Residents petition Port Phillip Council to declare social amenity crisis in St Kilda
They’ve called for a nuclear weapons ban and declared a global climate emergency — now Port Phillip councillors are being told to pay more attention to their own streets, where locals say spiralling drug use and violence signal a “social amenity crisis”.
Inner South
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The overdose death of a man on a Fitzroy St last month has sparked a passionate community plea for councillors to focus on issues in their own backyard.
It comes after Port Phillip Council put forward a series of motions on international issues, including calling for a ban on nuclear weapons.
But residents say the safety of the local community — including its most vulnerable members — should come first.
A petition this week is calling for the council to declare a “social amenity crisis” in St Kilda.
Petitioner Richard, who did not want his surname used, said councillors had been “pushing their own political ideologies” for too long instead of listening to local concerns.
“They’re happy to ban nuclear weapons and declare a global climate emergency but not much is being done to help the people who voted them in,” he said.
“I’m not saying there’s not a climate emergency but why can’t they also advocate for better mental health and support services because what’s out there clearly isn’t enough.”
Port Phillip Council currently has $2 million parked in a special fund earmarked for future social housing projects but petitioners say some of that could be used to hire private security guards to patrol trouble hot spots, including Fitzroy, Acland and Carlisle streets.
About $500,000 is tipped into the fund each year as part of the annual rates bill.
“Police are doing a great job when it comes to reducing crime but not everything is a police issue,” Richard said.
“They can’t do anything for people with severe mental health issues who refuse help.
“There needs to be some mechanism for authorities to act in circumstances where people aren’t capable of taking care of themselves and who need help but refuse it.”
The petition calls on the council to write to outreach services and Alfred Mental Health and develop a policy for taking care of vulnerable people.
“It’s all very well to spend money on social housing, and nobody is denying we need more of that, but sometimes sticking a roof over someone’s head is not going to be the answer, it’s not going to be enough,” Richard said.
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He said the man who died last month had been a well-known rough sleeper in the area who suffered mental health problems and had refused help from support services several times.
Port Phillip Inspector Nigel McGuire-White said homelessness and mental health were “difficult issues” which required a multi-agency approach.
But he said more than 100 people had been arrested as part of several operations targeting repeat offenders and crackdown on high harm, high impact crimes such as armed robberies and serious assaults.
The petition is available to sign at stores in Fitzroy, Acland and Carlisle streets, or by emailing portphillipamenity@outlook.com before Monday, November 18.
What the council has done:
■ Declared a global climate emergency.
■ Passed a motion calling for the Federal Government to sign a UN treaty to ban nuclear weapons.
■ Spent $10,000 to hang banners outside its town halls welcoming refugees.
What the petition calls for:
■ Two trained private security guards to patrol Acland, Fitzroy and Carlisle streets.
■ A full-time divisional response unit based at the St Kilda police station.
■ A policy which allows authorities to help vulnerable people in need who refuse assistance