These locations, which are in close proximity to rail stations, have been identified as sites for urban revitalisation, including higher densities and mixed use development. The aim is to provide increased housing, employment and community opportunities within these localities and thus provide more facilities closer to people’s home.

While the policy direction is set by the State Government, local councils are often required to implement policies to support these aims, including structure plans and precinct plans that determine future vision for these centres. The role of the Federal Government in supporting our cities, is an area that is yet to be fully explored.

The Commonwealth Government established the Major Cities Unit to explore the role of our cities in a national context and this afternoon myself and the Mayors of Whitehorse and Frankston discussed the importance of the Central Activities Districts within this framework.

While the Major Cities Unit will be consulting local government, it is imperative that the Central Activities Districts are treated uniquely, given the additional need for infrastructure and investment within these centres.

It is encouraging that the Federal Government is exploring how it can help shape our cities to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits. It is imperative that this work continues given that Australia is among the few countries in the world that lacks a federal perspective on the role and function of our cities.

This morning I attended a presentation on the Act jointly convened by Tim Pallas, the Minister for Roads and Jim Betts, Secretary for the Department of Transport. The presentation covered the objectives of the Act and the framework in which the transport system will be operating within.

While the Legislation is certainly an improvement, it is still too early to be able to assess its impact on Victoria’s transport system. The framework should in theory elevate the importance of transport projects, like the redevelopment of Ringwood Station, which would deliver an integrated transport network through public transport, walking and cycling.

Ultimately the effectiveness of Legislation rests in its implementation and it is imperative that the State Government and its respective agencies support a sustainable and integrated transport network within Melbourne and Victoria.

The co-generation plant was jointly funded through a $250,000 Federal Government grant complementing Council funding of $200,000. The plant includes two 70kW gas generators, which creates enough electricity to run the centre and to maintain heating for the pools at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

The co-generation plant will be stored off-site during the construction of the proposed multi-purpose Ringwood Leisure and Aquatic Centre and will be returned to the site once the new facility is operational.

The speech I delivered during the visit is included within this post:

In the spirit of Reconciliation, we acknowledge that we are meeting on land for which the Wurundjeri people have been custodians for many centuries, and on land which the Indigenous Australians have performed age old ceremonies.

We, Maroondah City Council, accept, respect and have shared with the Wurundjeri people in their customs of welcome.

The Wurundjeri people support the coming together of all people, respecting their individuality to focus on a unified and cohesive nation.

I would like to acknowledge the presence of Mike Symon, Federal Member for Deakin and the Honourable Peter Garrett, the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, as well as Helen Croxford, Director Community & Leisure Services and Phil Turner, Director City Development.

The co-generation plant at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre was jointly funded by the Federal Government in January as part of the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program.

The $450,000 project saw funding of $250,000 from the Federal Government with $200,000 allocated from Council’s sustainability budget initiatives. The co-generation plant enables the aquatic facility to generate heat and power simultaneously, and from a single fuel source.

Specifically, the plant runs on two 70kW gas generators which we expect will create enough electricity to meet the needs of the entire centre as well as contributing to the water heating requirements of the three pools. This results in an economic saving of approximately $110,000 this year on gas and electricity bills as well as reducing 917 tonnes of greenhouse emissions.

This project demonstrates another example of local government working in partnership with the Federal government to build and improve community infrastructure.

Council has joined the Municipal Association of Victoria and other Victorian councils to lobby the state and commonwealth governments to fund the changeover to new energy-efficient globes.

In Maroondah the upfront costs of replacing more than 5500 mercury vapour globes currently lighting Maroondah’s streets is about $2million.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said the goal was to reduce Council’s greenhouse gas emissions and create a greener more energy-efficient future.

“By changing all local road street lights from the mercury vapour 80W lamps to a more energy efficient lighting it would not only benefit the environment but it would save on electricity costs.

“Council estimates that 36 per cent of its green house gas emissions and 39 per cent of its electricity costs are generated by street lighting,” Cr Makin said.

“Electricity is predominately generated by burning brown coal which results in significant green house gases,” Cr Makin said.

“By making the change we can reduce our carbon footprint and work towards mitigating the effects of climate change,” Cr Makin said.

“The sooner the change over, the sooner we start making a difference,” Cr Makin said.

Maroondah Council has been a strong advocate for the campaign, moving a motion at the Australian Local Government Association’s National General Assembly in June calling on the campaign to be adopted as an issue of national significance.

The Give Our Streets the Green Light campaign, organised by the Municipal Association of Victoria, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 78,000 tonne over the life of the lights. That equates to about 31.2 billion black balloons or 341,917 cars off the road for a year.

Residents can pledge their support by signing an online submission www.greenlightourstreets.org.au or by sending a letter to their local Member of Parliament.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin accepted the grant last Wednesday.

“Since the Maroondah Interfaith Network was established in November 2009 it has grown to include more than 35 leaders from a range of faiths,” Cr Makin said.

“The $8800 grant will assist the network to launch a leadership training program which will target the areas of conflict resolution, project management and media relations,” Cr Makin said.

“Participants will be able to attend  training sessions and neighbouring municipal interfaith networks will be encouraged to assist  as mentors,” Cr Makin said.

“The funding will also allow the Interfaith Network to be more actively involved in the coordination and participation of events that promote tolerance and celebrate the diversity of faiths in Maroondah like faith-based seminars and conversation cafes,” Cr Makin said.

The Maroondah Interfaith Network aims to bring together diverse faith and cultural groups to promote community harmony, education and awareness of racial and religious diversity.   It also hopes to increase understanding of varied faiths and cultures among the wider community.

- ENDS -

The Survey is conducted by an independent research group for the Department of Planning and Community Development. This is the thirteenth annual Community Satisfaction Survey and results are used to measure how Victorian residents rate the performance of their local governments.

The random phone interview survey was conducted during February and March, with a minimum of 350 Maroondah residents asked to rate Council’s performance.

“Maroondah City Council’s overall results are excellent,” Mayor, Councillor Alex Makin said.

“The survey is an important measurement tool in gauging Council’s progress towards the goals stated in Maroondah 2025 and Council’s mission.

“It is one of many processes by which Council elicits important community feedback to ensure its activities are well targeted, performing efficiently and are relevant to the community,” Cr Makin said.

“Maroondah City Council was rated on par with the median result recorded for the group of “like” inner metropolitan Councils. In terms of overall performance, 84 percent of respondents rated Council’s performance as excellent, adequate or good with only four percent of respondents indicating Council’s performance needed a lot of improvement. Seventeen percent thought it had improved and 71 percent thought it had stayed the same,” said Cr Makin said.

“Community satisfaction with Council’s performance in eight of the specific performance areas remained unchanged, but we have seen a marked improvement in the scoring for recreational facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“We have also seen significant positive change in the delivery of health and human services,” Cr Makin said.

“The survey results for recreational facilities have reinforced what we in Maroondah have known for a long time – our municipality is home to a wealth of top class sporting and leisure opportunities,” Cr Makin said.

“Ninety-three per cent of residents scored Maroondah’s recreational facilities as excellent, good or adequate, with seven per cent indicating that Council’s performance in this area needed improvement,” Cr Makin said.

“The delivery of health and human services in Maroondah also received a solid response, with 88 per cent of respondents scoring Council’s performance as excellent, good or adequate,” Cr Makin said.

“And although there are areas where residents desire further improvement, Maroondah did relatively well compared to other councils in its group for traffic management and local roads and footpaths,” Cr Makin said.

• Traffic Management and parking facilities were well above the respective median. (Maroondah scored 61 compared with the Group median of 57)
• Customer Contact was slightly above the respective medium. (Maroondah scored 74 compared to the Group median of 73)
• Town Planning Policy and Approvals were equal with the Group median of 57.
• Local Roads and Footpaths and Advocacy Enforcement of Local Laws and Appearance of Public Areas were all just under the median.

Community Engagement and Waste Management were areas that the survey indicated had a need for improvement.

“This survey provides valuable feedback and assists Council to prioritise its resources. To ensure that continued improvement occurs, these areas will receive attention,” said Cr Makin said.

“However, I am very pleased with the ratings and believe this reflects our commitment to community partnership and is a reward for our efforts,” said Cr Makin.

- ENDS -

Hon. Garrett inspected the co-generation plant at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre which was jointly funded by the Federal Government in January last year.

The funding was part of the $300 million Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program. The $450,000 project saw funding of $250,000 from the Federal Government with the remainder allocated from Council’s sustainability budget initiatives.

Cr Makin said the co-generation plant enabled the aquatic facility to generate heat and power simultaneously, and from a single fuel source.

“The plant runs on two 70kW gas generators which create enough electricity to run the centre and to maintain the heat requirements of the pool,’’ Cr Makin said.

“By installing the plant Council is estimated to save approximately $110,000 this year on its gas and electricity bills at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre. It is also estimated to reduce Council’s ecological footprint by 917 tonnes of greenhouse gas, the equivalent of taking 166 cars off the road,’’ Cr Makin said.

With the expected closure of the Ringwood Aquatic Centre in May next year the co-generation plant will be stored off-site and recommissioned for use at the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility.

- ENDS -

The petition, which was accepted by Martin Pakula, the Minister for Public Transport, as well as Terry Mulder, the Shadow Minister for Transport and Greg Barber, the Greens Spokesperson on Transport, requested public transport improvements for Melbourne’s outer east including:

• A full and public feasibility study for a heavy rail line to Rowville,
• A full and public feasibility study for a heavy rail line to Doncaster
• A greater commitment to the extension of the Metro rail tunnel from Domain to Caulfield,
• A full and public feasibility study for an increase in capacity on the Belgrave/Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines,
• Improved facilities for passengers, particularly at interchanges located in central activity districts – Ringwood, Dandenong and Box Hill,
• Fully accessible public transport facilities and vehicles

It is great that the eastern region recognises the importance of the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange. As the City of Maroondah and as part of the eastern region, we can only hope that the State Government and all political parties act on requests within this petition.

On the 8th of July I had the pleasure of launching the Maroondah Photographic Competition and announcing the winners amongst this year’s entrants. The competition has now been running for 14 years and it is great to see that it has sustained interest from both sponsors and the community. There were 121 entries this year and the judging decision was definitely a difficult one.
The diverse of photographic talents is to be commended and in particular it is great to see our schools supporting the arts and encouraging students to participate, with the two winners in the Intermediate category both being students from Norwood Secondary College

On the 9th of July I attended the Outer Eastern NAIDOC Ball, which was held at the conclusion of NAIDOC week. The ball recognises the many individuals and organisations that are involved with Indigenous communities and provides an opportunity to celebrate Indigenous culture and achievements.

On the 10th I attended the opening of the redeveloped Glen Park Community Centre, which had extensive works to improve the accessible and inclusiveness of its facilities. One of the real accomplishments with Glen Park has been the partnerships that have formed with various organisations, as well as all levels of government working together to provide better facilities for our community.

On the 13th of July I had the pleasure of welcoming James Merlino as the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs at EVs Youth Centre in Croydon. The State Government has provided a $10,000 grant, which will be used for the purchase of new music equipment through the Youth Centre and also announced that EVs will be one of the venues for the state wide FReeZA Central Music program. This is a great achievement and would like to commend our Youth Services Team for raising the profile of EVs and the talents of our young people.

In addition, on the 14th of July I had the pleasure of receiving a grant for $8,800 from the State Government through the Victorian Multicultural Grants Commission to further the work of the Maroondah Interfaith Network. The funding will be used to strengthen the capacity of the group and to further encourage Maroondah’s faith based communities to become involved the Network. I would like to commend the Community Development Staff and the Maroondah Interfaith for their work in establishing the group and for achieving this great result for our community. The Maroondah Interfaith Network was formed in November last year and it is fantastic to see that its efforts have been recognised by both Council and the State Government.

I’ll be tabling the rest of my report.

Due to a rescheduling of grounds the games schedule was modified and this morning the Ringwood Spiders returned to Jubilee Park to play their final home game for 2010. The Ringwood Spiders has grown and developed throughout the year and it is great to see the ongoing cooperation between the Spiders and the Redbacks, as well as the wider community.

This morning I was invited to speak at the New Community Church Ringwood, which meets twice a week at Maroondah Federation Estate in Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood. As part of the discussion, I mentioned Maroondah’s priorities, including the need for improvements to community infrastructure, additional meeting space and the importance of projects like the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and the proposed Leisure and Aquatic Centre.

I also discussed the way Council works, including the importance of working as a team, given that Council operates similarly to a board of management, where it is is Council that the decision making body, and not individual Councillors.

I welcome the opportunity to speak to groups throughout Maroondah and it is great to see the level of discussion and dialogue that arises out of these discussions.