GM speak to forum (1/12/09 mark in your diary)

I am delighted to say that some of the suggestions made by the CBD Forum have been embraced by council and as a result the General Manager, Phil Tolhurst will speak at the December forum about the changes and aspirations for Liverpool’s CBD. This will be a terrific opportunity for local business owners and managers to meet with and discuss matters with the General Manager and I encourage everyone to mark it in their diary now. 1^st December 2009, Liverpool City Library 5.45 pm…. all welcome!

Two things.

Did you know you are invited to comment of two matters before Council?

Councillor’s pay rates and whether or not to change the Branding for Liverpool.

As Mayor Wendy Waller repeatedly mentioned during the campaign, her job as Mayor does not require full time attention we can now suggest she doesn’t take the full amount available. Did you know a Mayor can earn $7+,000 not including expenses?  If Mayor Wendy is genuine in her promise to provide us with fair representation and she doesnt’ think the job warrants her full time commitment let’s pay her a portion of the amount available, not indeed the entire amount.  Also if you have an idea of how to proportion what a councillor can earn in relation to their participation, let me know.  I don’t know how we can measure this but surely the amount they contribute to the city should be a consideration in how much they earn out of our rates. They vote on this soon…don’t wait.

Councillor Lucas also wants to have the Crest replace the branding on all Council documents etc.  I’ve read that this could result in excess of $1M additional money spent.  I think the branding is modern and certainly as you drive around L’pool you know and recognise the symbolism…do we / can we justify this enormous cost?  My suggestion… phase it into the paperwork as new is required…add it…there is room for both and justification for both…one is branding, the other representative of our history…why can’t we have both and why does it have to be one or the other? Our bicentennial is two years away lets phase the crest into paperwork as it is replaced…provided of course it doesn’t blow the budget. 

Considering all the things we want/need done around Liverpool do you care that much what symbol is on your rate bill or would you rather see the pot holes fixed…? I know what my answer is…

Voting for Signe Westerberg – Independent

Thank you to all who have contacted me asking for information regarding how to vote. I am honoured by those Liverpudlians who have supported me to this point and appreciate the continued support of those friends and colleagues outside of Liverpool.

Council Infrastracture and Park Maintenance – Question 2

Question 2)

 

Council infrastructure, including park maintenance, has been neglected for some years, and it would require a lot of money to bring it up to a reasonable standard. How would you fund that? Would you raise rates, for instance?

 

Answer

 

Problem: Poorly maintained parks

Cause: Insufficient staff & Equipment

Structure: At present the out door staff roster all the parks in the LGA.  Some are classified higher need than others and are therefore maintained more often etc.

Solution/Funding: NO to Raising rates! Sponsor/adopt-a-park program where community groups, schools or businesses can have a sponsorship program (signage) where an annual contribution can be used to support the upkeep of that park, or naming rights (bigger contribution) for a newer park being established. And/or proudly donated by on equipment purchased for care of parks.

Option 1: Instead of fining illegal graffiti artists and serial parking infringers, they should get community service and have them clean up the city & the parks.

Option 2: Presently a number of projects are being worked through Council that involve teaching accredited  skills to local unemployed these can be utilized in such a way to provide the training and fill some of the needs within the community.

Additional Funding: Council to investigate some of the lesser priority projects and perhaps put them on hold for a while.

Liverpool CBD and Parking – Question 1

I’ve spent a lot of time talking to the people of Liverpool leading up to the election. And I’ve enjoyed getting to know my community more and more, its wants and needs, how it wants to be seen going into the future. I’ve communicated to the local press my responses to issues and questions raised in different forums in order to ensure that our community is aware of what I believe the community wants and my proposals to address those wants, needs and issues.

 

I continue to do so in this forum and feel a responsibility to the community to outline my proposals more completely.

 

Please do not hesitate to leave your comments and opinions. I encourage it! Looking forward to beyond the election this is a forum for making further known…

 

WHAT YOU WANT FOR LIVERPOOL.

 

Question 1)

 

Liverpool CBD has a serious shortage of car parking. Also, there is a shortfall of commercial properties in the CBD. What would you do about these issues?

 

Answer 1)

 

Problem: Insufficient parking that discourages locals from using CBD

Cause: Growing city of workers and clients, lack of commuter/worker parking.

Solution: Commuter parking station on either/both Collimore Park or Old Pool Sites. Funded by any / all of Joint venture with Parking Station Company or Infringement notices or selling advertising space on bus plus having Developers include more onsite parking. (I covered this in my submission to the DCP)

Result: More parking in CBD for shoppers (bringing business back to CBD) and to the medical precinct.

Incentives: Free Commuter buses or T-way to access CBD/rail and cheap, secure parking.

 

Problem: Poor Commercial Development

Cause: Small owner operators unable to develop their own sites or lose their income whilst development occurs.

Developers who are unwilling to pay what is needed to subsidize the owner operators’ loss of income or enter joint venture      with Owner/Operators

Solution: Council Consultation with stake holders and large Government Departments.

Result: Small business owners sharing in the development of larger commercial buildings, making more commercial space available in turn attracting businesses to Liverpool. 

 

INDEPENDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

I believe it isn’t important what I want but what we all want and need as a community. What we don’t need are candidates who are only thinking of themselves or their group or their political future so with your permission I’ll personalize this a little. 

  

I want an independent council made up of people from all walks of life; I don’t want a council dominated by any one group. A council who will work together for the betterment of the entire city & suburbs, who wants our heritage protected, our roads safe and clean, parks & places for the whole family to spend time together. A clean and proud city!  I believe we want and need a vibrant city centre, a commercial hub where the only people who feel unwanted or uncomfortable are the drug addicts and dealers. I believe we need to take back our city from the likes of these people, I believe we want a thriving, growing and diverse industry where no matter who you are you can find work in your local area. I believe we want reasonable transport facilities, cheap and accessible parking.

 

I like you want to be proud of my city, for the most part I am, I’m proud to be a Liverpudlian, I’ve grown up here, I’ve raised my family here and my grandson attends school here. It is a great place, we need to work together to improve on the things that need it and replace the things that are broken and to elect a council who will stand up and fight for us against unnecessary changes being thrust upon us by State politicians – I want a council who will put us first, not their party or group or particular ethnicity – all of us, all the people of Liverpool equally. 

 

I have a lot to learn and am willing to do so; I have a passion for what is fair and right. I am a local person who understands our local issues, I also admit that the last six months of knocking on doors and listening to the people has made me even more aware of what we need and what we as a community want. We want to know as a community where our rates money is going and what it does.

 

If you elect me on the 13th of September I make you these commitments:

~ I will continue door knocking for your feed back

~ I will work for you and be accountable to you

~ I will be your voice

~ I will be accessible to you and I will fight like hell to get us the support and services Liverpool deserves, to promote our city, to raise its identity and its image, to restore our pride, our passion and compassion and to help provide the balance we need on council.

 

I ask you to trust me with your Number 1 vote in September.

An Important Word About PREFERENCES

I would like to formally advise that your vote will not be redirected to anyone else…

I have absolute faith that the people of Liverpool will nominate the 3-5 people they want to represent them on council.

I am an independent, I have no alliance with any party or person and encourage you to  to find out about the candidates and select the person/s you want to represent you.

Wendy Waller – Round II?

Like everyone else I too have to consider who of the candidates I will be ticking the box for in the up-coming Local Council Elections. Being an Independent Candidate myself has made me especially aware of who is running and what they are saying to both public and press. In Liverpool we have an opportunity to really learn from a council past, that has been, well disastrous, and place on council individuals with fresh ideas and new directions; people who are passionate about of fair city. 

At least, that is why I am running as a candidate.

It’s not a job for me. I have a successful small business, thriving in said fair city. I am doing this, running for a spot on the Liverpool City Council for Love of Liverpool and a Passion for Our Future. Not because the Australian Labour party can’t figure what else to do with me. No! I can run my own campaign and agenda and base it on the face-to-face access I have with Liverpudlians, without meeting, or even thinking of for a brief moment, ‘party’ considerations.

Not so for Wendy Waller, Australian Labor Party candidate for Mayor for Liverpool City Council.

Who is this women? And why does she want Liverpudlians to vote for her on September 13th? 

According an article in The Sunday Telegraph last Sunday 10th August “Vote of redemption” by Carmel Melouney, Ms Waller believes that Liverpool really needs “to move on”.

Let us remember; Ms Waller was sacked by the State Government (along with the rest of Liverpool City Council) when you held the position of Deputy Mayor for losing $20M of rate payers’ money in the infamous Oasis Debacle. What did Ms Waller have to say about that: “You don’t win them all” she told The Sunday Telegraph.

Who exactly was she competing against in that scenario? Moreover, her advice to the voting public is to get over it! 

Liverpool, I have been a loud voice in many forums suggesting that Liverpool does need to focus on a bright future. I believe in our community’s potential. Passionately! Let us not start by going back and making the same mistakes we have in the past, by voting for those who have had their chance and ruined it for all.

Let us allow for the fresh faces that won’t later be quoted by the tabloids as being “obliged to vote in line with her Labor caucus”.

Let us vote for councillors who feel obliged to listen to our citizens and work for a better community.

I will not be wasting my vote giving career politicians a second chance, after the spectacular failure of their first go around.

This is our opportunity for new beginnings and new directions. Let’s take it!

Meet the Candidates for LCC September 2008

Last night I attended and spoke at the Meet Your Candidates Forum, at Moorebank Sports Club and organized by Ian Bailey.

 

As always I am encouraged by those who are getting involved in our Liverpool City Council Elections to be held in September. As always I want to reach as many Liverpudlians as I can, and so I have reproduced the speech I gave at last night’s forum below.

 

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen.

My name is Signe Westerberg and I’m running as an Independent Candidate in the upcoming Liverpool City Council elections.

 

I’ve been asked here tonight to tell you a little about myself and my policies. I was born in Sydney and moved to Liverpool in 1960 with my parents who occupied one of the first housing commission homes built in Hillview (now Lurnea).  I attended school at both Lurnea Primary & High Schools.  My first job was in Liverpool where I met my husband Lance – also a long time Liverpudlian.  We’ve been married for over 34 years now and have two beautiful daughters who attended Sadleir Primary & William Carey Schools.  I have an amazing grandson who also attends Sadleir.

 

Most of my work opportunities have been here in Liverpool, I have operated a small cosmetic business from my home for over 28 years and 6 years ago I built and operate Liverpool Serviced Offices in Moore Street. During this time I have worked amongst the community in many ways, mostly at a very local level. I’ve attended council forums for the last 5.5 years.

 

What I really want to do with this opportunity is to talk about the things I believe we all want done, changed and considered for our city but the truth is we all want much of the same things. Not one of my fellow candidates is going to stand up here and say they think we need more pot holes, dangerous parks and more litter.

 

I live here, I talk with my fellow Liverpudlian’s and what I think we all want is fair and honest representation on our Council for our whole community. We have an opportunity to make a real difference in September. We need to know more about our candidates, ask more, talk with our friends and choose our councilors individually. In a group or party, it is the officials who decide who they think is the most electable candidate. We have the opportunity to choose people we believe will give us an honest and fair voice. There isn’t anything wrong with groups and parties I’m sure they are all nice, reasonable people but you have the chance to choose your representatives. 

 

We have some real issues in Liverpool, I’ve spent the last few weeks reviewing our draft budget and it is full of real and meaningful proposals, things we need to focus on.  We need the safe streets and parks, we need to embrace and protect our history.

 

I believe what we also need is to elect people who can make the hard decisions when required, we need people who aren’t afraid to speak out, loudly if necessary when something is not right.

 

I also believe we need to be able to say “I chose my Council, because I decided who I wanted to represent me on important issues”.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen we are a whole community, a diverse community, we don’t need to follow one agenda or one idea, we need people who will make decisions for the entire community not tow the party line. We need good people who care and will fight for our city and its growth. 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, vote for me in September and I promise I’ll be your voice. I’ll do the best I possibly can to be accessible, to promote our city, to raise its identity and its image, to restore our pride, our passion and compassion and to help provide the balance we need on council.

 

I am eager to see the press coverage in next weeks Local Papers, and the reactions and reviews of members of our community and candidates to the forum as represented there. I will continue to keep you all posted.

Meeting Liverpool

I’ve been extremely busy these last few weeks. Primarily, I’ve been getting myself along with so many of you, to local community forums and community groups.

 

It has been an important part of my decision to run as an Independent Candidate for LCC, that I have a responsibility to speak to and hear as many Liverpudlians as possible, and to those who have things they would like to discuss or feel that there are important issues with our community that need to be highlighted. I’ve been hugely encouraged with the number of people who have been attending and the general positivity of all involved.

 

The Community forums have been extremely interesting and I’ve been learning a great deal about the concerns and hot topics in the different areas of Liverpool. All considered Liverpool is a big and diverse place. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being able to listen to different people and their ideas. One of the more common threads is the frustration of our community as we wait for things to happen. Without exception we are a proud group of people, and we want to see our city be everything it can be.

 

Some of the more common issues I’ve encountered at the Community forums:

 

S  We want to be able to use our parks. More attention needs to be paid to garbage pick up, lawn mowing and the removal of dumped rubbish.

 

S  Limited parking in the CBD. More access means we are better able to enjoy what’s happening in our CBD and utilizing our local business; restaurants, cafes, retail, banks and business services.

 

I’ve decided to attend all of the Community forums I can and look forward to the opportunity to listen to what’s going on and what our communities want and need.  

 

If you are interested please visit the Liverpool City Council website, where you can find a list of the forum dates and times of upcoming forums near you.

 

There is also Liverpool Directions designed to help council develop our city’s future, and I’m looking forward to the Community 2168 Project a major community renewal initiative focusing on the Miller 2168 community. If you live in that area I encourage you to get involved. Visit the LCC website.

 

Don’t hesitate to post a comment here if you’ve already attended on of the forums or community feedback groups above. There are many more people I’d like to be able to engage with and look forward to speaking to you all.