Two Hobsons Bay councillors have lashed out at their colleagues for not supporting a public safety motion at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
The July 29 meeting ended in chaos when a motion introduced as urgent business by Cr Lisa Bentley, demanding council advocate for improved public safety following the recent machete attack on a man in Altona Meadows, was voted down on procedural grounds.
“Shame, shame, shame” shouted Cr Bentley to the chamber after her motion was voted down 4-3, with only mayor Daria Kellander and Cr Michael Disbury joining her in support.
The four councillors who voted against reacted angrily to Cr Bentley’s comments, pointing out they were voting against the motion being introduced as urgent business, not the motion itself, while others protested that they were blindsided by Cr Bentley’s actions.
After a five minute adjournment failed to placate Cr Bentley, the meeting moved onto confidential business before being declared closed.
In a statement to Star Weekly, a spokesperson for Hobsons Bay council confirmed the motion was defeated on procedural grounds, not for its content.
“The urgent business motion moved at Tuesday night’s meeting was voted down for procedural reasons, with the item deemed not to be urgent business,” the spokesperson said.
Despite this, both Cr Bentley and Cr Disbury released Facebook statements criticising their colleagues.
“They may have decided to hide behind a small procedural technicality, but it could easily have been accepted if they wanted it to be,” Cr Disbury wrote.
“Shame on all of you who voted the motion down, who put politics above community safety.”
In a later interview with Star Weekly, Cr Disbury didn’t back down from his comments.
“It’s a bit of shame that politics got involved instead of working for the community,” said Cr Disbury, who argued that while crime was a state responsibility, an increase in offending of more than 35 per cent in the past year meant council had to act.
Cr Bentley declined to be interviewed, but in a Facebook post on Wednesday night, said her motion was in response to the recent machete attack on a man at Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows that almost severed the victim’s arm.
“Unfortunately, and with great disappointment, this procedural motion was lost and I was unable to express my concerns due to the majority of councillors voting against me,” said Cr Bentley, adding that she informed the other councillors of her intentions prior to the meeting.
None of the councillors who voted no would comment on the record to Star Weekly, though a number disputed Cr Bentley’s version of events, saying they didn’t know what was in the motion.
The motion, which Cr Bentley posted in full on her Facebook page, called on council to lobby the state government for more crime fighting resources in Hobsons Bay, including a return to 24-7 operating hours at Williamstown Police Station.
Cr Bentley said she intends to re-introduce the motion at council’s next meeting on August 26.
