Monash Councillors get pay rise

Posted to Waverley Leader (26/12/12) on 29/12/2012 at 2:01 AM
Commenting on "Monash Councillors get pay rise"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/monash-councillors-get-pay-rise/

Once upon a time, councillors were volunteers who had proven track records doing community work. I rest my case.

Wheelers Hill 'safe' suburb

Posted to Waverley Leader (26/12/12) on 27/12/2012 at 5:47 PM
Commenting on "Wheelers Hill 'safe' suburb"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/wheelers-hill-a-safe-suburb/

It is important to understand the meaning of median price; it is NOT the average price of all the sold properties, which is calculated by adding the prices of all the sold properties and divided by the number of properties sold.

The median price is the "middle price", which requires little or no calculation. If you line up all the values of sold properties from the smallest to the largest, the middle number gives the median price. However, if the list of numbers is even, then there is not one exactly in the middle; you will have to take the two numbers closest to the middle, add the values together and then divide by 2.

The property values below the median price can be very much less, and the values above the median price can be sky-rocketed high. In short, you may overpay a property below the median price, or underestimate your property worth if it is above the median price.

Investing large sum of your hard-earn money requires doing a substantial amount of homework including attending auctions and keeping track of real estate activities in the targeted area. Wheelers Hill is no exception and so do take note and take care.

Household power bills to rise

Posted to Waverley Leader (28/11/12) on 3/12/2012 at 3:35 PM
Commenting on "Household power bills to rise"
http://frankston-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/comments/household-power-bills-to-rise/

For every $100 shown in the electricity bill, $9 is the carbon tax, or 10% of the actual usage. We must not forget than use of electricity incurs 10% GST too.

Since I am not on pension, and do not have any pay cheque, any tax cut will not benefit me. It seems that all the utility companies are taking a round robin approach in price increases, at a rate higher than the CPI.

Chisholm MP Anna Burke is new Speaker

Posted to Waverley Leader (10/10/2012) on 10/10/2012 at 12:52 PM
Commenting on "Chisholm MP Anna Burke is new Speaker"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/chisholm-mp-becomes-new-speaker/

It has nothing to do with whether Anna Burke MP is a female or a Labor Party member; I am indeed very excited to see her occupying the seat as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. I have watched her performance on television parliamentary broadcast, and she has been doing a very good job. She has the firmness of Peter Slipper (politically speaking) and the gentile side of Harry Jenkins ("quietly" speaking).

PS I am not a member of any political party.

Think before you vote, urges council body

Posted to Waverley Leader (8/10/2012) on 9/10/2012 at 10:06 PM
Commenting on "Think before you vote, urges council body"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/think-before-you-vote-urges-council-body/

I have been urging ratepayers to vote with their brain rather their heart. Helping a political mate to get into any government does not and will not benefit your wallet and wellbeing, unless the representative is genuine to get in there for the good of the people rather than his/her own ego and glory.

I don't just vote for the new contestants for the sake of change or their political stance. I vote for them if they can demonstrate to me, at least in their campaign literature or in person, that they have the desire to effect changes in the Council chambers in response to the needs of Monash ratepayers. They must have clear understanding about gambling, and unemployment issues and traders' concern in Monash, and continue to call for a safe solution for Clayton railway crossing.

Melbourne's suburban farmers

Posted to Waverley Leader (29/9/2012) on 4/10/2012 at 7:07 pm
Commenting on "Melbourne's suburban farmers"
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http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/monash-ratepayers-association-confident-of-taking-seats/

For people living in suburbs like Glen Waverley, Springvale or Dandenong, prices for vegies and other food items are not as expensive as the inner city.

Hopping into a car to the shop for vegies is far more troublesome than going to own backyard or rooftop garden to harvest them.

Growing your own vegies and can be a pain if you are frequent interstate or overseas traveller. Who is going to water them while you are away? When you return, the soil will be hard like rock, even the soil is sandy loam or heavily mulched. Plants grown in the ground can seek out water from larger surround, but not in planter boxes or crates.

Growing on the concrete roof top can present a problem long term, because certain part may become water-logged due to water slippage from the planters and damage the concrete. Wooden crates can rot easily, and cost of replacement should be taken into consideration.

When you get a bumper harvest, it is also time for bumper harvest for the commercial vegies gardeners, which means the price will be at rock bottom.

What is the next move - cooking at home and not going out to the restaurants or food outlets, or making our own clothing?

Monash Ratepayers Association confident of taking seats

Posted to Waverley Leader (20/9/2012) on 4/10/2012 at 12:22 pm (Not yet published)
Commenting on "Monash Ratepayers Association confident of taking seats"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/monash-ratepayers-association-confident-of-taking-seats/

Go for it Des Olin and Chan Cheah. If you get elected, do something about the nonsensical approach in annual revenue budgeting - a blanket percentage increase each year. The increase is well above the annual CPI increase.

I have attended several Council meetings and read the budget reports; I have watched the performance of the Councillors, and I can only conclude that the word budget must as well be written in a foreign language.

Were the Councillors contributory to the debate or discussion on rating system changing from SV to CIV? Sad, but true - their response was sound of silence.

Urged to contest Victorian elections

Posted to City of Waverley Leader (14/5/2012) on 4/7/2012 at 12:58 PM
Commenting on "STAND FOR COUNCIL: More urged to contest Victorian elections"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/stand-for-council-more-urged-to-contest-polls/

In the City of Monash, 9 out of 11 are Labor members or associated with the party. If one is not specific partisan aligned, you have Buckley's chance. Need to say more?

Karaoke bar OK in Kingsway

Posted to Waverley Leader (3/7/2012) on 4/7/2012 at 12:19 PM
Posted to City of Moansh Facebook on 4/7/2012 at 12:20 PM
Commenting on " HAVE YOUR SAY: Karaoke bar OK in Kingsway"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/have-your-say-karaoke-bar-ok-in-kingsway/

The City shopping precinct is not very large compared with some suburbs. Having three Karaoke bars seems far from excessive. I am not proud to live in a City which is second highest in contributing towards gambling loss, or in a State claiming highest binge drinking record.

With another karaoke site where alcohol is served till 1 am, more alcohol-fuel conflicts will occur and may even flow on to the street after the trading hours. A Google search provided the following historical karaoke brawls and stabbings:

28/4/2012 – a brawl over a girl outside a Railway Parade karaoke bar left one man in hospital and another with minor injuries
20/11/2011 - a large fight in front of the karaoke bar in Railway Parade about 3am, attackers were armed with baseball bats and metal poles, 10 were admitted to hospital with various injuries
17/4/2006 - a man stabbed three times in the back at a Melbourne karaoke bar in Church Street, Abbotsford died in hospital

Many Monash Councillors are too young and have no life experience to make such crucial decision, while the remainders are so isolated from the rest of the world to understand what is like beyond the long Australian coastline.

Will ratepayers at City of Monash learn from Queensland state election?

Posted to Your News, Waverley Leader on 25/3/2012 at 4:48 PM (Not published by Newspaper)
Title: Will ratepayers at City of Monash learn from Queensland state election?

The number of Labor Councillors in the City of Monash is 9 out of the total of 11. I am deeply concerned about local council being used as a training ground of future state and federal politicians for candidates backed by political parties with financial and other resources. This deprives other non-politically aligned candidates the opportunity to contribute towards the good of the City and the ratepayers.

This may sound like the voice of a sour grape, but then this is a statement of fact. It is unlikely for quality and genuine independents to sacrifice their time and livelihood (including money) to campaign for a position, only to find out there is Buckley’s chance to even get back their deposit money, unless there is a level playing field. Those who have burning desire to contribute will likely pack up their boxing gloves after a number of attempts.

Better resourced and influential candidates have running mates; some are even dummies who do not supply contact details to the electoral office. The purpose of having these dummies that are unlikely to win is to preference their votes to their mates to boost the count. Unfortunately, the existing preferential voting system and non-contact disclosure cannot be amended.

Some decisions made by the City executives are just being rubber stamped by the Councillors. The Council meetings can be described as more than courteous. There are insufficient scrutiny and accountability. To name a few, these include annual rate increase, council expenses including Councillors', use of technology and most laughably the curtain at Clayton pool.

While many items seem transparent, nonsensical transparency is worth as much as the nonsense itself. It is important for ratepayers to learn more about the candidates before casting their votes this October council election. The City’s future – rate collection, development, open space, traffic management, business mix, social harmony, community health services, etc. must be discussion topics and subject to more vigorous scrutiny.

World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre (Post 3 of 3)

Posted to Waveley Leader (28/2/2012) on 28/2/2012 at 12:19 PM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/your-say-world-comes-calling-chadstone-shopping-centre/

Obesity has been a main concern for health authority. Unfortunately, there will be more people gorging down the unhealthy fat-laden fast foods in air-conditioned comfort food courts.

The amount of energy to heat up or cool the unused space and void is phenomenal. While the world is talking about going green, such humongous development does not fit into the scheme of energy conservation. Obviously, the cost is passed on to the retailers, whose profit will be cut by the expenses. Many hopeful business operators will be virtually working for the complex owners / shareholders.

As a courtesy, I had approached the Chadstone complex once requesting permission to photograph the beautiful palm trees and architecture, but was declined by the Security department for security reason. I am surprised that I can take photographs in the airport outside the custom area, and yet I cannot do so at Chadstone shopping Centre. Is it wise for anyone to take the risk to go to places like Chadstone Shopping Centre in light of security? In short, I did ask why there was no signage to say that taking photograph was not permitted, but no answer was given!

World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre (Post 2 of 3)

Posted to Waveley Leader (28/2/2012) on 28/2/2012 at 12:18 PM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/your-say-world-comes-calling-chadstone-shopping-centre/

The reasons why overseas investors particularly China are keen for project of this nature is more than just investing in the complex. One has been mentioned previously in regards to failed projects when shopping complexes enable to attract tenancy. Another reason is likely involves an hidden agenda of “investment migration”.

Most of stalls in many complexes these days are owned or operated mainly by Chinese nationals who come in as investment migrants, and they need to run a business as a condition for visa application. However, when permanent residency status is granted, which entitles them to apply for Australian passports, the business is sold to another “investment migrant”. Whether the business is making a profit is a non-issue, because another investment migrant will pay for the business. This is the cheapest way to get the Australian citizenship.

World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre (Post 1 of 3)

Posted to Waveley Leader (28/2/2012) on 28/2/2012 at 12:18 PM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/your-say-world-comes-calling-chadstone-shopping-centre/

If the infrastructure surrounding the complex can be drastically improved, then the development may justify consideration, but this is pie in the sky.

Such development also defies modern trend of purchasing, and with Goolge or YouTube search, we can find many abandoned ghost shopping centres or ghost malls around the world, including prosperous China. We all know the shop-front retailing is soon becoming things of the past, as online purchasing continues to increase by leaps and bounds.

It has been evident that many shops in shopping complexes, shopping strips and flea markets are selling low cost products mainly China, and therefore such development is perfect for China dumping all the 2-buck junks here. Having such a big complex is basically shifting the Caribbean or Wantirna flea markets to the new location, having new facades.

Yarra Council boss quits, takes Monash Council job

Posted to Waverley Leader (22/2/2012) on 24/2/2012 at 4:57 AM
Commenting on "Yarra Council boss quits, takes Monash Council job"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/yarra-council-boss-quits-takes-monash-council-spot/

I wonder if City of Yarra were to offer the new CEO $360,000, will our "new" CEO take up the Yarra's attractive offer and quit City of Monash?

Curtailing on-call costs in Monash

Posted to Waverley Leader (21/2/2012) on 21/2/2012 at 10:03 PM
Commenting on “HAVE YOUR SAY: Curtailing on-call costs in Monash”
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/curtailing-on-call-costs-in-monash/

Ratepayers of City of Monash need more intelligent Councillors to represent their interests in the City.

Mayor Stefanie Perri is talking pure nonsense to say that “Councillors spend a large amount of time on the phone talking to ratepayers about local issues and concerns they may have." So far, as a keen follower of City of Monash's news and a frequent reader of the available local newspapers, I hardly read about what the Councillors have done or issues the Councillors have brought to the public attention!

As most ratepayers know, Councillors do not dedicate 100% of their time to represent the ratepayers, because they have other paid employment. I would be very surprised if the Councillors talk at length to ratepayers after hours.

If a Councillor spends a lot of their paid working hours talking to ratepayers, they are misusing their company's valuable resource namely time. If they operate their business, and have so much free time talking about other matters, I can imagine how dedicated they are in their business. What if it is true that they talk to ratepayers after hours? They probably value the ratepayers more than their family, honourable but plain stupid!

Pool curtain cost up in Clayton (Post 3 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (7/2/2012) on 9/2/2012 at 10:50 AM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: Pool curtain cost up in Clayton"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/pool-curtain-cost-up-in-clayton/

Jack Davis said he believed the cost increase was “a waste of money”.

Jack, you're too kind, and very wrong. The whole lot of do-good Councillors are "a waste of money", sack them all. Don't forget to sack the one that comes out with the budget and writes the tender.

Pool curtain cost up in Clayton (Post 2 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (7/2/2012) on 8/2/2012 at 4:15 AM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: Pool curtain cost up in Clayton"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/pool-curtain-cost-up-in-clayton/

The increase in cost should NOT have been approved.

It is an increase of 50% of the original budget. How much is the running cost in maintaining the curtain, and what's the life of this?

Can we trust the budget of the ongoing maintaining cost if the budget for the curtain is so disastrously off-target?

Pool curtain cost up in Clayton (Post 1 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (7/2/2012) on 7/2/2012 at 2:26 PM (Not published by Newspaper)
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: Pool curtain cost up in Clayton"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/pool-curtain-cost-up-in-clayton/

A cost blowout of close to 50% is totally unacceptable, and whoever did the cost estimate and budget should join the dole queue. As for the Councillors, I doubt they know what they are doing almost all the time, except to agree with all the proposals, and moved motion to pass whatever put forward.

With more than three quarters of the Councillors belonging to the same political party that the PM belongs to, I suppose this is the best of the worst they can do for the City.

"Councillors voted unanimously last week to accept ... increasing the curtain budget from $45,000 to $66,400" is a conspiracy of the worst kind. Did they understand that if the blowout was so big in magnitude, how could they trust the budget for future maintenance cost, very likely came from the dude that budgeted for the construction?

Have you heard anything constructive the Councillors that have done for the ratepayers except raising their temper as fast as the mercury shooting up the thermometer stem on the total fire ban day?

This is the price to pay for voting for your mates. Open your eyes in the next election.

Chinese New Year Celebration 2012 at Kingsway, City of Monash

Posted to Your News, Waverley Leader on 7/2/2012
Title: Chinese New Year Celebration 2012 at Kingsway, City of Monash

Compare with previous years, the attendance was much lower. Even close to 1 pm, Kingsway was not packed. Some stalls were not open for business, and the queues at the food stalls were short and not as "deep". Conspicuously missing were the popular DVD stalls, but there were two "traders" selling DVDs in the pavement.

The very hot weather could have turned a lot of the people away. It could possibly due to this being the last Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration around Melbourne - CNY celebration fatigue.

Beads of sweat rolled down my face, and the day was hot! I played safe to have my lunch at a Grand Tofu cafe/restaurant, which I hoped the food hygiene standards were better observed.

The ground outside the Monash Library seemed to be the real cultural hub. Chinese Association of Victoria conducted several activities including lantern painting, origami making, calligraphy demonstration, and the good old tradition of solving the classical riddles written on strips of paper hung from the tent "ceiling". Other Chinese schools and associations were there as well. This patch was a lot more crowded than the food stalls.

I took a few photos of the non-Chinese dance performance on stage. The dancers wore red - the only thing that was close to Chinese tradition!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2834859783541.2123412.1020578094&type=3&l=0f8b69dada

It was very difficult to "shoot" the lion in action because there was hardly any room to move about, let alone trying to get to the front of the crowd to capture the lion's movement close to the ground. I don't have a good camera, and cannot capture the action well at high speed.

The Lion went from shop-to-shop. It moved about on the ground, leapt in the air, lifted high to get the red packet containing money tied together with a complete lettuce to a beam above the pavement. The Lion "drank" a bottle of beer, and was likely exceeded .05. Its tail moved about like a real drunkard; it also rolled on the ground and "laughed" - well it did open its mouth flap wide.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2834912664863.2123414.1020578094&type=3&l=8af6596af4

Suddenly, the Water Dragon arrived in the City of Monash in its true form, brought along buckets of rain. Astrologically speaking, Lunar New Year began on 23/1/2012, but the Year of the Dragon actually started on 4/2/2012. This year is the Year of the Water Dragon, and it is a Black Dragon.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/sin-fong-chan-the-teacher/lesson-on-chinese-new-year-and-the-year-of-dragon/196474710450530

By now, Kingsway was deserted, and one could roll a bowling ball down the street without knocking down any pedestrian. The street was wet, and the Dragon leader asked his team members to stay put in the pavement until the rain stopped.

There were activities in the Century Walk, including the Vietnamese spring roll demonstration. I got in just at the right time; I had the last piece of spring roll from the demonstrator!

Depressed sales drove some of the more “dynamic” stallholders go round taking orders from anyone and everyone they could approach, and delivered them freshly cooked from the stalls. Eat your heart out online ordering, this is human-base customer service.

I had enough for the afternoon, and left at 4:45 pm. The sun was still hiding behind the clouds, and for more than an hour. I wanted to return to Kingsway for more fun and action, but I suffered from CYN celebration constipation! And so, I leave the reporting to someone else who attended the later part of the celebration.

Until next time, have a wonderful year. May the Dragon bring you lots and lots of water or its equivalence – wealth!

Will illegal DVDs be sold during Chinese New Year celebration again?

Posted to Your News, Waverley Leader on 22/1/2012 at 4:17 AM (Not published by Newspaper)
Title: Will illegal DVDs be sold during Chinese New Year celebration again?

I attended the CNY celebration last year, and there were several stalls selling non-original, copied DVDs. The incident was reported to the duty police officer but no action was taken.

Just a few days ago, one of the world's largest file-sharing sites has been shut down in US, and its founder and several company executives charged with violating piracy laws. Are these Monash traders not violating the piracy and copyright laws?

I would like to see that these traders be prosecuted for violating the laws. Although City of Monash does not have the jurisdiction to prosecute the offenders, but the City do have the obligation to stop these people selling items in breach of the law, no difference from paddling drugs in the Monash precinct.

I am writing this and put the City on notice before the coming event, to be held on 5 February.

Please do not publish my name.

Chinese New Year set to begin this weekend

Posted to Whitehorse Leader (20/1/2012) on 22/1/2012 at 3:01 AM
Commenting on "Chinese New Year set to begin this weekend"
http://whitehorse-leader.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/chinese-new-year-set-to-begin-this-weekend/

I firmly believe that all the promotions were misleading, because the event lacked the atmosphere of a Chinese New Year celebration. There were no banners, buntings, lanterns or posters to depict the event. The traditional Chinese New Year songs or music were not played, and some youngsters were having fun “singing” anything except Chinese songs on the stage.

My wife and I did check out the night market / food stalls, and walked away unimpressed. It was a total let down. There were several real estate / investment stalls, souvenir stalls selling items not related to the year of the dragon, colleges trying desperately to gain an enrolment or two, a Liberal Party member giving out balloons, a couple of religious and related stalls, and no less than four DVD stalls selling pirated and non-original production DVDs.