We will continue to ‘compare and contrast’ the achievements, protocols, policies, and practices of other councils as opposed to the Glen Eira way of doing things. We will continue to highlight how Glen Eira residents are getting a raw deal when such comparisons are made. We will continue to question the arguments put forward by this council for its reluctance to embrace what many of these other councils view as standard and/or best practice. We will continue to question the motives behind such reactionary ideologies. And we will continue to urge, and if necessary, embarrass until change occurs.
Several council meetings ago, the issue of Alcohol Free Shopping Strip zones emerged. We reported that Lipshutz’s opposition was based on officers being ‘overworked’ and that the police wouldn’t support it. Funnily enough, our next door neighbours (Kingston) don’t seem to have such worries. This is from their latest media release –
The alcohol free zones will be introduced in two local shopping centres in Centre Road, Clarinda and Rosebank Ave, Clayton South.
From 1 January 2011, residents choosing to ignore the new alcohol bans will risk police fines of $200.
North Ward Councillor, Cr Arthur Athanasopoulos supported the need for alcohol free zones in key locations where problems were occurring.
“The decision to introduce alcohol free zones in these two areas followed extensive community consultation with traders in the area and local schools,” he said. “Many local residents have noticed an increasing trend for people to be drinking outside the bottle shops in these shopping centres which is why Council has taken this stand against public alcohol consumption.”
Kingston has successfully implemented alcohol free zones in other parts of the City, including the Chelsea, Aspendale, Mordialloc and Mentone foreshore areas.
“The introduction of a further alcohol free zone in the City is another way of combating anti social behaviour caused by alcohol consumption,” Cr Athanasopoulos said.
Glen Eira Debates 
December 9, 2010 at 7:54 PM
For a council which often defends its actions on the basis of safety, this reluctance to create an alcohol free zone in our major shopping centres is both hypocritical and negligent. One might quite reasonably ask why the Racecourse precinct became alcohol free for race days (ie 20 plus) and shopping strips which face daily hooliganism and drunkenness don’t warrant the same attention. Lipshutz’s arguments are simply facile and anti-community. I’ve witnessed louts hanging about at train stations and others openly dealing in drugs. If an alcohol ban prevents much of this behaviour than it must be introduced. Officers being overworked does not excuse turning a blind eye to what is going on.
December 9, 2010 at 9:27 PM
Issues such as this should not be decided by the likes of Lipshutz and his position on the local law committee. The community, and that means traders, residents, and local police must decide this one. Nor should the likes of Newton and Burke put the bureaucracy ahead of community needs. If Kingston can manage this, then Glen Eira with 1000 staff should be able to do it as well.
December 9, 2010 at 11:18 PM
Drunks are a problem yes especially when the Melbourne Racing Club days of activity prime drinkers with too much alcohol and the club(or its traders) resolve the problem by simply turning these now poorer drunken patrons onto our streets for us to contend with. Is this really a safety issue or not?
Also it would seem that council does not care for the safety of the Glenhuntly Parks yooung users by placing an enormous mulch heap there and by refusing to put a gate on either of the openings in the todler playground boundary .. one onto Neerim Road at the corner of Booran Road and the other near the mulch heap were council trucks come and go and do so often in the reverse gear. It would seem that special rules of escort should be introduced if trucks must use reverse so close to such vulnerable tiny citizens… who may make the ten second escape if not gased by the mulch or seriously injured by the dangerously low hardwood stakes protecting native plants from rabbits at just the right height for an eyeful; If one hears of permanent blindness inflicted so unecessarily then one could sue G E Council on behalf of that poor child.