By VANESSA CHIRCOP
HOBSONS Bay City Council will consider establishing a regular Blue Light Disco in Altona to replace the underage discos that the council banned at the previous meeting.
As reported by Star, the decision to ban the events at the Altona Youth Hall was not on the council meeting’s agenda, proposed under Urgent and Other Business and passed without giving notice to the organisers of the underage event.
Mayor Tony Briffa, who brought the suggestion to the council, said the Altona Youth Hall committee would be invited to participate in discussions to establish a Blue Light Disco at the hall.
Councillor Luba Grigorovitch told the council she was “disgusted” with how the motion to ban underage discos at the hall was handled.
“The motion that was put up at the last council meeting by Cr Raffoul … it actually reads that the council prohibits the use of the Altona Youth Hall for discos and similar events pending the result of such a report to the council – it’s putting the cart before the horse,” she said.
“We haven’t got the report yet, but we’re just prohibiting the kids – so too bad, your disco’s over. This is terrible governance.”
Cr Hemphill echoed Cr Grigorovitch’s concerns, claiming the proposal of a Blue Light Disco contradicted the motion to ban discos at the hall.
“You (Cr Briffa) just said we’re looking at having it at the Altona Youth Hall but the previous motion specifically bans that,” he said. “I’m gobsmacked at the inconsistency – it just floors me. I’m absolutely speechless at how this has all been handled.”
Councillor John Hogg, who seconded the motion, said a Blue Light Disco operated in Newport and was well managed.
Altona Youth Club President Frank Fisher asked: “What difference will a Blue Light Disco make?”
“The way they’re going about it is all wrong.”
The motion was passed four votes to three, with councillors Hemphill, Altair and Grigorovitch voting against it.
