good evening and welcome to the
additional council meeting I acknowledge
the traditional owners of the land on
which we meet the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurung people and
recognize their continuing connection to
the land and waterways I pay my respect
to their Elders past present and emerging
and extend this to all Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander
people tonight we have an apology from
councilor Lake councelor De Silva and
councelor Fergeus
I believe that we're all
here are there any disclosure of
interest if not we
will so for tonight the business to
be transacted is a considerations of
the proposed sale of central car park
Glen Waverley report which was presented to
Council on 26th of March 2024 as item
7.1.8 do we have a
mover councelor Little do we have a
seconder
I'll second that
is there any
discussions yeah if I if I briefly
can mayor councelor James
firstly apologies on the way at
the moment my webcam isn't working so I'll
endeavor to have that fixed by the next
meeting
I think it's disappointing that we're
here what is it six seven days later
than when this was first raised and I
need to be open and frank and honest is
I didn't have any inclination whatsoever
that this was going to get voted against
at last meeting certainly by six
counselors which is absolutely bizarre
from my point of view and I haven't
had a chance to speak to any of those
counselors but
whether this motion got passed or did
not get passed was absolutely irrelevant
to the sale of central car park that's
already an existing resolution of
council it's already would have
proceeded all of this motion is doing is
to alter the settlement terms to provide
a better financial return to rate payers
and other
than point or are all just noting and
point four specifically says so as to
maximize the financial return for
Council that that's the whole purpose of
this motion and I find it absolutely
astronomically bizarre that there are
six councilors here that effectively
voted to get a worst financial outcome
for rate payers especially given what
has occurred and what the words that
have been said in this chamber about the
return to rate payers
so maybe those counselors can explain
for themselves or the may choose not to
I'm not entirely sure but I just thought
that was an absolutely bizarre decision
and I just assed that it was going to
go through without any opposition last
week and I am
absolutely annoyed that I've had to
spend the best part of a week trying to
get this meeting to happen so that we
can actually make a decision for the
betterment the better financial return
for our rate payers so I mean that's all
I wanted to say here I'm obviously in
support of it and I urge everyone to
vote in accordance with that and
hopefully we can move
on thank you councelor James is there
any other
discussions councelor McClusky I absolutely
thank you and through you Mayor absolutely
did not intend on saying anything
tonight but I find it grossly offensive
from councilor James to assess that
anybody in this chamber can't exercise a
democratic right to vote any way they
like no one has to justify the way they
vote to Mr James or anyone else just
because someone doesn't support the sale
of the car park doesn't mean they want
to get the best financial benefit for
the residents and ratepayers of Monash if that
was a premise upon which we're voting
the wouldn't be up here in the first
place if we were looking to get the best
financial return for the rate payers and
residents of Monash we wouldn't be
contemplating selling a car park getting
a one-off windfall game from suburban
rail loop and blowing it all on one
massive project massively offensive for
Councilor James I've never heard him say
something so ridiculous in all his time
you can explain all you like Council
James about how you vote do not assess
how and why I
vote thank you councelor Mclusky is
there any other
discussions councelor
Little I too wasn't planning on saying
anything but following Council
Mcclusky's recent outburst I need to
say
something what I'm going to try and
paraphrase first of all I'd like to
thank councelor James for his work in
bringing this back to
council but the point Council Jones was
making is the decision to sell the land
has already been made we're well past
that
point what is only concerned here are
the terms of the settlement and the
advice we been given is 90 days does not
provide the best possible return to Council
it's as simple as that it is just the
terms of the settlement that is in
question here 90 days by all the advice
we've been given will not give the best
possible
return so this changes that 90-day
settlement to something that is far more
flexible and in the longer term we'll
ensure that when that property gets sold
because it is going to be sold because
we've already made that decision we get
the best possible terms best possible
price that is all that is on the table I
suspect Council Mcclusky has perhaps
misinterpreted what is actually being
voted for here
so I commend again councilor James for
making the effort to make sure that we
get another chance to vote on this
issue thank you Council Little is there
any other
discussions if not councelor I just like
to make some brief remarks the best
financial interests of Monash rate
payers are at the forefront of every
decision that I make Council Little is
not right to say that Council has
decided to sell central car park far
from it all we have decided is to enter
a process to find someone who is willing
to find someone to buy it we've made
no decision to sell for it I'd like
to also point out I'm very glad that
Council Little has finally worked out
the purpose of tonight's meeting because
he seemed to not understand why we were
meeting at all this evening he in fact
asked me what this meeting was for just
before we entered the chamber so I find
this whole discussion very offensive as
well if there's no other discussion I
will now put that to the
vote for those in
favor sorry just for the avoidance of
any doubt Mayor given I've got no webcam
I'm voting in favor sorry what couldn't
didn't hear what he
said thank
you for those
against that's
carried division please
Mayor councelor James has asked for
division for those in favour councelor
Luo councelor Little councelor
Klisaris counselor Paterson councelor
James for those against councelor
Samardzija councelor McClusky councelor Zographos
that's
carrying of now bring the meeting to
a close thank
you