Dogs barking over

By Paul Pickering
KNOX City Council is set to bolster its local laws team with two extra staff in a response to a flood of phone calls from residents.
In its draft budget for 2007/08, Knox has put aside $40,000 towards increasing the visibility of its local laws department – taking officers out of the office and on to the beat.
The decision to extend its team of four members to six was based on an increase in requests for officers to attend to matters such as barking dogs, wandering livestock, illegal parking, street trading, abandoned or derelict vehicles and unsightly properties.
Knox mayor Jim Penna said: “Residents have told council they wanted more local laws officers and that is what the budget will provide.
“More officers will ensure that residents will get a faster response when they call.”
Cr Penna said the staffing increase would also free up officers to take a more active public education role, visiting reserves, shopping centres, clubs and schools.
Knox’s draft budget can be viewed online at www.knox.vic.gov.au.
Public submissions will be heard on Wednesday, 20 June, before the budget is considered for adoption by the council on Tuesday, 26 June.