We explain some of the highlights from the meeting below.

Mayor Cr Simone Zmood congratulated Cr Li Zhang on her recent election to the Municipal Association of Victoria’s Board of Directors

Cr Zhang has been appointed to the Municipal Association of Victoria’s Board and is our first ever representative from Glen Eira to sit on the board

As the representative for the Inner Metropolitan South-east Region—covering Bayside, Boroondara, Glen Eira, Melbourne, Port Phillip, Stonnington, and Yarra— Cr Zhang now carries an important responsibility to advocate for the interests of a diverse and dynamic group of councils.

Cr Zhang’s experience and dedication will make her an invaluable asset to the Board as it carries out its work shaping the policies and strategies that guide our sector.

Council made a submission to the Department of Transport and Planning on a housing development project adjacent to Murrumbeena Train Station

We were notified on 31 January 2025 of an application to the Minister of Planning for the construction of an eight-storey building on Neerim Road next to Murrumbeena Train Station.

The application met the requirements for accelerated assessment which meant that we only had a small window of opportunity to submit a review and were unable to bring it to the previous Ordinary Council Meeting.

Assessment of the application was completed by Council Officers and Councillors who soon realised there was not enough information in the application for a comprehensive review. However, the submission, filed on 28 February, still raised several concerns such as the height of the building and low amount of car parks.

To view Council’s full submission, read the agenda from the Council meeting.

Council endorses two motions for submission to the 2025 Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly

The National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA) is scheduled to run from 24 to 27 June 2025 at the National Convention Centre in Canberra. At the forum the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) will be debating councils’ plans to deliver local solutions that will help address national priorities of the next Australian Government.

Council has endorsed our two motions to the ALGA involving community safety and wellbeing, and urban flood mitigation and resilience.

1. Motion one: Strengthening community services to enhance wellbeing, safety, and violence prevention by:
   • Implementing community safety initiatives such as infrastructure improvements, community engagement programs, and anti-discrimination measures.
   • Enhancing the prevention of family violence through funding for support services and resources, including long-term housing, ongoing counselling, employment services, and legal and financial support.
   • Expanding funding for mental health support services and social cohesion programs.
   • Delivering increased funding to support homelessness services and prevention initiatives.
2. Motion 2: Increased federal funding and support for urban flood mitigation and resilience to:
   • Develop a National Urban Flood resilience strategy to coordinate federal, state and local governments and ensure a consistent, long-term approach to infrastructure renewal, especially in urban areas experiencing high growth.
   • Significantly increase funding to the Disaster Ready Fund.
   • Promote nature-based solutions to improve water permeability in urban environments by investing in green infrastructure, permeable surfaces, and sustainable drainage systems.

All of Glen Eira’s previous motions to the local government sector’s peak bodies have received overwhelming support. This strong endorsement highlights the increasing role of Glen Eira in raising awareness of community and council issues and successfully placing them onto state and national policy agendas. 

For more information and all the reports from the meeting, visit our Council meeting page.