Meet the Lennox Candidates 2024

Introduce Yourself

I am an independent, 12 years building and living in our home in Richmond, south of Swan Street, just off Church.
Following Uni, where I studied Civil Engineering, from April 74 I have practiced Information Technology – CIO, Architect, Engineer, Product Manager/Owner.
Fought for our largest Departments and Corporates to use Australian software teams instead of importing US people for projects, and worked with Australian teams in both the customer and as a supplier, building World Firsts and Australian First solutions .
o The FIRST Citizen-Government Portal in the world with the first eCommerce ePayment gateway in Australia – for ALL LGAs PLUS the STATE GOV in Victoria.
o The wholesale fruit and vegetable market Australia from farmer to wholesaler to food processor / retailer (SUPERMARKETS DID NOT OWN THE MARKETPLACE)
It is never the technology that will be the critical part – even when we were leading with BLEEDING EDGE technology as with the 1994 “internet” solutions. It is Governance And that is why I am now a Candidate, here tonight.

TRAFFIC
Definitions of the PROBLEM AND BASE LINE DATA. We must get before we make emotive statements and “promises” around statements like “Too many resident Cars”, “NO Cars in Lennox”, “1 Car Residents only” etc.
• Is it the passing-through traffic that is the issue? Keep them off any side streets with INNOVATIVE compliance systems. Get community buy in for secure Number Plate Recognition solutions (vs)
• Is it PARKING? – How many permits now? How many cars registered in Yarra addresses? You might say “Privacy concerns” but first know the data and the laws.
o The Charlotte Street closure affected lots of local streets yet, during 6 months TRIAL, there was no communications with the community in a 2 km radius on the metrics of success/failure in the trial.
▪ Patently “quality of living” and “usage” metrics plus others should have been requested by Councillors before the rial was even allowed..
• SAFETY in narrow streets – Again, Council should be requesting of EXCECUTIVE, innovative solutions that might even add to Council revenue.
o a large 4 wheel drive with caravan side mirrors leaves 20 cms of footpath. This is the worst of safety concerns – pedestrians flatten themselves.
• Volume of Traffic on roads because of continuous breach of # of carparks for new Commercial Developments planning applications.
o Safety, civility and many other Community risks with 100 cars instead of 10 pouring onto “rat-runs” at 4:30 onwards. Business does need cars, but not for the status of employees/executives.
All governance issues on any of the 16 categories of services
EXEC I want you to go and find out this this and this and the possibilities of doing that that and that. Then ask the people do we accept e.g. more cameras and fines etc.

3 and 4 Public Spaces and HIGH RISE
1. FIRST OF ALL – OPEN SPACE – Lennox has not been an OPEN space type of suburb since the early 1900s. Open space is more access to sky, more that line of sight. This is a high rise and density issue of high rise and we know EVERY rule made is beaten with an ambit claim by the developer.

Developers cannot put ambit claims in. Council does not start the PLANNING process if above height envelopes, poor traffic considerations, sunlight, % of public open space, Private Open Space overlook, set-back or any other rules that are clearly articulated. Investigate by-laws that have teeth. If it has not gone to planning, then it cannot go to VCAT or Minister.
Also, ensure Developer has skin in the game in maintenance, management, decommissioning, disposal for 30 years (not even 2 generations).

2. A mantra can become very dangerous for the community when, as soon as it stated, it means it can happen without all the governance checks and balances that make each instance of an outcome necessary for success.
Pocket Parks is just one of the MANTRA’s. Say the words and it must be good for all. I think Charlotte Street was the perfect example. A 6+ month TEST started with what appears to be no METRICS of success or failure. No actual facts before the decision was made do the test on impacts good or bad on a radial set of people. Any measure looking RISKS and COMPLIANCE must be undertaken by Councillors, not just parroting “pocket parks are good”.

3. Stop building parks that get less GREEN every day. The worst one was the TWO YEAR signs before building commenced that said GREENING CREMORNE. So we allowed a totally GREEN cool (as possible) park to change from grass and hedges to white steel columns with steel and “wood” seats and gravel and or pebble rather than soil and grasses. Did it at McConchie Park also.
But there is more! Where is the ongoing sustainment costs for the next 30 years, workforce planning, beautification, cleansing and waste, dumping of stuff, noise and poor behaviour, etc.

5 DESIGN FRAMEWORKS
Frameworks, Mission Statements, Strategic Papers are a subset of what is completely lacking across probably all the 91 service item area. Good governance does not allow a Framework to just be a rolling document of Version Numbers. The same with Visions, Missions, Strategies, Action Plans, Plans – none of them have stated DEFINED outcomes, with measurements that prove success or failure, actual PLANS – continuous delivery and feedback targets, RESOURCING – physical, human, financial; detailed risks to success communications plans throughout, REVIEW PERIODS, change management.
Climate Emergency Action Plan Launch and what an evening it was in Collingwood townhall. As you would know the 2021-25 Council Plan and the 2036 Vision have Climate Action a PRIORITY 1 vision mission and strategy. Yet as we know, it should be a LENS applied to the actual LG laws that say LGA pass by-laws and deliver services.
The PLAN and ACTIONS “document” had no defined actions to measure success or failure to deliver, nor a plan (timing, resource needs, metrics that must be met to prove value to addressing Climate Change etc. Years of real action by passionate people to deliver no defined outcomes.
Example – First Priority Action – Engage with 10,000 people ….
• In 2019 we engaged with 700. How, What Outcome, Did it do something for Climate Change?
• Time frame for 10,000 – end of 2024. Any updates on how that has been going since 2019? Given the launch was in August 2024, where is the “in-progress report on how this engagement is going given its outcome is 4 months away.
• How do we ENGAGE and what measures an outcome that does anything for Climate Change Action?
• What resources are required / have been used to achieve by December?
ONE financial resource ($100,000) in the whole plan was assigned to this activity but then QUALIFIED with:
Note that draft resourcing throughout the action plans have been revised in light of budget constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

6 Waste Collection
Beyond the extra rubbish bins foisted on impossible small living areas instead of OPT-IN or simple justification why the extra will not be needed, Council waste collection is a reasonable service. European “common collection” points is well and good if the management of them is perfect but public health and space to put the combined bins that are big enough for the area assigned, can cause a bigger problem than solved.
Have to look at the whole refuse chain to be assured we have a great waste collection solution. Sharing services so they can be agile across equal number of people (even if it crosses Council boundaries) should be investigated for good value and service.
My issues with Waste Collection are
Commercial Garbage Collection:
Ungoverned and no compliance to standards expected.
Disgraceful behaviour by contracted providers – knocking into trees, oneway street violations, stop in oneway roads. ALL RUBBISH INTOGETHER – I see it every week. WE need compliance – yes that is a GOVERNACE ISSUE to operate in Yarra. Yarra should demand business use Yarr approved garbage collection businesses.
Dumping of Waste
Again creative technology solutions must be investigated to track and trace dumpers. A community discussion on more cameras????
Human “excrement” in Parks
Because we developed “play areas”without facilities.
McConchie Park (and pocket parks) is a perfect example. When it was a field next to a sanctuary, picnics on the ground were a small affair. Against the many rejections of the “ideas” proposed, in went picnic tables, basketball, and everything else for a PARTY atmosphere next to a sanctuary. BUT NO TOILET.
The basket ball rings at the school were supposedly too far away but no facts on that assessment were presented. However, the toilets that are nearer are TOO FAR away for a drunk set of party goers.