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The Manor Place Terrace of shops and homes was built between 1875 and 1896. They are some of last remaining Victorian buildings that were constructed on the site of historic Royal Surrey Gardens and are the last examples of Victorian retail within West Walworth.
They offer a strong link to the history of West Walworth and are a fine example of purpose built shops and homes from the late-Victorian era. They offer a real sense of how the streetscape would have been in the past. They are in perfect keeping with the local area being built with interesting detail and to a human scale.
West Walworth will change enormously in the next 20 years with a large number of development sites locally which will net Southwark Council tens of millions of pounds.
We ask that as guardians of our local heritage and its assets, Southwark Council places a value on the terrace and its façade and says no to development which demolishes this historic terrace.
2. Funding to public libraries in Victoria MUST NOT be cut! 
From The Age, 14th July 2011:
"State government plans to slash library funding
Reid Sexton
VICTORIA'S public libraries could face shorter opening hours and cuts to internet services and other projects after a Baillieu government decision to slash funding.
The multimillion-dollar cut to operating costs has left councils scrambling to make up the shortfall, with the Municipal Association of Victoria saying the revelation came as a shock.
The association says it will leave councils with around $5.7 million less to spend on libraries over the next four years while opposition local government spokesman Richard Wynne has warned it will punish some of the poorest people in Victoria.
Councils and regional library corporations, which are run as joint ventures by regional councils, learnt about it in a letter sent as part of the Public Libraries Grant Program earlier this month.
The letter was written by Local Government Victoria, which is part of the Department of Planning and Community Development, and outlined how much libraries were to receive from the program over the next four-year funding period.
Municipal Association of Victoria president Bill McArthur said the cut was the result of the government reducing the overall funding amount and removing its indexation.
Mr McArthur said the loss would affect IT services and staffing, raising the possibility of reduced opening hours.
''We are surprised and shocked because there was no notification, no consultation it was just one letter that said … [funding] has decreased,'' he said.
''They [have] failed to consider the impact on communities or library services.''
Recent departmental figures show Victoria has around 290 permanent libraries and 26 mobile libraries, with 2.5 million Victorians members of their local libraries.
In March Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell said the Coalition was a strong advocate for improving libraries in Victoria.
And in a 2006 policy statement, the then Liberal opposition said Labor provided a ''miserable'' 19.9 per cent of the overall cost of running public libraries.
But Mr McArthur said that figure had slipped to 19.2 per cent in the 2009-10 financial year and was likely to fall further under the new arrangements.
''The government has made a number of statements that says it supports libraries and that it recognises them as important community assets, but their actions don't support those words,'' he said.
Numerous councils have expressed deep concern over the cut, with City of Hobsons Bay mayor Michael Raffoul saying it would cost the municipality at least $19,000 this financial year alone.
Moreland City acting mayor Alice Pryor said it would leave the council around $25,000 short this year. She said the council would have to look at cutting back staff levels and projects like Live in the Library, where musicians perform in the municipality's five libraries.
''That amount is half of someone's wage,'' she said.
''In … parts of our city, we are well below the average with people with computers at home.
''We do our best to provide those services but it's hard when our funding is cut.''
Mr Wynne said the cut would affect those people who used a library to access services they could otherwise not afford.
''This is a cruel cut which means that core services of libraries will be diminished,'' he said.
It is understood the government will provide around $32 million in operational funding over the next four years.
A government spokesman did not respond directly to the association's concerns but said it had provided around $55 million in the budget for library upgrades, funding and key programs such as the Premier's Reading Challenge.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/state-government-plans-to-slash-library-funding-20110713-1hdyf.html#ixzz1S4vtHzRh"
Public libraries are an integral part of local communities and offer services and facilities that benefit everybody - not least those who cannot afford such things themselves. From 'Dollars, sense and public libraries: The landmark study of the socio-economic value of Victorian public libraries' (March 2011):
"Victorian public libraries return $3.56 for every $1 spent."
With such a return, how can any funding cuts possibly be justified...much less considered, in light of the incredible benefits public libraries bring to communities? The full report can be accessed here: http://www.publiclibrariesvictoria.net.au/sites/default/files/20110318%20SL_PublicReport_LoRes_FINAL_1.pdf
Let's band together to ensure the Baillieu Government understands what is at stake here - and that Victorian residents will not support this decision!
3. Prevent Doctors Charging Fees for Clients being late for Appointments
VICTORIA'S Health Minister has given the green light for GPs to charge patients if they turn up late, saying it's not his role to stop them.
"It’s up to GPs whether they charge patients for being late", Health Minister Daniel Andrews said.
Copy and paste all lines of this URL to read more about it.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/doctors-charging-up-to-50-for-being-just-10-minutes-late-for-appointments/story-e6frf7jo-1225885905831
The Herald Sun revealed this morning, July 1, that doctors have begun charging patients a fee of up to $50 for being just 10 minutes late for appointments.
It is most unfair for people with genuine reasons for being late, to have to pay over and above their consultation fee. Those who cannot drive, like the elderly, are at the mercy of taxi or bus drivers, to get them there on time for their appointments.
There are ways for GPs to continue on with their schedules if anyone is late, so a late- fee is most unacceptable. For example,a doctor can take the next patient in line and the late comer will take his turn later.
Mr Andrews' words contain no warnings or cautions to the doctors. In fact, they sound like he approves of the idea.
If this system comes into Victoria, it will be no time before the other states follow suit.
We ask citizens, Australia wide, to sign this petition.
Or write to :
Daniel Andrews, MP
Ministerial Office
Level 22, 50 Lonsdale Street,
Melbourne Vic 3000
Ph: 9096 8561
Fax: 9096 8355
4. Protect historic character of Gillespie Crescent
We think that the attractive character of our street is threatened by insensitive developments. A couple of landlord owners have subdivided their bay windowed living rooms and plasterboarded the ceilings below the cornice, to form more bedrooms.
All the other Victorian Crescents in Edinburgh have Listed protected status which would prevent this from happening - Warrander Park Crescent, Marchmont Crescent, Grosvenor Crescent, Landsdale Crescent are all B Listed and Gardners Cresent, Atholl Crescent, Randoph Crecent are A Listed.
5. Road Safety at Potter St, Craigieburn
Victorians are more likely to die violently as the result of a road crash than from any other cause
Every life we lose on our roads is one too many. Road trauma causes great pain and heartbreak to those Victorians who lose family and friends in road crashes – and places a huge economic burden on our entire community.
arrive alive 2008-2017 sets out how the Victorian Government will continue its leadership in road safety to deliver a safer system for all road users and make a significant reduction to road trauma.
Road safety is a shared responsibility and all Victorians can contribute to safer roads and safer driving behaviour. By working together, we can substantially reduce serious casualties from road crashes and spare many Victorian families the grief of suffering the loss or serious injury of a loved one on our roads.
The above information was taken directly from the www.arrivealive.vic.gov.au website. As a regular user of Potter St, Craigieburn, i witness too many accidents and not enough action from Vic Roads to prevent it.
If you are a regular user of Potter St, Craigieburn and share my concerns about Potter St safety, please sign my petition below.
6. Protect Forest Hill Conservation Area
No 1 Manor Mount wishes to demolish the back and side of a Victorian dwelling and build a four story extension to the back and a three storey extension to the side to turn a family home into a large block of flats.
This will lie directly beside No 1 1/2 Manor Mount a small Victorian Coach House and cause considerable impact, not only to this house but to the surrounding properties.
7. School should not deny student enrollment
A student has tried to enroll at his local high school for the last 4-5 months, however the school has taken advantage of his confusion in the whole process and has denied him enrollment without any valid or legal reason.
The student already did go to the same high school but dropped out due to mental illness but wants to return. It should be noted that another student tried to enroll this year, with the school saying he could come back but at the last minute denied his enrollment (note it was the same teacher that dealt with the same two students).
The first student suffers from mental anguish and social isolation which is prolonged by the school denying him enrollment.
8. Legalize paintball in Victoria
Paintball is a fast and fun game to play, many people play and love the game.
Yet the victorian government decided to ban paintball in victoria. To own or use a paintball gun you must now own a gun license, which is a stupid idea.
The victorian government has made a big mistake which should be reversed.
Paintballing is a fast and fun game to play and loved by many. Yet the Victorian government decided to ban paintball as a game in the Victorian state.
The game still continues in Sydney and other Australian states regardless.
You need to aquire a gun license to play paintball in Victoria. That was a big mistake by the government and should be reversed.
10. E-democracy Australia, Online Petitioning
March 20, 2006
Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee Victorian Electronic Democracy, Final Report, May 2005.
Chairpersons' Foreward
The challenge and the opportunity provided by electronic democracy are providing the means by which the citizens can more fully participate in the decisions which affect their lives.
The key issue when evaluating the role of digital technologies for Democracy is how much Governments and Civil Society can learn to use the opportunities provided by the new channels of information and communication to promote and strengthen the core representative institutions connecting citizens and the state.
I believe that the subcommittee's recommendations, if adopted, will make significant improvement to the Democratic process in Victoria, enhancing the opportunities for the civic participation from the Victorian community and improving the policy making processes of the Government and the Parliament.
INTERACTING WITH PARLIAMENT
Recommendation 80. The parliament of Victoria should introduce an online petitions facility (on a trial basis), subject to ongoing evaluationas to the benefits offered to Victorians.
The Victorian online petition system should include a moderated discussion facility, similiar to that provided by the Scottish Parliament.
Recommendation 81. The Parliamentary Template for paper petitions should be amended to allow for optional collection of email addresses or other electronic means of communication, in order to allow the petitioner to receive information about the status and tabling of their petition from the parliament.
Queensland already accepts online petitions as legally presented petitions, therefore we humbly request that the rest of the Australian legislative assemblies and the federal parliment make electronic petitioning legal.
Ticket touting is a million pound industry that blights the enjoyment of thousands of people. Fans should be entitled to buy tickets at fair prices without the constant threat of losing out to ticket touts.
We call upon the British Government to tackle this problem that cannot be ignored any longer. Please consider the following;
Instruct the Live Music Forum to investigate the impact of touting and scalpers upon the live music industry (which has proved to be successful in the Victorian State Government in Australia)
Encourage limits on the number of tickets available in any one transaction.
Encourage a 'free returns' policy like in theatres. This limit the number of tickets sold to touts when holders cannot attend an event.
Encourage internet auction sites to clamp down on illegal ticket touting on their sites.
12. Repeal Voluntary Student Unionism in Victoria
Last year students defeated National VSU. Now it's time to win in Victoria. Victorian VSU was introduced by the Kennett Government in 1994.
Since 1994 VSU in Victoria has seen the destruction of aspects of student autonomy, student representation, student media, clubs and societies and other areas of student organisation activity.
Vice Chancellors now police how student organisations can spend their money. Yet every student in Victoria continues to pay a compulsory non-academic fee.
Last year the ALP formed government in Victoria with a policy to repeal Victorian VSU. Let's keep up the pressure for a return to the pre 1994 position.