Council
Local kebab shop closes after big fine
Repeated food handling breaches by former St Kilda trader Lux Kebabs have resulted in fines and legal costs totalling $62,524 at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
Council to spend $50K on dog waste bags
Paw pressure prevails as Councillors vote to allocate $50K for a 14-month trial of free dog waste bags at up to 12 locations. However, opinions were divided, with concerns that free bags could contribute to plastic pollution and may not reduce dog waste.
Council coy about impact of festival cuts
The show goes on despite a 20% budget cut. St Kilda Festival will be back in 2026 on the weekend of 14 and 15 February. Applications open for the New Music Competition this week. Pictured are last year’s winners, Velvet Bloom.
Lakeside locals rally against GP time grab
Join the race to save Albert Park Lake from a 21-day lock-out period for each Grand Prix. Have your say before the 14-day consultation period ends on 11 August and the legislation goes into Parliament later in August.
Mayor responds to survey story
Mayor Louise Crawford provides a right of reply statement to the recent TWiSK Community Satisfaction Survey story. Her response is printed in full.
Council gets ‘below average’ report card
The results of Council’s annual community satisfaction survey have been published and the results are disappointing but not surprising. Our council is rated as below average on most measures by residents sampled in 900 household interviews conducted in March and April 2025. TWiSK presents the key findings.
Survey method makes a difference
Council is using a new survey method to measure community satisfaction. But can the latest results be fairly compared to past results? Trevor White asks the question, Can you compare a ‘pear’ with an ‘apple’?
Good Governance – One Minute at a Time
The Council is set to reduce time limits on public questions and councillor statements at public meetings. How important are public questions and comprehensive debate? The Council is seeking your comments before Sunday 3 August.
Council Budget and Plan Approved
After many weeks of consultation, intense negotiations, and compromise, the draft Council budget was approved at last Monday’s special council meeting. However, it was a night of some surprises and last-minute manoeuvring.
Council set to approve budget with minor changes
The Special Council Meeting on Monday night looks set to approve the draft budget with only minor changes prompted by community feedback.