Comment: South Melbourne Town Hall belongs to the community
We lost our park to the Grand Prix, we lost our local council to amalgamation and our footy club was moved to Sydney. Many South Melbourne residents fear their historic Town Hall is next, writes local historian Adair Bunnett OAM.
Read moreFarming out South Melbourne Market
With their eyes on the prize, some candidates in the upcoming Council election have a plan that will destroy our Market's heart and soul.
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Rates reflect Ethics

Comment: Housing Crisis in Our Backyard
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.
Read moreSocial Housing: Port Phillip Housing Trust
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.
Read moreA message from Port Phillip's youth
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.
Read moreLibraries Regenerate Communities
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.
Read moreTalking Shop: Re-imagining Port Phillip as country
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.
Read moreWhat happens when Parks are leased to private event operators?
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.
Read moreLocal democracy alive and well despite lockdown
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.
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