Warwick Cahir | Political candidate

Warwick Cahir

Phone: +61 451 644 732

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25.01.2022 Why are there so many overflowing bins in Port Phillip? Botanical Gardens, Foreshore, Alma Park, Mitford Street? And that’s just what I’ve seen myself. Is it that hard to foresee that nice weather will equal people out and about, even in this pandemic? Why can’t the council be on top of this in advance? Blind Freddy could have anticipated this. Perhaps the budget doesn’t allow for Sunday collections? Pity. ... This is something that should be easily fixed, and leading into Summer it will be a top priority of mine.

25.01.2022 I’ve been asked countless times now for my ‘how to vote’ card and to list my preferences. This is hard because I always say preferences are for the voter to decide, not me. I will stop short of preferencing all candidates. If you have followed my page or spoken to me you will know who I think you should put last. Vote 1 - Cahir, Warwick ... After speaking with the candidates (the ones who engaged anyway) I suggest the following: Jo McDonald and Rhonda Clark in 2 and 3. Don’t forget to then go on to number all other boxes as well. Happy voting!

20.01.2022 Obligatory nomination post. I am officially number 5 candidate for Canal Ward, looking forward to the ballot draw. Photograph authorised by me, mask manufactured and authorised by mum (Thanks Jill Cahir).

20.01.2022 I’m not a dog owner so I’d be looking for advice on this one, but several dog-owning community members have reached out to me in relation to this. There are no fenced dog parks in Canal Ward. As far as I can tell, the only fenced dog park in Port Phillip is a small one up in South Melbourne. To me this is an easy win, helping owners and their dogs to safely exercise. Included would be bins and bag dispensers to take care of any deposits from the dogs. Double win. On that note I am a big fan of delivering bins and bag dispensers throughout the ward and along the beaches for when owners are caught short. Certainly something I believe Council can deliver in the short term.

17.01.2022 Keep a lookout for me on my 2 hour per day letterbox runs dropping my handout in each letterbox of Canal Ward. My legs are looking forward to the challenge. It is incredibly difficult for an incoming candidate who doesn't have the backing of a big party to design, print, deliver and most importantly pay for a letterbox drop. It is my single biggest expense and hopefully it is money well spent! I am proud to say that my campaign donation return will be submitted with only my n...ame on it. As a result I will not be held accountable by anyone other than the community which (hopefully) elects me. Online campaigning is an effective tool, but I am finding it is easy to be drowned in negativity from both sides of the political fence. Some of the comments I have seen levelled at candidates is absolutely abhorrent (again from both sides of the fence). Let's try and keep it respectful for the last few weeks of campaigning.

17.01.2022 How can you tell it’s Sunday in Port Phillip? There’s garbage everywhere. I hate to sound like a broken record (or do I) but once again we have had a beautiful Saturday which has left the bins overflowing. ... I refuse to believe it’s hard to fix this problem. One of my first priorities leading into summer should I be successful.

16.01.2022 With one week till ballots close, please remember to cast your vote in the Port Phillip Council elections, no matter who you choose to vote for. In case anyone needs a refresher, a vote for me will be: 1. A vote for community safety and amenity. ... 2. A vote for fenced dog spaces and poo bags (not world changing, but important) 3. Increased garbage collection (I can’t believe I even need to say this. But the state of our city the last few weeks has been disgraceful) 4. A vote for sensible spending. 5. Local focus on local issues. See more

13.01.2022 I am beginning to wonder how many plastic corflute advertising boards will go up to spruik the ‘environmentally and sustainability’ focussed candidates.

13.01.2022 With a day or so to go in the until we see a result, I’ve been reflecting on my campaign and can only be happy with how it has gone. Early figures I’ve seen are more than I could ever imagine. Sitting somewhere between 7 and 9% of the primary vote (depending on what numbers you look at) was not where I thought I would end up. I’m looking forward to seeing the final result and hopefully a different looking council for the next 4 years. Thanks to everyone who helped, supported and gave feedback. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to contribute in this space.

12.01.2022 As someone who is trying to conduct my first campaign in line with the CHO directions, I was disappointed and angered to find out today that one of the Canal Ward candidates was out and about personally handing out flyers in public this morning. It is a clear breach of the guidelines and shows what some are willing to do to be elected. To put others at risk is inexcusable.

10.01.2022 Very pleased with the Council’s recently declared economic emergency with a direction for officers to prepare a report for the incoming Council in relation to how we can support small businesses back onto their feet in the post-COVID world. Disappointing however that it wasn’t unanimously supported. I fully support any measures designed to get businesses back to life. Small business and hospitality are the heartbeat of this community and the sooner they are back buzzing the better for everyone!

08.01.2022 Well what a fortnight it has been since I announced my candidacy. I am really heartened by the passion that has been shown to me. I have been feverishly responding to comments and questions and thoroughly enjoying every minute of it. I feel like my first foray into politics will be a trial by fire and I say bring on the fire. As I have seen so far, (and I couldn’t agree more) the people of Canal Ward want one thing above all else. We want to preserve the uniqueness that exist...s in our suburbs, while enhancing the amenity and green-spaces we have. My promise to all is that I will work with the Council to find a way to retain and enhance everything that we love, but find the savings and efficiencies to avoid the rate rises we have seen. I know it’s possible! (despite what the current lot think) I want to thank everyone that has taken the time so far to reach out to me via phone, email and Facebook. I appreciate all the feedback and I reflect on all comments, good and bad. That’s it from me tonight. It’s time for a well earned Saturday night with my partner Bec and a pre-Father’s Day trivia night over Zoom. I’m pretty confident we can win. Cheers everyone and if you see me out in one of my fashionable and entirely self-funded t-shirts, come and say hi!

07.01.2022 After walking just about every street in this ward and personally delivering just over 15,000 postcards there are a few points I would like to make: 1. I am really glad I chose to have a postcard sized mailout and not a DL or bigger. 2. Some residents should really reconsider their letterbox size and placement. 3. There are a lot of people that never seem to empty their letterboxes, and... 4. This ward has some of the most magnificent streetscapes I have ever seen. I'm going to sit down for a while now.

06.01.2022 Interesting article from across Dandenong Road. Compared to here in Port Phillip, where most councillors voted against even considering a rate freeze. To clarify, most councillors would not even allow the consideration of a no rate rise budget. Where’s the harm in allowing officers to draft such a budget for consideration? https://www.theage.com.au//stonnington-backflips-on-rate-h

05.01.2022 Warning: Non Political!!! ISO date night at home this evening. Shoutout to Meatball and Wine Co. This was amazing and I cannot recommend them highly enough! I hope they don’t mind me tagging them in my post. ... The Meatball & Wine Bar Absolute 10/10 slow cooked lamb with rosemary mash and a matching rosè.

04.01.2022 What can be done to rebuild the St Kilda nighttime economy? I remember as an 18 year old driving up from the Peninsula to St Kilda for dinners and nights out. It was worth the 1.5 hours in the car. Those days are all but gone. Empty shops and dead streets. Broken windows and garbage. I will explore ways that council can encourage and support people who are willing to take the plunge into business in our city. Cafes, wine bars, cocktail bars, restaurants, live music venues. T...hey all add up to create the sorely missed atmosphere we used to enjoy and with them come more people, outdoor dining, jobs and increased safety. Lower fees, rate reductions for new businesses, coaching, mentoring, grants. Reducing the red tape to give them a cracking shot at success. I don’t know all the answers, but will commit to exploring all options to get people back into business.

04.01.2022 Just finished watching 'The Triangle Wars'. A really interesting (albeit one-sided) lesson on a period in St Kilda's rich history. The St Kilda Triangle remains a very valuable site and one that is clearly overdue for an upgrade. I admire the passion of the people that fought hard to oppose the development suggested however I am also left with a deep sense of disappointment. Nearly 15 years on, and nothing has been achieved. We spent $5m of rate-payers money to not build a th...ing, and the triangle remains as it was, a car-park, and an unsightly one at that. I realise that Council collects a great deal of income from this car-park but that should not be the only consideration. Perhaps it is time to re-visit this issue and explore opportunities to develop this site. I think that even the original activists who opposed the development would agree that this site is too good for just an ugly car-park.

04.01.2022 Sitting in the sun on this glorious day and I find myself clicking through CEO reports and Community Satisfaction Surveys* (I’m sure that everyone does this on their days off yeah?). A couple of salient points that struck me as particularly disappointing: 19% residents stated that the most important area the Council needs to improve on is Public Safety. Only 82% of residents report that they feel safe and secure in our City.... This is an area which I am obviously passionate about. To give credit, our Council have done some work in this space and the recent announcement of a housing project on Wellington Street is a welcome step towards helping rough sleepers find permanent accommodation. However I believe there is so much more our Council can do. I realise that public safety is ultimately a State Government issue, but there are areas in which the Council can contribute to this. Graffiti removal on Carlisle Street, more considered placements of street furniture and working with owners of vacant land to encourage development are just some of the options that people have reached out and told me would help them to feel safer in our city. What else can Council do to increase everyone’s perception of safety in our city? What experiences or expertise do you have in this area? I would love to hear from you all. *based on recent, publicly available survey results and reports.

03.01.2022 Thoroughly enjoying this last day of Winter and looking forward to seeing this tree covered in foliage once more. The extensive tree cover is just one factor that makes Elwood a fantastic place to live. Bring on Spring and Summer!!!

03.01.2022 An initiative close to my heart in my line of work. Not just today, but everyday. Ask the question!! Consider donating to this worthwhile organisation or any number of others that support the same ideals.