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“The people have spoken and there is a clear mandate for change, in fact, a clear obligation to implement change and restore trust in the council”
A New Era for the City of Port Phillip
9 December 2008
The newly-elected Port Phillip Council has hit the ground running, passing three urgent resolutions straight after its swearing in at St Kilda Town Hall last night. The council immediately moved to appoint a governance consultant, seek legal advice on the controversial St Kilda ‘Triangle’ redevelopment and to look at ways of securing the future of four local ABC Learning Centres.
“It’s a new era for the City of Port Phillip. The people have spoken and there is a clear mandate for change, in fact, a clear obligation to implement change and restore trust in the council,” said newly-elected mayor Frank O’Connor.
“We will ensure that the new Port Phillip Council is open, transparent and accountable, especially in its financial management. Re-engaging with the local community is a priority. We promise to listen to what the community is saying and to give effect to what it wants. We will work to restore trust in the council and its decision-making processes. When we say we will do something, we will.”
Cr O’Connor told the huge crowd that at this stage the council did not know the full extent of any contractual or legal obligations regarding the Triangle redevelopment.
“That’s why there’s a need for councillors to very quickly be brought up to speed. We are not willing to jeopardise our legal position by taking any rash decisions in any matter, and that certainly applies to the Triangle,” he said.
The council called for reform of the way the Federal Government funds child care and for it to support local councils which were prepared to operate failed ABC Learning Centres.
“Port Phillip Council is keen to do the right thing by local parents affected by the failure of ABC Learning and operate the four local ABC Learning Centres provided that the net operating costs are funded by the Federal Government and any costs to be borne by the council be identified for the council to consider,” Cr O’Connor said.
“All this depends on the council’s existing children’s services not being compromised. The council would also need to be indemnified against any liabilities arising from the current operation of the ABC Learning Centres. We see taking on the ABC Learning Centres as a short to medium measure while a broad national reform agenda of children’s services is developed and implemented.”
The City of Port Phillip currently runs four children’s centres and helps financially support eight community-managed centres in the municipality.
The other two major and immediate items which the new council will be dealing with in detail before the council rises for the Christmas/New Year break will be the proposed skate park in the Albert Park Reserve and the future of the South Melbourne Town Hall precinct, assuming the imminent departure of the Australian National Academy of Music.
Cr O’Connor told the crowd that the overriding priorities were sustainability and best practice.
“We don’t want to continue to make the front pages of the newspapers for all the wrong reasons,” he said. “We would however welcome the opportunity to be on the front page in the future as a demonstration of the fact that Port Phillip has become the best example of leading practice in governance and community building, leading the way in relation to the quality of local government in Victoria and Australia.”
Most of the crowd of five hundred who turned up to witness the swearing in of the new council were unable to squeeze into the council chamber and were forced to listen to proceedings over the PA system. All were able to join in the subsequent celebrations downstairs in the 1000-seat town hall auditorium where Renée Geyer performed.
Source: City of Port Phillip Media Release
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