Cr Oscar Yildiz calls Merri-bek City Council’s nuclear ban ‘laughable’

A Greens and Socialist Alliance-dominated council has voted to ban a nuclear submarine facility from being built in the area in a move slammed as “laughable”.

An inner-city council dominated by Socialist Alliance and Greens members has voted against allowing a nuclear submarine facility from being built in the area — decades before Australia will receive nuclear subs.

Merri-bek councillors approved Socialist Alliance councillor Sue Bolton’s push to turn the council into a “nuclear free zone” and advocate its opposition to the federal government’s recent multibillion-dollar nuclear submarine deal.

The council will publish a statement detailing its opposition to the purchase of the submarines and seek support from other councils which have signed the ICAN Cities Appeal — a group of towns and cities that support the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

“It’s hard to imagine that amount of money, that could really go a long way to solving lots of crises in Australia,” Cr Bolton said.

“Whether it be the aged care crisis, funding for disability, climate action or the urgent housing crisis.”

Cr Lambros Tapinos tried to defer the motion to “when the first nuclear submarines arrive” or the “the nuclear threat to the city arrives” in February 2050 but the deferral was defeated.

The controversial issue, which has already drawn criticism for the Institute of Public Affairs and Council Watch, split the councillors in a heated debate.

While Cr James Conlan said councils had an important role to play in national and international debates, Cr Oscar Yildiz described the motion as “laughable”.

“Our letter if we do write one to the government, I don’t reckon it would get past the uber driver, the federal government couldn’t care less what we think,” Cr Yildiz said.

“This is honestly wasting everyone’s time ... we should be identifying ways to save our community money and focusing on the issues we were elected to deal with.

“This issue doesn’t concern local council, I honestly can’t believe we’re even discussing this.”

Deputy Mayor Helen Davidson said: “This isn’t the United Nations.”

The council will consider installing “nuclear free zone” signage at Sydney Rd and Bell St and ban any material “connected to the nuclear industry” being transported or stored in the area or a nuclear facility from being built.

The northern suburbs council will also oppose the Port of Melbourne being used to house nuclear submarines despite Cr Bolton admitting it wasn’t being “mooted” for that at the moment.

Council Watch’s vice president Dean Hurlston previously told the Herald Sun the ban was “political madness”.

“There is zero place for these kinds of grandstanding efforts and Cr Bolton should focus on the thousands of Merri-bek residents who are unhappy with the council’s service delivery,” he said

“They can’t even get the basics like rubbish collection right … councils need to focus on the provision of services.”