Williamstown people would be delighted if you could join them for this special occasion. They suggest you bring your own placards and banners
so that the media can see that all across Melbourne city coast and country we are all fed up with this loss of democracy and are coming together to show that we are united in our opposition to our lack of ability to say what happens to our own neighbourhoods.

The Minister, Justin Madden, has already rezoned the Former Port Phillip Woollen Mill site residential, preventing any mixed use which could have benefited the community and protected the shipyards. Hobsons Bay Council has been excluded from the rezoning decision and was not informed until minutes before the Minister's press release on 26th March. The rezone was on the request of the developer, Nelson Place Village Pty Ltd with no reference to our council or the community or the industrial stakeholders.

At the last meeting of Tweed Shire council on 21 July, a raft of motions by Cr Katie Milne were unanimously approved by council. However, the question is will it be enough to save Tweed koalas when just over the border in SE Qld koalas are in fact critically endangered according to the Australian Koala Foundation? If Events NSW has their way this September Repco Rally will organise 100 competing cars tearing at top speed through koala colonies and rural habitat in breeding season destroying any chance of a meaningful Koala Recovery Plan being implemented in the future.

GYMPIE Regional Council plans to sell off industrial land at Tin Can Bay, Monkland and a home at Kilkivan to raise revenue because council income from ratepayers only funds a $40m budget. Apparently the Council has already committed itself to spend $115m. Surely only a council of half-wits would not have foreseen the need to cut expenditure with the global financial crash and the parlous condition of the state budget? Friends of Rainbow Beach say that, far from saving the ratepayers money, the council's plans to sell off assets will cost residents of Gympie Region even more.

"I have issued correspondence to the Victorian Ombudsman since the issue of his report outlining a further 22 issues which I believe his investigation should have included. In other words the recent investigation was narrowly focused and did not serve to present the full breadth of the allegations of irregular/corrupt practices." Marilyn Canet - Brimbank scandal witness

"Today I grieve for the erosion of democracy in local government under this Labor government which refuses to stamp out corruption ..." Mrs Powell, Member for Shepparton

Andrew Bolt's story, "Green rules, black forests" is one of many mainstream media sources to keep alive the legend of the brave Sheehans' fight for justice and safety against their philistine greenie neighbours. But there is even more to that story than the press have so-far published. Read on...

In an effort to silence residents with difficult questions, Western Australia's Cockburn Council routinely limits question time and threatens residents who defy these limits with AU$1,000 fines. The Mayor, Stephen Lee, is now on extended leave after the Crime Commission had found him guilty of misconduct for having accepted an undeclared election campaign donation of AU$43,000 from the Singapore-controlled developer Australand, which wanted to build the controversial Port Coogee Marina.

See also: Postscript: Cockburn Councillors threaten to use ratepayer funds to sue residents, Appendix: Cockburn Community advertisement of 18 Nov 08

The CBD Residents' Associations are inviting people all over Melbourne to a serious pow-wow tonight (Wednesday 24th) 6pm, the Bluestone Room, Coopers Inn (cnr Exhibition and Little Lonsdale Streets)

Macedon Ranges Residents' Group (MRRA) is coping with professional undermining from a similarly named rival association and opponents who are very well funded. Maybe your group is having similar problems?

See original article on www.mrra.asn.au

Victor on tvConfused by bureaucracy, conflicted by development, and disorganised by new residential enclaves, local Frankston citizens find their voice in sticking up for a man and his goat in the face of bullying by-laws.

What you can do: visit freevictor.com and sign the petition.

Australian Greens lead Senate candidate for Queensland Larissa Waters will today meet Douglas Shire Council Mayor Mike Berwick to discuss how the Greens can help to overturn the decision to amalgamate local Councils.

... Golden Cockerel goes back to Council and asks for an extension to the working hours, 3am-10pm 19hrs a day they cry. They are concerned that the Company cannot make enough profit in 12hr days, six days a week. If the People want cheap Chickens, then that is the price Residents of Mt Cotton must pay for the benefit of us all, and Rightly So! I don't want to pay more for my chicken! Who does? ...

The Coalition Government has exposed its hypocrisy on council amalgamations with its current attack on the Queensland Government according to Independent Member for Calare, Peter Andren.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie and his Local Government Minister Andrew Fraser have forgotten the meaning of the word 'democracy'. Mayors who consult with their own constituents over the question of the abolition of their local governments face instant dismissal. These provisions were added to the legislation which forces many Queensland local councils to amalgamate with neighbouring councils at the last minute when the legislation was rushed through in the early hours of Friday 10 August.

The argument in favour of forced amalgamations has been comprehensively demolished by Professor Brian Dollery of the University of New England ...

When we were under the Grenville Shire, very ordinary citizens ran it in unison with their fellow residents. Things got done and rates were kept very low despite the fact that Grenville had it's own road maintenance crew and machinery. Since we've fallen under the banner of the Golden Plains Shire, we've had a reduction in some services and unwanted town projects thrust upon us by a shire well out of touch with residents desires.

Australian Greens Lead Senate Candidate for Queensland, Larissa Waters said today's recommendations from the Local Government Reform Commission would be the death of Local Government democracy and is demanding the Beattie Government reject them.