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18 SEPTEMBER, 2024
A floral welcome Vivid colours and themes of native flora and fauna now welcome children attending playgroup at the South Kingsville Community Centre. A mural commissioned as part of Hobsons Bay council’s street art project was recently completed, wrapping the Paxton Street building in a vibrant range of images and designs. The South Kingsville Community Centre (SKCC) was one of six locations across Hobsons Bay selected for the street art program. “The mural provides children with an opportunity to learn more about native animals and parents are particularly fond of the way the colours uplift the centre,” SKCC manager Alexandra Jedlicko said. “The wider community have also given us plenty of positive feedback about how the artwork improves the centre’s street appeal.” The mural is the work of Footscray-based artists Jess Wilson and Lynn Bremner and took a month to complete. Next month, Wilson and Bremner will host a mural workshop for children at SKCC to coincide with its 30th birthday.
South Kingsville Community Centre manager Alex Jedlicko in front of its new mural. (Damjan Janevski) 430962_01
Cr Hemphill suspended By Cade Lucas Former Hobsons Bay mayor and long-time councillor Peter Hemphill has been suspended for one month after an independent arbiter made misconduct findings against him. In findings tabled at a meeting of Hobsons Bay council on Tuesday, September 10, arbiter Simon Heath agreed with applications of misconduct made by fellow councillor and former mayor, Antoinette Briffa, against Cr Hemphill based on two separate incidents earlier this year. The first application related to an email Cr
Hemphill sent on February 29 to his fellow councillors and council staff, including legal counsel Diane Eyckens. According to Mr Heath’s report, in the email Cr Hemphill referred to complaints made against Cr Briffa, including one made by himself, in 2011, 2013 and 2023, as well as an unsubstantiated allegation that Cr Briffa accosted a former mayor in 2014. The arbiter found that by sending the email to councillors and council staff raising historical issues that had been dealt with and making allegations that were incorrect or misleading, Cr Hemphill had failed to treat
Cr Briffa with “dignity, fairness, objectivity, courtesy and respect,” breaching standards of conduct set out in the Local Government Act. The second application related to comments made by Cr Hemphill at a council meeting on June 11, when he claimed council’s ‘councillor complaint handling policy’ was ‘devised’ by Ms Eyckens but had ‘never ever’ been ratified by council, Mr Heath’s report stated. While answering a question during the same meeting Cr Hemphill also revealed that a confidential complaint had been made against Cr Briffa by Ratepayers Victoria, the
report stated. In revealing a confidential complaint against Cr Briffa and asserting that Ms Eyckens ‘devised’ and used an unratified policy in dealing with it, the arbiter found Cr Hemphill had failed to treat either with “dignity, fairness, objectivity, courtesy and respect.” He also found Cr Hemphill had failed to ensure he did not bring discredit upon the council. Along with being suspended from council for a month from September 11, Cr Hemphill was ordered to apologise to Cr Briffa and Ms Eyckens.
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