Incoming councillors will need to be attuned to the new thinking about post-pandemic economic infrastructure and job-creation opportunities that could be realised through a dramatically enlarged social and public housing construction program at national, state and local levels, writes Les Rosenblatt, social science researcher and academic with 35 years experience in housing issues and initiatives.

The City of Port Phillip has a proud history of supporting social housing for lower income residents threatened by rising private rental costs and closure of many Rooming Houses. It is a clear and unambiguous statement from the community that everyone deserves a home. 

Recently, Progressive Port Phillip hosted a forum to explore key issues facing young people. Environment, open dialogue with Council, mental health, and a tolerant and equitable society, were some of the issues raised, reports university student Aidan McGartland.

Libraries are essential for democracy to function well, because democracy depends on access to information. Despite the wishful thinking of those who would cut back on library expenditure, Google does not supply all the answers.  . . People love their libraries. That is something all candidates in the forthcoming elections should bear in mind. . . writes a local resident.

The pandemic is bringing one phase of human history to an end. We must prepare for the next . . . We need councillors who understand Port Phillip as more than an economic and political unit. They need to understand it as a deeply-storied landscape.

Each spring and summer, Council allows Catani Gardens and South Beach Reserve to be fenced off, periodically, by private operators and transformed into ticketed music events. These weekend ‘festivals’ require extensive infrastructure and increasingly longer set up and pull down times. Is St Kilda’s foreshore heading in the same direction as the Albert Park Grand Prix?  Peter Goad explains the impact of the annual car race on the park.

Council meeting (5 August 2020) delivered a major win on early education and childcare services and provided a platform for thoughtful contributions to Council’s 20/21 Budget and revised Council Plan. The engagement of people across Port Phillip sends a strong message to candidates preparing to run in the October Council election.

The solution to the Fitzroy Street problem is GO LOCAL. It will never return to its once dominant profile as a night-time visitor destination. The mix of tenancies to be curated must appeal to local people.

The pandemic has forced a global reassessment of the balance between health and economic advantage. In Port Phillip it has drawn attention to how vital is our daily access to open spaces. . . And yet these assets—so important to residents—are not always valued as they should be.