Socialist Party in Yarra

March 2010 SP Yarra Council report



Residents,



Last night’s Yarra Council meeting at Fitzroy Town Hall was very dramatic with Local Law 8 overturned on a 4-3 vote. However, with the ALP and Independents expecting ALP Cllr Barbour and Independent Cllr Fristacky back on board next month (they were apologies last night), a 3rd round in this battle will occur at the April meeting.



The public gallery was packed with local indigenous people and their supporters, plus a fair number of residents interested in the community gardens debate.



Local Law 8



From 1st December last year, Yarra Council had implemented Local Law 8, banning public drinking on the streets. This resulted from an 8-1 vote for the law (Greens, ALP, Independents vs Socialist Party).



Last month I reminded the CEO of Council’s pledge to review the law after three months and that is what occurred last night. Since December, the law has been a disaster for local indigenous people.



The Smith St Parkies have split up – some now drinking at home with tenancy problems resulting; some drinking at the Collingwood and Fitzroy public housing estates; and more worryingly some at Lennox St and the North Richmond estate where heroin is readily available.



A number of local Koories have been introduced to the drug since Local Law 8 was introduced and some have or soon will become homeless.



Local social workers and lawyers have had great difficulty finding their indigenous clients since the law was introduced leading to many missed health and legal appointments.



The Council officers report last night showed that violence has actually increased since December: “those who have taken to laneways or other hidden places in smaller numbers or on their own have increased their risk of being assaulted because they are ‘out-of-sight’, anecdotal report of bashing in Edinburgh Gardens one of the places the Parkies have moved to.”



Under great pressure from the Socialist Party and indigenous people, the Greens had to retreat from their previous support for Local Law 8. Last night they moved a resolution to have it only apply at night, allowing the Parkies to meet once again on Smith St.



I am opposed to the law in its entirety but I critically supported this motion. The Socialist Party does not agree that law and order will solve any social issues. We also see Local Law 8 as discriminatory as it targets poorer people – richer people can still drink on the street at outdoor tables and chairs attached to cafes and bars.



As there was no support for our position I voted for the Greens amendment as reform in the right direction.



It won 4-3 (1 Socialist, 3 Greens vs 2 ALP and 1 Independent). Already, the day after the meeting, Cllr Fristacky has tabled a ‘rescind motion’ to overturn last night’s vote at the April Council meeting.



The public gallery were over the moon and even residents who had come for other matters approached me afterwards saying they had been won over by the arguments.



Business owner questions SP



A Richmond bottle shop owner asked me two questions in public question time last night, a highly unusual event in that normally questions are posed to the CEO, Mayor or Directors.



He wanted to know if my standing in the State election would divert from my work as Councillor this year. I reminded him that the Mayor was also standing in the State election while being a Yarra Councillor.



I also explained that the type of work and representation that had got me and my party its unique support would actually be stepped up not diminished this year. I challenged him to provide evidence to the contrary and of course he couldn’t.



His second question was whether I would misuse Council resources for the State election campaign. I explained that the allowance I receive for Council work is donated by me to the Socialist Party and then I claim back any expenses. I will be using my own car, phone and other resources for the election campaign and the Socialist Party will cover all election costs. Not one cent of Council money will be used.



By taking on this approach it means that right-wingers in the area have to criticise the Socialist Party on our politics and actions – not on secondary questions.



Amcor



On the request of Alphington and South Fairfield locals, I helped force Council to add a community representative to the new Amcor Design Advisory Panel.



Clarke St, Abbotsford



The long campaign that I helped organise to get the partial closure of Clarke St, Abbotsford and so stop dangerous rat-running in the mornings ended in victory last night after a unanimous vote.



Clearways



A motion to get exact costings of the impacts of clearways to Yarra as well as the lost revenue from covering up parking signs on major shopping strips was moved last night.



This is a difficult question. All parties on the Council oppose clearways – but how best to fight them (a Supreme Court challenge, a political fight, a combination etc) is linked to the costings. These figures will be very interesting to read when presented at the next Council meeting.

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UNITE AGAINST RACISM - SUPPORT ASYLUM SEEKERS!



RESIDENTS, WE NEED YOUR HELP...



On 18 October 2009, a boatload of Tamil asylum seekers fleeing genocide and civil war in Sri Lanka was making its way towards Australia.



On receiving this information, Kevin Rudd made a phone call to the Indonesian President to demand that the boat be intercepted and taken back to Indonesia. Since then the boat of asylum seekers has been held at Merak harbour, Indonesia.



After 150 days in horrific conditions, the 234 men, women and children on board the boat are still waiting for a solution from the Australian Government. Many are already recognized as legitimate refugees with UNHCR cards. Already one asylum seeker has died due to lack of medical care, many children are malnourished and sick, and a woman is about to give birth.



While the Australian Government is refusing to fulfill its international obligations (yet again!), the Aboriginal Tent Embassy is willing to come to the aid of these desperate refugees. As traditional owners of this land the Indigenous community wants to issue Aboriginal passports to welcome each of the refugees on board the boat.



In order to do so, money needs to be raised to cover the printing costs. We are calling on all sections of the community who want to show solidarity and support for these refugees to donate to this cause.



TO DONATE, CALL MEL on 0400 588 202



Regards



Stephen Jolly

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Residents

This weeks Melbourne Leader has a letter from Green Cllr Amanda Stone, following the front page article the week before (click here to read that front page article).

Cllr Stone's central premise (that I claimed to have received more votes than parties, rather than leading candidates) is clearly not stated by me and in any event was a claim made by the paper and not a direct quote from me. Their quote is "Cr Jolly said he believed his strong showing at the 2008 municipal elections, where he beat both ALP and Greens candidates in the primary vote, showed he was a genuine contender." This is of course true.

For those of you interested, the VEC web site has the exact election figures from that election. Click here to read.



Here is Cllr Stone's letter, followed by a reply from me to go in next Monday's Melbourne Leader:



"I write to again correct a claim by Cr (Stephen) Jolly, this time that he is a "genuine contenter" in the state elections later this year because he "beat ALP and Greens candidates in the primary vote" in the 2008 local government elections ("Jolly joins hustings", Leader, February 22).

"The facts are that the two Green candidates, myself and Jenny Farrar, had a combined total of 3984 votes - 753 more than Cr Jolly's total of 3141. The ALP combined primary vote was 3011.

"The Greens received the highest primary vote in this ward.

"Amanda Stone, Greens councillor, Langridge Ward - Yarra Council"



Here is my reply:

"Dear Editor

The strange logic of Green Cllr Amanda Stone (that the Greens coming 2nd and 4th in the election is better than the Socialist Party coming 1st) would cause chaos if transferred to the Olympics or World Cup. Maybe we should just agree to disagree on that one!

My reading is that most people are more interested in what the ALP, Greens and Socialists have to say on policy issues such as childcare and public transport than arguments about past Council election results. In other words, who comes ‘1st, 2nd or 3rd’ on defending and extending services in the area, advocating for the disadvantaged, and generally getting things done.

Regards

Stephen Jolly"

Residents

A preliminary review of Local Law 8 (the banning of public drinking in Yarra) will be tabled at the March Yarra Council meeting at 7pm on Tuesday 16th March. All of you interested in this vital debate should attend.

Because the report is going straight to Council and not via the Committee process, anyone can make a submission on the night.

For more details ring me on 0433113421.

The law was introduced in November after a long and bitter debate in the community.

Councillors voted 8-1 for the local law (ALP, Greens, Independents vs SP).

Local social workers and community lawyers have reported that the community on Smith St is now dispersed and more difficult to find, meaning many health and legal appointments are missed.

The community is now to be found on the massive Richmond public housing estate which is the centre of the heroin and ice industry in this part of Melbourne; or drinking at home which is causing major tenancy issues and potential evictions; or on the public housing estates in Fitzroy and Collingwood which is also problematic.

The isolated few who still hang out on Smith St have been vulnerable and, ironically, there has been a rise in violence since Local Law 8 was introduced.

See you on the 16th.

Regards

Stephen Jolly

Demolition mooted in planning scheme scam



THE owners of the heritage-listed Foy and Gibson building on the west side of Smith Street, Fitzroy, have lodged plans to demolish the building in a ploy to pay lower land tax on the site.



The circa-1911 building, at 145–163 Smith Street, is known for its pedestrian tunnel connecting the east and west sides of Smith Street, its beautiful facade and its fading connection with Fitzroy’s colonial past.



A planning application has been lodged with Yarra Council to demolish the building, with no plans to replace it with another building.



An email sent from Tract Consultants, acting for the owner, to Yarra Council’s principal planner, confirms the plans to demolish the building are essentially a scam.



‘‘We have been instructed by our client to lodge the above application for land tax value purposes with the knowledge that our application for the demolition of an ‘individually significant’ building is likely to be refused,’’ the memo reads.



‘‘This is an unusual circumstance, but our client does not intend to demolish any buildings as part of this permit application and would be pleased to receive a notice of refusal as this will benefit the valuation exercise.’’ The memo goes on to threaten to take Yarra Council to VCAT if it does not issue a notice of refusal.



An industry source familiar with the application said he was aware of other consultants using the tactic to pay lower rates on buildings that cannot be significantly altered, and which attract high rates based on a building’s heritage.



‘‘If council says the building can’t be demolished, the rates would be significantly less.’’



Mayor Jane Garrett said the issue raised the need for more stringent heritage controls.



‘‘These things can expose gaps in our protections.’’



Fellow councillor Steve Jolly described the ploy as ‘‘very cynical’’. ‘‘These people are just playing games with Yarra’s heritage and we need to make sure that whatever decision is made the heritage comes first and the financial interests of the owners come a very distant second.’’



The store in question was the ‘Ladies’ Store’ on the Fitzroy side of Smith Street, which sat opposite the ‘Men’s Store’ on the Collingwood side. A tunnel connected the Men’s Store with the Ladies’ Store, although the tunnel is no longer accessible. According to a heritage report submitted to the council, the tunnel was wide enough – 3.4 metres – ‘‘to accommodate a small orchestra which performed at special retail events’’.

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