Congratulations to Mayor Amanda Stevens and Deputy Mayor Serge Thomann who were elected unanimously at the Port Phillip Council meeting on Wednesday 7 November 2012.

The elections in October resulted in a Council with 3 unChain councillors (Serge Thomann, Jane Touzeau and Vanessa Huxley), 3 Community Alliance Port Phillip councillors (Amanda Stevens, Anita Horvath and Bernadene Voss) and one Liberal (Andrew Bond).

Now it is time for the Council and the community to get on with business. We have many important matters to deal with in order to ensure that we live in the best possible city. These include:

• A great St Kilda Triangle development of the St Kilda Triangle.
• Developing measures concerning flooding, especially in Elwood.
• Implementing the Melbourne Metro Strategy, which involves radical changes to land-use planning that holds both threats and promises for our residential amenity.
• Ensuring that the new suburb of Montague/Fishermans Bend does not repeat the failures of Southbank and Docklands.
• Ensuring that we have appropriate facilities for our growing inner-city population, including social infrastructure, public transport and protecting those in need.
• Protecting our parks and our beaches, and hopefully saying goodbye to the Grand Prix at Albert Park.
• Ensuring that our rates and charges are kept to the minimum necessary and that we get full value from them in terms of Council services.

Naturally because of unChain’s start as a residents’ action group, I am interested in the development of the St Kilda Triangle. The past Council developed a Vision for the Triangle after significant community consultation. It will be the responsibility of the current Council to deliver on this Vision. I hope that the Council will set up a Reference Group to be chaired by Deputy Mayor Serge Thomann to advance this process.

I wish the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and the Councillors all the best.

~ Peter Holland
unChain President