Residents,

The Fairfax-owned Melbourne Times yesterday published a sardonic article on my position on the proposal for parking meters along Richmond's Yarra Boulevard.

As we get closer to the Council election we can expect further distortions from the mainstream media.

Here is a letter I have written in reply - it will be interesting to see if they publish it.





Dear Editor,



Your cynical article last week implied I was betraying my principles and even supporting the privatisation of public land by voting against parking meters along Yarra Boulevard. My vote stemmed from a consistent approach of putting the needs of residents and workers first.

These meters are a revenue-raising exercise by a Council that has just hiked up rates again (22% over the past four years). The meters will cost Melbourne Girls College staff about $900 a year and make Council $90,000.

Two months ago, I asked GE to dip into their US$22.5 billion profits to cover the cost of meters for their staff. They offered $30,000 a year to Council if meters didn't go ahead. I suggested Council negotiate to get a higher contribution.

It would be much better if the Council could raise the $90,000 from GE, who can more than afford it, rather than slugging local workers and ratepayers. After all GE should be providing ample on-site parking for their staff anyway.

There was no suggestion that the Boulevard would be 'privatised' for the sole use for local workers - that was a furphy put up by all the other pro-parking meter Councillors.

Your feigned outrage that "employees would use the public road to park their own private cars all day" shows an attitude out-of-touch with the reality faced by working people and rate-payers in Yarra.

Regards

Stephen Jolly, Councillor City of Yarra

Residents

You are warmly invited to an important debate this Wednesday (27th August, at Trades Hall, from 7pm - cnr Lygon and Victoria Sts) between SP and the Greens. Also participating will be another left wing group, Solidarity.

There are a whole number of questions that will be asked and debated.

Are the Greens the place to unify the left? How effective have they been in office in Australia and internationally? Are they capable of organising and mobilising the community? What are the main differences in approach and politics between SP and the Greens?

Come along and listen and have you say.

City of Melbourne Lord Mayor candidate,Adam Bandt, is speaking for the Greens; Anthony Main for SP; and David Glanz for Solidarity.

For more info email us or ring 96399111

August 2008 Yarra Council report from Cllr Stephen Jolly (Socialist Party)



Residents,

The Council meeting last night was dominated by one issue and finished before 10pm, its earliest finish for some time.



Parking Meters in Yarra Boulevard, Richmond

Last night teachers from Melbourne Girls College (on the site of the former Richmond Secondary College) and workers and management from multinational company GE attended the Council meeting to lobby against a proposal to introduce parking meters along Yarra Boulevard. When GE was built a few years ago they told the Council they did not need to provide much parking onsite as their future workers would walk, cycle or use public transport. The Planning Department and the Council majority believed this spin.

Now, the huge number of cars on Yarra Boulevard on any working day shows this was not true.

The Council hopes to raise about $150,000 a year gross from these meters – and a lot less in net terms after the costs of installation, depreciation and maintenance are factored in.

The attendees last night, especially those on wages and salaries, explained that the Boulevard was used for parking by local workers not so much by shoppers and the change would mean a huge financial slug for them.

At the July Council meeting, I encouraged the multi-billion dollar GE company to increase the pay of their staff to cover the cost of meters. They came back with an offer to contribute about $30,000 a year to Council if they held off installing parking meters. This is less than the Council’s net profit on the meters, but GE management made clear to me last week that this was an initial ‘ambit’ offer.

The ALP and Green and Independent Councillors all supported the parking meters and were not convinced by the arguments of the local workers. I argued that both before and after meters, the street would stay the same during business hours – a long stretch of parked cars. The difference was that Council would raise money from the meters. Now GE was offering us that money without the need for meters. Their money would also protect Melbourne Girls College staff from meters too. I suggested officers try to negotiate an amount higher than the $30,000 initial offer and report back to Council next month.

The other Councillors ignored this suggestion and steamed ahead with meters in an 8-1 vote. Some even suggested that I was proposing the privatisation of public land. That would only be true if GE was suggesting that only their workers could park on the Boulevard – in fact no such suggestion was made.

I found it strange that the mover of the parking meter proposal was Green Councillor Gurm Sekron. I pointed out last night that one of the first times I saw Gurm was when he was standing on the back of truck with a megaphone in hand addressing a protest rally outside Piedemonte’s supermarket in North Fitzroy – arguing strongly against parking meters! That was 2002 and the Greens were not elected – now it’s 2008 and they are in office.



Questions without notice

I asked why residents had to sign a ‘stat dec’ every time they wanted a rubbish or recycle bin replaced. This was bureaucracy gone mad and I have asked officers to change this policy.

I also asked why we are the only Council in Melbourne allowing business parking permits, which are sometimes misused by businesses. I foreshadowed a motion for the September meeting restricting the use of business parking permits to business hours.



Hard Rubbish Collection

I tabled a petition of 185 names, plus one letter, calling on Council to reinstate the six-monthly hard rubbish collection when the new policy is reviewed later this year. There are more to come…

Rod Quantock: First Man Standing - Forty Years a Fool



One of Australia’s most prominent left wing comedians, Rod Quantock, has a new show playing at Trades Hall in Melbourne. It runs from August 6th – September 6th Wednesday – Saturday nights.



The show kicks off at 8pm every night and bookings can be made through Comedy @ Trades or tickets are available at the door. Prices are: $30 & $20 concession on Wednesdays & Thursdays and $35 & $25 concession Fridays & Saturdays.



For more information visit: http://quantock.com.a



Quantock supports many progressive causes. On this occasion Rod has generously offered to sell cheap tickets to the Yarra Campaign Against the Tunnel (YCAT) for a fundraiser! Details of the night will be available soon!



FIRST MAN STANDING is a walk down Memory Tollway (Rod remembers it when it was a Lane) with a foundation member of contemporary Australian comedy.



From his first routine in the Melbourne University Architect’s Revue to his musings on contemporary events, Australia’s most seriously funny comedian Rod will reprieve the things that have made him laugh for the last four decades and set a course for the next xx decades.



‘A national treasure.’ The Australian



‘We are sure his show is probably good but it clashes with our branch meetings at Trades Hall on Wednesday nights.’ The Socialist

Winter 2008 Newsletter from Councillor Stephen Jolly (Socialist Party)



Langridge Ward covers Fitzroy, Collingwood, Abbotsford, Clifton Hill, South Fairfield and Alphington



No Tunnel!

The State government is considering a recommendation of the Eddington Report to build a tunnel to the western suburbs starting at the Clifton Hill end of the Eastern Freeway.

The tunnel would cost over $10 billion and be used by the mere 15% of traffic that heads West from the Eastern Freeway. Homes in North Collingwood could be at risk from a tunnel and possibly also the proposed indoor sports centre at the Gas and Fuel site.

The tunnel project is a colossal waste of money to appease the road lobby.

We should this $10 billion to massively expand public transport. This would be much better for the environment and create more jobs.

SP has worked with residents and local groups to establish Yarra Campaign Against the Tunnel. To get involved or for more information, go to www.ycat.org.au



Budget blow

I voted against this year’s Council budget. 55% of residents will face a rate rise of over 6%. Child care fees have also been increased by over inflation.

Appeals for budget support from many struggling community groups have been ignored, yet $4 million was found for computers for Council and $6000 for a web site for Smith St traders. A progressive budget would include investment in sports and childcare facilities and campaign against cost shifting by federal and state governments.



Condell Park saved by community mobilisation

Community mobilisation recently saved Condell Park, Fitzroy’s only park.

In January, State government officals told Council they wanted to end the lease arangements and sell it off. A resulting campaign forced the government to back off. Congratulations to residents for saving this much needed park!



Clifton Hill keeps its Kindergarden!

VCAT has ruled in favour of the move of St. Andrews Kindergarden to Walker St, Clifton Hill!

This much needed Kindy is being forced to move from its current Gold St site - now it can relocate, rather than close.

This will be a great relief to local families.

As part of the plan to save the Kindy, the neighbouring Walker St Scout hall (which is also used by Spensley St Primary School and the Guides) will get a much needed refurbishment.

I am proud to have been part of the campaign to save St. Andrews Kindy and get it relocated to Walker St.

Well done to all involved!



Hard Rubbish

Council introduced Green Waste collections for the first time earlier this year, a change pushed for by residents and myself.

However at the same time the six-monthly Hard Rubbish collection was replaced with a personalised service where you have to ring Council for a pickup.

It is now clear that this change has been a mistake and residents want the street collection maintained.

Its loss has led to a rise in dumping. It is also environmentally crazy to have trucks picking up daily from individual homes instead of one big collection twice a year.

I haven’t yet got support on Council for a return of the regular collection, however there will be a review of the new system this October.

I ask all of you who want the Hard Rubbish collection reintroduced to contact me for a copy of the petition on the issue and also to email the Councillors at info@yarracity.vic.gov.au to let them know your views.

With such high rates in Yarra, there is no excuse for the scrapping of the six-monthly collection.



AMCOR site development

The massive AMCOR site on the corner of Heidelberg Road and Chandler Highway is about to relocate to Sydney.

In its place will be a massive development which will include homes for 6000 residents and probably a supermarket complex.

This development is in reality a new suburb for Melbourne.

We cannot expect Alphington Primary School and Yarralea Children’s Centre to cope.

I have been working closely with locals to ensure that new residents will have schools, childcare, open space and sports facilities on the site.

Contact me for more information on this issue.



Smith St and surrounding area issues

Before January, the Banco group will begin construction of their long

awaited development, approved by the State government who ignored local

demands a lower height.



On Stanley St, other developers are proposing an over-the-top,

nine-storey residential block. No wonder locals are up in arms, worried

about the parking, traffic, overshadowing and many other impacts.

These new developments do not include any social services or open space.

This will cause problems for the rapidly increasing number of residents

in the area.

I am working with local people to get Council to support their just

demands for appropriate heights and for environmentally-friendly, low

scale development instead of dense matchboxes...



In this years budget, Council decided to begin the process of

establishing an Aboriginal community centre on or near Smith St. Local

Aboriginal elders believe such a centre will go a long way to elevate

the issues surrounding public drinking on the street. Contact SP if you

want to be part of the campaign to push for this centre.





Re-elect Stephen Jolly on 27th November and support our other SP candidates

This November, Yarra residents will go to the polls.

I have worked hard to be a responsive and active Councillor in my first

term.

I ask you to consider voting for me in November and to actively support

my campaign.

With the Socialist Party and the local community working together we

have been able to win some very important victories.

We have saved the St. Vinnies food depot and St Andrews Kindergarten.

Green Waste and the Zero Emissions Policy were also won by the joint

work of residents and myself as a SP Councillor.

I have also been able to put the interests of public housing tenants

back on the political agenda.

Please consider voting for me to be re-elected in November so that this

work can be stepped up. If I am defeated the forces of conservatism in

our area will have a field day.

The Socialist Party will also be standing candidates in the other wards.

The SP team for the election includes Denise Dudley in the Melba ward,

Anthony Main in the Nichols ward and myself, Stephen Jolly, in the

Langridge ward.

If this team is elected in November you can be assured that we will be

in a much better position to fight for better services for Yarra residents.



If you can help our campaign on election day, or by letterboxing or

making a donation, contact the SP Office on 96399111.



Contact details

For Stephen Jolly

Phone: 0433113421 Email: stephenjolly99@hotmail.com

Web site:www.socialistpartyaustralia.org/council

Postal address: PO Box 1015, Collingwood 3066



For Socialist Party

SP in Melbourne meets every Wednesday at 7pm at Trades Hall, cnr Lygon

and Victoria Sts, Carlton South. All welcome. SP Phone: 96399111

Email: info@socialistpartyaustralia.org Web site:

www.socialistpartyaustralia.org. Postal address: PO Box 1015, Collingwood

Street address: 1st Floor, Trades Hall, cnr Lygon and Victoria Sts,

Carlton South