JANE AGIRTAN INDEPENDENT

Independence, transparency and integrity – serving our community’s best interest

Meet fresh, competent and independent Kingston team:

Top: Wandzia French, Brendan Lenarcic, Georgia Erevnidis, Louise Black
Bottom : Jane Agirtan, Sarah O’Donnell, Caroline White

We can all agree that Kingston desperately needs change.

In an ideal word, councilors work together to make decisions in the best interest of their municipality – but this isn’t a case with Kingston – and hasn’t been for a long time.

It isn’t the fault of council staff, officers or ever changing, temporary and semi-permanent CEOs.

Kingston Council has been dysfunctional for years, however, following 2020 election with 8 out 11 councilors being either paid-up ALP members or ALP aligned and funded, residents’ needs and concerns have been completely abandoned.

Victorian goverment councilor training clearly states: “When participating in decision making, a councilor must represent the interest of the whole community rather than just the interests of the ward from which they are elected or their own interests” – Kingston council have failed us by becoming a de-facto arm of ALP municipal forum with one purpose – promote state government projects and rubber stamp Spring St’s policies & directives – at our detriment.

As a local resident, since 2018 I have been personally affected by endless disruptions due to ongoing rail works no one wanted, road closures and “busses replacing trains” 5th winter in a row. It’s impossible to find a car park and our streets have effectively became one way roads, clogged with illegally parked project vehicles and heavy machinery.

Simple school run turns into 25 minute ordeal, Mentone is completely gridlocked yet they plan to accommodate 59,000 more residents here. Cheltenham, Mentone and Parkdale traders have suffered through years of rail works with more pain ( and revenue losses!) on the way for Mordialloc traders.

Construction of new pool on Governor Rd had barely started and already blown out to 100+ million, add closure of Bear Street to complete the picture of utter incompetency and lack of basic project management skills which is negatively impacting all residents.

No amount of sham community consultation with participants handpicked by a sitting MP or spin will make residents like 13 years of stable yard construction in Heatherton, excavation of contaminated sand mine or plans for 18 storey towers for SRL precinct set to decimate 40% of Sir William Fry reserve. We were promised a chain of parks for decades – instead we’re getting road closures and a noisy, dusty construction site with no compensation for residents – whose homes are now worthless.

A team of Real Independents are here to change this and fight on your behalf!