WHAT I HAVE LEARNT...

I have attended every single City of Kingston Council meeting personally for over a year, and have read every Agenda. I have submitted questions to the Council every month.
No other candidate for the Kingston 2024 election has done this.

So, what have l learnt from attending Kingston Council meetings?

Changes are being planned for you and me, as residents in Kingston, which will affect us, our businesses and our lives.

RATES

I HAVE LEARNT that 73.6% of all annual rates collected by Kingston Council is spent on the wages and 17% superannuation of approximately 1200 staff.

Quote from Council; “the key objective of the Kingston Council is the long term sustainability of the Council.”
That is, the main aim and purpose of Kingston Council is to remain existent and financially secure.

THE RUSH TO REMOVE THE RATE CAP

I HAVE LEARNT that this Council together with their peak bodies, are currently investigating the case at the State Government Enquiry into Local Government to remove the rate cap. This is one of the most major issues that will affect you. It will mean the possibility of unheard of massive rate increases, even 10-20% rate increases.

RATES - THEY DIFFER BETWEEN COUNCILS

I HAVE LEARNT that our Kingston Council rates are nearly double those of Toorak for the equivalent house value. Property taxing by way of rates in Victoria is the only tax that is not the same no matter where you live. Council rates vary drastically Council to council for the same value property. Rate formulas are rejigged to make the Council meet it’s bottom line. For instance, say in Stonnington it might be that a million dollar property will attract a rate of a thousand dollars, whereas in the Buloke Shire, a million dollar property would probably be about $6000. This difference in the rate situation between Councils is not fair and very unjust. Below is a table showing rate comparisons done by Cr Stephen Hughes of Frankston Council taken in approx 2022/2023.

COUNCILS JUSTIFY CREATING A RATE FORMULA THAT KEEPS THEM FINANCIALLY SECURE AND THEIR OWN MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS FUNCTIONING.

RESPONSE

I will advocate for a Rate Freeze. Constant ongoing rate rises are unsustainable. They no longer present value for money . To relieve the impact on Seniors I will advocate to double the rate rebate for pensioners to$246.60

Table

WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORT

I HAVE LEARNT that new facilities for girls and women in sport will not be made entirely separate or safe for biological women and girls from the areas used by men and boys and others in Council sport pavilions, as this is not Council policy. It is Council policy for facilities to be of gender inclusive design, which means that some changeroom areas will allow use by all genders, but will have private toilet and changing cubicles, but there could be times when boys and men’s games may overlap with girls and women’s games due to timing issues. (Council 27 May ’24 Pg 5)

MY RESPONSE

I stand for the rights of women and girls to have their own separate and safe spaces in all Council sport pavilions. Council should stand up and protect our women and girls and not sacrifice them at some altar of political correctness.

PATRIOTISM AND THE AUSTRALIAN FLAG

I HAVE LEARNT that it seems to be Council policy NOT to celebrate or laud our Western heritage, our colonial history and the Australian flag. Council does not show the Australian flag on any of its websites. It does show other flags however, e.g. for the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Island people. When asked in a written public question from a resident as to why the Australian flag was not included, the Council Manager replied
“There is no requirement for the Australian flag to be displayed on Council’s website”.

The second question from this same resident on the night was not read out. It asked:

“Isn’t this (the non display of the Australian flag) an insult not only to the memory and sacrifice of our forefathers who fought and died under this flag, and our proud history under this flag, but to all of us who see the flag as our representation of all of us, as a proud unified Australian citizenry?” (Ref pg 9-24 June ’24 minutes).

MY RESPONSE

In Council l will motion to have our Australian flag emblem given pride of place on all Council media, documents and projects.

QUESTIONING COUNCIL

I HAVE LEARNT that at Kingston Council meetings, residents are not allowed to speak a question in person. Other local Councils allow this. Governance rules are different between Councils!

Ratepayers are allowed only two written questions per person. These are chosen to be read out by the Executive and not the Councillors. The question rules changed over the 12 months l observed. Questions were once read out completely but then the rules were changed. Context, preambles and explanations within questions were disallowed from being read out. Questions would not even be read as written any longer, and council reserved the right to modify, insert other words and even censor a question entirely.

When one goes to a monthly council meeting, you are reminded at the beginning that you must sit quietly and not interject or speak at all. You are only allowed to observe. There are now 2-3 security guards (at full overtime pay) present watching about 6-8 older people who on average come to these meetings. By mid 2023, the executive decided to erect a tall glass barrier to protect themselves and the Councillor seating
area from these elder few who come to see the monthly council meeting. It cost $40,000 and looks exactly like a pool fence. There was no reason to do this in Kingston except that there was emotion and upset at another distant Council over the drag story time controversies that other Councils had at the time.

A notice of motion was put to Council by Cr Eden on 20 November 2023. It read
“That, considering Council’s recent changes to the Governance Rules to limit questions
from residents and ratepayers at Council meetings, Council allow residents, ratepayers
or community groups to present at Council meetings or other publicly streamed
meeting/forum.”

The following Councillors voted NO OR ABSTAINED to this motion!
.
Steve Staikos (Bunjil Ward);
Tamsin Bearsley (Yammerbook Ward);
Jenna Davey-Burns (Wattle Ward);
Tracey Davies (Chiquita Ward);
Chris Hill (Como Ward)
Hadi Saab (Karkarook Ward)
George Hua (Caruana Ward);
Tim Cochrane ( Melaleuca Ward)

MY RESPONSE

There was never any ruckus at Kingston. The erection of the high glass fence was unnecessary. It has made public engagement even more difficult and has even offended many members of the public.

Submitting public questions, keeping the council to account, and giving residents a genuine say at Kingston Council continues to be a restricted process. Many questions are denied a reading.

It may be argued that Council, by their actions, regard the public and their enquiries as an inconvenience and even security concern to their business and operations. Transparency in Government is one of the highest requirements of a Council. I will be pushing for total transparency and for the public to have a public question time and a public speaking time, that is not vetted by the
Executive.

THE INTERSECTIONAL LENS OF COUNCIL

I HAVE LEARNT. It is the policy at Kingston to view and deal with people through the ‘intersectional lens’ i.e. they want to know details about your age, ancestry, aboriginal or mixed race heritage, disabled status, education level, and even sexuality, so that they can put you in the right box and treat you differently. Their filtering communications portal required, for a time, all these details (you could tick the box -prefer not to say) before you could proceed to even give feedback online about some issues at Council. (See Ref Pg 5-27 May ’24 Minutes)

RESPONSE

Council should be blind to the characteristics of people. What business is it of Council to profile every person who contacts them? To data harvest them? Council writes that such details are important for them to know due to it being ‘inclusive’. I suggest making people go through hoops just to contact Council and have a say is an excluding feature, never mind the residents having to sign away the rights to their own comments and their details and profile in the process, to the portal company itself ‘in perpetuity” (this is in their terms of use). This is an unwarranted and unnecessary invasion of privacy. Why is council needing to profile us?

PARKING MANAGEMENT TO GO HIGH TECH AND THE WAR ON CARS

I HAVE LEARNT that new technological parking management systems and monitoring will be on the cards. Council has mentioned that they will “finalise the specification and complete market testing for new parking review technologies…that will provide contemporary parking management solutions for the community” (Pg 352- 27 May Agenda)

What could this mean down the track? Think number plate recognition. surveillance sensors, and time you park sensors and an increased use of more household paid permit systems called epermits. Other Councils are rolling out these epermit systems. The more cars you have parked on the street, the more you will pay. Car ownership is effectively being penalised.  . This is one of the ways Council, in it’s present form, under the existing executive, will try to increase revenue which will come at the cost of your current amenity which you now enjoy, the right to free parking in and around your shopping/activity and rail hubs, and possibly even in front of your home. Permit systems for swathes of our suburbs near activity centres are being planned. (See Parking Management Policy-Page 8-Pic)

That such details are important for them to know due to it being ‘inclusive’. I suggest making people go through hoops just to contact Council and have a say is an excluding feature, never mind the residents having to sign away the rights to their own comments and their details and profile in the process, to the portal company itself ‘in perpetuity” (this is in their terms of use). This is an unwarranted and unnecessary invasion of privacy. Why is council needing to profile us? 

RESPONSE

I will stand in the way of Council taking away the free parking amenity you currently enjoy in and around your home and your neighbourhood. I will stand in the way of councils removing parking areas in their bid to discourage car use. I will not vote for privacy invasive surveillance or sensor systems to be installed to monitor car parking when they become available to Council. I will stand in the way of Council creating mandatory household parking permits e.g. the new epermit systems, that will go on charging you forever. I will advocate to give people (especially seniors) the ability to opt out of hightech ePermit systems. I will defend the right of residents to retain their free parking amenity. I will defend the choice of people to use their cars as they need, by the elderly, disabled and mothers with children and anyone, and not be punished with fees and charges and hindrances to parking and movement. I am pro car and especially pro classic cars!

NET ZERO THINKING

I HAVE LEARNT that one of the main focuses of Council is toward achieving a Net Zero outcome. Nearly everything seems to revolve around this way of thinking. Policies regarding manufacturing and industry are seen through this perspective. City of Kingston business Awards, in the main, go to businesses based on being ‘sustainable’. Everything is judged by the impact of a carbon footprint and a climate change perspective.

New regulations are being enacted (not by Councils, yet) where large businesses are having to make carbon emission reports on their own enterprises. Almost like the GST but this time it’s about totting up your carbon! This requirement may soon filter down to family businesses in Kingston at a local level. Councils may become a part of this process.

RESPONSE

At local government level, and to the degree legally possible, I will aim to protect businesses and manufacturing companies from any extra bureaucracy being foisted upon them that will require them to invest in creating carbon footprint and emissions reports on their own enterprises, or report such things to government bodies. This is punitive on businesses and entirely unnecessary. I am in Council to protect family businesses and to help all industry, and to encourage manufacturing to flourish and grow. More paperwork and cost is the last thing they need.

KINGSTON COUNCIL ENTERS THE CARBON CREDIT MARKET

I HAVE LEARNT that Kingston Council are going to spend up to and at least $120,000-$275,000 per year (note: is this a starting level figure?) entering the Carbon Credit world open market to reduce emissions by 5000tC0ze so that they can say they are doing their bit for NetZero. They are also engaging a Carbon Credit Broker. So, ratepayer money will now go ‘somewhere’, annually, and we lose hundreds of thousands of dollars of our money that could have built something here in Kingston. (Ref Pg 67- Agenda 22 July ’24). . There was no debate. It was rushed through.

RESPONSE

I would not have voted for this. A waste of our ratepayer money.

RAYEPAYER PROPERTIES LEASED TO COMPANIES FOR $1 A YEAR FOR 30 YRS+

I HAVE LEARNT that this council is giving away our old kindergartens and surplus houses that we own (ratepayer assets) to corporations for $1 per year for 30 yrs (with a proviso to extend 30 yrs further) in a land lease arrangement, so that these companies can create developments/real estate business models where they create social housing for the destitute or homeless or whomever. This is the private/public path to social housing that is occurring, where the State Government is getting the Councils to do and fund part of their housing responsibility. Council has, for all intents and purposes, already leased away 33 Balcombe Rd Mentone opposite Safeway, and 6 Lochiel Ave Edithvale in the last few months. (Ref Pg 6 -22 April’24 Agenda)

RESPONSE

I will not vote for further ratepayer assets to be given or leased to private corporations, even if they say it’s for some greater good. Assets should be used for Kingston residents within Kingston. Social housing is the responsibility of the State government, not the local Council.

HIGH RISE DEVELOPMENTS-THE SRL-HEATHERTON TRAIN STABLEYARD

I HAVE LEARNT -Kingston Council seems to be accepting the directive of the State Government for high rise development and new housing targets of 59,000 extra ‘homes’ in Kingston. (see Item 7.7 Agenda Aug 26 ’24 Council meeting)

The City Councils of Bayside, Monash and Whitehorse have apparently come together to stand up to the SRL plan to create massive multi storey high rise developments. Sources say these councils are funding a challenge.

Kingston Council has NOT joined with them.

The SRLA project chose the green open space in Heatherton (supposed to be for women’s sport) called the Delta site for the new train stableyard. The residents around Kingston Rd have been up in arms for years. Their houses are directly on top of the tunnel. Some less than the specified 23 metres. Some are even 15 or less metres above the the tunnel as it comes to the surface at the Delta site stable yard. In one street, one side is getting bought out and on the other side different adverse arrangements are offered. The stress on these poor people is enormous.

  • with new height regulations to build higher residential towers up to 18 storeys;
  • the near doubling of Highett and Cheltenham populations (across Kingston and Bayside);
  • the reduction or elimination of minimum parking requirements for apartments in the Highett Activity Centre;
  • only medium public transport accessibility;
  • traffic gridlock resulting from towers above Southland while Bay Road is narrowed and additional traffic lights are installed on both Nepean Highway and Bay Road;
  • traffic gridlock resulting from towers above Southland while Bay Road is narrowed and additional traffic lights are installed on both Nepean Highway and Bay Road;
  • the Gasworks site being forced to accommodate open space lost from the William Fry Reserve and the resultant reduction of public amenity and livability including less public open space;
  • the massively increased pressure on local infrastructure, including schools, kindergartens, maternal care and community centres for which there appears to be NO State Government budget provision so the cost will be borne by Council;
  • the forced acquisition of some 350+ properties with those affected no longer able to receive adequate compensation due to the Danial Andrews government changing the rules and rights of property owners who are in the way of such large infrastructure projects;
  • plus you have the absolutely absurd situation where the Frankston line will not connect with the SRL line so you have to change trains, get out at Southland, walk across to the new station (laden with bags, rain hail or shine?) and catch another SRL train to …nowhere.
    (Ref Pg 10- 27 May ’24 Minutes)

RESPONSE

If you choose to vote for current Councillors, then the character of your suburbs as you know them in Kingston is going to be changed dramatically. Forever! I will try to protect my residents.
I don’t accept that this is a vision of beauty. All the plans fail to mention that the infrastructure needed to accommodate the 59,000 extra houses and people, will be going onto the balance sheet of our Council. Our rates. Hence, probably, the push to unshackle the rate cap.

IN CONCLUSION – THE ROLE OF POLITICS- WHAT RESIDENTS REALLY WANT FROM COUNCIL

I HAVE LEARNT that, in my opinion, politics plays a part at Kingston Council. The narrative of many Council policies echo political and social policies from higher government levels. They seem not to reflect what the people of Kingston actually want or need. . A very recent survey taken by Council Watch , a body that keeps Councils accountable, is very worthwhile to note. It revealed what people really want their Councils to do. Please see this link.
https://www.councilwatch.com.au/_files/ugd/d1d8f9_87d12cd877a346e4a70a0e1d7e4c4cd7.pdf

RESPONSE

Councillor candidates who are tied to party politics will not be working for us.
Be aware of political appointee candidates who run under the banners of their political party.
They will not be working for you.

Solution

Whatever you do, don’t vote for more of these same types of people, who spout fluff and distract you from the real issues.

It’s time to restore balance and common sense into Council.
It’s time to remove the hand of politics pulling the strings.
It’s time to get a sensible Back to Basics Council!
You’ve got a chance now! Take it.
.

Vote like your house depends on it! Because it does!

VOTE FOR A TRUE INDEPENDENT!

PLEASE VOTE 1-Wandzia French

A True Independent in Chicquita Ward – For Mentone, Parkdale, Cheltenham and Heatherton.

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