
Oct 24 2024
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No place for people in RoPP’s vision for CoPP
The Residents of Port Phillip (RoPP), posing as community saviours under the banner ‘Look after the place NOT the populace,’ has finally issued a list of things it will fund and by implication, services it would be glad to see go.
Their candidates argue that the remit of our Council is roads, rates and rubbish and little else. In other words, they are all about property, not people or community.
Their revenue reduction plan will cut $50m from local services in coming years, through outsourcing, privatisation, closure and neglect.*
What is at stake?
- Maternal and child health services
- Council and community child care centres
- Aged care services
- Youth services including adventure playgrounds
- South Melbourne Market
- Libraries
- Arts programs including Gasworks and Linden
- Port Phillip Housing Trust – with hundreds of Council owned homes
- Funding for environment and climate programs including the EcoCentre.
And what’s their record?
7000 rubbish bins in Port Phillip went uncollected last year.
It has cost us all dearly with staff redeployed to clean up the mess.
And more costs coming with a new contract going to tender next year.
It all began when lowest cost was prioritised over quality and performance in awarding a new service contract for collecting our waste.
An independent review of the mess found that, ‘the level of due diligence conducted by the Council on pricing [in the new contract] did not include consideration of whether the waste services could be delivered at the tendered price …’
We can expect more Bingate examples if RoPP is successful at this election.
As to roads, RoPP has tied up so many communities in needless fights over cars versus bikes. Roads are important for all users – motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
RoPP is an extreme group that hasn’t delivered durable solutions, only conflict and community division.
If you want a competent and caring council, elect a progressive one.
*City of Port Phillip Council Meetings, 19 April 2023 & 20 March 2024
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