Latest news with #Staikos
Herald Sun
3 days ago
- General
- Herald Sun
Former Whittlesea mayor Aidan McLindon told suspension is ‘unlawful'
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News. A former Melbourne mayor who was suspended under new powers recently created by the state government wants to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. Whittlesea mayor Aidan McLindon was suspended for six months on April 16 following a recommendation by Local Government Minister Nick Staikos. It was the first time the power had been used since it was introduced in October as part of amendments to the Local Government Act 2020. The change allows the Local Government Minister to recommend a councillor be suspended if they are found to create a serious risk to health and safety or prevented the council from performing its functions. In a written statement provided to the Herald Sun Mr McLindon said he had received advice from senior layers suggesting Mr Staikos had acted 'unlawfully'. 'As a result of this advice I will be applying to the Supreme Court to judicially review the actions of the Minister,' Mr McLindon wrote. Mr Staikos said Mr McLindon was suspended following a report by municipal monitors appointed to Whittlesea Council and other information provided. 'As the matter is expected to be subject to litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment any further,' Mr Staikos said. Mr Staikos recommended the sanction against Mr McLindon six weeks after Whittlesea chief executive Craig Lloyd banned the mayor from attending council premises in person — including the meetings he chaired — after he was accused of intimidating staff and other councillors. The ban followed a vote of no confidence in Mr McLindon by the city's other councillors. Immediately after his suspension Mr McLindon said he was being punished for speaking up for rate freezes and against rainbow flags being hoisted at childcare centres which no one else had the 'courage' to do. He denied being a 'bully' and 'aggressive', saying he had no arguments with staff and the accusations against him were false. '(The suspension) should send shivers down the spine of every democratically elected councillor in this state to say your jobs are no longer safe,' he said. 'Because what we have witnessed now is that if you ask a question, if you ask where the money is going … they will mobilise bureaucracy against you.' Following the suspension the state government announced a commission of inquiry into Whittlesea council to address 'potentially serious and systemic' governance issues. The four month independent inquiry began on May 19 and will examine matters affecting good governance at the council and any legislative, regulatory or other reform needed to address the issues occurring since the local elections last year. Mr Staikos said he believed a commission of inquiry was needed after receiving a letter co-signed by 10 councillors asking for an urgent intervention. 'The situation at the City of Whittlesea is unprecedented — including the unanimous no-confidence motion in the mayor and his subsequent ban from council premises for occupational health and safety reasons,' he said. 'We want Victorians to have confidence in their local councils. This inquiry will help to identify any changes needed to ensure the council is operating as required and in the best interests of its local community.'
The Advertiser
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Machete ban enforcers slow to hit beat after mall brawl
An Australian-first ban on machete sales has sliced into action but enforcement officers are yet to hit the streets. Shoppers and workers ran for their lives when a wild fight broke out between machete-wielding rival gangs at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north on Sunday. The scare prompted Victoria to implement an exemption-less ban on the sale of machetes from midday on Wednesday. A task force of 14 people has been deployed to enforce the retail prohibition but its members won't hit the streets until Thursday. "They will be in the field tomorrow," Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos told reporters on Wednesday. The formal ban notice features photos of six machetes as examples of banned items. It does not include a minimum length despite the government previously referring to machetes as being at least 20cm long. Consumer Affairs Victoria director Nicole Rich said the ban notice covered anything an "ordinary person" would understand to be a machete. "If you're in any doubt about whether a product is or isn't, it probably is a machete and I think you'd be safe to remove it from sale," she said. Some shops could be handed warnings for inadvertent breaches instead of facing civil or criminal penalties, but the regulator will deal with them on a case-by-case basis. Mr Staikos ruled out a buy-back scheme to compensate retailers for machetes that can no longer be sold, or to encourage crooks to hand in the dangerous blades. The interim sales ban can only be enacted for 90 days under commonwealth consumer laws, meaning it will expire five days before a full ban on possession and three-month amnesty period takes effect from September 1. Mr Staikos said he was in discussions with the federal government to extend the ban to cover the gap. Premier Jacinta Allan signalled the amnesty period could begin earlier if locked disposal boxes at 40 police stations are ready before the deadline. "If Victoria Police come to us and indicate that the arrangements have been put in place in that way, my door will always be open to any measure that strengthens community safety," she said. Victorian bail laws were tightened in April to respond to surging youth crime, aggravated burglaries and car thefts. The shopping centre incident has raised questions about their effectiveness after it was revealed at least four people charged over it were already out on bail. The final arrest was made on Tuesday night, with an 18-year-old Thornhill Park man since charged with affray and weapons offences. Other arrests made by police this week include an 18-year-old man from Derrimut and a 21-year-old man from Kew, who suffered head injuries during the clash. Police also arrested and charged two boys, aged 15 and 16, from Darebin and Melton, and two men, aged 20, and 21, from Thornbury and Bundoora. All were already on bail. An Australian-first ban on machete sales has sliced into action but enforcement officers are yet to hit the streets. Shoppers and workers ran for their lives when a wild fight broke out between machete-wielding rival gangs at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north on Sunday. The scare prompted Victoria to implement an exemption-less ban on the sale of machetes from midday on Wednesday. A task force of 14 people has been deployed to enforce the retail prohibition but its members won't hit the streets until Thursday. "They will be in the field tomorrow," Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos told reporters on Wednesday. The formal ban notice features photos of six machetes as examples of banned items. It does not include a minimum length despite the government previously referring to machetes as being at least 20cm long. Consumer Affairs Victoria director Nicole Rich said the ban notice covered anything an "ordinary person" would understand to be a machete. "If you're in any doubt about whether a product is or isn't, it probably is a machete and I think you'd be safe to remove it from sale," she said. Some shops could be handed warnings for inadvertent breaches instead of facing civil or criminal penalties, but the regulator will deal with them on a case-by-case basis. Mr Staikos ruled out a buy-back scheme to compensate retailers for machetes that can no longer be sold, or to encourage crooks to hand in the dangerous blades. The interim sales ban can only be enacted for 90 days under commonwealth consumer laws, meaning it will expire five days before a full ban on possession and three-month amnesty period takes effect from September 1. Mr Staikos said he was in discussions with the federal government to extend the ban to cover the gap. Premier Jacinta Allan signalled the amnesty period could begin earlier if locked disposal boxes at 40 police stations are ready before the deadline. "If Victoria Police come to us and indicate that the arrangements have been put in place in that way, my door will always be open to any measure that strengthens community safety," she said. Victorian bail laws were tightened in April to respond to surging youth crime, aggravated burglaries and car thefts. The shopping centre incident has raised questions about their effectiveness after it was revealed at least four people charged over it were already out on bail. The final arrest was made on Tuesday night, with an 18-year-old Thornhill Park man since charged with affray and weapons offences. Other arrests made by police this week include an 18-year-old man from Derrimut and a 21-year-old man from Kew, who suffered head injuries during the clash. Police also arrested and charged two boys, aged 15 and 16, from Darebin and Melton, and two men, aged 20, and 21, from Thornbury and Bundoora. All were already on bail. An Australian-first ban on machete sales has sliced into action but enforcement officers are yet to hit the streets. Shoppers and workers ran for their lives when a wild fight broke out between machete-wielding rival gangs at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north on Sunday. The scare prompted Victoria to implement an exemption-less ban on the sale of machetes from midday on Wednesday. A task force of 14 people has been deployed to enforce the retail prohibition but its members won't hit the streets until Thursday. "They will be in the field tomorrow," Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos told reporters on Wednesday. The formal ban notice features photos of six machetes as examples of banned items. It does not include a minimum length despite the government previously referring to machetes as being at least 20cm long. Consumer Affairs Victoria director Nicole Rich said the ban notice covered anything an "ordinary person" would understand to be a machete. "If you're in any doubt about whether a product is or isn't, it probably is a machete and I think you'd be safe to remove it from sale," she said. Some shops could be handed warnings for inadvertent breaches instead of facing civil or criminal penalties, but the regulator will deal with them on a case-by-case basis. Mr Staikos ruled out a buy-back scheme to compensate retailers for machetes that can no longer be sold, or to encourage crooks to hand in the dangerous blades. The interim sales ban can only be enacted for 90 days under commonwealth consumer laws, meaning it will expire five days before a full ban on possession and three-month amnesty period takes effect from September 1. Mr Staikos said he was in discussions with the federal government to extend the ban to cover the gap. Premier Jacinta Allan signalled the amnesty period could begin earlier if locked disposal boxes at 40 police stations are ready before the deadline. "If Victoria Police come to us and indicate that the arrangements have been put in place in that way, my door will always be open to any measure that strengthens community safety," she said. Victorian bail laws were tightened in April to respond to surging youth crime, aggravated burglaries and car thefts. The shopping centre incident has raised questions about their effectiveness after it was revealed at least four people charged over it were already out on bail. The final arrest was made on Tuesday night, with an 18-year-old Thornhill Park man since charged with affray and weapons offences. Other arrests made by police this week include an 18-year-old man from Derrimut and a 21-year-old man from Kew, who suffered head injuries during the clash. Police also arrested and charged two boys, aged 15 and 16, from Darebin and Melton, and two men, aged 20, and 21, from Thornbury and Bundoora. All were already on bail. An Australian-first ban on machete sales has sliced into action but enforcement officers are yet to hit the streets. Shoppers and workers ran for their lives when a wild fight broke out between machete-wielding rival gangs at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north on Sunday. The scare prompted Victoria to implement an exemption-less ban on the sale of machetes from midday on Wednesday. A task force of 14 people has been deployed to enforce the retail prohibition but its members won't hit the streets until Thursday. "They will be in the field tomorrow," Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos told reporters on Wednesday. The formal ban notice features photos of six machetes as examples of banned items. It does not include a minimum length despite the government previously referring to machetes as being at least 20cm long. Consumer Affairs Victoria director Nicole Rich said the ban notice covered anything an "ordinary person" would understand to be a machete. "If you're in any doubt about whether a product is or isn't, it probably is a machete and I think you'd be safe to remove it from sale," she said. Some shops could be handed warnings for inadvertent breaches instead of facing civil or criminal penalties, but the regulator will deal with them on a case-by-case basis. Mr Staikos ruled out a buy-back scheme to compensate retailers for machetes that can no longer be sold, or to encourage crooks to hand in the dangerous blades. The interim sales ban can only be enacted for 90 days under commonwealth consumer laws, meaning it will expire five days before a full ban on possession and three-month amnesty period takes effect from September 1. Mr Staikos said he was in discussions with the federal government to extend the ban to cover the gap. Premier Jacinta Allan signalled the amnesty period could begin earlier if locked disposal boxes at 40 police stations are ready before the deadline. "If Victoria Police come to us and indicate that the arrangements have been put in place in that way, my door will always be open to any measure that strengthens community safety," she said. Victorian bail laws were tightened in April to respond to surging youth crime, aggravated burglaries and car thefts. The shopping centre incident has raised questions about their effectiveness after it was revealed at least four people charged over it were already out on bail. The final arrest was made on Tuesday night, with an 18-year-old Thornhill Park man since charged with affray and weapons offences. Other arrests made by police this week include an 18-year-old man from Derrimut and a 21-year-old man from Kew, who suffered head injuries during the clash. Police also arrested and charged two boys, aged 15 and 16, from Darebin and Melton, and two men, aged 20, and 21, from Thornbury and Bundoora. All were already on bail.
News.com.au
23-04-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Home owners corporation fees: Victorians to get help to deal on payment plans, disputes as costs rise
Victorians struggling to pay owners corporation fees will be given advice on payment plans and dispute resolution as part of new mandatory fee notices. It comes after real estate agents across Melbourne's CBD and inner suburbs revealed significant numbers of apartment owners and landlords have been forced to sell in recent years as they grapple with rising owners corporation and other costs in recent years. The rising costs are also thought to have underpinned significant rental increases that have hit Melbourne's CBD, with latest PropTrack data showing the typical unit in the city now costs $650 a week — compared to just $380 a week in 2022. 'Disgust': Boomers unleash on crying Aussies Consumer Affairs minister Nick Staikos announced the new requirement for operators of owners corporations this week alongside the availability of an owners corporation hotline. Mr Staikos said the goal was to ensure owners got the advice and support they needed. 'These new owners corporation fee notices will ensure they get helpful advice and support about their options if they're struggling to pay their fees – not just a demand to pay up,' he said. The new notices will replace older forms to notify owners of overdue OC fees, with past formats no longer valid from this week. But, with the moves coming amid a wider state government push for more high-rise homes in Melbourne, Real Estate Institute of Victoria chief executive Kelly Ryan said more needed to be done around virtually 'unregulated' owners corporations in Victoria. 'It's always important to find ways to support people, we don't want to see people selling because the costs are too onerous,' Ms Ryan said. 'But that there's a problem at the end with the owner is a sign that there's a problem at the start with the owner's corporation. If we have got to that point where owners are getting payment plans, you have to go back a number of steps. 'If we are encouraging high-rise building in more locations, we need to get this right now. There's no point playing catch up.' Strata Community Association of Victoria general manager Susan Chandler said there were about 1.27 million people living with an owners corporation around the state and welcomed the new phone channel announcement as a 'practical step' in making them better understood. 'For many residents, especially first-time apartment owners, navigating strata rules can be overwhelming,' Ms Chandler said. 'A dedicated helpline provides a much-needed support bridge between communities and the government.' She added that payment plan options would help reduce the risk of buildings being left short by unpaid strata fees, improving the 'financial health' of many strata comunities — though they are still calling for the creation of a Victorian Strata Commissioner. Ray White Southbank principal Andrew Salvo said in recent years rising owners corporation fees adding close to $1000 a year to a typical two-bedroom apartment's annual costs — as well as interest rates and additional landlord costs in the form of meeting new rental minimum standards — had combined to drive sales in the CBD's apartment market. 'And it has led to rents rising as there were investors leaving the market and there was a supply issue with migration increasing,' Mr Salvo said. The agent said that in many cases the rising cost of owners corporation fees had been due to contracts being Consumer Price Index (CPI) linked, meaning a high-inflation environment had driven fees up. While payment plans for OC fees could give some owners an option, Mr Salvo said he didn't think it would have much of an impact given the significance of other costs around rental protections and interest rates. website or by calling 1300 558 181.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New crackdown on hated auction act
The Victorian government is cracking down on the illegal practice of underquoting house prices ahead of auctions. More than 20 inspectors part from the Consumer Affairs Underquoting Taskforce attended 20 auctions in Doncaster and surrounding suburbs alongside Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos on Saturday as part of a fresh Autumn blitz to check compliance with underquoting laws. It is illegal for an agent to advertise or advise the price of a property that is less than the seller's auction reserve or asking price, the agent's estimated selling price or a price in a written offer that has already been rejected by a seller on the basis it was too low. The taskforce, which was launched in 2022 and became a permanent fixture last year, has fined over 160 real estate agents and issued more than 220 official warnings to those caught breaching obligations. Fines have totalled over $1.8m, the Victorian government said. Underquoting auctions was a leading real estate issue reported to Consumer Affairs Victoria, with more than 3,740 complaints issued from purchasers, real estate agents and buyers' advocates. Over 30 per cent of the reports were made by real estate agents. Officers attending the auctions across the Melbourne suburbs will check compliance with auction and sales rules with real estate agents and buyers, and monitor sales rules for potential underquoting. Mr Staikos said he wanted to crack down on the 'dodgy behaviour' of underquoting. 'Buying a house is already stressful enough, without the worry of also having your dreams dashed at the first hurdle by illegal underquoting,' he said. 'That's why our underquoting taskforce is hitting the pavement – to continue the crack down on this dodgy behaviour, making buying a home fairer and easier for all Victorians. 'Our new laws will further protect Victorians – with increased fines for underquoting offences and mandatory training for real estate agents and property managers.' Since its launch, the taskforce has monitored over 2,300 sales campaigns and attended 226 auctions. The Consumer and Planning Legislation Amendment (Housing Statement Reform) Bill, which passed last week, increased the maximum penalty for underquoting to $47,422. Under Australian Consumer Law, underquoting can breach the ban on misleading and deceptive conduct and false representations. Sign in to access your portfolio
