At a recent Council meeting, Cr Bryan Mears made an important amendment to the community safety motion to acknowledge the real victims of antisocial and abusive behaviour arising from encampments and to direct Council officers to seek feedback on safety from both residents and local businesses. That amendment passed unanimously. Thank you, Bryan, for listening to the voices of our community.

But let’s be honest: the bigger picture hasn’t changed. Critics say Cr Hardy’s motion to remove exemptions in the camping local laws “lacks compassion.” Really?

How compassionate is it to leave people on our streets, where they are unsafe and unsupported? True kindness is getting people into housing and mental health services; not pretending that leaving them in laneways and carparks is somehow protecting them. Why aren’t the  Councillors lobbying the State to do better in Port Phillip or would rocking the boat hinder their long-term aspirations for Spring Street?

Where’s the Urgency?

• In February, over 300 residents from all walks of life marched for safer streets.
• Nearly 1,600 people have signed a petition backing Cr Hardy’s motion that removes camping exemptions.

These aren’t small numbers. They show a community crying out for action. Yet the Council drags its heels, while Victoria Police have been clear: they cannot manage encampments unless camping exemptions are removed.

Protocol versus Policy

Why is Port Phillip putting the cart before the horse? Since when does protocol come before policy? And why are we waiting for Victoria Police “approval” of protocols when 77 out of 79 Victorian councils already operate without camping exemptions? Why is Port Phillip so “special”?

Our camping exemptions make us a magnet. Vulnerable people are drawn here because of it, and sadly, they become targets for crime — while residents and businesses bear the fallout.

Let’s be clear: no one is equating genuine homelessness with crime. But we cannot deny that much of the antisocial behaviour on our streets is caused by people who are not homeless — stolen bikes, intimidation, assaults, drug dealing in broad daylight. And often, it’s the vulnerable themselves who are abused. Once again Council are enablers and aren’t doing vulnerable people any favours not its residents.

What About Residents’ Rights?

Council talks about human rights — but what about our rights?

• Kids/Teenagers told they can’t walk down Fitzroy Street alone, a well known issue for parents.
• Parents who only let their kids into Acland Street when it’s busy, the alternative isn’t an option for many days.
• Older residents who no longer feel safe walking home from tram stops and shop out of town are larger shopping complexes

We pay some of the highest rates in Victoria. Shouldn’t safety, dignity, and amenity be a basic return on that investment?

Shoosh! And  other Double Standards

The mayor’s behaviour during debate also raises questions. Residents watched on as Cr Beti Jay was shooshed for raising a local query, while Cr Halliday was not asked to withdraw his obscene language nor leave the chamber until he could be respectful. Instead, silencing Cr Jay seemed more urgent than addressing clear breaches of behaviour by others. The mayor was also quick to silence Cr Thoman also, but far less so with her politically aligned colleagues.

This bias was noticeable, unfair, and unprofessional. Port Phillip needs a mayor who applies the rules consistently. The mayor’s leadership must be impartial, respectful, and transparent.

Roundtable Without Results

The Council Roundtable has achieved little. Residents are still confronted with abusive and antisocial behaviours linked with the street encampments. Residents do not want to see more papers, more protocols, more process — we want real outcomes.

Other councils have solved this. Why are we still reinventing the wheel?

Where to From Here?

Compassion and community safety are not opposites. Real compassion means getting people off the streets and into housing and services. Real leadership means restoring safety to our community.

It’s time for Council to:

• End camping exemptions and follow the lead of 77 other councils.
• Clean up hotspots like Jackson Street carpark, Fitzroy Street and Acland Street.
• Recognise that residents and business owners have rights too, restaurants and shops have lost customers.
• Deliver visible, practical frontline support — not just paperwork.

St Kilda has changed and not for the better. Our community has spoken through marches, petitions, and lived experience. Port Phillip residents deserve action, not more excuses.