Mayor Wayne Phillips held a minute’s silence at the Banyule Council Meeting on Monday for three residents who had died recently.
Three weeks ago, teenage siblings Alexander and Bridget Jones had been on their way to a football game when a wall collapsed on top of them in the Melbourne CBD.
Alexander had shielded his sister and died instantly, while Bridget died a few days later in hospital.
Councillor Phillips said “To think that the only two children for this family have both been lost – it must be devastating – especially as a mother and a father.”
Cr Phillips and Cr Steven Briffa had suggested to the Jones family the planting of two trees within the community to commemorate the siblings.
“I think if we could watch those trees grow, in some way there would be some memory of the growth of these young people aging within the Banyule community,” Cr Phillips said.
Former Councillor Mayor and Member of Parliament for the Banyule area, Bruce Skeggs had died on the 21st of March.
“He was also very active with the community radio station as a broadcaster, and an active member of the community, I remember him as a great singer,” Cr Phillips said.
Later in the meeting Cr Jenny Mulholland and Cr Briffa discussed the Motions for the Municipal Association of Victoria State Meeting.
One of the matters included the idea of changing grave tenure within the Heidelberg Cemetery. They had toured the cemetery and were surprised by an older section of unmarked graves.
“These plots actually look like they’re empty, for all intents and purposes they are lawn,” said Cr Mulholland.
They discussed commemorating those moved with a wall of plaques. The idea was described as a sustainable option for the cemetery.