canineclub

The following is taken verbatim from the Municipal Association of Victoria’s weekly newsletter (week ending March 14th):

Last year, Glen Eira City Council offered to install energy efficient compact fluorescents in residents’ homes free of charge. To date, 265,087 globes within the municipality have been replaced. This is equivalent to 234,072 tonnes of carbon dioxide that will not enter the atmosphere or the removal of over 3,500 cars off the road for good. The new energy-saving globes last 15 times longer than the old, saving 3.7 million incandescent light globes from landfill, and $25 million less will be spent in household energy bills over the life of the globes. Councils interested in finding out more should contact Andrew Newton, 9524 3333, ANewton@gleneira.vic.gov.au.

Isn’t self promotion and gilding the lily wonderful? I wonder what Green Energy, THE SUPPLIERS AND INSTALLERS of these light bulbs would say? Reading this one would think that Glen Eira developed and initiated the project, had their own staff come into people’s homes and physically install these bulbs, and that everything achieved is due to their wonderful environmental conscience. The real facts of course are far different. Green energy developed this scheme years ago and have been active in NSW for ages. One installer claimed that the only reason Glen Eira decided to come on board was the fear that Kingston would beat them to the punch. So much for media releases! and so much for information which really informs the public as to the veracity of all clowncil’s claims!

I would love someone to explain the following please. Why is it that building sites, according to clowncil’s info, require one toilet for 10 workers, yet, this mob can ‘hire’ out or take ‘bookings’ for barbecues/rotundas for hours on end so that there are literally hundreds of people in a park and yet only provide two singing toilets??

From this week’s Glen Eira Leader. 

I have just moved to City of Glen Eira a month ago, and I’ve worked out there is a lot missing at my local council.

Where is the information about environment and waste? Not on its website.

Where is the environment officer? Missing, too. There is not a single one at Glen Eira – most councils have a team of three or four.

Where is the sustainability policy? There is not one accessible.

Where are the sustainable houses programs? None. Waste wise community events? Missing.

The council supports Live Green with Less and helps residents with energy saving through the installation of efficient light globes, but offers no environmentally friendly way to dispose of these.

There is no transfer station.

Detox your Home program? Can’t find that either – and Glen Eira is the only Council in Victoria not to have signed up for Cities for Climate Protection.

Leadership on waste and environment is not there at Glen Eira.

What else is missing?

Leisa Hunt, Murrumbeena.

Oh dear, oh dear! Another stuff up in the wonderful kingdom of Glen Eira. Folks, you’d think that the authors of any policy document would actually have a clear understanding of what the law requires them to do wouldn’t you? But not with this clowncil. It’s taken the Canine Association of Victoria, (now called Dogs Victoria) to point out to our clowncil’s bureaucrats and lawmakers that “since the Staffordshire bull terrier is not a restricted breed it is NOT appropriate to cite this breed in this section” - referring to clowncil’s animal management policy and the section which discusses identification of restricted breeds.

One should surely expect that any policy should be well versed with the legislation that it is meant to be based upon. Errors such as this just shouldn’t happen. But perhaps it is indicative of how little thought and research has actually gone into this so-called ‘plan’.

How do you know when your comments are hitting home? The answer is simple folks. When someone has logged onto your website and every single posting you’ve put up in the last few months has the ‘report bad content’ clicked. The proof of the pudding (so to speak) isn’t in the eating - in this case it’s in the attempt to silence you!

The spin doctors at clowncil must have really been working overtime on their Domestic Animal Management Policy. What is again clear is the lack of balance. Below is a table comparing page lengths of other councils’ policies and the frequency of the use of such inflammatory language as ‘attack/attcking’; ’safety’ and ‘risk’. It makes for informative reading -

Need I say more?

If anyone required clear ‘evidence’ as to this clowncil’s attitude to pet ownership, then it is blindingly obvious in the following. Brimbank Council states in its Animal Management Policy: “There needs to be a balance between the rights of animal owners and the rights and safety of others” (Page 17).

Glen Eira on the other hand, pinches these words and produces this little gem: “There needs to be a balance between the desires of animal owners and the rights and safety of others” (Page iv)!!! So much for balance and lack of bias. 

From the Caulfield/Glen Eira Leader (Feb 19th)

Ratepayers will get their chance

Your article last week once again exposed the incredible arrogance of Glen Eira Council.

Ludicrous claims by Paul Burke, that there will be a net gain of open space by building a $5 million pavilion with dozens of new parking spaces, insult residents.

Apart from Maccabi Junior Football club, the other clubs in the park already have their own pavilions.

These clubs were never shown the $3 million architect-designed residents’ option that amply meets the requests for change rooms and storage, but was better designed at just 46m long.

There has never been any justification for the massive scale of this building.

The pavilion has absorbed all of the available funds tht may have been used to upgrade and landscape the park for decades to come.

The council recently announced it would now take 20 years before necessary work could be carried out in the rest of Glen Eira’s parks.

The concept is totally at odds with the registered plan for Caulfield Park, and the planning permit used by the council does not have a valid signature.

I have great faith in the residents that, with elections later this year, Camden Ward councillors Whiteside, Lipshutz and Robilliard will be told they have failed in every way and cannot be trusted to represent the residents.”

Colin Rawson.

 To the above I would like to add Councillors Tang, Esakoff, Ashmor, Staikos, Spaulding, and last but not least, Feldman!! Roll on November, 2008. 

If clowncil really wants to know what residents think about a variety of issues then I challenge them to put up the following questionnaire on their website –
 

1. Do you think the current $2.94 million‘ redevelopment’ of Centre Road Shopping Centre is ’successful’?
2. Are you in favour of a $3.4 million pavilion in Caulfield Park?
3. Are you in favour of an estimated $40 million Aquatic Centre?
4. Do you agree with the argument that council must pass many development applications because VCAT will ultimately pass them?
5. Do you believe that council really ‘consults’ with its residents?
6. Do you believe that councillors simply do the bidding of the administration?
7. Do you think that there are enough off leash areas for dog owners?
8. Do you feel that your councillor has successfully represented your interests?
9. Do you feel that councillors are easy to contact and provide feedback?
10. Do you feel that there is enough transparency and accountability in this council?