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Joint advocacy

Bayside is working with other local governments across our region to advocate on issues that impact our communities.

Our joint advocacy campaigns and alliances include:

Inner South Metropolitan Mayor’s Forum

Bayside is a member of the Inner South Metropolitan Mayor’s Forum (ISMMF), together with Boroondara, Glen Eira and Kingston City Councils.

The ISMMF was established to work together to advocate for change on the issues affecting Melbourne’s inner south. It represents more than one in eight Melburnians across four municipalities, 13 state electorates, three state regions, and six federal electorates.

Through strong community engagement with our communities - we’ve listened closely to understand what the inner south wants the next Victorian Government to help councils deliver.

We have a clear vision for our region, but we can’t deliver it alone. We need other levels of government to work with us to deliver the reforms that will benefit our municipalities.

The ISMMF is putting forward – with a shared voice — tangible solutions that the next Victorian Government can implement immediately.

Priority areas

The ISMMF is committed to working together to advocate for meaningful reforms that will make a tangible difference to our communities. We are advocating for:

  • improvements to the planning system to empower councils and communities
  • new open space infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing populations
  • more and better funded social and affordable housing
  • sustainability maternal and child health services.

Find out more on the ISMMF Inner South Regional Advocacy Priorities 2022—2023

South East Councils Climate Change Alliance

We're advocating for greater action on climate change through our participation in the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance (SECCCA). 

The SECCA policy platform calls on state and federal governments accelerate the task of reducing emissions throughout the region.

The SECCCA region is home to 1 million Victorians, produces 85 billion in Gross Regional Product annually, and is a key manufacturing centre. Addressing climate change in the region will have significant benefits to the state and country.

Priority areas

We are seeking:

  • A commitment to Net Zero emissions by 2040 (or earlier)
  • Legislate at least a 67% reduction by 2030 (or earlier) to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees
  • Develop a State and National Roadmap to map the path to Net Zero.

SECCCA members are also seeking local investment in the following programs:

  • $20 million for a network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the region
  • $20 million for active transport in the region
  • $20 million for a Gas Transition Fund (a pilot for the region)
  • $10 million for a Community Resilience Fund to support climate change adaption projects in region and
  • Increased investment in Victoria’s Household Energy Savings Package.

Find out more on the SECCA policy platform

Homelessness and Social Housing

We are working with 12 other local governments advocating for more support for residents experiencing homelessness.

More than 116,000 Australians and almost 25,000 Victorians were homeless on any given night pre-COVID-19 (ABS 2016 Census*), including 7,490 across the 13 municipalities.

The 13 eastern and south eastern Councils formed the Regional Local Government Homelessness and Social Housing Charter Group in late 2019 to end homelessness and advocate for more social housing. The 2016 Census found 32 per cent of Victorians without a home lived in this region.

Find out more about the Charter Group.

 

Better funding for school crossings

We are joining 24 Councils from across Victoria to urge the Victorian Government to take action for better funding to ensure the safety of children at school crossings across Bayside.

A new survey of councils across the state shows that the program – deemed essential for the safety of Victorian school children – is under intense pressure.  The survey found that:  

  • 97 per cent of councils have unsupervised crossing sessions  
  • 82 per cent regularly face crossing supervisor staff shortages, and 
  • 87 per cent consider the system no longer fit for purpose 

Priority areas

We are calling on the state government to fulfil its responsibilities to the school children of Bayside by:

  • Delivering a review of the school crossing supervisor system
  • Working closely with Bayside City Council to deliver a solution for our school children
  • Funding 100 per cent of the cost of the school crossing supervisor program in Bayside.

Find out more on our joint call for action on school crossings

Elster Creek Catchment collaboration

Bayside is a member of the Elster Creek Catchment collaboration, joining with other Councils in the catchment to advocate for a better approach and more funding for flood management.

More than one million litres of stormwater flows from the 3,200ha Elster Creek Catchment and drains into Port Phillip Bay through Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve. 

The stormwater poses a flooding risk to nearly 2,000 local property owners in Bayside and surrounding municipalities. Climate change will increase the risk of more severe flooding,

We are joining with Melbourne Water and Glen Eira, Kingston and Port Phillip City Councils to advocate for a better approach and more funding for flood management.

Priority areas

We are advocating for:

  • funding to deliver major flood mitigation infrastructure under the Elster Creek Catchment Flood Management Plan 2019—2024
  • $6 million in funding for Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve
  • all state-owned property developments or redevelopments in the catchment to invest in flood mitigation.

Find out more about our advocacy priorities for the Elster Creek Catchment

Read more about Bayside's advocacy priorities