Unfair Victoria: A Community Fighting Back

The Labor Governments have decided to flood disadvantaged communities with social housing, all to be built in medium to high density enclaves.

Residents from the North, Outer East, South East, South West and Western Suburbs are all fighting to stop their already disadvantaged suburbs being flooded with transitional social housing that will guarantee a future of inter-generational disadvantage.

The planning applications for social are compared only to rescode standards, they do not take into account the environment in which they will be built, or the social impact that developments will have.

These enclaves are being developed in areas that are struggling with poor services and social infrastructure, including;

• poor access to primary health services
• long waiting times for mental health services
• crumbling child protection services
• most crowded and poorly serviced public transport
• poor access to open space and youth opportunities
• high unemployment
• over-stretched police
• poor access to tertiary education, and more

All of this has created social disadvantage and poor community outcomes. To bring in more social housing without determining the impact it will have is lunacy.

The decision to build transitional housing for women and children on an RSL site with gaming machines in Sunshine, has brought this issue to a head.

Communities right across metropolitan Melbourne have decided to form an alliance and to fight back. No longer will we allow State and Federal Governments to dump on already struggling communities. No longer will we accept State and Federal Governments planning to create longterm and inter-generational neglect by building the ghettos of the future.

We have learned the lessons from the failed social experiments of the 50’s and 60’s and we vow not to let them be repeated under the ill-considered Stimulus Spending, and piecemeal Victorian Planning Laws.

Residents from all over Melbourne have vowed to join forces to fight what is fast becoming an Unfair Victoria, with a Statewide Community Meeting to be held on Sunday February 14th 2010.

For more information, email Sean Spencer at contact@respectthewest.net

A Community’s Grand Vision

from “The Star”
by Belinda Nolam
3 November 2009

A BOTANICAL garden, a farmers’ market and a skate park were among a flurry of suggestions for the future use of Sunshine’s Sunvale School site.

Around 40 Sunshine residents attended a community meeting with Brimbank Council’s CEO, managers and officers last week to bend their ears on residents’ vision for their suburb.

Open space topped the wish list, with residents renewing calls for more parks and playgrounds to address the suburb’s chronic shortage.

Sunshine resident Mike St Clair Miller said parks and bike tracks were desperately needed to curb the municipality’s growing obesity epidemic.

“The Sunvale School site is the perfect opportunity to address these problems and develop a facility that will cater for the physical and mental health of residents,” Mr St Clair Miller said.

Respect the West member Sean Spencer said the suburb needed more community facilities for local artists and musicians.

“We’ve got lots of talented people but they all go to other areas because there’s nowhere for them in Brimbank.”

Residents remain vehemently opposed to the council’s push to build social housing on Sunvale.

Sunshine resident Margaret Stanford said Sunshine did not need any more public housing.

“We’re not a dumping ground,” Ms Stanford said.

Residents also raised concerns about safety and a lack of trees in the suburb.

The consultation was the first of four forums planned to give Brimbank residents the opportunity to discuss their priorities and concerns with the council.

Kelly Grigsby, the council’s General Manager of Community Wellbeing said administrator Bill Scales would be briefed on the proceedings.

She said the council would also conduct surveys to ensure all residents were able to have their say.

Although the State Government has yet to decide the future of Sunvale, CEO Nick Foa promised to write to its departments to convey the community’s interest in the site.

http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/82193

Housing Plan Opposed

from “The Star”
By Belinda Nolan
3rd November 2009

HANDS off Sunvale was the message Sunshine residents hurled at the State Government on Sunday.

Around 50 people attended a public rally at the former school site in Sunshine to protest Brimbank Council’s push to install social housing at the site.

While their parents demonstrated outside the gates, a handful of children played among the derelict school buildings.

Residents hope they will one day be able to legitimately claim the site as their own.

They are lobbying for the site to be turned into a park, in a bid to combat Brimbank’s chronic shortage of open space.

Sunshine resident Christine Oosthuizen said local children had to make do with residential areas to play because there was no where else to go.

“I grew up in Sunshine and we never had anywhere to play back then,” she said.

“Now I’ve got two kids and nothing has changed.

“There’s still no where for them to go.

“As a family we go for walks to the shops because there’s just no where else.”

Although not opposed to social housing, residents say Brimbank already has a disproportionate amount, a view echoed by youth worker Les Twentyman.

Speaking at the rally Mr Twentyman said putting more public housing in Brimbank would be a social disaster.

“I’d be the first to say we need more social housing but to set (Sunshine) up as a ghetto is just going to rip the guts out of this community,” Mr Twentyman said.

Sunshine resident Speroulla Christodoulou said she was furious over the council plan.

“Are we getting more social housing because we need it or are we attracting (the disadvantaged) here,” she asked.

“We are not a dumping ground.”

Respect the West member Sean Spencer said the State Government was still deciding what to do with the site and would offer it to its own departments before selling it to the council.

“We need to send a message to them loud and clear that we don’t want any government offices here,” Mr Spencer said.

“They can put their offices somewhere else and keep their hands off Sunvale.”

The residents are writing to the state government to urge it to donate the land for community use.

Anyone wishing to have their say on Sunvale or any other Sunshine issue is urged to attend a council consultation this Thursday.

The Sunshine Community Conversation will be held at the Glengala Community Centre in Glengala Road in Sunshine.

For more information call 9249 4383.

http://starnewsgroup.com.au/story/81914

Heads May Roll

from “The Star”
by Belinda Nolan
3rd November 2009

MORE council heads could be on the chopping block after Brimbank’s administrator revealed the council’s senior management team would be reviewed within months.

Brimbank administrator Bill Scales told residents at a community meeting last week he would be recommending a full investigation into CEO Nick Foa and council managers, amid concerns the leadership team was not living up to community expectations.

Frustrated residents told Mr Scales they were fed up with Brimbank’s administration and called for new blood to take the reins at the troubled council.

Mr Scales promised a review of council management would take place when the new panel of administrators arrived.

“One of the first tasks of the administrators will be to review the performance of the senior leadership team,” he said.

Mr Scales said Mr Foa had invited him to review his contract more than once but he had declined because his role was only temporary.

“Nick has asked me a few times if I want to review his contract and I said no, because I believe that’s the job of the administrators,” Mr Scales said.

“When the administrators arrive, or very shortly after, I will be asking them to review the council’s policies, as well as senior management roles.”

Mr Scales said he had been “horrified” by the council’s lack of consultation over its bid to turn the Sunvale School site into a public housing estate.

He said many of the council processes were badly managed and needed an overhaul.

“I’m a hard marker but I think there’s a lot of work to be done and I’ve told Nick (Mr Foa) this,” he said.

“I think there’s a long way to go and it’s going to be a real challenge.”

The former monitor said he had been scarred by his experiences at Brimbank.

“I’m deeply saddened,” he said. “I will be affected until my dying day by the six months I’ve spent at Brimbank.

“I really believe there needs to be a deep cultural change at the political level and cultural change at the administration level and that’s what I’ll be talking to the new administrators about.”

The announcement has been welcomed by community groups who say a review of the council’s leadership is long overdue.

Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association President Darlene Reilly said her group had been calling for a review of the CEO for months.

“We’re most dissatisfied with the level of expertise and consultation of the senior management,” Ms Reilly said. “Everyone has a tale of woe to tell regarding their contact with the administration.

“They have failed this community and as far as we’re concerned, their time is up.”

Respect the West convenor Sean Spencer said there would be no love lost if managers were shown the door.

“A review is vital,” Mr Spencer said. “We’ve had enough of these people.”

A State Government spokesman would not confirm whether a review would take place but did not rule out the possibility.

“Administrators appointed by the government are for all intensive purposes the elected body of council. All council bureaucracies are accountable to residents through their councillors and the administrators will act in this role for the designated period,” the spokesman said.

http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/81915

Rally for Community Park

From “The Star”
By Belinda Nolan
27th October 2009 11:05:22 AM

SUNSHINE residents will hold a public rally to campaign for a new park to be established at the former Sunvale school site.

Outraged by Brimbank Council’s push to install social housing at the school, residents groups have united to plan the joint rally in a bid to gain support for their cause.

News of the protest was published on the Save Sunvale website last week, urging residents to attend to voice their desire for a community park.

The council had previously lobbied the State Government to install a public housing estate, with 0.8 hectares of community space on the site.

But on Thursday the council released a press release inviting Sunshine residents to have their say on Sunvale at a community conversation event next week.

Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association President Darlene Reilly dismissed the move as a “backflip” aimed at avoiding the fallout of the upcoming rally.

“They failed to consult with us prior to writing letters to the Education Department and local MPs lobbying for social housing,” she said.

“Now they’re telling us they’re going to have a community consultation about it.

“I think this announcement is a win for the community but it’s something that’s long overdue.

“If they think it’s going to stop us from holding the rally, they’re wrong.”

Respect the West member Sean Spencer said residents had no qualms about discussing the issue with the council but said the upcoming consultation was too little too late.

“We wanted to join with the council and have a joint submission to turn the site into a park for the benefit of the entire community,” Mr Spencer said.

“The council knew what we wanted and yet they wrote to the Education Department asking for the site to be turned into social housing.

“We have absolutely no confidence in their so-called consultations.

“They only consult with us after they’ve made a decision.”

Kelly Grigsby, the council’s General Manager of Community Well-being, said councillors at an August meeting had resolved to consult with the community regarding the use of the Sunvale School site.

She said the council had no knowledge of the rally prior to announcing next week’s consultation.

“The timing of the community consultation is coincidental,” she said.

Ms Grigsby said the government had yet to make a decision about the future of Sunvale but a government spokesman previously told Star the government had no plans to build social housing at the site.

The rally will be held on Sunday 1 November at the former primary school in Neil St in Sunshine from 11.30am.

http://starnewsgroup.com.au/story/81631

Brimbank: Past, Present, and Future

SunRRA Executive
From Left to Right: Deb Howell, Brian Carroll, John Hedditch, John Girardi, Gwen Goedecke, Sean Spencer, Garry Collins, Darlene Reilly.

Opinion

as written for “The Star”
22/09/2009

Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) was born out of the grass roots community campaign to replace outdoor swimming pools that had been left empty and cracked for well over a decade.

SunRRA quickly identified the link between disadvantaged communities across Brimbank, and the factional power plays that had dominated Brimbank Council for many years.

Powerbrokers external to Brimbank Council did not want a pool for Sunshine and their puppets on council followed orders. In the end the community won the fight and delivered not only an outdoor pool for the children and youth of surrounding areas but also a community movement focused on delivering better services, facilities and outcomes for the future.

Brimbank residents have been caught in the middle of warring between two sides of the same ALP faction both of whom wanted control of the Council. Both sides have succeeded in getting their wish.

The outcome has been political patronage for a few and neglect for the majority.

The obvious conclusion is that while candidates loyal to factional warlords remain on Council the community comes a distant second. Party-aligned candidates who had the community’s interests at heart have been few and far between. Councillors must not view Local Government as a stepping stone to State and Federal Politics but rather as genuine community service.

For Brimbank residents, missing out due to Local and State Government collusion has manifested as the worst health status, highest rate of diabetes, higher than average unemployment, poor access to open space, sub-par public transport, the highest gaming machine losses in the state and rising street violence due to under-resourcing of police.

The State Government should have sacked this inept Council long ago and saved the ratepayers a lot of money and heartache.

We can only hope the Commissioners will right the wrongs of the last 15 years, invest in our parks and gardens; playgrounds; create environments for healthier living; and improve our sporting facilities and run down community buildings. More importantly, we hope this is delivered fairly and equitably for all in our community.

SunRRA is advocating for a Community Reference Group to be formed to work and provide feedback to the Commissioners. A list of community issues that need revisiting will now be compiled. Now is the time for our community to heal, rebuild and redress all the wrongs that have been inflicted across our municipality.

Congratulations to the residents of Brimbank. Community groups and voices have been communicating the same message – that we deserve better; we refuse to be neglected any longer; and, we demand a better standard of Local Government. Finally, that collective voice has been heard.

We need to learn from communities such as Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat that have regularly turned over local MP’s; kept their electorates marginal, and obtained better outcomes as a result.

When it comes to the 2010 State and Federal Government elections think carefully about what John Brumby and your local MP’s have given you in return for decades of loyalty and vote accordingly.

Sean Spencer, for
Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Inc

The Labor Party Puts its Heartland on Life-Support

Opinion

After decades of safe seats and big margins, you could be forgiven for thinking that that rusted-on ALP voters in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne have had their loyalty rewarded by infrastructure investment and service access that rival the leafy East.

You’d be forgiven for thinking it, but you would be wrong.

Decades of Labor in Melbourne’s West have left loyal voters as generally disadvantaged. Brimbank, for example, which includes working class suburbs such as Sunshine, Albion, St Albans and Deer Park have been effectively left to rot.  Brimbank has the highest gambling losses of any Melbourne municipality, higher than average unemployment and crumbling infrastructure. Schools have been run into the ground, public transport rivals the worst services in Melbourne, open space has been sold off and the absence of walking and cycling paths is clearly linked back to the terrible health status of the community. The Ombudsman’s report into this notorious council details allegations of undue influence by unelected ALP warlords, ethnic branch-stacking and political patronage. But it doesn’t end there.

The State seat of Footscray has been held by Labor for more than 80 years. So, do the suburbs that fall under this ALP representation enjoy comparable facilities and services with other areas? No. In fact, the opposite is true. Footscray station remains an outdated bottle-neck for dangerously overcrowded train lines with pitiful peak hour services, streets are no-go zones after dark, police numbers are less than they were 20 years ago, parks and sports grounds are in appalling condition, youth development opportunities are sadly lacking, There is not even one fully functioning acute public hospital for the West.

There are some good people in the ALP, of that there is no doubt, but they are sadly in the minority. The party machine has delivered nothing but factionalism and branch-stacking in an endless quest to retain power at all costs. Large sections of the most vulnerable in our community have been warned of the consequences of changing their allegiance. As a consequence, the most loyal of voting servants have been left without – and too scared to vote against some sitting members.

Almost anything that is good in the west is a result of amazing contributions by individuals, community groups of all backgrounds, and courageous small business owners who continue to attempt to revitalise our suburbs. Those who attempt to highlight the flaws in the Labor machine pay the price; labelled “politically motivated,” “racist,” “militant thugs,” and worse.

It is not all bad, however. With every scandal, spin campaign, dodgy deal and shipped-in candidate, there is a strengthening of the community’s will to demand better. As the now infamous and successful Sunshine Pool campaign has taught us, if Governments at all levels fight the community long enough, they produce a stronger community movement. Sooner, rather than later, that community movement is going to bring about political change and a new dawn for disadvantaged communities.

Residents in Revolt

from “The Advocate”

4 August 2009

SUNSHINE Council has been condemned for its plans to spend more than $30million on building a new civic centre while “ageing infrastructure across the municipality is falling apart”.

The criticism was made by residents who attended a meeting hosted by Sean Spencer, of the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association.

About 40 residents were at the meeting, which was held outdoors by a bonfire to coincide with the ordinary council meeting being held at the Sunshine Council offices.

Mr Spencer said residents were never asked whether they wanted a new civic centre but, rather, where they wanted it and what colour it should be.

“Make no mistake,” SunRRa president Darlene Reilly told the meeting, “they are trying to sell this as a civic centre when really it is just brand new council offices dressed up as a civic centre.”

Another resident said: “We are happy to have a new civic centre after our parks, sports grounds and open space are all fixed?”

“How much is this going to raise our rates?” asked another.

The group carried a motion calling on Brimbank Council to stop all planning for the civic centre and reuse the $2 million allocated to the project in this year’s budget for other community projects.

http://www.the-advocate.com.au/news/local/news/general/residents-in-revolt/1585331.aspx

Council Campaign for Park “Misleading”

from “The Advocate”

4 August 2009

BRIMBANK Council still wants affordable housing built on the Sunvale Primary School site, despite a press release calling on the community to support a campaign for open space.

As the Sunshine community steps up its campaign to save the site to create a park and open space, a press release states the council wants the same thing.

But the council has written to the State Government, asking it to use the land to build affordable housing, keeping 0.8 hectares for a park.

In the press release the council calls on the community to support the campaign: “There is currently a shortage of public open space in the vicinity of the school, and the council is recommending that the State Government give residents access to a suburban or neighbourhood park.”

Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association president Darlene Reilly warned residents not to be fooled. “This press release is misleading. There is only one line in it that even hints that they still want affordable housing on the site,” she warned.

That one line reads: “We believe that strong, continued advocacy to the State Government is required to ensure that the open space is provided to the council as a component of any development.”

The Advocate asked the council exactly what its intentions for the site were. CEO Nick Foa said the council’s position had not changed.

“The council’s primary goal from the start has been to advocate that the State Government uses the soon-to-be-vacant Sunvale Primary School site to meet the needs of the local community.”

He said the council wrote to the State Government in 2008 asking that future use of the land meet the community’s needs of open space and residential development.

“Brimbank is the second-most-disadvantaged local government area in metropolitan Melbourne and the lack of affordable housing is a significant issue for the community,” he said.

Residents can pick up an advocacy postcard to send to the State Government or sign a petition from the council’s service centres, libraries and community centres.

A car park site of about 20,000 square metres in front of the Sunvale Primary School site has been subdivided and zoned residential, allowing building to begin at any time.

The land used to be owned by the council but was sold in 2006.

http://www.the-advocate.com.au/news/local/news/general/council-campaign-for-park-misleading/1585327.aspx

“Misleading” Council Postcards

from “the Star”

by Cimara Pearce and Belinda Nolan
4 August 2009

BRIMBANK Council has started a Save Sunvale campaign and is lobbying the State Government to put soon-to-be-vacant land to community use.

The council has stepped up its campaign to put affordable public housing and parkland on the Sunvale Primary School site and is encouraging the community to get behind a new postcard and petition campaign.

But Brimbank residents have accused the council of attempting to pull the wool over the community’s eyes, claiming the postcards campaign is misleading.

Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association President Darlene Reilly said, while the council claimed to be pushing for more open space, in reality the proposed design of the site would include only 0.8 hectares of parkland.

“This is complete spin,” Ms Reilly said.

“They’re trying to sell this to the community that they’re going to lobby for this to be open space, but it’s all a scam.”

Respect the West member Sean Spencer said the defunct school site should be completely converted to community use.

“We don’t need more public housing; we need more open spaces and parks,” Mr Spencer said.

Brimbank Council CEO Nick Foa said lack of affordable housing was a significant issue for the municipality.

“The council believes that advocacy to the State Government is required to ensure that open space is provided to Council as a component of any use of the site,” he said.

“The focus of the advocacy is for the State Government to help build a better Brimbank by using the Sunvale Primary School site for purposes that benefit the community, that is, for the State Government to build a park on at least .08 hectares of the site.

The council has produced copies of a postage-paid postcard that residents can mail to show their support of the council’s campaign to restore the site to council control. The postcards are addressed to the Minister for Education.

Residents can also sign a council petition to send to the State Government.

http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/78073