Well it has been sometime since my last post but that doesn’t mean I havent been busy in fact it’s quite the reverse.

I was re-elected again as joint President of the Port Melbourne branch of the Australian Labor Party and last week I was elected on to the Transport Policy Committee where I will have the chance to have input into the future of the Labor Party’s Transport Policy.

I am still actively following the developments of 1-7 Waterfront Place and still support the development 100%. I believe it will be great for the area and the design itself is spectacular. It will also have a much needed positive impact on our great local traders to whom I still regularly speak with who all tell me they are doing tough.

The Montague Development is still on everyones lips and I hope any development includes decent public space and amenity. I don’t mean  a little park overshadowed by tall buildings, I mean considered, planned and sizeable space. I’m not concerned with the heights of the developments but what I am concerned with is the desperate need for at least one primary school. I’m still concerned about the lack of childcare facilites and community services. Docklands is great if you like windy, soulless ghost towns.

I’ve listened to the frustrations of the Garden City residents and there ridiculous and unfair rate rises. I just dont think Council get it and I don’t believe they’ve done enough to help. Token lip service is not help.

I went to Middle Park last week to the City of Port Phillip Solar Seminar which was really informative. It got my partner Alison and I thinking that we would like to do it however the red tape and hurdles Council put in front of you make it less than easy to take the step. I believe in environment over heritage. With over 80% of the City of Port Phillip in Heritage Overlay and a Council that loves red-tape to slow things down it all makes it rather daunting.

On a personal level I have been keeping fit by riding 6 days a week and racing where I can. Alison and I recently completed the 3 Peaks Challenge, The Beechworth Gran Fondo and The Rapha Gentlemans Ride.

Remember it’s the squeaky door that gets oiled so if you’re not happy say something!

My new Team Kit and Bike.

Alison and I

I went to the community consultive forum on the Waterfront Place precinct last night. The elephant in the room was 1-7 Waterfront Place and thats what everyone seemed interested in most. It was interesting to hear the results of the traffic survey and also hear from architects of what they believe the site should look like. I found this interesting but was amazed that the owner / developer who has made a submission to Council wasn’t asked to explain his master plan and vision for the site.

For me I believe the Council is stalling, they need to make a decision on the application and stop wasting time. If they knock it back it will no doubt go to VCAT. Personally my postion has not changed and I fully support it in its entirety. I believe its good for the community  good for local business, good for the economy and jobs and the design is spectacular and will be a magnificent gateway to Melbourne. Lets get on with it and start building.

Happy New Year, I had a great break and rode everyday with my friends. I am back at work now and deeply into it. I think I needed to go back to work for a break, all the riding was killing me.

I hope you had a enjoyable break.

It’s another year and another year full of challenges and surprises but it’s good to be alive. I can’t wait for the year ahead.

See you on the street.

.

I went to Port Melbourne Town Hall last night in support of some of the Garden City residents who have been smashed with heavy rate increases of up to 29%. It was a good initiative  by Council to hold the forum and field questions however there are many questions still to be answered.

I will be following the developments of this. I believe it is both unfair and unsustainable on the Garden City residents especially in light of the fact many reported the lack of services and maintenance being conducted in the Garden City area. There is a school of thought sometimes that Port residents are a cash cow for the municipality and  Council needs the money to fund St Kilda centric things like the St Kilda Festival and the Triangle.

I went to the Alan Whittaker memorial on Friday evening at Princess pier. It was a great evening with good numbers out in support. It was interesting to hear the stories again and look and try and envisage what and how it happened back in the day.

Kevin Bracken spoke and as always came from the heart, Father Bob was his good self and local member for Albert park Martin Foley rounded it off and gave us all a local history lesson. Overall it was a lovely evening.

What a tight result. In the end I fell short by a mere 28 votes. After winning both booths I got smashed on pre-poll and early voting which in the end was the difference. I didn’t have the financial resources to fund a postal or early voting campaign but at the end of the day I just wasn’t good enough to win.

I would like to thank all the people who supported and turned out to vote for me. I had a Campaign team Barack Obama would be envious of. With a combination of friends and Party faithful we ran an extremely successful campaign hitting all the right notes. Despite not taking a single day off work we came within 28 votes of winning. I am immensely proud of the result.

I met some great local businesses and some extraordinary residents and I learnt a lot about the challenges my neighbor’s face.  I would like to congratulate Bernadene and Peter for both running great campaigns and well done to Bernadene for winning. My vision of Port Melbourne was different, I believe and accept that Port will change but I will not forget the disadvantaged or long term Port  residents.

Again thank you to everyone, it was a great ride and I was sorry I had to get off. I will kept active in the area and keep listening and learning and above all I will still be involved in the area I love and are truly passionate about – Port!!

Jo and Nick handing out on Election Day. Nick was amazing throughout the Campaign and did an amazing job for me. Thank you!

My Super girlfriend; Alison at the Beacon Cove tram stop chasing people on to the tram I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing and supportive girlfriend.

Saturday the 27th of October is an important date for our community, when you will be asked to choose your local Councillor for the next four years. I seek your support because I have a vision for a better Port Melbourne, Garden City and Beacon Cove.

We are lucky to live in Sandridge; we have an enviable bayside location, a vibrant young community and it’s a great environment to raise a family. In spite of this, we face significant challenges in the water quality at our beaches, the pressures of growth and unnecessary red tape for home owners and small businesses. We need a second school and our sports clubs deserve more support. These are real problems that will require passion, hard work and local knowledge to overcome.

My vision for our community will begin with reintroducing a focus on Port. For too long St Kilda has been the focus of Council decisions and we need a representative on Council who demands we get our fair share. The next step will be utilising my 17 years experience in business to ensure your rates are used efficiently. I’ll rely on your views to shape our future; I’ve listened closely to what you’ve told me and as a home owner in Bay Street I’m personally aware of the issues facing our community.

Key Commitments

• Keep planning decisions local and listen to the community
• New sporting & community facilities as our population grows
• Win the fight for two new schools and better childcare
• Improve water quality at our beaches.
• Be available to all residents & businesses via my mobile 0448816220 or email anytime.

About me

• Lived in and around Port Melbourne for over 10 years
• Home owner in Bay Street
• 17 years working in business (state and national roles)
• Active community member: volunteer at a local cycling club, member of the Australian Labor Party and Animals Australia
• Passionate about the future of our community

I was pleased to speak on Monday evening at the Port People Candidate Forum. Approximately 60 Sandridge residents attended to hear the three candidates voice their views on a range of issues relevant to our ward.

I covered a number of issues close to my heart: the water quality at our beaches, the quality of our sporting facilities, fixing bike/car blackspots and being a responsive, available candidate. The questions from the audience were very interesting and highlighted the different approaches of myself, Bernadine and Peter. They were mainly concerned with Waterfront Place, community consultation and many of the local clubs and organisations in Sandridge.

The campaign is in full swing and all residents should have received my flyer and contact details. My how to vote card will be delivered next week and they will also be available on election day, next Saturday the 27th of October.

I will continue to hand out flyers and speak to residents until then, and I will also be at the polling stations on election day.  I’m looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible.

I’m happy to report that my Grand Final Fundraiser was a great success and the money raised will go towards printing and postage – two of the major costs that must be borne by candidates in local elections.

I have many thank yous to make: To all of my friends who attended and/or donated money and bought raffle tickets, to my friends from the Port Melbourne Branch of the ALP and to Councillor Janet Bolitho who made the effort to attend. Thank you to everyone who helped by bringing food, by cooking on the day and by selling raffle tickets. Our raffle was supported by two incredibly generous supporters and friends: Giant Bicycles who donated a bike and Paul Mark who also generously donated a roof rack.

One of the things I like best about Port Phillip is that our community is anything but stereotypical or conforming to traditional social expectations. I honestly believe that there are few areas in Victoria that can match it for colour, inclusivity and acceptance. Yet as far as we’ve come, there is still significant work to be done.

I want to make my position on GLBTI issues clear so your vote can be informed one way or the other, and I’m unapologetic about my support for a community within our community that deserves our recognition and respect. In summary:

• I’m proud of the ALP’s progressive view on same sex marriage and support our national policy of recognition.
• I also respect people’s right to disagree with this support. Marriage is a long-standing tradition and change can be hard.
• Having said that, I believe recognition is inevitable. I also think history will judge us poorly if Government does not rectify the law to match the majority view of the Australian people. I was deeply disappointed that the coalition would not allow a conscience vote on the issue last week. As Muhammad Zafarullah Khan said “Belief is a matter of conscience, and conscience cannot be compelled.”
• Port Phillip Council needs a GLBTI advisory group to ensure the decisions of Council reflect the needs of the GLBTI community. This is a no-brainer to me; it would be a low cost, high return initiative and I would seek its immediate implementation if elected.
• Areas in which I would pursue improvement include: support for same-sex families, promoting and expanding the Pride March and working with our local schools to ensure that gender questioning and same-sex attracted youth are adequately supported.

As always, I welcome your views and suggestions on this topic via 0448816220 or leeturner@outlook.com.