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7 OCTOBER, 2025
Gloves on for planting day
Friends of the Lower Kororoit Creek president Jason Hocking. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 507188_01
The Brooklyn Recycling Group (BRG) – a partnership of local construction and demolition recyclers based in the Brooklyn industrial estate – has invited the community to join a planting day event. BRG members City Circle Group, Gypsum Fertiliser & Sales, Delta Group and ResourceCo are teaming up with Melbourne Water and the Friends of Lower Kororoit Creek (FLKC) to plant about 700 native plants to strengthen a growing habitat corridor along the creek. BRG said the event builds on the success of earlier community planting efforts, including a major event in June led by former FLKC president Geoff Mitchelmore. The event will continue to ’infill’ the area to further enhance the corridor’s natural values, according to BRG. Melbourne Water’s Waterways and land officer Gerard Morel said the project will bring lasting environmental benefits. “This location is a large corridor of nature, and will be greatly improved with these additional plants – attracting more birdlife and improving the overall health of the nearby creek,“ Mr Morel said.
Council clean-up By Sam Porter A report into the behaviour of the previous Brimbank council has found it “struggled to ensure good governance and demonstrate appropriate behaviour” while some councillor conduct “could be considered abusive”. In a decision which was supported by councillors at the time, the local government minister appointed municipal monitors to oversee the council between February and December 2024 to help resolve ongoing issues. The council in question was elected in
November 2020 and sat until November 2024. The tenure of the two monitors, Janet Dore and Penelope Holloway, was extended until June 30, 2025 at total cost to Brimbank ratepayers of $144,000. In a report to the local government minister, which was released this week, the monitors concluded that some councillors did not fully understand their role and responsibilities, did not respect staff and each other, and struggled to work together effectively. Monitors highlighted some councillors demonstrated inappropriate behaviour
Luba Luba Grigorovitch Grigorovitch
towards the chief executive, senior staff and each other, and made the assessment that some councillors had “engaged in abusive and bullying behaviour to the extent that it caused mental distress to senior staff and to councillor colleagues”. Some councillors and senior staff were so distressed they sought medical assistance, according to the report. The report cited examples of behaviour between councillors including “unfounded accusations being made on social media, shouting, snide comments, ‘ambushing’ behaviour in council meetings and threats about retribution”.
Monitors noted poor councillor relations were “amplified” in the lead up to and after the 2023 mayoral election, with relationships becoming “even more toxic” after an altercation in a public council meeting erupted, resulting in a councillor walking out. Another reason cited by monitors for the previous council’s underperformance related to how council meetings were conducted, specifically in relation to notices of motion and public question time. Continued: Page 4.
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