Stonnington Greens

The 2013 election. The issue.

James Harrison, Greens candidate for Higgins

It’s the issue that one of the old parties wants to bury and the other tries to pretend does not exist. The climate is approaching crisis and that will affect us all in ways that can hardly be imagined.

More floods, more droughts, more hurricanes, more heatwaves, more bushfires, more famines.

Can we really go on as if it doesn’t matter?

Don’t we care what happens to the millions of people (and we are not immune) who will suffer?

Summer, 2013. No escape.

While the old parties turn their backs on the problem (and the people) they are letting an extraordinary opportunity pass Australia by.

If we start now on the transition to clean energy, we will not only be playing our part in averting the climate crisis, we will create work with a future for thousands of people – in everything from science to manufacturing to farming. It’s not all solar panels (but we can always use more of those).

Malvern Town Hall. Bob Hale offers an amazed Tony Abbott the good news: Renewables can cover baseload power needs.

Denticare. An idea so good that Labor would like you to think it was theirs.

From Senator Richard di Natale:

The Greens have secured an almost $5 billion investment into the dental health of millions of Australians.

“The Greens have ensured that millions of children will get Medicare funded dentistry and millions more adults will have better access to public dental care. Delivering public dental care for all Australians was a central part of our agreement to support Labor to form government. This achievement shows how power sharing governments can make a real difference to people’s lives when parliamentarians work together constructively.”

Councillor Sam Hibbins

Councillor Erin Davie

Stonnington Outlook

Erin Davie and Sam Hibbins are Greens members representing their communities on Stonnington Council.

Why the wait? Extend the tram tracks and increase services.

We’ve heard all the talk about new trams coming. And we’re still waiting.

We have shown (below) how short track extensions would serve more people in more places and make the whole network more efficient.

We’re still waiting.

Do you ever wonder just how serious our governments have been about public transport?

Is it time that all of us (including those of us who drive cars) told them that the only way to really reduce traffic jams is to give us a comfortable, frequent, alternative to driving?

Then imagine…

You’re travelling across town, you take public transport because it’s comfortable and convenient. Your local tram takes you all the way to the train station and in less than 10 minutes your train has arrived and you’re away. That’s how a well integrated public transport system works. In and around Stonnington our public transport system has major gaps where tram lines don’t meet train stations – and the lines we do have are not running at anything like their capacity. To work for everyone, services need to be frequent and consistent, all day every day. Extend Route 5 along Wattletree & Malvern Roads to connect with Darling Station. Extend Route 8 along Toorak Road to connect with Route 75. Extend Route 3 along Waverley Road to connect with East Malvern Station. Extend Route 6 along High Street to connect with Glen Iris & Ashburton Stations. Extend Route 67 along Koornang Road to connect with Carnegie Station.