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Over the four years I have been your North Ward Councillor I have been able to achieve and facilitate a lot of good outcomes for and with my community.
Here are a few…
I’ve helped rate payers get good outcomes.
I’ve fought hard and have secured funding for north adelaide’s development & Infrastructure.
I’ve helped make our community safer, kinder and more inclusive.
I’ve ensured council processes became more transparent and accountable to ratepayers.
I’ve secured initiatives that have enriched our lives and businesses.
here’s how..…
I’VE HELPED RATE PAYERS GET GOOD OUTCOMES
I’ve helped ratepayers get great outcomes … on everything from supporting them through the development application process, getting dead and dying trees removed, appealing against parking fines people believe have been wrongly applied right through to getting roads and footpaths repaired.
“Phil heard from a neighbour that the footpath outside my home had lifted up. He came over one day and introduced himself, saw how dangerous it was and had it repaired the next day. I was very happy”
2. I’VE FOUGHT FOR OUR FAIR SHARE OF FUNDING.
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I initiated Renew Adelaide Melbourne Street
We have since had two businesses invigorating Melbourne Street, with more to come
Street Upgrades
I’ve secured funding for multi-million dollar upgrades of North Adelaide’s streets, like Jeffcott Street and O'Connell Street
In 2015 I pushed for and Council adopted, as part of its 2016 - 2020 Strategic Plan, a commitment to upgrade the look and feel of O'Connell Street, the public realm.
In the next term of Council, this will require Council to find the money to enhance O'Connell Street.
This will mean an upgrade to the street layout .... including the road, footpath, lighting and street furniture. And I will hold the next Council to the commitment it made to North Adelaide!
O'Connell Street is amazing gateway both to North Adelaide and the City, and it needs attention, and that's why it's so important we get the right development on 88 O'Connell. Equally important is the look and feel of the entire Street; the public realm. I have been a strong voice for funding for O'Connell Street
3. I’VE HELPED TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER AND KINDER
AED’s HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN 27 LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTH ADELAIDE…. WITH MORE TO COME
I'm really proud to have introduced the initiative to instal Automatic External Defibrillators in 24 hour publcily accessible sites at 27 locations in Adelaide. About 25, 000 Australians a year can have a sudden cardiac arrest. The chances of survival are very low without lifesaving AED’s. I’ll be fighting to have them nstalled in more locations so that we can cut this dreadful death toll.
“I have thanked Phil Martin for this initiative already, I walk my mother to Wellington Square from Helping Hand weekly and already feel safer knowing the AED is nearby.”
I have called for consideration and reason, working to find solutions with good outcomes for all stakeholders, when we consider homelessness in the city and the valuable services that the Hutt Street Centre Provide.
“We really appreciated Phil’s strong voice, calling for calm and reason, when there was so much negativity surrounding the vulnerable in our community. He was the first Councillor to speak in support the homeless initially”
Don Dunstan Foundation - Zero Homelessness Workshop
I have also encouraged the City’s adoption of of the Don Dunstan Foundations’s Zero Homelessness Target .
This initiative remains our best chance of addressing the terrible plight of those sleeping rough - on the street, in cars and even couch surfing. But if functional zero homelessness is to work, it must be underpinned by more housing. I will support any Council direct or indirect action that leads to to the provision of affordable, social and community housing and I will continue to fight for funding for the many agencies in our City who provide incredibly valuable services to vulnerable people.
I’ve supported the Frome Street Bikeway at every stage. It’s so important for our cycling community to have safe access to roads and important for our vision of a vibrant, forward thinking community.
I think our City should be accessible to everyone ... and that includes pedestrians like me who enjoy walking the length and breadth of Adelaide and cyclists too. I've been a strong advocate of a bike friendly Frome Street at every stage.
And that bikeway is more important than ever with the construction of the new High School in the University Precinct. That's why I'm right behind Council's planned extension of the track through the Park Lands in North Adelaide and up to the Aquatic Centre and beyond.
The Education Department is encouraging students to ride bikes to the new school by creating hundreds of cycle stands. Kids will want to ride their bikes to school and every parent will want to know they can get there and back in safety. And let's get moving on other bikeway initiatives for Adelaide!
4. I’VE ENSURED COUNCIL PROCESSES HAVE BECOME MORE TRANSPARENT & ACCOUNTABLE TO RATE PAYERS
New Open and Transparent Park Lands Process
Much of our Park Lands is leased or licenced to community and commercial organisations at what I believe are relatively cheap rates. And those agreements had often been renewed term on term for years without anyone other than the licence or lease holder and Council knowing about it or getting a look in!
I believed that was unfair because there was no way to be sure the parties were doing the right thing by the Park Lands and the South Australians who own them or that any new party had the chance to compete for the space.
A reform I proposed and Council accepted was that now when a long term lease expires the licence or lease holder and any other interested party must lodge an application in response to a publicly advertised call for expressions of interest.
All things being equal, a long term licence or lease holder who has looked after and improved the Park Lands will have an advantage over newcomers, but we now have an open and transparent licence and lease renewal process.
Understanding More About the Equity and Diversity of Council Employees
I'm a big fan of equity. But there's a lack of published information about who the City of Adelaide employs, in what positions, for how long and at what pay rate.
I asked for and received an undertaking from senior executives at Council that from 2019 statistics would be publicly available as part of the annual report to show employees by gender and cultural diversity, their employment level, their salary ranges and, importantly I think, the rate of staff turnover.
As ratepayers we need to see our City is meeting its obligations as a responsible employer, just as other local government areas such as the City of Melbourne report to their stakeholders.
5. INITIATIVES THAT HAVE ENRICHED OUR LIVES AND BUSINESSES .
I helped secure some of our most profitable events by proposing that we fund such events on a three year basis. More stability and more security means better planning of events, better attendance of events, more cultural events to enjoy into the future and more money in the pockets of our local traders and businesses.
