Meet the Lennox Candidates 2024

1. Please introduce yourself. Who are you? What is your connection to Lennox?

I’ve lived in Richmond (within the Lennox Ward) for over 20 years. I’m a father of three and a local independent business owner:

As an independent business owner for over 20 years, I have the hard-earned experience and real world skills needed to restore fiscal responsibility to our council’s decision making. My day-to-day includes:

• Creating and delivering projects on budget and schedule from $50,000 to $10 million
• Leading and managing the diverse needs of workforce from 40 to 100 people

I have a track record in navigating competing interests and building consensus to deliver results that benefit all, and everyday I work alongside:

• Individuals and businesses
• State and federal government agencies
• International corporations
• Regulatory frameworks
• Education providers

I operated my business out of Cremorne in the early 2000s and then again from 2012 to 2022 on Dover Street, until land tax / rates and lack of employee parking forced me to move.

2. How would you resolve traffic and movement issues in Lennox ward, including congestion, pedestrian access, safety and competition for parking?

Reform parking policies to better serve residents including 

• Free first parking permit to households (renters and ratepayers)

* As a note, the 2003 parking permits said any new builds weren’t eligible to receive parking permits.  It works well when offices and apartments are being built. 

• Affordable flexi multi-visitor passes
• Stronger permit zone enforcement on residential streets
• Designated parking zones for traders to get their employees off residential streets
• 1HR free parking in shopping precincts

Trees installed on streets has the right intention, however, the planning and placement of individual trees has compromised car spaces un-necessarily.

3. What opportunities do you see for creating additional public spaces in Lennox ward?

There are great opportunities to create public spaces, starting with the Kangan TAFE area. This facility should be multi-purpose and allow community use at low/no user cost. It can also be a source of additional revenue if leveraged correctly with profits going back to the community.

There are great opportunities to revitalise our local community pride and connection through local and affordable festivals and events that celebrate who we are. 

Rotation of small scaled community festivals, markets and events rotating through Lennox and Cremorne, at locations like Kangan TAFE carpark, are easily leveraged to bring community spirit back to our residential streets and engage with local traders to boost our local economy.

I spoke at council calling for the Charlotte St. pocket park to be halted based on the obvious need that Cremorne and Lennox has for Open Spaces funding, with such a limited urban canopy. We should have a new park in Cremorne/Lennox, such as a dedicated dog park.

Likewise, the Kagan TAFE car park area could be reinvigorated with trees and greenery.

4. Lennox ward contains a varied mix of residential and commercial properties with a recent and growing inclusion of large multi-storey developments. What tensions or opportunities do you see here and how would you address them? 

Having had a commercial property in Dover Street for over 10 years the clash between employee parking and local resident car spaces is easy to observe.

Reclaim our streets with road and footpath repairs, waste and rapid graffiti removal, and safer street lighting, better accessibility for our disabled and elderly community members.

5. There is currently a draft Urban Design Framework for Cremorne. What would you prioritise, and also apply to other parts of Lennox Ward?

My approach to development:

If elected in October, I’ll be calling for a full and thorough review of the entire planning and permit system to streamline the processing time (in particular for mum&dad investors/ renovators) and reduce the fees, charges associated with planning and the physical number of permits imposed on locals and their associated costs. It will also incorporate a stronger voice for community rejection of planning proposals.

• Mid-sized development, with a strong focus on high-end/cutting edge architecture juxtaposed against the heritage face of Cremorne, provides a promising future.
• It needs to be localized to transport corridors where it revitalizes the communities and local shopping districts but not at the cost of local resident homeowners i.e. no overshadowing etc.
• Targeted development that has undertaken thorough research and consultation with the local community, including responsible building height and car park planning, should be the first step in any potential expansion.
• Need to consider the needs of our disabled and elderly community including the design of our green spaces which are currently not addressing their concerns or offering full accessibility.

6. Could waste collection be done better, particularly in the context of the tight narrow streets and varied zones in Lennox? 

Absolutely!

Remove the Bin Tax, lowering rates and cost of living pressure for owners / landlords, and renters. 

Remove excessive bins that occupy valuable real estate and clutter our smaller streets through a streamlined recycling system. Four bins are excessive and two bins should be optional, especially in small residential streets

Community-driven solutions, such as recycling hard waste deposit locations (attached) as an alternative to all four bins should be considered. A two-way conversation with the local community to find solutions which actually work. Attached is an artist’s rendition of a local Cremorne residents’ recommendation, based on an European model.