Stephen Mayne
Stephen is a business journalist by profession who spent 10 years on daily newspapers before founding Australia’s best known independent ezine, Crikey.com, in 2000.
He was a press secretary in the early years of the Kennett Government before publishing the anti-Kennett website www.jeffed.com during the 1999 state election, thereby commencing a continuing journey as a genuinely independent commentator, shareholder activist and advocate for good governance.
Stephen has conducted more than 1000 radio and television appearances over the past 15 years, including three slots on ABC TV’s Q&A program.
As Australia’s best known shareholder activist, Stephen has asked questions at more than 400 public company AGMs and stood for 48 public company boards. From 2011 until 2014 his advocacy was conducted through the Australian Shareholders’ Association as a director and then as Policy and Engagement Coordinator.
He served more than three years on Manningham City Council before his election to the City of Melbourne in October 2012, where he chairs the Finance and Governance Committee and is deputy chair of the Planning Committee.
Stephen described the atmosphere in the Manningham Council as “warfare”. Some people become councilors because they hate the council. The management of the council had to be protected from these people.
By contrast, the Melbourne councilors get on well. They are competent, with a diversity of membership and skills.
Stephen is chair of governance with the council. He wants to open up the council and make it more transparent, e.g. open tenders, open question times. All council meetings are on audio on its website, as are all written submissions.
Melbourne is the fastest growing LGA in Australia in population. There is a boom in buildings, facilitated by low tax, livable city image, ‘anything goes’ planning and its attractiveness to overseas university students. Melbourne has now passed Qld in terms of overseas visitor numbers.
Stephen in deputy chair of the planning committee. There is a lot of pressure caused by growth. The state government is responsible for approving bigger developments (>25,000 sq metres). Developers can cut the Council out of the game by making buildings over this limit. Stephen has changed procedures so that the Council also examines planning for these larger developments. Councillors make reports public and then vote on them to expose state planning issues. When Matthew Guy was planning minister, things were out of control.
Many developments are on small sites and the developers have tried to maximize revenue by not providing enough public infrastructure. It would be better if there was pooling of sites to make a better development, which would give room for better planning of infrastructure.
Carlton has done better than other suburbs in terms of Council provisions. Stephen mentioned specifically the Kathleen Syme Library and the renovated Carlton Baths as big ticket items.
Parking is a big source of funds. This creates a conflict of interest for the Council because it loses funds if it turns asphalt into green space, which Stephen advocates. Councils can get addicted to parking as a revenue source.