Yarra Socialists

By Cllr Stephen Jolly

Alphington residents are currently mobilising in great numbers to deal with a concrete jungle proposed by developers for the 16.5 hectare ex-Amcor paper mill site.

The new owners spent $150 million to buy the land and propose to construct a new suburb of 2500 dwellings, housing 4800 people, plus a massive supermarket and commercial complex. The sale value of just the homes would equal $1.2 billion.

The site is covered by a planning overlay that outlines limits on development. Like most planning rules in Victoria they are not mandatory on the developers. Planning departments and developers inevitably find some bogus excuse not to stick to pre-agreed principles.

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By Cllr Stephen Jolly

The Age newspaper recently reported that the main two areas of profit generation in Australia at the moment are in the mining industry and in property. In the major cities, tax incentives for property speculation plus a growing population is leading to a rise in land values and a boom in the construction of tiny apartment development.

Developers are buying dilapidated homes and ex-industrial sites in the inner city and, with the necessary zoning changes and planning approval from compliant Councils, demolishing and then building apartments as high as they can get away with. The more units they squeeze in, the higher the profits. Car parks for residents and their visitors, and open space for quality of life are seen as lost revenue.

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On November 29 Victorians go to the polls. In most places the choice will be between the mainstream parties but in the seat of Richmond voters will have the chance to vote for a candidate that is in no way connected to the establishment.

The Socialist Party have selected Stephen Jolly to stand in the seat – a socialist Councillor who has proven himself as an active, responsive and effective local representative.

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By Socialist Party reporters

The Labor Party opposition in Victoria have recently announced that they would build a co-educational high school in Richmond if they win November’s state election. This is to be welcomed cautiously. The details of the announcement are suspiciously sketchy and a lot of questions remain unanswered.

Education in Richmond was devastated during the 1990s under the Kennett Liberal government. In fact only a year-long community occupation saved the site of the closed co-ed Richmond Secondary College for state education. Thanks to this struggle, the site now houses Melbourne Girls College (MGC).

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By Cllr Stephen Jolly

A packed residents’ meeting on Fitzroy’s Atherton Gardens public housing estate last month was unanimous in its opposition to attempts by both federal and state governments to undermine the local community’s living conditions.

On top of the cuts and fee increases that are being levelled against everyone via the federal budget, there are a number of specific cuts announced in the budget papers that affect the Atherton Gardens community specifically.

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By Councillor Stephen Jolly

The Victorian state government has introduced a bill into parliament to further limit the powers of elected local Councillors. The bill includes big penalties for those breeching it’s beefed up rules.

The ‘Local Government Amendment (Governance and Conduct) Bill 2014’ is just the latest step in a process whereby right wing parties are trying to erode away the democratic rights won in the past.

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