Council signals

By Casey Neill
FERNTREE Gully activist Peter Cole says he’s considering running council after the mayor of Knox accused him of raising his profile ahead of the November elections.
The Tormore Road Lights Action Group founder said Knox mayor Jim Penna berated him after he criticised the council’s plans to improve safety at the intersection of Tormore and Boronia Roads.
Cr Penna refused to comment on claims he said Mr Cole was a Liberal and accused him of planning to stand for the council’s November election.
Mr Cole has requested a written apology.
“I’m not interested in council and I’m not interested in politics,” Mr Cole said last Wednesday.
“I love my community and simply just want to help out where I feel I can.”
But just two days later Mr Cole’s position had changed.
“When I became involved in this issue I had no intention of running for council,” he said.
“But now that the mayor has suggested this course of action, I will think about it.”
Last week Mr Cole wrote a letter to Cr Penna criticising his council’s decision to request VicRoads install detector loops at the intersection.
He said the detector loops, which would activate existing pedestrian signals, were a weak compromise.
In a written response, Cr Penna rejected Mr Cole’s request to rescind the recommendations adopted unanimously at council’s 20 May meeting.
“The councillors who adopted these recommendations are the elected representatives of the City of Knox and have exercised their responsibility and accountability,” the letter read.
Mr Cole said a protest held at the intersection last Wednesday was a great success.
He said the 102 locals who gathered at the intersection conducted a vote to determine how many were in favour of the push for detector loops.
“100 per cent of the crowd voted for the full signalisation of the intersection as they did at our open forum the week before,” Mr Cole said.