Session 3 Questions

• What is the amount of funding that Council receives from both State and Federal Governments to contribute to it's programs? What +/- change has there been?

• In 2023/24, City of Port Phillip received a total of $3.7 million in grants from the Federal Government, and $11 million in grants from the State Government. This was approximately $3 million less than we received the previous year. Full details can be found on page 250 of the Annual Report.

• What’s data maturity?

• Data maturity refers to how well an organisation (like City of Port Phillip) uses data into decision-making.

  A high level of data maturity means that data is a core part of processes and approach. This involves having strong tools, skills and culture to support collecting useful and accurate data, analyse it effectively and use the insights in our strategies

• Has COPP investigated the use of AI to reduce internal costs, headcount and improve customer service. This would also provide an ability to reduce rates?

• The Clever Port Phillip Action Plan is our roadmap for cleverly investing in technology and fostering innovation in City of Port Phillip, to drive efficiency and improve service outcomes. This includes appropriate use of AI. The Action Plan is one of the key ways Council meets its annual efficiency targets.

• Given the critical value of the diverse communities of the COPP what new funding will be allocated to fight the rise in antismitism and anti LGBTIQA+ behaviour

• Council celebrates and embraces its diverse communities, including LGBTIQA+ and Jewish communities. Specific budget allocations for 2025/26 have not yet been decided. The draft Plan for Port Phillip, including budget, will be released on 17 April, and the community can provide feedback at that time.

• How much is spent on the Port Phillip Zero, and will you be expanding funding- if not why?

• The Affordable Housing and Homelessness Strategy is currently under review. Future funding for Port Phillip Zero will be assessed and determined as part of that review.

• Allocation of funding from state and federal government towards community mental health services? Has this increased since the royal commission into MH?

• The Community Mental Health Expansion Program, valued at $33.4 million overall, provides Victorian Government funding to expand community mental health service capacity. This includes directing care away from inpatient settings, as clinically appropriate, and closing the gap between current and required services. The program supports the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System recommendations. The funding round was open from 22 March to 29 April 2024 Community Mental Health Expansion Program | VHBA

  There was also a number of grant programs for community-led organisations from diverse communities to support the mental health and wellbeing of culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTIQA+ people and people with disability. In 2023-25 the Victorian Government allocated a total of $4.2 million for projects that will deliver an extensive range of programs, direct services, advocacy, research and workforce development to help create a more diverse and inclusive mental health and wellbeing system. Diverse Communities Grants Program | health.vic.gov.au

  In terms of federal funding and according to Mental Health Australia: The Government will provide $361 million over 4 years from 2024–25 (and $139.8 million per year ongoing) to respond to the Better Access evaluation and to strengthen Australia's mental health and suicide prevention system.

Session 2 Questions

• I live in the St Kilda epicentre & belong to two community FB groups. I witness the divide between moneyed & marginalised—with lots of hate speech from the former. How can the COPP help residents respect each other in concrete terms?

• City of Port Phillip acknowledges there is robust public debate and commentary around complex issues within community Facebook pages and other social media platforms.

  Council advocates for respectful engagement with all members within our communities and in all our communications we use and model inclusive and sensitive language.

  Unfortunately we can’t control the language that others use. However, through our community and engagement programs, across libraries, festivals, consultations, grant funding and partnerships, we aim to build welcoming and socially cohesive activities and conversations.

  Consultation for our next community safety plan will include questions around how people feel in public spaces, and can guide actions that can help our communities build respect and tolerance.

• How do we ensure approved building and development complies with our rollout of our green space policies and urban forest strategy?

• The Urban Forest Strategy (2024) has 3 actions to improve the quality of vegetation on private land through the development.

  Action 13: Develop processes to improve planning advice for trees and vegetation on development applications in accordance with statutory requirements.

  Timeline for delivery: Yrs 1,2,3. We have started this action.

  Action 15: Protect significant trees and vegetation in private realm that are valued by communities, including large canopy trees and indigenous vegetation via suitable planning tools and develop clear guidelines for Significant Tree Removal applications under the Local Law.

  Timeline for delivery: Yrs 1-5. We have started this action as a part of A3.1.2 in the Housing Strategy.

  Action 24: Provide resources to educate residents and provide guidance to developers on planting, biodiversity, and sustainable gardens to enhance the urban forest on private property

  Timeline for delivery: Yrs 1-5. We have started this action. A Biodiversity plant guide is in the final stages of development and more resources will be developed.

  We have also integrated greening in the private realm into our Housing Strategy (2024)

  A3.1.2 Review and update the residential zones and schedules outside of the Neighbourhood Character Focus Area to ensure a consistent approach when facilitating additional housing in pockets with capacity across residential areas. (Short to medium term). We have started this action, a review is currently underway. The review is considering greening on private land, Action 15 in the Urban Forest Strategy

  A3.1.4 Protect significant trees and vegetations in private realm that are valued by communities via suitable planning tools. (Short to medium term)

  A3.1.5 Develop design (including vegetation) guidelines for developments for new residential developments to facilitate desirable built form outcomes, and innovative and resilient landscapes in the private realm. (Short to medium term)

  In the planning application and approvals process we currently:

  - Look at character of area and refer to neighbourhood character including vegetation character. Identify areas of concern early on in the request for information stage. Then through the advertising process take on concerns and comments from community. Internal referrals happen with trees and landscape to expert teams within Council. Then we make permit conditions, that are achievable and relevant to the site, and that are enforceable.

  Things we are also doing:

  - Adaptive policy review happens continuously in our Statutory planning team, they review as ResCode get updated by the State Government. CoPP needs to comply and also apply Port Phillip’s planning scheme objectives.

• Installing street lights and CCTV cameras are possible options the council could consider to support community safety beyond advocating to the state government. Has the council considered these options?

• CCTV in public places is a tool which assists law enforcement and can improve community safety.

  Council currently has CCTV cameras in 27 locations across four precincts in St Kilda. This system was installed through state and federal government grant funding.

  There is also a Council-owned rapid deployment CCTV trailer that is used by Victoria Police at different locations across the whole of Port Phillip.

  Council’s Public Place CCTV Policy 2023 states that funding public place CCTV systems is a shared responsibility of state and federal government. It allows for system installation when state or federal funding has been provided, and proposed outcomes meet the intention of all required guiding principles contained in the Policy.

  Currently there is no external funding available for public place CCTV, though Council continues to advocate for this.

  In order for Council to directly fund CCTV in additional precincts, amendments to the Policy would need to be endorsed by Council.

  The Policy is also underpinned by the assumption that Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) measures are considerably effective in reducing crime rates. Within this policy, CPTED remains Council’s primary methodology for identification and response to community safety concerns. For CCTV to be considered as an additional safe design mechanism it must:

  • Respond to high statistical evidence of crime (or sustained antisocial behaviour) in an identified area based upon crime statistics and / or Council’s Community Request Management System;
  • Complement crime prevention strategies already engaged;
  • Strongly support police response to criminal behaviour; and
  • Be capable of improving identified low perceptions of safety within a designated neighbourhood.
  • Extending the CCTV network is a consideration that can be tested through community engagement for the next Community Safety Plan.
  • Street lighting is both a Council and State Government responsibility, dependant on the location. Review of lighting is part of Council’s Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design measures, and community members can request review of lighting through the Council website.
• Why does it take so long to address or deal with a highlighted problem when there are existing solutions. For example noise cameras for hoon cars which has a $50k solution in place already in other jurisdictions.

• Council recognises that vehicle noise can negatively impact the quality of life for residents, and there are regulations in place to manage this issue.

  Both Victoria Police and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) are responsible for enforcing regulations related to noisy vehicles. Community members are encouraged to report any instances of noisy vehicles, including the vehicle’s license plate number and a description, to Victoria Police.

  While both Victoria Police and EPA officers work to enforce these regulations to ensure compliance, there may be opportunities for both agencies to explore the use of advanced technologies, such as camera systems to assist in enforcement.

  Any community feedback regarding the introduction of such technologies should be directed to both Victoria Police and the EPA for their consideration.

• What services would be cut/reduced if the rates were reduced by 10%? How would the cuts be prioritised?

• The rates cap, set by the state government, is below inflation. In real terms, this means our rates revenue reduces year-on-year. Council addresses this through annual efficiency targets. Each year, we look for ways to do things more efficiently, so that we can continue delivering services to our community and meeting our legislative obligations.

  A 10% rates cut might mean we have to withdraw from some services, or reduce service standards in some areas. This would be a decision for the councillors. It would also have long term effects, because it would increase the impact of the rates cap year-on-year.

• In regard to spaces where government powers are in conflict, such as State roads like Williamstown road. How is development and management of those areas maintained when both sides claiming no responsibility?

• The Road Management Act 2004 establishes the statutory framework for the management of public roads in Victoria. The Act, and any associated legislation applies to road authorities, including the City of Port Phillip. Council, as a recognised Roads Authority has a responsibility under the Act to effectively manage our municipal Local Road Network. All State Arterial Roads, such as Williamstown Road, are defined in Section 36 of the Act are Managed by Head of Transport Victoria (part of the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP)).

  Responsibility for the development and management of those roads is clearly designated. There should be no fettering of responsibility. Council officers meet regularly with DTP to discuss operational and strategic matters and seek to collaboratively resolve these in line with endorsed strategy and community interests.

  From a planning perspective, Principal Road Networks are zoned Transport Zone 2 (TRZ2).

  An application by a person, other than a relevant transport manager on land shown on a planning scheme map TRZ2, must be accompanied by the written consent of the Head, Transport for Victoria, indicating that the Head, Transport for Victoria consents generally or conditionally to either:

  • The application being made.
  • The application being made and to the proposed use or development.
  • For land adjacent to the Principal Road Network, a permit is required to create or alter access to a road in a TRZ2 or to subdivide land adjacent to a road in the TRZ2. Any application must be referred to the Head, Transport for Victoria who are a Determining Referral Authority. If a determining referral authority objects, the responsible authority must refuse to grant a permit, and if a determining referral authority specifies conditions, those conditions must be included in any permit granted.
• Why does council keep cutting actual services whilst retaining such a large tier of bureaucrats and managers? I would prefer to see my rates going to services than strategy, given that strategy occurs at higher levels of gov.

• In the last four years, Council has not made any significant cuts to services, with the exception of withdrawing from providing in-home aged-care, which was in response to Federal Government reforms.

  Service levels within each service are adjusted depending on community priorities and demand, and to maximise efficient use of resources. This might mean resources are distirbuted differently between the services in different years.

• What evaluation and assessment frameworks are in place for community programs and services to ensure they are providing what their customers with what they need as times change.

• Council undertakes service planning and reviews, to look at the changing needs of our community, and ensure we design services to meet them. This includes changing demographics (for example, an ageing population means we need more facilities and services to meet the needs of older people), and changes in community needs (for example, the increasing dog ownership means we need more facilities and spaces for dogs).

  Each year, we set targets for each of our services. In the annual report, we report back on whether we have achieved those targets. This ensures transparency to our community about the quality and efficiency of the services we provide.

• Can council consider setting up informal council offices on popular streets, to enable residents to pop in and obtain info/ provide feedback ... this ensures Council sees first hand what is happening on these streets on a day to day basis?

• We run a regular program where our team pops up at 8 neighbourhoods, 3-4 times per year, to seek feedback on Council services, projects and activities. We schedule the pop-up conversations in locations with high visitation, such as shopping strips, markets and often alongside events to catch people where they would otherwise go about their daily lives. They are staffed by Council Officers as well as Councillors. The next round of pop-ups are scheduled for March 2025, with more information available online: https://haveyoursay.portphillip.vic.gov.au/neighbourhoodconversations. We are keen to hear your feedback on this program and if you feel it meets community need; we're continuosly refining the way we deliver this program across Port Phillip.

  Setting up "informal" council offices beyond the neighbourhood pop ups, could be achieved with an understanding of the needs of residents and may require varying resources to attend. Setting up informal offices would likely require additional resources and investment to deliver. This would need to be a Council decision.

• Is it true that St Kilda Traders pay $250k a year for a marketing service? What do they get for this investment?

• Business and trader associations are a collective organisation, independent of Council, that represents the interests of businesses and traders within an activity centre. These associations advocate on behalf of their members and implement destination marketing campaigns that drive visitation to precincts. Port Phillip has five active, incorporated associations, they are:

  • •Acland Street Village Business Association
  • •Carlisle Street Traders Association
  • •Clarendon and Coventry Streets Business Association (Experience South Melbourne)
  • •Fitzroy Street Business Association
  • •Port Melbourne Business Association

  Governed by the Local Government Act 1989 in accordance with section 163, incorporated associations can submit a request to Council for a special rate and charge scheme to defray expenses for marketing, promotion, business development and centre management. Where a proposed scheme is declared by Council, rateable commercial land within a defined boundary is charged a compulsory levy. The levy is collected by Council via the rates process and all funds are provided to the association to spend on marketing, promotion, business development and centre management. To ensure appropriate governance in spending the collected funds, a funding agreement between Council and the association formalises the arrangements.

  For St Kilda, the following associations have a special rate and charge scheme that allows them to use as described above:

  Business association	First year of scheme	Current scheme	Annual budget
  Acland Street Village Business Association	1998	Special rate and charge for the period of 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2029.	$187,320
  Fitzroy Street Business Association	2006	Special rate and charge for the period of 1 July 2024 - 30 June 2029.	$200,000

• There used to be a CoPP Tourism Advisory group which was closed down. Do you know why and any plan to restart it?

• St Kilda Tourism and Events is an independent incorporated association led by traders and governed by a decision-making committee, chaired by its president, Angela Dawson. Council understands that the association is still active. For further details on the association, please visit their website at https://stkildamelbourne.com.au/.

• Does the council partner with government agencies like EPA and Melbourne to keep our beaches clean and safe for everyone?

• While Council works closely with all government agencies, Port Phillip Beach Operations team are responsible for cleaning and maintenance of the 11km of foreshore from Elwood to Sandridge.

  Parks Victoria have ownership and are responsible for piers and boardwalks, EPA are responsible for reporting on water quality and providing recommendations to council to provide updated information to the community.

• There is a great need to clean our footpaths. Bay st port Melbourne with the number of pubs and Dog rubbish it can be very difficult at times to walk around. It is very embarrassing when visitors come and see the state of them.

• Our Port Phillip Street and Beach Services operate 24/7, ensuring a continuous and efficient service, Bay Street trade areas are cleaned 7 days a week to remove rubbish from footpaths, roadways, between 9.30pm - 5.00am

  Hygienic pressure washdowns are undertaken once a week during the night services, teams are also required to undertake spot washdowns of footpaths when required during daytime cleaning services.

  The cleansing program has proven successful, we continue to encounter issues with dog urine in some of our trading locations including Bay Street. Our street teams have observed that approximately 90% of the stains are on front of privately owned businesses and properties.

  Council cleaners are not authorised to clean privately owned businesses and properties due to the risk of damage.

  The City Growth team has been actively working with local traders around their concerns, we anticipate that dog urination will remain a persistent challenge in Bay Street thus trader, property owners and community support will help improve the area.

• What are City of Port Phillip's peer councils in terms of demographics?

• For benchmarking purposes, we usually compare ourselves to the metropolitan councils. There are 31 metropolitan councils in Victoria, all of which have similarities and differences with Port Phillip.

• Why do the Council Departments all have such long winded complicated names vs simple and to the point that people can understand?

• Council's work is organised into 28 services. We strive to use plain language to label and describe these services in a way that everyone in our community can understand. In the Council Plan, we provide information about the budget for each service and its performance metrics.

  In the Annual Report, we provide a detailed report on what we have achieved in each service area, including how we have performed against the service measures. Where possible, our internal departments use similarly straightforward language, but sometimes it needs to be more complex for operational reasons.

• Could the council create an app to engage with the community? Possible benefits would be getting more data from residents, comms about services, etc.?

• Council has designed a mobile friendly website and engagement platform which provides the community access to services, the ability to log requests and engage with Council on key projects. Designing a web app is resource intense and would provide very limited additional functionality.

  In addition to Council’s website and Have Your Say Engagement Platform, Council has also developed the Clever Port Phillip roadmap for investing in technology and fostering innovation within the organisation. These projects are intended to improve customer experience and/or efficiency. Recent projects delivered under this program include the introduction of digital parking permits, trialling automated AI defect detection on council-owned roads and footpaths, and integrating smart technology into stormwater management.

  We also use the Snap Send Solve app to streamline and automate reporting and responding to issues like dumped rubbish, maintenance of public space, and dogs off leash.

• We could better maintain existing bikes and footpaths. Is there a risk of neglecting maintenance if we install more bike lanes?

• When Council acquires (or builds) new assets, we also commit the funds for ongoing operations and maintenance costs for that asset. This operational expenditure is reassessed each year, as part of our annual budgeting process.

• How does Council respond to the annual Community Satisfaction Surveys when there is a poor result?

• Each year, the managers of each department analyse their community satisfaction survey results and develop an action plan in response, which is shared with the CEO and councillors. The following year, they are required to report back on the previous years' committed actions.

  This year, we are changing our approach to the survey, to ask more qualitative questions. This will give us a more nuanced understanding of what our community wants us to do differently, which will allow us to respond more effectively.

• Please outline how councillors and council staff interact- my understanding is that councillors aren't the boss of staff?

• That's correct. Council is responsible for the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and the CEO leads the organisation. Councillors exercise their responsibilities through formal resolutions at Council meetings, which are then implemented by the CEO. Councillors cannot instruct staff directly.

• How is affordable housing defined for all residents ? Feel free to answer after event 😊 

• Council defines rental stress as spending more than 30 per cent of household income on housing. When we talk about increasing the supply of affordable housing, we mean housing that meets the needs of low to moderate-income households. It includes both social housing and private affordable housing.

• I note the vision for Liveable states creating "ample affordable housing solutions", is this something the council can deliver?

• Council works in partnership with State Government and community organisations to increase the proportion of affordable housing in Port Phillip. We cannot achieve this by ourselves, but we have a key role to play.

• Does the council have any control over business landlords at all - eg length of lease when resigning. Know a couple of great businesses leave the area as owners unwilling to take on short term leases ?

• Council does not have control over private landlords, nor does it have any incentives in relation to commercial leasing arrangements. Council does have its own commercial tenancies, and where available does endeavour to offer long-term leases to its tenants.

• What are some of the new community building developments the Council has set aside funding for in 25/26?

• The 2025/26 budget is still in development. The recommendations of this panel will be one of the key considerations in preparing that budget.

Session 1 Questions

• What's the make up of the Community Panel?

• The community panel was carefully designed to reflect the diversity of the City of Port Phillip. To ensure fair representation, Nous considered factors like age, gender, suburb, housing situation, cultural background, disability, and more, using Census data to guide selection. From 418 expressions of interest, a shortlist was created and refined with Council to form a panel that represents the local community.

  Click here to see the panel make up.

• How do we balance personal agendas when we are sharing as a group? How do we manage an environment that allows the space for opinion/lived experience but also tries to refrain from bias?

• When you’re part of a community panel, it’s natural to have your own opinions and experiences you want to share. These are valuable because they help bring a diverse range of perspectives to the table. However, it’s important to balance your personal agenda with the need to work together as a group to reach decisions that benefit the whole community.

  Here are some tips on how to do this effectively:

  1. Share perspectives openly: Feel free to share your personal opinions and experiences. They help add richness to the discussion. Make sure to listen to others with the same openness you’d like them to show you.
  2. Be aware of your bias: Try to be tune in to any biases you might have. Ask yourself if you’re considering the broader community’s needs and not just your own.
  3. Foster empathy: Put yourself in other people's shoes. Think about how different issues might affect them. This helps create a more understanding and respectful discussion environment.
  4. Seek common ground: Look for areas where everyone’s interests overlap. These common areas are often the best places to start building agreements and making decisions.
  5. Compromise: Be willing to give a little to gain a lot collectively. Compromise doesn’t mean giving up on your ideals, but rather finding a middle ground that everyone can live with.
  6. Focus on the greater good: Remember, the goal is to come up with decisions that best serve the whole community. Keeping this in mind can help you focus on larger benefits rather than just personal preferences.
• Has there been an increase in crime rates in Port Phillip?

• According to the Crime Statistics Agency, there has been an increase of 11.4% in reported criminal incidents in Port Phillip over the year until September 2024.

• Why have respondents between the ages of 25-59 not been included in the age range comparison?

• We originally focused on the youngest and oldest age groups because we wanted to hear from those whose opinions might be less represented since the 25-59 age group already made up a large portion (61%) of the responses. Including them would have just echoed what we already knew.

  However, I've now added the 25-59 year olds (I've called them "Adults" for now) for comparison. The link below is a summary of what each group said they'd like Port Phillip to be like in 10 years, based on their top three priorities.

  Updated age comparison - Community Vision

• Could we have data on single person households in City of Port Phillip? For example, who those people are (by age/gender)

• Single person households in CoPP are diverse but more likely to be women (55% vs 45% men), aged 60+ (50% of lone households are made up of those aged 60+ compared with 20% of households with 2 or more people), and more likely to be semi-datached dwellings or apartments (58% of lone households reside in houses compared with 78% of multi-member households).

• Can we have information around volunteering statistics and how we can volunteer?

• Volunteering - City of Port Phillip

  We provide information on how to access opportunities with:

  • Council: Home Library Service, Homies Homework Club, FReeZA Committee, Youth Advisory Committee, Social Inclusion Program, Port Phillip Heritage Centre and Children Services.
  • PPCG, SPDL and Port Phillip Eco Centre
  • Other websites such as:
    • Seek Volunteering lists volunteering opportunities including in an emergency.
    • Go Volunteer allows you to search online for volunteering opportunities.
    • We Volunteer is a Community Recovery Volunteering initiative designed to support communities in times of need.
    • BeCollective provides free volunteer management software, and lets you volunteer for the causes you care about.
    • Vollie is an online marketplace that connects talented people to non-profits, charities and social enterprises for skills-based online volunteering.
    • Communiteer connects, engages and mobilises volunteers to tackle the world's greatest challenges through virtual volunteering.
    • Volunteer Match helps people from across Australia match their skills from industries such as IT, hospitality, design, accounting, law and sales to a relevant and rewarding volunteer role.
    • Goodcompany fosters corporate and skilled volunteering.
• Are there concerns with using data from 2021 Census? Especially considering the next Census is in 2026. What trends will change around things like working from home and increased diversity?

• Indeed the conduct on the ABS Census during the 2021 Lockdown period will have implications for trend analysis overtime. Additionally, change to immigration patterns during that time has created some differences. While we anticipate the general demographic trends to remain constant (ie, ageing population, diversity of backgrounds and increasingly living alone and/or in high density housing) specific data points may show more dramatic change (including the location of employment and time spent volunteering.

  One area of keen interest is the change to household type whereby group households declined in 2021 but it is uncertain if this will have ‘returned to normal’ by 2026. The greatest impact of Covid on our ABS Census data was in number of residents residing in the municipality with many moving further from the City (to larger residences to accommodate working from home) or to more regional areas (such as the Mornington Peninsula). This has largely now resolved with the return to the City and opening of borders to immigration.

• How has modes of transport to work changed since the journey to work data from the 2021 Census?

• Port Phillip's public transport patronage has not recovered to pre pandemic levels. This trend aligns trends across metropolitan Melbourne which have had slower recoveries compared to other Australian cities.

  Less people are commuting to the CBD as working from home arrangements were established during 2020, although there has been a steady increase in weekday commuters as more workplaces return to the office.

  Bike rider volumes decreased more significantly on routes which connected Port Phillip to the CBD, while a lesser decrease was seen on some of our more local streets during the pandemic.

  In the past two years, we have seen bike riding numbers slowly returning to pre pandemic levels, with some of our yearly counts in 2024 indicating bike riding to be between 60-80% of pre pandemic levels.

  The 2026 Census will provide valuable insight into the full impact of the pandemic on how Port Phillip's residents, visitors and workers get around.