Here are my latest updates from Parliament and around the Brunswick electorate (Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Fitzroy North, Princes Hill & Carlton North).
In this month’s newsletter:
- Yoorrook’s final report and a permanent body for First Nations representation
- New speed limits in Brunswick, Brunswick West, and Carlton North
- An inquiry into public school funding cuts
- Our $40 Million package to get Vic off gas
- Fighting dodgy owners-corporations and developers in Brunswick
- And public housing residents speaking out
Missed the last newsletter? You can find it here if you’d like to read about Safety on Ewing Street, a floating gas terminal approved off Victoria’s coast, Victoria’s missing emissions data, and more.
NAIDOC Week, Yoorrook, and a permanent body for First Nations representation to Parliament
Before diving into today’s newsletter, I want to make a special acknowledgement that the electorate of Brunswick sits on the unceded land of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. This week, the 7th to the 13th of July, marks NAIDOC Week, and this year is the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC, celebrating the oldest, continuous living culture on earth. This year’s theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy, which is about celebrating achievements of the past and the bright future ahead.
This month we saw Victoria’s and Australia’s first formal truth telling inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, hand down its final report. It found that genocide was committed against First Nations people in Victoria and has urged the state to provide redress from injustices from colonial invasion.
Following the release of this report, I’m glad to see that the First People’s Assembly of Victoria will be established as a permanent representative body, which is a vital milestone on the path to justice, truth, and self-determination. This is a landmark moment for Victoria that was driven by the strength and vision of First Nations communities fighting for justice, and I’m proud to say the Greens unequivocally support this step.
I encourage everyone to visit NAIDOC.org.au to learn more about NAIDOC Week and check out local events, including the list of film screenings which certainly caught my attention.
A raft of local updates
It’s been a busy month on local roads, and I have an assortment of local updates from across the electorate.
Lygon Street, Carlton North
Firstly, the speed limit on Lygon Street in Carlton North is now 40km! As is evident in our video, Yarra Councillor Sophie Wade and I are very excited about this. This stretch of Lygon is a residential street and has several tram stops in the middle of the road, with no safe way for pedestrians to cross. It also lacks a separated bike lane, so this change in speed will increase safety for pedestrians and bike riders immensely.
Melville Road, Brunswick West
After some years of advocacy and too many injuries and fatalities, Melville Road will have its speed limit lowered to 50km, and a new school zone will be introduced to keep students safe on their commute. I’ve worked with local residents, schools, councils and the victims of road accidents on Melville for some years to get a holistic review of the road, particularly following the death of a pedestrian in 2023. Melville Road has some fantastic – and underrated – local spots. Lowering the speed limit is the first step at injecting life back into the area, but we can’t let it be the last step. I look forward to speaking with residents and local businesses about what’s next for Melville.
30km local roads trial, Brunswick and Brunswick East
Merri-bek Council has approved a trial of 30km speed limits on council roads in Brunswick and Brunswick East. I’m very excited for this trial to be rolled out, as it follows a recent trial in Yarra council which halved the number of crashes! I recommend checking out the Brunswick Voice for more information on this trial.
Safety on Ewing Street
And finally, last month Merrri-bek Councillor Liz Irvin and I held a community meeting on Safety on Ewing Street, and the Brunswick Road crossing. This is a high traffic area for students heading to the nearby Primary School, and the intersection design is certainly poor. We were glad to see so many people join the community meeting and share their experiences and thoughts.
Many residents raised the idea of installing a red light camera at the Brunswick Road crossing. I have written to the Department of Justice about this and encourage residents to request one here. Ewing Street will be part of the council’s 30km trial, which I hope makes the road less dangerous, and Liz and I are coordinating with Merri-bek Council officers in our advocacy to the state government to improve the intersection on Brunswick Road.In the meantime, sign up to receive updates and get involved in the campaign to improve safety on Ewing Street.
An Inquiry into public school funding cuts
I was shocked to learn in May that the Victorian Government quietly delayed meeting their Gonski school funding commitments by three years, effectively removing $2.4 billion in funding from Victorian public schools. As the Victorian Greens spokesperson for education, and parent of kids who attended public schools, this decision seemed disastrous. Public schools in Victoria are already the lowest-funded, receiving thousands of dollars less per student in state and Commonwealth funding than all other states and territories.
Despite mounting evidence, Labor has refused to acknowledge – or deny – the massive slash to funding. But, thanks to everyone who signed our open letter, the Greens managed to secure an independent inquiry into Labor’s public school cuts. This Inquiry means Labor will have to face up to the consequences of their funding cuts and be transparent about what agreements have been made and broken, but it doesn’t reverse the decision. To do that – we need to keep the pressure up.
My federal Greens colleague Penny Almen Payne joined us in Victoria Parliament in June, amplifying our call for this decision to be reversed. She also joined members of the Australian Education Union, including public school teachers who protested the cuts outside the Minister for Education’s office.
If you want to support the campaign and the teachers rallying to reverse these cuts, you can sign and share our open letter, and remind Labor that voters expect public schools to be fully funded.
The story of the chimney scaffolding
Those who frequent Brunswick West, particularly Gilpin Park, would recognise the 35-metre high chimney at Hoffman’s Brickworks, which has been covered in scaffolding for years. Not only is it an eyesore, the scaffolding has caused havoc for residents living on Brickworks drive. It’s owned by the site’s developer, as a private lot, but its residents have been left with the crumbling chimney’s insurance costs, as it’s been left for years to deteriorate.
Young kids are frequently spotted climbing the unsafe scaffolding, which practically begs misbehaving, and has cost homeowners thousands in insurance fees due to its poor condition. What one finds when digging deeper, is years worth of the developers failing to comply with work orders from Heritage Victoria. But the story just gets murkier from there. Check out this article in the Age, or my instagram post, for more of this
I’ve been working with residents to hold the developer to their heritage obligations and fix the chimney. If you want to stay updated on this campaign you can sign up here. eet.
Fixed site pill testing is coming to Fitzroy
A permanent pill testing site is coming to Fitzroy! As a former GP and a parent, this is good news. I’ve been campaigning for pill testing since before I was elected to parliament. I know as well as you do that people take drugs – when we accept this reality and provide support and services to reduce harm, we save lives.
This service will allow people to get most pills, powders, crystals and liquids tested at 95 Brunswick Street Fitzroy. It will be free and completely confidential, meaning people will have access to non-judgemental harm reduction advice from professionals. It also means that dangerous substances circulating in the community can be identified and alerts can be issued. With more synthetic substances arriving in Victoria – access to pill testing is more important than ever.
Data shows that many people discard their drugs if there is an unknown or potentially lethal substance detected. Tough talk from cops and politicians doesn’t reduce drug harm, but open communication and support does.
Save public housing update
The long awaited public inquiry into the Victorian Government’s plan to demolish 44 public housing towers in Melbourne, displacing around 10,000 people, began in June. My colleague and Greens spokesperson for Housing, Gabrielle di Vietri, live tweeted the first two hearings on Bluesky here, and additionally shared some powerful moments from the hearings on Instagram.
The first two hearings of the public inquiry have been incredibly powerful. Community leaders, homelessness experts and support providers, and tenants facing eviction told the panel of politicians about the real and life changing impacts of Labor’s plan.
The public inquiry has also sparked media attention, and I highly recommend this article in the Age for those wanting to hear more about the hearings so far. Some excerpts from the article are also available on instagram, for those met with a paywall.
This inquiry, which the Greens brought to Parliament, is a big step in stopping the demolitions. Labor voted against it because they didn’t want the public to see this plan for what it is – a cash grab.
The next hearing will be held on July 22nd from 10am. I highly recommend tuning in, or following Gab’s social media for updates, and lifting up the voices of residents who are so bravely speaking out.
(P.S. if you’re particularly enraged by this plan, an email to Labor’s Housing Minister outlining your support for public housing is a great place to start)
Greens secure $40 million for climate programs
I’m very excited to share that the Greens have secured over $40 million for climate programs to reduce Victoria’s reliance on fossil gas, and help renters live in more comfortable homes. The program is designed to help industries and individuals transition to renewable energy
This package includes:
- Minimum energy efficiency standards for all rental homes
- Mandatory end-of-life replacement for gas hot water services. Greens secured $10 million for industry to transition to manufacturing efficient electrical appliances.
- $10 million for projects to help food and beverage manufacturers and dairy farms get off gas.
- $5 million for farm electrification projects, to help farmers reduce their energy bills and emissions through solar panels and electric hot water.
- $5 million to expand the Upskilling for Plumbers and Upskilling for Electricians programs to support tradies to be part of the transition away from gas.
- $2 million to assist community groups to promote and support residents to electrify their homes.
I know many people in Brunswick will be particularly excited by these new minimum rental standards which will require some really basic energy efficiency standards, including ceiling insulation and draught proofing at the start of a new lease from March 2027, as well as a reverse cycle air conditioner in all living spaces by July 2030. These are real, tangible steps towards reducing our reliance on gas and lowering energy bills.
What’s on in the neighbourhood
If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have noticed that I regularly post events and opportunities that are happening in the Brunswick area. Here’s my most recent post where you can find out about events and opportunities including film screenings, open mics, school holiday programs, comedy shows, and more, and you can always email me to suggest other events and opportunities you’d like me to share.
Thanks for getting this far! Remember, if there’s anything you want to raise with me, you can always get in touch with my office on [email protected] or (03) 9384 1241.
Until next time,
Tim
