I will be tabling my report but would like to elaborate further on two items, those being the National General Assembly of Local Government and the Maroondah Mobility Expo.
From the 26th through to the 30th of November I along with Cr. Gurr and Cr. Willmott participated in the National General Assembly of local government in Canberra. The National General Assembly convened by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) allows councils to raise issues within a national context., allowing ALGA to make representation on behalf of local councils to the Federal Government.
In this regard I am particularly pleased that Maroondah’s motion in relation to sustainable transport was passed by the general assembly. This will empower ALGA to advocate for federal involvement in sustainable transport.
I will be tabling a written report, which provides further details on the conference. View the written report on the 2006 National Assembly of ALGA
On the 5th of December I was invited by the Scoot Wheel ‘N’ Move to officially launch and MC the proceedings of Maroondah’s first mobility expo.
The expo provided a full day program that included:
- Free scooter and wheelchair safety checks;
- Trials of a low-floor bus;
- Information sessions on topics such as:
- Accessing public transport safely;
- Road rules for motorised scooters and pedestrians;
- Advice from occupational therapists;
- Scooter etiquette to ensure safe usage of motorised scooters and wheelchairs;
The expo, which attracted over 250 attendees, was an overwhelming success and demonstrates the results that can be achieved with strong community partnerships.
The expo coincided with the launch of the booklet, Maintaining Your Mobility in Maroondah, which contains valuable tips and etiquette on using mobility aids with Maroondah.
Both the expo and the booklet were only possible due to the strong partnerships that exist between Maroondah City Council and the Maroondah’s Scoot Wheel ‘N’ Move Working Group.
The Scoot Wheel N Move working group comprises of local residents who are passionate volunteers and dedicated to improving mobility within Maroondah. The empowerment of the Scoot Wheel N Move and the strong cooperation with Maroondah resulted in the mobility expo exceeding all expectations.
The community members of the Scoot Wheel ‘N’ Move working and staff from Maroondah City Council, in particular Katie Goodrope Maroondah’s MetroAccess and Trisha Matthes, must be congratulated on working tirelessly to ensure the success of the expo.
The Mobility Expo coincided with the International Day for People with Disabilities and it was therefore fitting that the aim of the expo was to help ensure that all members of the Maroondah community could participate confidently and fully in society.
Given the positive it is clear that the Mobility Expo succeeded in its aim of empowering people within Maroondah. The success of the Expo and Scoot Wheel ‘N’ Move provides a framework to ensure further engagement and empowerment of our community.