www.yarra.org

See the attached file for the roll up numbers for each ward.

The main surprise was in Melba ward - where two things changed the outcome.

One, many people (almost 50%) didn't take any notice of suzana's how to vote card (That shows that voters are very smart!). Many voters that had put Suzana first put the greens (Alison) second, even though the greens were at the bottom of suzana's card.

Two, many people DID take notice of my how to vote card - 76% (a Yarra record) were still following it more than half way down ie at position number 5 where I had dale.

- which shows that the ALP campaign (and letter box drop) to convince votes NOT to follow my how to vote card didn't exactly work.. :-)

The end result was that Dale got in ahead of Judy, ie my preferences knocked out the sitting mayor! :-) Considering all the tactics used by the ALP at this election to make sure I didn't get on council, I think Shakespeare said it best in Hamlet

"For tis the sport to have the enginer Hoist with his owne petar".

I'd like to think that this would change their behavior next time, but that might be a bit to much to expect..

Ian

Parking is one of the major issues at Yarra, and has been mismanaged for years by council.

The problem is simple - a massive number of cars visit Yarra each day, and the current Councilors aren't prepared to do anything significant - and large scale - to protect residents.
In addition, parking enforcement is seen to be revenue raising opportunity, not something to be done to make sure that visitors comply to the current (inadequate) restrictions.

Parking would be easy to address, IF the council wanted to do anything about it. instead they have done nothing, and have even got rid of the Parking Community Advisory Committee (which I was on), after ignoring most of their recommendations.

Follow the links below for more detail -
Parking Enforcement
Parking Enforcement Statistics (includes parking fine counts for all streets in Yarra)
Parking and Planning

For all parking related stories click here.

coming soon
Permit only Parking
Resident Parking Permits
Business Parking Permits
Changing Parking restrictions on your street

Ian

Why do rates in yarra go up and up? Why are they amongst the highest in the state?
This Council has increased the total rates take from $50.5 million to $65.2 million

Unlike a private company, where you can decide not to buy something that is getting too expensive, Yarra can spend whatever money it wants to and send you the bill in the form of rates that you have to pay.

I've been arguing for years that council need to have a good look at everything it is doing, with the aim of being more cost effective, but I can't get the council interested in doing anything about it.

One of the arguments council has used is that their increases are only a 'bit' higher than CPI. Try twice as high (over the last 4 years that this council has been in place).
ie Total rates have gone up by 29%, and over the same period CPI was only 12%!

If a current councilor asks you to vote for them at the November election, ask them why they have voted for these increases (Steve Jolly is the only one who hasn't).

One of the questions I often get asked from residents is "do I think Councilors are 'on the take' from licensees, developers, or local business" - and the reason they suspect that is Councils inaction on many liquor, parking, or planning issues.

I normally reply that I don't know, but to first consider indifference or incompetence ahead of corruption.

Looking specifically at the area of liquor licensing, this council has -

1. Created (after much prodding) a liquor license advisory group - then ignored every recommendation, and then got rid of it (I was on that committee).
2. Refused to pass a by-law that would give council the ability to manage the noise from all license premises - arguing that it didn't want to have that ability.
3. Recently (Dec 2007) voted to NOT prohibit public drinking over night (something the residents, police, traders, and licensees supported!).
4. Voted to lapse the local law that allows them to prohibit public drinking!
5. Refuses to provide late night parking restrictions near night clubs - encouraging people to drive to venues and drive home drunk, and impacting residential amenity.
6. Have down graded the 'public behavior officer' job (that we fought and got years ago) to daytime hours only!
7. Are now trying to remove the public behavior officer job entirely.
8. Won't do anything to stop the massive increase in licenses
9. Won't do anything to stop the increase in 1.30am and later licenses.
10. Will not enforce the footpath trading policy, and it's provisions that impact licensed premises.

Why are they doing (or not) all of this when the number of liquor licenses has doubled in the last 5 years? When quiet local pubs are turning into night clubs?