Cr Alex Makin

About Cr. Alex Makin

Councillor for the Mullum Ward in the City of Maroondah.

It has been a great honour and privilege to have served as your elected councillor since 2005 and I would like to thank you for the opportunity to represent the Mullum Ward over the next four years.

It is a humbling experience to have been elected as the Mayor for the 2010 Council Year, I look forward to working with my colleagues, staff and the community to ensure that we can achieve a sustainable, accessible and vibrant future for our municipality.

Together we can continue making a difference for the residents, ratepayers, businesses and community groups in Maroondah.

Alex Makin is Making a Difference

I have been working to ensure that I am making a difference to the Maroondah community.

I am committed to achieving an accessible and sustainable municipality supported by an accountable council that actively engages the community.

Through my time on council I have successfully advocated for a reduction in council’s greenhouse emissions and secured $1 million for water sustainability projects to reduce council’s water consumption and protect the many sporting grounds within Maroondah.

I have also increased funding levels for accessibility works and secured upgrades to Karralyka and other council buildings to ensure that they can be utilised by all people in our community. Through my involvement in council I have supported the ReCharge Program, which encourages local businesses (including Eastland) to provide recharge facilities for motorised mobility aids.

I have prevented inappropriate development and stopped council from selling our public parks, as well as supporting the re-opening of the Croydon Outdoor Memorial Pool.

I have successfully advocated for better public transport and have secured a number of bus improvements. I have continued to campaign for the much needed redevelopment of Ringwood Station so that we can have an accessible and safe interchange.

I am an active participant in many community groups including Eastern Volunteers, Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau and the Rotary Club of Ringwood. In addition I am a committee member for North Ringwood Community House and Monkami.

I will continue to advocate for further public transport improvements, to secure the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and bus improvements. I will also work to achieve an accessible, inclusive and sustainable Ringwood Town Centre to ensure that Ringwood becomes a vibrant suburb for people of all ages and mobility.

I will also work towards achieving a new community centre for Ringwood North and further improvements to the sustainability and accessibility of council.

My website and blog will continue to be updated to ensure that I am explaining the activities that I undertake as an elected councillor and to remain accountable to the community

Alex Makin as a Proven Community Advocate

I was a founding member of the Ringwood Transit City Community Coalition (RTCCC), a non-profit and voluntary organisation which aimed to strengthen community participation and stimulate open and honest discussion in regard to the Ringwood Transit City project.

Within this role I authored a number of community submissions, including reports into topics such as Community Participation and Integrated Transport, as well as, speaking publicly on issues such as inappropriate development and green open space.

I was also the founder of the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) Outer East Branch where my advocacy efforts raised awareness of public transport issues in eastern Melbourne and helped ensure increased funding for bus services within Melbourne’s outer east. Similarly I, along with other community advocates, have campaigned heavily for the upgrade of Ringwood Station resulting in State Government proposals to upgrade the station.

Founded in 1976, the Public Transport Users Association is the recognised consumer organization representing passengers of public transport. The PTUA is a non-profit, voluntary organisation with no political affiliation, which lobbies governments and public transport authorities in the interest of all users of public transport.

In addition, I was also a foundation member of the PTUA’s South East Branch and served as Vice-President of the association, which included the responsibility for state-wide media and attending high-level delegations. I left the PTUA in September 2007 to concentrate on strengthening community engagement and transport advocacy in our middle and outer suburbs.

I am actively involved in advocating for accessibility improvements and a higher standard of community engagement and assisted with Maroondah’s Accessibility Expo as well as the forum Good Access = Good Business.

Alex Makin as a Community Member

I have a background in Marketing and IT and have worked within a variety of commercial organisations ranging from IT companies, marketing organisations and business consulting firms. I also have a keen interest in theatre, the arts and urban sustainability and have spoken at a number of forums and conferences on the topic of sustainability, transport and planning.

Furthermore, I enjoy constructive and open dialogue with a number of local councils and Members of Parliament ensuring that I can deliver positive outcomes for our community. The successful lobbying for the removal of zone three fares, demonstrates my ability to work cooperatively with other councils and State Parliamentarians to deliver positive results for the community.

Community Involvement

I am an active member of the following community based organisations:

• Rotary Club of Ringwood;
• Ringwood Historical Society;
• Maroondah Disability Action Group;
• Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau;
• Eastern Volunteers;
• Croydon Conservation Society;
• North Ringwood Community House;
• Monkami;
• Communities for Public Transport.

Council Committees and Delegations

For the 2010 council year I am a designated Maroondah City Council representative on the Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee, as well as the Eastern Transport Coalition.

Contacting Alex Makin

As a Councillor for the City of Maroondah I welcome your feedback.

My contact details are as follows:

E-mail: alex@alexmakin.com.au
Phone: 0409 136 213
Fax: (03) 9870 8202

You can also subscribe to updates to stay informed in regard to community and council activities and how I am making a difference for the Mullum Ward and the Maroondah community.