News
The Victorian Government has been planning to overhaul planning rules.
These changes, leaked to The Age, would remove consideration of ‘neighbourhood character’, reduce private open space requirements, and weaken the rights of residents to have their say on proposed developments.
It’s more important than ever than local communities have experienced, capable Councillors to represent them and advocate on behalf of their neighbourhood.
As we approach the official election period certain rules apply to how Councillors can use Council resources.
This includes our Council email address.
For all matters pertaining to the election and my campaign please email josh.fergeus@gmail.com
For matters relating to my Councillor duties please continue to use josh.fergeus@monash.vic.gov.au
You can also contact me about my campaign on 0494 188 865.
I will be running for re-election this October.
I am committed to continuing to be an accessible and accountable representative for you and your family.
Your views are important. What happens in our neighbourhood shouldn’t be dictated by property developers and vested interests.
I'll have more to say about my plans and how you can get involved in the campaign in due course.
As ever, please get in touch if I can be of any assistance at any time.
The following is a transcript of my statement made at the public meeting of Council on Tuesday 30th April 2024:
"I rise to inform the community that since the last public meeting of this Council I have resigned as a member of the Australian Greens Victoria.
I have always been open about my party membership and affiliation and my statement today is a continuation of that commitment to my community.
I was a member of the Victorian Greens for 20 years. Over a period of 16 years I was democratically selected to represent the Party as a candidate for public office at three state and three federal elections, and endorsed at four consecutive local government elections. Local members endorsed me for a fifth time last year to contest the Monash Council elections due in October, and I apologise to those members who once again gave me their confidence that, though I will continue to represent them, I will not do so as a Green.
For many years I have been exceptionally proud to contribute to a political culture which was, truly, different from everything else on offer in the Australian political landscape. No longer. The Party I know today offers precious little humility, introspection or generosity of spirit.
The good it represents is best demonstrated in its pillars, pillars which I continue to hold dear – ecological sustainability, grassroots democracy, social justice, peace and non-violence. But that good has been eclipsed by a rapidly growing list of critical governance failures, an alarming lack of self-awareness, a growing anti-intellectual tendency, and a myopic preoccupation with faux-progressive conformity.
Many good people have left, but I am sad to leave behind many more members right across Victoria who exemplify the very best of humanity. I thank them for their comradeship, their service, their compassion and their leadership. I can only hope that things improve and that these wonderful people can once again feel the pride in their membership which I used to feel.
I have not made this decision lightly. Over many years I have made every effort to ensure that the Party was as much the Party I thought it had the potential to be as possible. Sadly, both for the planet and for me personally, I no longer see that potential. That is why I have chosen to resign. I do not intend to make any further statements on the matter.
I will now represent that community, my community, the thousands of people who have supported me over many years, as a progressive, independent voice in this chamber.
I was born right here in Monash. I have chosen to live here for the best part of my life. I am here because I love it, and I am in this chamber because I want to contribute to its present and its future. Thank you."
It's been a long time coming, but Council is planning for the future of the Oakleigh Golf Course, and we are inviting residents and community members to help us do this.
The key decision:
- Option A: Retain the 9-hole golf course, or
- Option B: Transform the site into a regional park.
Some suggested aspects of Option B are included in the image below.
At present there are about 75 Monash-based members who are connected to the course. Many are passionate and I'm sure will want to retain the course, but Monash also has a deficit of publicly-accessible green open space. Could this be part of the solution?
What do you think?
