people and unions. They have great footage of Unite in action and interviews with Unite organisers. The Socialist Party has been a long time supporter of Unite, the new union for workers in the fast food and retail workers in Victoria. We welcome their activities in Yarra to combat the rip off of young workers.