Vindaloo against Violence
About 50 residents turned out to share a meal and spend time together on Wednesday 24th February for the Vindaloo against Violence event I organised in our local park. It was a really great opportunity to meet our neighbours and enjoy each others company. The gathering was an important statement about how we feel about racism in our community and residents wanting to express support for our Indian community. We wouldn't have been able to get together like this in the past, it is only because of the hard work of local residents that we have this park.
25.2.10
22.11.09
Rally against Westlink
Yesterday around 300 people attended a very successful rally against Westlink . We were treated to some fantastic music, especially "tunnel vision" by Phil Hudson which encapsulated the feelings of everyone at the rally.
We heard from some important speakers about what this road is going to do to our community when it is built.
It will:
Yesterday around 300 people attended a very successful rally against Westlink . We were treated to some fantastic music, especially "tunnel vision" by Phil Hudson which encapsulated the feelings of everyone at the rally.
We heard from some important speakers about what this road is going to do to our community when it is built.
It will:
- divide community ;particularly in Sunshine West and in Seddon,
- prevent residents from being able to walk and cycle in their local area, because a great big 4-6 lane road will go through the middle of it
- it will leave us with high levels of air and noise pollution.
- During construction it will cause cracking, noise, dust and destroy the value of surrounding houses.
Building this monstrous road will rip out scarce resources from the ground - and all because the Brumby Government refuses to implement the econmically and environmentally responsible option of improving rail for freight and putting in place fast, frequent and reliable public transport which would take the load off the westgate.
There is no logical argument for this road, other than increased profits for big business using the port. The Brumby government have shown time and time again they are not interested in economics, not interested in the environment and not interested in our communities. They are only interested in supporting increased efficiencies for big businesses moving freight as cheaply as they can off the ships and onto roads to the consumer.
The only way we are going to defeat this road is with large numbers of people getting angry about it and taking our concerns right up to Parliament.
There is no logical argument for this road, other than increased profits for big business using the port. The Brumby government have shown time and time again they are not interested in economics, not interested in the environment and not interested in our communities. They are only interested in supporting increased efficiencies for big businesses moving freight as cheaply as they can off the ships and onto roads to the consumer.
The only way we are going to defeat this road is with large numbers of people getting angry about it and taking our concerns right up to Parliament.
15.11.09
Ardeer Albion Neighbourhood Walk
I joined about 500 local residents from Ardeer and Albion taking part in a walk from Ardeer Community Park to Selwyn Park with the aim of encouraging families and children to be physically active. Wonderful community festivals such as this enable families to get out and get to know their neighbours in a friendly and inclusive environment
I joined about 500 local residents from Ardeer and Albion taking part in a walk from Ardeer Community Park to Selwyn Park with the aim of encouraging families and children to be physically active. Wonderful community festivals such as this enable families to get out and get to know their neighbours in a friendly and inclusive environment
13.11.09
http://http//leader.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
Westlink Protest
I joined other protestors against the Westlink road and tunnel outside the electorate office of Telmo Languiller MP.
Westlink Protest
I joined other protestors against the Westlink road and tunnel outside the electorate office of Telmo Languiller MP.
11.11.09
Brimbank Council sacking - the real reason is to stop opposition to Westlink
It appears the real reason the Brimbank Council has been sacked is so that the Brumby Government can further their agenda to build the Eddington Tunnel and help big businesses get freight from the port easily across Melbourne.
The democratically elected council, including Greens Councillor Geraldine Brooks was elected with 27% of the vote in response to the growing anger at ALP self interest in Brimbank , and now they have been sacked
Meredith Sussex, one of three newly appointed administrators to Brimbank Council has just come from a Directorship at the Department of Transport.
But - It gets better!
Meredith's role was to ensure the implementation of the Eddington Report!
The state Labor government could have sacked Brimbank Council any time in the last 18 months given the level of evidence it had provided by the Ombudsman's report, but it chose not to.
It was trying to leave the problem alone and see if it would die a natural death.
Then, the Greens came along and started raising publicly many of the issues our community were getting upset about like a civic centre to be built on a public park, a dirty big road to be built through homes in West Sunshine and housing developments to be built where there is not enough community facilities and keeping them constantly in the media. All of a sudden Brimbank had to go!
If they think these issues are going to go away, they have a nother think coming. Despite many in our community being told by members of the department of transport that their houses will be safe, they have not ben given information about the route and even if the road was to go through factories instead - we do not want this road! We do not need this road, and our community are not buying it!
Brumby is on record as saying that he intends to implement Eddingtons proposal to construct a tunnel from Clifton Hill ( the start of the eastern freeway) through to the Western Ring Road - and it appears this is exactly what he intends to do - regardless of the communities that will be destroyed by it in the process.
We have to stop him. And the only way we can stop him is by working together.
It appears the real reason the Brimbank Council has been sacked is so that the Brumby Government can further their agenda to build the Eddington Tunnel and help big businesses get freight from the port easily across Melbourne.
The democratically elected council, including Greens Councillor Geraldine Brooks was elected with 27% of the vote in response to the growing anger at ALP self interest in Brimbank , and now they have been sacked
Meredith Sussex, one of three newly appointed administrators to Brimbank Council has just come from a Directorship at the Department of Transport.
But - It gets better!
Meredith's role was to ensure the implementation of the Eddington Report!
The state Labor government could have sacked Brimbank Council any time in the last 18 months given the level of evidence it had provided by the Ombudsman's report, but it chose not to.
It was trying to leave the problem alone and see if it would die a natural death.
Then, the Greens came along and started raising publicly many of the issues our community were getting upset about like a civic centre to be built on a public park, a dirty big road to be built through homes in West Sunshine and housing developments to be built where there is not enough community facilities and keeping them constantly in the media. All of a sudden Brimbank had to go!
If they think these issues are going to go away, they have a nother think coming. Despite many in our community being told by members of the department of transport that their houses will be safe, they have not ben given information about the route and even if the road was to go through factories instead - we do not want this road! We do not need this road, and our community are not buying it!
Brumby is on record as saying that he intends to implement Eddingtons proposal to construct a tunnel from Clifton Hill ( the start of the eastern freeway) through to the Western Ring Road - and it appears this is exactly what he intends to do - regardless of the communities that will be destroyed by it in the process.
We have to stop him. And the only way we can stop him is by working together.
9.11.09
Cairnlea - more developments
It was brought to my attention before leaving council that Council had made its decision to support the development of this highly contaminated site purely on the basis of certificates and / or statements issued by the auditor.
Council appears to have utterly failed to make its own assessment of the safety of the site by making site visits, asking questions and ordering its own tests to satisfy itself that the remediation work had indeed been carried out.
I have raised this with Council and have received a reply that indeed this was the case that council relied on these documents to make its judgement
I now intend to raise this with the Ombudsman - lets hope that this is investigated thoroughly, because the long term health of countless residents is at stake
It was brought to my attention before leaving council that Council had made its decision to support the development of this highly contaminated site purely on the basis of certificates and / or statements issued by the auditor.
Council appears to have utterly failed to make its own assessment of the safety of the site by making site visits, asking questions and ordering its own tests to satisfy itself that the remediation work had indeed been carried out.
I have raised this with Council and have received a reply that indeed this was the case that council relied on these documents to make its judgement
I now intend to raise this with the Ombudsman - lets hope that this is investigated thoroughly, because the long term health of countless residents is at stake
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