The time has come to cast your vote in the City of Port Phillip Council Elections.

It has been an absolute privilege over the past 4 weeks of the election campaign to have so many opportunities to speak directly to the residents of Gateway Ward about the things that Council do well, and the areas in which we can could do better.

As you prepare to cast your vote, I felt it important to confirm MY CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THE RESIDENTS OF GATEWAY WARD:

I would like to see the community debate the heritage vs sustainability issues. This may mean that heritage houses could have appropriate solar panels on their roof, even if it can be seen from the street. I would also like to see Property owners that allow their property to become an eyesore or unkempt and dilapidated be subject to enforcement and fines that will compel them to take action to remediate the situation

Fisherman’s Bend planning:  This is what keeps me awake at night ! As CoPP is the smallest and the most densely populated municipality in Victoria and it is set to double. There are no third party rights and City of Port Philip is the responsible authority for a small portion of the precinct. These are the key areas I want to focus on.

•  We need a formal governance authority.
• We need appropriate State & Federal funding.
• Land needs to be reserved and set aside now for PT, open space etc. We need a proper open space plan with public acquisition overlays in place.
• Transport needs to be committed and delivered early to set the tone for the developments.
• There needs to promotion of the vision, ‘big and bold’ and we need to deliver on it.
• We need to get the structure and planning right.
• There needs to be facilitation of commercial and community uses.
• There needs to be incentives for early delivery / work with the private sector.
• We need to get the land use mix right to support employment.
• There needs to be zoning / planning controls & development facilitation
• Government needs to signal we are open for business/promote globally – Fed/state/Local Government
• More catalystic showcase and demonstration of projects.
• Lead with catalyst community infrastructure.
• Bipartisan agreement.
• Place based and business incubation, activate and enliven streets.
• Heritage protection.
• Re-use/ re-purpose buildings – maintain their character.
• Housing mix and affordability targets and mechanisms.

What is your policy on council issues relating to:

• Art and Entertainment: CoPP has a strong arts & entertainment focus, which is strongly focused in St Kilda. This includes the St Kilda Festival, The St Kilda Film Festival and many of the events, that occur in Catani gardens that necessitate closing the roads. I support capping the number of events that require road closures per year. I will not support events that destroy the gardens, they should be banned for future applications. Council has a focus on street art currently and this is well received by the community. More work needs to be done with Lindon & Gasworks to ensure the community is involved and they provide strong and lively interaction.
• Sport and Recreation: Our growing population means that we need to review all our sporting assets and ensure they are fit for purpose, and cater for the growing needs of our community. Netball courts need to be up to standard for games, Footy fields need to be kept in good condition, changes rooms and social facilities that meet the demands of our community. Cricket needs for general community use. We also need to work out a way to progress Parks Victoria plans for the Albert Park precinct. As most of our community uses these facilities, Council needs to be mindful that budget priorities are different and help the clubs become self-sufficient and sustainable. Running and walking along the Beach needs to be safe and fun.
• Council Services: Council offers around 150 services to the community. Something for everyone. Some Council community services may need to be rationalised, and reviewed to ensure that Council continues to deliver value for money and caters for the community need.
• Aged care Services: I am a board member of CaspaCare. The Emerald Hill residence has recently celebrated its first year since opening. It is a truly stunning and unique home. I would love to go there myself when the time comes. Council has contributed $3 million dollars to CaspaCare in support of aged care services, as long as it maintains affordable care and also care for our local residents. Napier Street Aged Care is also community run also has its rent subsidised significantly by CoPP for the value of just under $3 million. I support the Community bus, and the home and community care HACC services. This is a service that now runs across the state and first commenced in South Melbourne. For many the meals and the home maintenance is a life line. Other organisations such as Daylinks are vital for continued community connection, drivers volunteer to pick up the elderly to take them shopping, to the doctors or to social outings. I am supportive of this service expanding to cover more of CoPP. The new myagedcare service is confusing for many, and council should continue to provide support for our community members. Councils Older Persons committee provides valuable advice and insight on many council issues.
• Child care Services: As a board member of Bubup Womindjeka, the largest children’s centre in CoPP, I see the issues and opportunities. Council has a number of buildings that have community run children’s services and Kindergarten’s in them. These buildings need significant maintenance to bring them up to standard. Council also has Council owned and run premises, some of which are also substandard and need money spent on them to bring them to standards expected by our community. The next four years will see rationalisation and changes. The childcare waiting list has been significantly reduced over the past few years. This has been due to the increase in the childcare places, as well as a better and more up to date waiting list. The complicated maintenance and infrastructure fee needs to be streamlined for a fairer and simpler process. Council also needs to become more agile in dealing with significant maintenance issues.
• GLBTIQ:  I am very supportive of having the Pride centre in St Kilda. I will continue to support our proud history of inclusivity, diversity and tolerance and the annual Pride March.
  I am proud that the City of Port Phillip was the first Local Government to get the HACC rainbow tick.
• Roads: Council could save money by upgrading roads a little less frequently, the roads are in very good condition. Congestion needs to be looked at and at ways to reduce it. Some roads are rat runs, especially through residential areas, and we need to review mechanisms for calming traffic and making it safe. I am supportive of 40km zones in residential areas. Roads should be safe to cycle along for all in our community. Parking fees continue to be an issue and I encourage Council to do a review of parking costs for residents.
• Rubbish: Beach and parks attract people, however some do not feel the need to pick up their rubbish. This is a disgrace and there is no excuse. Bins are provided. Hot days and public holidays attract tourists and rubbish. It is not acceptable to litter. More Solutions are needed here. Better rubbish programs are possible, bins are now able to compact and recycle rubbish. Plastic bags, plastic straws and single use plastic destroy our environment. Dumped rubbish continues to be an issue. Dog poo – non pick up – continues to be an issue and needs better enforcement. I think the 4 free large rubbish collections per annum works well. Our Volunteer Beach Patrol Groups are fantastic and I will continue to support them doing a sterling job.
• Graffiti: I want to do more to advocate to the State Govt for better policing and enforcement. Council is proactive, but Victrack, VicRoads and other authorities, let down our community as they do not have the same standards.
• Sharing around the activities – it is currently St Kilda centric – I would like to see more of the cultural and entertainment activities spread around the municipality. It doesn’t need to be in St Kilda all the time
• Cut the red tape – Council complicates so many good initiatives. I want to make it easier for community initiatives to develop.

Are you a member of a political party? No, I am an independent candidate.

How long have you lived in Port Melbourne? 17 years.

I will be spending time at all polling booths today and look forward to answering these and any other questions you have in relation to why you should #Vote1BernadeneVoss.

Bernadene Voss

GATEWAY WARD