The City of Kingston and our longest serving councillors took centre stage during the recent Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) Annual Conference and State Council.
Along with other long serving councillors across the state, Kingston councillors Steve Staikos (15 years), David Eden and Tamsin Bearsley (both 10 years) were acknowledged for their exceptional commitment to the municipality of Kingston and contributions to the Local Government sector during the annual Councillor Services Awards ceremony.
Mayor Saab said serving the community through local government was a privilege and a unique responsibility.
"As mayor I have the great privilege of seeing firsthand the hard work and hours our dedicated Kingston councillors put into their role, often on top of their day job, and it's great to see Steve, David and Tamsin being recognised," Cr Saab said.
"They always have our community's best interests front of mind and we are lucky to have them as true local representatives."
At State Council the following day, continuing a tradition of being strong advocates for our residents and the broader Victorian population, Kingston had all three submitted motions strongly supported by the delegates in attendance.
The motions respectively concerned the State Government providing a clear policy direction aimed at improving the design, useability, specifications, and accessibility of car stackers; the State Government reviewing the Planning Guidelines for the Conversion of Golf Course Land to other Purposes, and their practical application; and the State Government ensuring that freeways and arterial roads for which VicRoads are responsible are maintained to an appropriate level.
Mayor Hadi Saab said each of the motions focused on issues that are very topical across local government at present and he is looking forward to the Victorian Government acting on them.
"In all three cases we are seeking consistency and leadership from the state level. It's essential that all levels of government work collaboratively to find solutions for issues impacting our communities, our state, and our nation," Cr Saab said.
"Car stackers are becoming more common across Melbourne in particular, with this likely to only grow further, with the large-scale development on the way to meet the housing crisis.
"There are a number of golf courses (including Kingswood and Rossdale within Kingston) looking to redevelop their land and the guidelines and process around this need to be robust.
"And as always it is essential for safety and amenity that our key roads are maintained appropriately."
