Some more 'keystone cops' stuff!

A friend of a friend has just told me this wonderful story about further clowncil stuff ups!! Seems like there were two metal frames at the entry of a pathway to a park. For three months, this friend of a friend, rang clowncil to ask, then complain, about the fact that these 'obstacles' were placed too close together and thus her husband who is in a wheelchair couldn't get through. Well finally, after threatening them with non compliance to the Disability Act, clowncil finally sent its genuises down to 'fix the problem'. What did they achieve? Nothing less that drilling into a major water main, so that literally thousands and thousands litres of precious water went down the drain!! One would have thought that before any such work is carried out, someone would have the sense to check on the exact location of drains, pipes, etc. I'm sure that if this had been done by an ordinary resident, then they would have hell to pay - but of course, being clowncil - it's us the ratepayers who will compensate South East Water, for all losses, etc. Ah, another example of clowncil at its best!

Residents are always the last to know!!!!

Well, this clowncil's administration is at it again it seems! Having secured over $460,000 from the Commonwealth, we residents are still in the dark as to how this money will be spent. The fact that Bayside is able to inform its residents of where and how their $300,000+ allocation will be used says heaps about Bayside, and in contrast damns Glen Eira. But even more important is the fact that applications for the 50 million grants for major infrastructure projects closed yesterday - the 23rd of December. Did Glen Eira apply? If so, for which projects? Why wasn't anything said at the last council meeting in December? The fact that Esakoff could move an 'urgent business' item asking for council to 'lobby' the state government over rail/road separation only makes this omission to inform and discuss even more striking. If urgent matters can be raised about lobbying, then surely 'urgent matters' can be raised about applications which close in a week's time.

This is really a governance issue. If a funding application did go in then who was involved in the decision making, the prioritising of potential infrastructure projects, and finally, why wasn't this brought up at council meeting so that the community would know exactly what was going on? I'm also wondering if an application did go in, then was the 'aquatic centre" the designated project? My understanding was that any decision on the aquatic centre was to be made by this new council. If an application has been submitted, and funding approved, then it will be damn hard, or embarrassing to knock back the funding - so it again takes decisions away from councillors, in effect rendering them as superfluous. If no application was submitted, then it is again a damning criticism of glen eira for its failure to at least attempt to gain some benefit for its residents.

Red face, gold chains, it's all so embarrassing

Suzanne Carbone, Lawrence MoneyDecember 19, 2008

"GUESS who has donned the mayoral robes at Glen Eira? None other than the Florence Nightingale of municipal politics, Helen Mary Whiteside. Good old Hel has given an interview to the local rag in which Her Worship was asked her "most embarrassing moment". Replied Whiteside: "Too many to list."
Yeah, we can believe that. Remember when she was elected in 2005, swept to victory in Camden ward on the strength of her credentials in medicine? "As a registered nurse," she said in her Electoral Commission statement, "(I've) worked for the Department of Community Services … the time is now right … to contribute to the community."
But, although she had been a nurse once, she wasn't any longer. Whiteside was — this is embarrassing — a real estate sales chick for Marshall White. When Diary phoned her, she said: "I am not working as a nurse. There is no further comment." We asked if she was the same Helen Mary Whiteside who had her knuckles rapped by Consumer Affairs Victoria in 2003 for breaching the Estate Agents Act by "allowing material contained in a website to be displayed as she is not a licensed estate agent". Said Whiteside: "I'm not aware of that." Then she hung up. However, the Consumer Affairs website seemed aware and gave this assurance: "Ms Whiteside undertook to comply with the act requirements."
So many embarrassments, so little time".

Idiot of the year award goes to.......

I stood there, laughing uncontrollably at the sight of this latest engineering feat of Glen Eira Clowncil. How many brains does it take to properly install a doggy drinking fountain and a drain? Well at Glen Eira it must take many, many Einsteins if this is the result of their work! Yes, folks, our rates are literally down the drain. Who oversees this? Who takes responsibility?

The photo is from Joyce Park.

Listening or being stone deaf?

This week's Leader newspaper features a large colour photo of newly elected Mayor Whiteside. Her stated manifesto is 'listening to the community'. Well, according to reliable sources, last night's council meeting was the first real opportunity for this statement to be put into practice. All failed dismally to provide credence to the claim that such statements are nothing more than rhetoric, without substance. It appears that an objector was denied permission to address council on a planning issue. Also, a petition was refused tabling. Now this is what I really call 'listening to the community'!! If rules and regulations are allowed to over-ride the community's right to express their views, then how on earth can councillors be said to be 'listening to the community'. Why do they repeatedly permit the letter of the law to over-ride the spirit of the law? This has been far from an auspicious start by our newly elected representatives. I sincerely hope that this represents nothing more than an aberration and will be immediately remedied. If not, then the community has every right to disbelieve in such manifestoes as uttered by Whiteside.

A conundrum - 'please explain'!!!!!

I am reliably told that the series of speed humps along McKinnon road, those passing the high school - have suddenly and mysteriously been ripped up and are now gone - vanished, disappeared, banished into the dustbin of history! Now after spending a fortune installing them, recent resurfacing of the road, not to mention protecting all the little kiddies who attend McKinnon High - why have they gone? Is this another example of the genius of Glen Eira clowncil's traffic management? Will they be replaced? If so, at what cost? and why were these perfectly good speed humps then removed after probably only about two years? Which Einstein makes such decisions? Can anyone provide the answers?

What's in a word?

What does the substitution/addition of ONE SINGLE WORD in a clowncil media release headline indicate about the workings, and supposedly changed attitudes of this clowncil to pets? In a December 2007 media release the headline read = "Pets - not ideal Christmas gifts". In 2008, this same media headline is rehashed, to now read - "Pets — not necessarily ideal gifts this festive season". Come on clowncil!!! Surely with the salaries being paid, those who create such releases could be a little more inventive, creative, and desist from year after year trotting out the same spin? Finally, to show readers how little is actually changed I include the entire release from 2007 and 2008. Repetition is not only boring, but displays lack of imagination and creativity!!

From 2007 -


Owning a pet can be rewarding, but the level of commitment it requires is often higher thanexpected. As a result, thousands of pets are abandoned each year.
With Christmas only weeks away, a pet may seem like the ideal gift. However, pet ownership is a big responsibility and many factors should be considered before making the decision. Council urges potential owners to think about the expense involved in keeping a pet, how much space and exercise it will need and who else the pet’s arrival may affect.
Making an informed decision about the most appropriate pet for your circumstances will stop it from becoming one of the thousands dumped in the streets or left in pounds each year. Council is also urging residents to understand that not all stray pets have been abandoned and if you find a stray cat or dog, it is the law to report and surrender the animal to Council.
Manager Civic Compliance John Bordignon said some residents do not report a found pet and instead take it into their care.
“Residents may feel they are saving a pet’s life by not reporting it found, but in fact, they are causing more harm than good,” Mr Bordignon said.
“If a pet has been lost for some time, it may be unwell,” Mr Bordignon said, “Council provides the necessary care at the pound to ensure the pet returns to full health.”
Mr Bordignon said reporting a found pet can save the correct owners a great deal of heartache.
Decreasing the number of unwanted animals or lost pets is possible through responsible pet ownership. If you are confident you can give a pet a good home and be responsible, have the pet registered with Council.
For more information regarding responsible pet ownership or to report a found or missing dog or cat, contact Council’s Service Centre on 9524 3333 or visit www.gleneira.vic.gov.au

AND THE LATEST PIECE DE RESISTANCE -


With the festive season fast approaching, a pet may seem like the ideal gift, however, pet ownership is a big responsibility and many factors should be considered before making the decision.
Glen Eira City Council is encouraging all potential owners to think about the expense involved in keeping a pet, how much space and exercise it will need and who else the pet’s arrival may affect.
Council’s Manager Civic Compliance John Bordignon said owning a pet can be rewarding, but the level of commitment it requires is often higher than expected.
"Making an informed decision about the most appropriate pet for your circumstances will stop it from becoming one of the hundreds dumped in the streets or left in pounds each year," Mr Bordignon said.
Mr Bordignon said it is also important for residents to understand that not all stray pets have been abandoned and if they find a stray cat or dog, by law they have to report and surrender the animal to Council.
"Some residents do not report a found pet and instead take it into their care," Mr Bordignon said.
"Residents may feel they are saving a pet’s life by not reporting it found, but in fact, they are potentially causing more harm than good."
For further information regarding responsible pet ownership, or to report a found or missing dog or cat, contact Council’s Service Centre on 9524 3333 or visit www.gleneira.vic.gov.au

A 'mandate for change'

In this week's Leader, Nick Staikos is cited as stating: "The strong result in Tucker is a mandate for change'. One can only hope that this 'change' extends far beyond the boundaries of Tucker ward and includes Camden and Rosstown as well! If voting trends can be believed, then Nick certainly has the support from the community for 'change' - ie. improving child care services with the acquisition of the ABC centre and ensuring the longevity of the Bentleigh Pool. But this is only the start I would suggest.

If real 'change' is to come to Glen Eira, then it must be more than a mere tinkering at the edges, or the acquisition of a few childcare centres, and paying lip service to an environmental policy. Real change involves a revolution in thinking and in ethos. This means accepting the fact that what is important is direct community involvement in all facets of decision making. Advisory committees must be established that include representation by all stakeholder groups and furthermore, meetings of these committees must be open to the public. Community reps must also be given full voting rights. Currently all clowncil advisory committees are denied this basic right - we are therefore seen as nothing more than second class citizens!

Change is also desperately needed in the manner that council interacts with its constituency. Arrogance, refusal to directly answer public questions, and repeated stonewalling are not acceptable if the vision of transparency and accountability are to be realised. By repeatedly adopting the minimalist approach (ie the 'letter of the law' rather than the 'spirit of the law') in its dealings with the community, this council has to a great extent forfeited the respect and trust of the public. It will take a concerted effort by all councillors to turn such perceptions around. I sincerely wish them the best of luck, and hope that their aspirations of overseeing a truly democratic institution come to fruition.

Winds are still blowing!!

Well the votes are in and it looks like Whiteside has got in by the skin of her teeth - thanks to preferences from several other candidates. What should however be noted, is that in comparison to the other successful incumbents, Whiteside was the only candidate whose primary vote went DOWN compared to the previous election. So, what does this say? That she is not 'high profiled' enough? That some people have been disappointed with her performance? perhaps it would behove Cr. Whiteside to stop thumping council chamber tables and concentrate on real planning issues - ie reforming the Glen Eira MSS for starters! Also, if she is to declare herself as 'green', then perhaps her voting pattern should reflect this - ie. Caufield Park pavilion and solar/water saving devices? Finally, this election has brought four new faces to council chambers. I remain optimistic that the core issues of governance, transparency, and open debate will be progressed and taken seriously at last.