Hume Council responded to 10 community questions including such topics as local infrastructure, safety, and animal management at its Monday 24 November meeting.
Q1: Does Hume Council have any plans to address the uneven surface and potholes along Patullos Lane, especially given its proximity to Quba Mosque and the increase in car traffic that now utilise this lane to enter and exit the Mosque?
Response: Danielle Prentice, Acting Director Infrastructure & Assets
Thank you for raising this issue. We will arrange an inspection of Patullos Lane and address any issues in accordance with our Road Management Plan.
Patullos Lane to the east of the Hume Highway is currently sealed as far as the first driveway into 250 Hume Highway, which is the site where the Mosque is located.
The remainder of Patullos Lane is expected to be sealed by the developer of the neighbouring property at 8-32 Patullos Lane. A Planning Permit, issued for the development of multiple warehouses at this location was issued in August 2024 and requires the developer to construct the rest of the road from where the seal currently ends.
Q2: Does Hume Council have any plans to install traffic signals at the intersection between Patullos Lane and Hume Hwy to ensure worshippers at Quba Mosque can safely enter and exit Patullos Lane en route to Quba Mosque?
Given the number of vehicles that enter and exit especially on a Friday, the community believes that Council intervention is required.
Response: Danielle Prentice, Acting Director Infrastructure & Assets
Council has contacted the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) to escalate this concern as the responsible authority for the management of the intersection of Hume Highway and Patullos Lane. DTP provided the following advice:
DTP regularly receives requests for improvements across the state’s transport network.
These are considered based on various factors, including the extent to which a solution would improve safety, the number of road users travelling along the road, the need to cater for vulnerable road users, historical safety records and implementation costs.
DTP is aware of the concerns raised and will continue to monitor the network to identify the need for any future investigations and improvements for consideration in future programs in a state-wide context.”
Q3: At the last Council meeting on 27 October, Council indicated that there were no community facilities – and I point specifically to the word “facilities – within the Yubup Ward in 2016. Does Council consider John Laffan Reserve to be a community facility?
Response: Kristen Cherry, Director City Services & Living
Thank you for your clarification. The previous response focused on community centres and venues when responding about community facilities.
When including sporting reserves, the answer to the question “How many community facilities existed in the Yubup Ward in 2016” is one, being John Laffan Reserve.
Q4: What was the cost of the white picket fence around DS Aitken Reserve?
Response: Kristen Cherry, Director City Services & Living
The fence cost $69,474 excluding GST and was installed in 2016.
Q5: Please provide a full update of the changes to HCC Domestic Animal Management Plan which you envisage will instil confidence in the community that there have been improvements made and are now fully implemented for safety of both community and animals.
Please do not just respond with where to read the new plan as the old plan is not there to identify the changes/improvements.
Response: Kristen Cherry, Director City Services & Living
Thank you for your question. The draft Plan introduces a number of key initiatives centred on improving safety for both the community and animals. At a high level this includes:
- Enhanced monitoring and response in areas with high dog-related incidents, supported by increased officer presence and surveillance.
- Improved reporting and awareness, including promotion of Council’s 24/7 dangerous dog hotline.
- Partnerships with health providers and Police to improve reporting of dog attacks.
- Community education campaigns to help residents identify and safely respond to aggressive dog behaviours.
Officers would be happy to meet with you to discuss these changes in greater detail. Officers will reach out to you to find a suitable time.
Q6: Please provide a progress report on contacting State Govt. Who is the lead Councillor that will be managing this “Request for Change”.
Has the state parliament been contacted to review their laws of the Domestic Animal Act 1994 as these are antiquated and this affects all of Victoria.
HCC must be the lead for the future. If yes, did you have a positive response and what is the timeline for change to be implemented. If no, why not?
Response: Kristen Cherry, Director City Services & Living
In line with Council’s resolution of 10 June 2025, correspondence was sent from the Mayor to the Minister for Agriculture on 23 June 2025.
This written correspondence followed a meeting between the Mayor, Chief Executive Officer and the Minister for Agriculture on 20 June 2025.
Through this engagement and correspondence, Council sought:
- Powers for authorised officers to enter residential land where a dog involved in a serious attack is reasonably believed to be kept; and
- Authority for reasonable use of force when entering land, executing warrants, or seizing animals.
The Victorian Government considered these proposals during the Domestic Animals Amendment (Rehoming Cats and Dogs and Other Matters) Bill 2025, which passed on 11 September 2025.
While the Bill strengthened Council’s entry powers for outdoor areas such as backyards, it did not include entry into occupied homes or explicit authority for reasonable force.
Council remains committed to advocating for these changes and will continue engagement with sector partners, including the Municipal Association of Victoria, Department of Agriculture and other local governments, seeking their support for system-wide changes, including expanded communities of practice, training, and guidance for animal management officers.
Q8: How many meetings have been held since August 2025 with the Victorian Government regarding the expired Minor Maintenance Agreement?
Response: Fadi Srour, Acting Director Customer & Strategy
Thank you for your question. A Minor Maintenance Agreement (MMA) is an agreement between the Victorian Government and a Council to undertake selected routine maintenance activities on arterial roads. It is important to note that arterial roads are the responsibility of the Victorian Government.
Up until June 2020 Hume City Council had entered into an MMA with the Victorian Government to undertake minor maintenance on arterial roads. Since then, there has been no Minor Maintenance Agreement in place between Council and the Victorian Government.
In response to the question, since August 2025 there has been one meeting with a representative from the Victorian Government regarding the expired Minor Maintenance Agreement.
Q9: How many notices of motion have been raised by the current Mayor seeking representations the Victorian Government regarding the expired Minor Maintenance Agreement?
Response: Fadi Srour, Acting Director Customer & Strategy
Thank you for your question. At the time Council withdrew from the MMA, funding from the Victorian Government was $183,000.
Council was required to spend additional $317,000 of Council funds to maintain arterial roads to our standards. Advice was also received from Councils insurer’s not to proceed with a new MMA due to a number of clauses in the agreement that increased Councils exposure to risks.
As a result this led to Council not entering into a new MMA with the Victorian Government as mentioned in the previous question. There have been no notices of motion raised by the current Mayor on this matter.
Q10: When weekly curbside bins are emptied, do truck drivers report the illegal dumping of household items on the nature strips they stop at/drive past?
I like to think something as simple as a “use my current location” button could report it. Why are residents responsible for reporting this disgraceful behaviour when Hume Council employees drive past it everyday?
Response: Danielle Prentice, Acting Director Infrastructure & Assets
Thank you for your question and suggestion. Our kerbside garbage trucks do not currently have the technology required to report issues such as dumped rubbish whilst undertaking bin collections.
Improving the telematics systems within our kerbside collection vehicles is something we are actively investigating, and as part of this, we will explore opportunities to enhance service delivery like you have suggested.