New year, parking and savings

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a peaceful and joyous start to the new year. My family and I welcomed in the new year at a friend's house and we're all filled with optimism for a great year ahead (well, we have to start somewhere to defeat all the gloom and doom being reported in the news!).

It's early days yet, but as councillors, we've already started sinking our teeth into complex and unusual matters, with a regular council meeting and two special (closed) meetings since our inauguration already...


PARKING
In the week before Christmas, I responded to frustrated traders opposite Shoppingtown, whose business and very livelihood was being adversely affected by a lack of parking spots for their own legitimate customers. I understand that some people are parking outside Autobarn, Officeworks and Clarke Rubber without the intention of shopping there, but to avoid parking at Shoppingtown instead. This practice prevents legitimate shoppers from accessing these shops. I also received calls from residents in residential streets adjoining Shoppingtown on the same issue of overflow parking.

Working with the traders, I escalated the issue to our CEO Lydia Wilson and Director of Planning, Paul Molan, who were able to improve the situation somewhat, with new signs enforcing 1 hour parking limits and increased enforcement patrols. However these measures are only a partial solution and clearly this will be an ongoing challenge that the community, Westfield, traders and council will have to explore in earnest.

NOT IN AUSTRALIA I'M AFRAID!
On a lighter note, I had an amusing call from a resident recently. It started with congratulations at my election to Councillor, but then just hung there ... I could tell there was more to the call, and when asked what was on his mind, the caller suddenly wailed, "I got a parking ticket today! Can you do anything about it?" After clarifying the circumstances were legitimate, I had to break the news that there are strict laws against inappropriate influence by councillors that might benefit an individual or organisation more than the wider community. In other words, whilst such "favours" might be suspected in other countries, generally this doesn't happen here, and certainly not on my watch! Sigh. "If only" eh?


SAVINGS
As part of my election platform, I undertook to try and get more tangible benefits for residents out of future budgets. As a group, this term's councillors are definitely a financially responsible bunch. We've already "saved" money by having a much more modest Inauguration reception this year, and our new Mayor has been very sensible and modest in his choice of car. I've suggested that we start tracking such "relative savings" and ensure that the money that would previously have been budgeted for these items, be visibly re-allocated to tangible benefits for the community e.g. if we spent $5000 less this year than budgeted for civic receptions, there should be $5000 directly attributable to something else of tangible benefit to the community, e.g. increased budget for community grants. By tracking and linking savings in this way, we will all become more aware of unnecessary excesses and most importantly, demonstrate improved outcomes to the community in a tangible way.
I've already discussed this with our Mayor, who is very receptive to the suggestion, so watch this space.