Outspoken Cardinia Shire councillor Collin Ross put stickers over his sign at the Toomuc Valley Reserve. 83936 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
By Danielle Galvin
A CARDINIA councillor says he has been victimised, after the council opted to force him to take down a sign with his face on it.
Central Ward Cr Collin Ross’s sign can be seen at the Toomuc Valley Recreation Reserve Junior Football Ground.
He has sponsored the club for the past three years and said it was not an election stunt.
At a recent council briefing session, Cr Ross said the general consensus from the councillors was that it “wasn’t a good idea” to put up signs on council land.
“It was raised by other councillors that we don’t know whether using council land to promote councillors was a good idea,” he said.
“Brad Battin MP has signs up, Ken Smith MP has signs up around the place, all of these people have signs up.”
Cr Ross said he was disappointed by the move because he felt he was being discriminated against.
“Cr Brett Owen raised the fact that he would like to put up a sign at the Officer Recreation Reserve telling people he is a councillor and to contact him,” he said.
“Brett said that I have one up at the Toomuc Reserve and it had been up there for more than three years and I said I put it up there to support and sponsor the local junior football club.”
At the meeting, Cr Ross said the councillors were concerned it would give an unfair advantage and that it was “electioneering.”
“I don’t think it would be fair if the council was to discriminate between councillors putting up advertising or sponsorship versus state or federal governments being able to put up signage,” he said.
“I also added the only person to be affected by this would be myself as I’m the only person to put it up three and a half years ago.
“I obviously didn’t put it up for electioneering purposes, I did it to support the local football club.”
Steve Moloney from the Toomuc Valley Reserve Committee said it “smacked of hypocrisy.”
“Collin got in touch more than three years ago and pays a yearly rate like all of the other sponsors,” he said.
“It’s really poor form in my view – that they would take away the support of a local footy club.
“It makes me angry.”
Cr Ross put forward a motion last night (Tuesday 10 July), to be raised at a council meeting on 16 July.
“I put forward a motion to council that will request councillors to support the same policy that the Shire of Yarra Ranges has in place – that no government group is discriminated against,” he said.
“Their policy has a blanket ban on all government levels from local to state and federal.
“It has to be fair for all or fair for none.”
