Advocacy

A range of measures benefitting our community were unveiled in the Victorian Budget 2023/24 in May.

These included election commitments made before the November 2022 election.

We welcome the following funding:

• $1 million for the Port Melbourne Bowling club
• Planning money for the Middle Park Primary School
• $250,000 for the Port Melbourne Surf Life Saving Club
• Continuation of the Westgate Punt ferry service across the Yarra River between Fishermans Bend and Spotswood
• $1.5 million for Williamstown Road Pedestrian Works near the secondary college
• Fishermans Bend Primary School as part of a funding package, opening 2026
• Funding for upgrade to Green Space at Southbank
• Funding for The Alfred Hospital - women’s health clinic
• $100,000 for the Sacred Heart Mission in St Kilda
• Planning money for a Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in St Kilda
• A Neighbourhood Battery for the City of Port Phillip.

The Budget also featured state-wide announcements relevant to many residents including:

• The Best Start, Best Life: Pre Prep and Free Kinder Programs
• cheaper regional fares with them capped at metro prices
• the State Electricity Commission’s reintroduction with an initial $1 billion investment
• free pads and tampons in public places including courts, TAFES, libraries and train stations
• free registration for apprentices and tradies, rising from a previous 50 per cent discount to 100 per cent
• funding for the newest round of the $250 Power Saving Bonus
• funding support for more nurses and midwives, strengthen nurse to patient ratios and improving public health service staffing levels.

Projects such as the Metro Tunnel will also benefit Port Phillip. The Budget delivers funding to prepare the Metro Tunnel for opening, including enabling works and facilities to support Metro Tunnel network integration and operations.

For small business, the Budget increases the payroll tax threshold from $700,000 to $900,000 from July next year, rising to $1 million in 2025. The Government will also move to abolish stamp duty for commercial and industrial properties.

Funding opportunities

As a strong and vocal advocate for our community, we are considering applying for funding opportunities contained in the Budget including:

• $35 million to support live music and community broadcasting including around 10,000 gigs, getting artists back on stage through grants for musicians to perform at live music venues as well as for music festivals, big and small
• $23 million to expand the Major Events Fund, promoting Victoria’s calendar of events and strengthening Victoria as a top location for major events
• $8 million for the LGBTIQ+ Community Grants Program, which helps community organisations celebrate and connect LGBTIQ+ communities
• $10 million to establish a Green Links fund to support revegetation along creeks, rivers, and waterways
• Funding to provide grants to existing kindergartens to buy new toys and equipment.

Our City is continuing to engage with the State Member for Albert Park Nina Taylor and Victorian Government ministers as we take advantage of the funding provided in the 2023-24 Budget and advocate for additional funding relevant to Port Phillip in the 2024-2025 Victorian Budget.

In the months leading up to the State election on Saturday 26 November 2022, the City of Port Phillip engaged with all candidates for the Victorian State Government elections in local electorates and regions. We promoted and explained our advocacy priorities through letter writing, meetings, candidate tours, and forums.

During the election campaign, Nina Taylor, the successful Labor candidate for the division of Albert Park, committed to the following local projects:

• A new primary school for Fishermans Bend
• $1 million for upgrades to the Port Melbourne Bowls Club
• $8.8 million for Stage 1 of the Masterplan for Middle Park Primary School
• $1.5 million on safer crossings and works on Williamstown Road to make it safer to cross Williamstown Road to access Port Melbourne and JL Murphy Reserve
• $250,000 to install a lift and upgrade the toilet block at the Port Melbourne Life Saving Club
• $50,000 to assist the Albert Park Yachting & Angling Club, working in with the Victorian Fisheries Authority for shellfish reef restoration
• Live Music Package, including introducing new planning laws that would provide heritage-style protections of specific live music venues (Live Music Precinct in St Kilda)
• A Community Battery for Port Phillip
• $100,000 for Ready Set (South Melbourne) to help job seekers get into the workforce with clothing and coaching
• $100,000 for Sacred Heart Mission to continue its work for the homeless and disadvantaged
• Working cooperatively with the City Of Port Phillip to put in place a school crossing supervisor at Port Melbourne Secondary College.

Council will work, via the Mayor and staff, to progress these commitments with the Victorian Government, and to advocate for our community's priorities.

Social Housing across City of Port Phillip: The City of Port Phillip has identified seven priority public housing estates across Port Phillip that would benefit from major improvement.

Community Safety Partnership: The City of Port Phillip is requesting a collaboration between Victoria Police and the City to address ongoing disruptive behaviour with a particular focus on Acland Street, St Kilda and Carlisle Street, St Kilda. Our City requires Victorian Government support for more police resourcing, joint patrols with local laws officers, and funding for CCTV grants to help us upgrade our CCTV system.

Fishermans Bend Tram Link: Council is proposing to work with the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government for the early delivery of a tram to Fishermans Bend. The City of Port Phillip will strongly advocate for the necessary tram link into the Fishermans Bend precinct to better connect and link up the 80,000 residents who are expected to reside in the area.

Elwood Foreshore Redevelopment: The City of Port Phillip has conducted a masterplan for the site which seeks to address the range of issues affecting Elwood Foreshore and set it up for the long term. We are asking for a financial contribution from the State and Federal Governments to ensure that the masterplan for Elwood Foreshore is realised, and to ensure the development can meet community expectations and timelines.

Shrine to Sea: The City of Port Phillip welcomes this project, however we continue to seek funding for further interim safety measures along Kerford Road to help address repetitive crash history for all road users inclusive of bikes, including white line marking, green treatments at conflict points and additional regulatory signage where appropriate.

Pedestrian Crossings: The City of Port Phillip is requesting the Victorian Government install Pedestrian Operated Signals at multiple locations throughout the municipality including along Williamstown Road at Beacon Road to support the new Port Melbourne Secondary College; Raglan Street to replace the existing unsafe zebra crossing; Blessington Street and Marine Parade, St Kilda to support Marina Development; on Alma Road between Westbury and Chapel Street.

Childcare Centres: Council is seeking a funding contribution of $10m from the Federal Government, building on State and Council contributions. The funds will be used directly towards the infrastructure to upgrade 6 centres that early education and care is delivered from.

Emerald Hill Hospital (formerly known as Fishermans Bend Community Hospital): The City of Port Phillip requests the honouring of the original election promise of $675 million, across 10 community hospitals. We are requesting a briefing from the Department of Health regarding the timeframe for the delivery of this facility for Fishermans Bend.

Beaches throughout City of Port Phillip: The City of Port Phillip requests an immediate commitment to ongoing funding for beach renourishment by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Green Line: The City of Port Phillip would like to work with the community, Port Phillip Emergency Climate Action Network (who developed the proposal) local Members of Parliament and the Minister for Environment on this proposal.

Elster Creek: The City of Port Phillip remains concerned by the flooding from the Elster Creek Catchment. Melbourne Water has identified its own priorities relating to the catchment, including the need to prioritise flood mitigation in the development of strategic sites and urban renewal areas, alongside a wish to encourage schools (public and private) to install water recycling infrastructure and include flood mitigation within school open space.

Electric Vehicles: The City of Port Phillip requests the State and Federal Governments provide support to increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Port Phillip.

St Kilda Live Music Precinct: The City of Port Phillip is seeking to work with the Victorian Government to simplify, streamline and reduce the burden of regulations on live music venues and events.

St Kilda Festival: We are asking for annual recurrent funding for the St Kilda Festival to ensure the long term financial viability of our Festival and to ensure our First People’s First day and our commitment to accessibility are suitably supported.

Station Pier: We are requesting a collaboration with Victorian Ports Corporation and the Victorian Government in assessing and identifying the best use of this iconic location. We support the intention to create an integrated Precinct Plan incorporating transport and land use. This should also consider public space, built form, economy and activation, sustainability, and cultural/ indigenous history.

St Kilda Triangle: The City of Port Phillip is requesting that the State Government through the Creative Victoria agency work with our City to prioritise this space as the optimal position for a new live music venue.

Department of Transport Asset Maintenance Issues: The City of Port Phillip is working to ensure that necessary maintenance works be undertaken by the Department of Transport and Planning, with council complementing with some costs and resources to maintain.

Powers of Municipal Building Surveyors: The City of Port Phillip is advocating to the State Government to enact legislative reform to confirm the power of Municipal Building Surveyors to issue a building order and to address the ambiguity relating to this Supreme Court ruling. This includes a building order for minor work, to ensure that Councils and the MBS can require remediation in instances of illegal building work or dangerous buildings or land, beyond the limited type of work prescribed in the Building Regulations 2018.

E-Scooters: We are requesting uniform regulations relating to the usage of E-Scooters to ensure ease of usage across municipalities. Unfortunately, due to the multiple extensions of the trial, it has created confusion about the government’s intentions in relation to e-scooters.

Fishermans Bend Precinct: The City of Port Phillip is committed to working with and establishing deep connection with the Victorian Government to ensure that we achieve the full advantage of the opportunities from Fishermans Bend. We seek the development and release of the Infrastructure funding and financing strategy, the development and release of the Precinct Plans – Montague, Wirraway, Sandridge, Lorimer and the Employment Precincts as well as further investigations and commitments to deliver necessary infrastructure that will support community wellbeing and market uptake in Fishermans Bend.

Short Stay Accommodation: The City of Port Phillip is seeking meaningful actions that the City can take to ensure the liveability of residents remains unimpeded by the growth of short stay visitors. Council is advocating for consistent, State-wide approach to the regulation of Short Stay Accommodation.

Powers of Municipal Building Surveyors: The City of Port Phillip is advocating to the State Government to enact legislative reform to confirm the power of Municipal Building Surveyors to issue a building order and to address the ambiguity relating to this Supreme Court ruling. This includes a building order for minor work, to ensure that Councils and the MBS can require remediation in instances of illegal building work or dangerous buildings or land, beyond the limited type of work prescribed in the Building Regulations 2018.

E-Scooters: We are requesting uniform regulations relating to the usage of E-Scooters to ensure ease of usage across municipalities. Unfortunately, due to the multiple extensions of the trial, it has created confusion about the government’s intentions in relation to e-scooters.

Fishermans Bend Precinct: The City of Port Phillip is committed to working with and establishing deep connection with the Victorian Government to ensure that we achieve the full advantage of the opportunities from Fishermans Bend. We seek the development and release of the Infrastructure funding and financing strategy, the development and release of the Precinct Plans – Montague, Wirraway, Sandridge, Lorimer and the Employment Precincts as well as further investigations and commitments to deliver necessary infrastructure that will support community wellbeing and market uptake in Fishermans Bend.

Short Stay Accommodation: The City of Port Phillip is seeking meaningful actions that the City can take to ensure the liveability of residents remains unimpeded by the growth of short stay visitors. Council is advocating for consistent, State-wide approach to the regulation of Short Stay Accommodation.