Cr Martin John Taylor, Councillor & Former Mayor for the City of Whittlesea

As your Councillor for the City of Whittlesea and South Morang Ward, I will continue bringing leadership and your community voice to Council.

I believe Council must remain connected to the people it serves.

That means leadership with purpose, representation with integrity, competency with strength and a focus on building a stronger, safer, and better City of Whittlesea.

Your voice matters. Your concerns matter. Our community matters and I will keep bringing our community’s voice to Council with strength.

Community conversations matter because they show what residents are really experiencing on the ground.

Today I attended YPRL Library in Lalor and had the opportunity to speak with the magnificent library staff, who do an outstanding job supporting, assisting and connecting with the Lalor community every day. I also met with the Greek Orthodox Seniors Group, which I will be returning to visit and present to again in August, and the Lalor Seniors Group.

What began as an invited community conversation quickly became a strong, open and practical discussion that continued for a couple of hours. Residents raised question after question about the issues affecting their daily lives, including rubbish bin collection dates, waste vouchers, the various types and how to obtain them, illegal rubbish dumping, school pick up parking concerns, vehicles blocking driveways, abandoned vehicles and what to do, Vehicle and trucks illegal parking, tree issues on private land, boundary fences, and nature strips, noisy parties, and early morning lawn mowing timings, Council contact information, where to find Council updates, including Council’s website and page, ageing well activities and engagement for seniors, burglary concerns, residents feeling unsafe, e bike crime, public toilet safety, suspected drug trafficking, concerns about attending to report at a closed police station, public safety, personal safety, and home security, vehicle damage and car related concerns.

I answered each issue directly, clearly and practically as it was raised. Some matters required Council information. Some required process guidance. Others reflected broader concerns about safety, amenity and community wellbeing. Every issue mattered to the person who raised it, and every concern deserved to be treated seriously and was.

Thank you to YPRL Lalor Library, the Greek Orthodox Seniors Group and the Lalor Seniors Group for the warm welcome, honest discussion and strong community spirit.

Strong communities are built through listening, respect, action and people who care enough to speak up.

My AICD Course to date - With the intensive phase of my Australian Institute of Company Directors course approaching next week, I have started rereading my notes and consolidating my preparation.

The past few months have been demanding. Council responsibilities, Councillor duties, budget deliberations, Board work, Audit and Risk Committee responsibilities, my legal practice, advocacy work, the second publication run of my latest book, AICD course preparation, and private family matters have all required sustained focus, discipline, and endurance.

There have been many nights working until 3 or 4 am. There have been mornings starting again at 4 am. There have also been many moments found in between 30 minutes here, an hour there simply to keep moving, keep learning, and keep up to date.

To say I have thoroughly enjoyed the AICD course to date would be an understatement. It has challenged me, sharpened my thinking, updated my knowledge, and reaffirmed many important governance principles.

I have broken down the various chapters of my AICD notes into separate folders, supported by additional handwritten notes, resources, director tools, appendices, legislation, case law, and other relevant materials.

I have written responses to every question raised throughout the manual. One of the most difficult exercises has been refining those answers to 100 words while still capturing the key issues, reasoning, references, governance principles, and practical implications.

I have also worked through every case study. Some have been particularly challenging, especially under time restrictions, but that is precisely where the value lies. Good governance requires clear thinking, sound judgment, and disciplined decision making under pressure.

Most importantly, I have already started applying the knowledge gained from this excellent course to my Council, governance, Board, committee, advocacy, and professional responsibilities.

As the next challenge approaches, I will keep moving forward. My advice to anyone considering the AICD course is manage your time effectively and do not allow yourself to fall behind. There will not always be perfect blocks of uninterrupted time. Sometimes progress is made in the small windows available. Many times, I have studied in my car after arriving early for my next commitment. Those small windows of time matter. Thirty minutes here and an hour there can become the difference between keeping pace and falling behind. I will provide a final summary of my thoughts on the AICD course once I have completed it.

What a terrific day at the Whittlesea Monday Market. Today I attended the market at the Whittlesea Showgrounds, and it was a great reminder of the strength, warmth, and energy of our local community.

The weather was excellent, the market was packed, and the stallholders, market staff, residents, families, and visitors all helped make it a fantastic day. I spent a couple of hours walking through the stalls, speaking with stallholders, chatting with residents, and listening directly to members of the community about the issues that matter to them. I also managed to pick up a couple of good buys along the way, which is always part of the fun.

One lady walked up to me and said, “You’re the crime councillor.” I had a chuckle, until she added, “My group follows you. Thank you for all that you do to try to stop crime.” I sincerely appreciated that comment.

Thank you also to those who raised potholes with me. I understand exactly what you mean. In fact, I hit a deep pothole on Plenty Road on the way to the market, so the issue was reinforced firsthand.

Let me also put one matter to bed once and for all. The Councillors at the City of Whittlesea Council are working together very effectively, respectfully, and with a clear focus on the community. We understand our role, we understand our responsibilities, and we are getting on with the job.

Several people also spoke to me about the Mernda pool. Now is not the time for detailed comment, but I acknowledge the strong views on both sides. I heard from people strongly in favour of the pool, and I also heard from a significant number of people who clearly do not want a pool in Mernda.

Those views matter, and they deserve to be heard respectfully.

Let me be clear. Council remains committed to the development of a regional sports precinct in Mernda for the benefit of Mernda and the broader City of Whittlesea community. That commitment has not changed, and it will not change.

For those who asked whether I will return to the market, my answer is yes.

Today was a great day, but it was also a day of listening directly to community concerns. That means hearing the positive comments, listening to the hard feedback, clarifying misinformation where needed, and taking the lumps when they come. Some of today’s lumps appeared to arise from incomplete or inaccurate information that has allegedly been circulating, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to clarify those matters directly.

I have never been shy about direct conversations with our community, and I will never walk away from them. That is part of my role as your Councillor, and as I continue to demonstrate, it is a responsibility I take very seriously.

I will keep listening, clarifying, assisting where I can, and speaking up for our community.

Thank you to everyone who came along, stopped for a chat, and shared their views.

Until we catch up next time, stay safe.

As your Councillor, I will continue leading from the front on community safety by raising and writing about the hard issues, demanding practical action, and helping residents understand how to reduce their crime risk before crime becomes their reality.

Real leadership is not waiting for crime harm to happen, it is acting early, standing up, and helping build a safer community.

The time to prevent crime is before the crime damage is done, not after families, homes, and communities have paid the price.

Until next time “Stay Safe.”

I love walking around South Morang early in the morning.

There is something powerful about the stillness, the fresh air, the soft light, the trees, the water, and the quiet streets before the day begins.

For me, it is more than just a walk. It is a moment to breathe, reset, think clearly, and appreciate the beauty of the place we call home.

Some mornings, South Morang does not just feel like a suburb.

It feels like living inside an oil painting.