On Tuesday night Yarra Council voted 8-1 in favour of this year’s budget. As a Socialist Party Councillor I was the only one who voted against. Despite describing the financial state as “strong”, the budget added extra pain on the backs of local residents and community groups.
By SP Councillor in Yarra, Stephen Jolly

By SP Councillor, Stephen Jolly
Tuesday night saw at the first Yarra Council meeting for 2008. It was dominated by a debate on the failed new policy to effectively offload resident noise and public behaviour concerns onto a disinterested and distracted police force.

Almost 150 residents from the inner city Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy rallied on Sunday February 17 to save one of the only parks in the area - Condell Park.
By Socialist Party reporters Melbourne

The Finance and Governance Committee meeting of Yarra Council on Monday night saw high drama and a walkout as the ALP began their push for a new local law to effectively cut residents out of Council meetings. The proposed law will also introduce harsh punishments for minority Councillors who are deemed by their political opponents [...]

The following is a report from the October Council meeting written by Stephen Jolly, Socialist Party Councillor in the City of Yarra (Melbourne). Last night saw the successful end of a five year community campaign to save St. Andrews Kindergarten in Melbourne’s inner northern suburb of Clifton Hill.

The following is a report of the September 2007 Yarra Council meeting by Socialist Party Councillor Stephen Jolly. For more information about the Socialist Party’s work in the City of Yarra visit our SP Yarra Council webpage click here

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 [...]

The following article is the transcript of a story that was broadcast on the ABC’s Stateline program on 03/08/2007. It features quotes from Socialist Party Councillor in the City of Yarra, Stephen Jolly. This coverage has added even more pressure on the State government to fund the indigenous-run bus as a non racist solution public [...]

Only hours before last Friday’s successful Socialist Party-organised rally on Smith St, Socialist Party Councillor Stephen Jolly received the following email from the Green Party Mayor of Yarra Council, Jenny Farrar. Stephen’s reply goes to the heart of the differences between these two parties in the area.

On a day of political turmoil for the Victorian Labor government yesterday over 400 people attended a rally on a cold winters night outside Safeway supermarket at Smith Street, Collingwood calling for State government funding for a cultural centre, sobering-up facility and 24-hour indigenous run bus.
By Socialist Party reporters Melbourne