Councillor Alex Makin said the annual Maroondah Punkfest has become one of Melbourne’s leading underage FReeZA gigs.

“The Maroondah Punkfest brings together some big names in the Australian punk scene while giving talented local bands a chance to perform before an enthusiastic audience,” said Cr Makin.

“This year’s lineup on the Main Stage at EV’s features five bands, with headliner act Yidcore returning to Melbourne following a successful tour in Israel and the release of their latest EP,” said Cr Makin.

Supporting Yidcore will be The Resignators, Ashleys Affair, Paris, and Two Cone Tyrone.

Maroondah Punkfest is an annual event organised by Maroondah Youth Services FReeZA group, Out Loud Audio.

Punkfest will run from 6.30pm to 11pm on Friday 12 September at EV’s Youth Centre, with tickets available at the door for $10 with a pass, or $12 without.

EV’s Youth Centre is located at 212 Mt Dandenong Road, Croydon.

This is an all ages, fully supervised, drug, alcohol and smoke free event. There are no passouts.

For more information and band set times call Amanda on 9298 4379 or visit www.evsyouthcentre.com or www.myspace.com/outloudaudio08

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

Monkami is a service provider for adults with an intellectual disability and aims to develop skills that will enable them to live with the greatest degree of independence within their own community.

Each performer was given the opportunity to develop their own character drawing upon many popular names such as James Bond, Captain Jack Sparrow, Wolverine and Judge Judy and of course Napoleon who was the villain of the show.

The level of detail in the performance was incredible, not only was the stage decked out as the Titanic, and the costumes extremely thorough, but they even gave Titanic hats to the audience to ensure that they were part of the show. It was all hands on deck, when everyone tried to escape the sinking Titanic, fortunately with the audience joining in on the hokey pokey we were all able to escape to dry land!

After two successful seasons the production is now considering further opportunities to continue the performance, including the potential of a touring show.

The Ringwood Spiders, based in Jubilee Park in Ringwood, is a football team for people with disabilities and on the 27th of July I attended their last home game for the season against the Maribyrnong Bulldogs. Like Monkami, the Ringwood Spiders is another example of how people with disabilities can participate within our community. It was great to see the Spiders playing one of their best games for the season, with the players coming together as one team and playing some extraordinary football.

With such on-field skills the Spiders defeated their opposition, which was a fitting way to end their last home game for the season at Jubilee Park.

Groups like Monkami and the Ringwood Spiders demonstrate that when given the opportunity people with disabilities can participate within our wider community. Perhaps the most wonderful aspect of these two events, was the breadth of the wider community support. Community groups such as the Ringwood Ballet Group and the Ringwood Movie Makers provided immense support to Monkami and the Ringwood Football Club is one of the Spiders biggest supporters, providing the use of training facilities and clubrooms.

On the 5th of August I attended Maroondah’s Forum for People with Disabilities and Carers, which provides an opportunity to raise issues in regard to accessibility so that we can strive for an inclusive community.

The forum provided an opportunity to discuss the feedback from the workshop held earlier this year and it was encouraging to see most of the input being incorporated into the forum. I would like to thank the many departments that are responsible for the forum, including Metro Access, aged and disability services, community planning and development and council’s engineers.

The forum continues to demonstrate the importance of providing dialogue and hearing first-hand the accessibility issues that exist within Maroondah so that as a council we can work towards making a difference through creating an inclusive municipality.

Lastly, this morning I attended a steering group meeting of the Maroondah 2008 Writers and Readers Festival.

The Festival which will be held between the 3rd and 5th of October include writer’s workshops, discussion groups and keynote speakers around the key theme of crime. The event which is funded through a Maroondah City Council grant in partnership with Eastern Regional Libraries will feature a number of prominent writers including John Silvester, the author of the Underbelly.

Once again the community spirit shines through in the preparation for the festival, with North Ringwood Community House offering to manage ticket sales and businesses such as Lakeside Cafe being available as a venue.

For details please visit the Eastern Regional Library website at www.erl.vic.gov.au, otherwise details are also available on my own web site at www.alexmakin.com.au.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

Councils need to enter the 21st century

Loughnan’s Hill Ward Councillor Alex Makin, an avid web blogger, has called on Councillors and prospective candidates to embrace new technology and develop an Internet web site and blog to strengthen interaction with the community.

“Local government is supposed to be the closest form of government to the people and yet councils have generally been slow to embrace new technology”, Cr. Makin said. “Interactive websites and blogs help bridge the gap between council and the community and should be seen as an essential communication tool.”

Cr. Alex Makin has operated a website complete with a regularly updated blog at www.alexmakin.com.au, since 2005. Alex uses the blog to publish details of community events he has attended as well as information on council activities.

“A blog provides an additional avenue for people to leave comments and interact with councillors. Blogging is particularly popular with younger people and people with disabilities, who sometimes shy away from traditional methods of consultation”, Cr. Makin said. “Blogs differ from websites, since they are interactive and encourage people to provide their opinions and make contact.”

“I am calling on council candidates and current councillors to commit to creating and regularly updating a website and blog. Just as email is an essential technology for a councillor, blogging will be also become critical to communicating with the community”, Cr. Makin concluded.

About Alex Makin:
Alex Makin was elected in November 2005 as the Councillor for Loughnan’s Hill ward in the City of Maroondah. Alex, currently the youngest councillor elected within the history of the City of Maroondah, has maintained a regularly updated website and blog at www.alexmakin.com.au.

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES: CR. ALEX MAKIN ON 0408 311 645
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© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

Council’s Youth Services have organised a great program for young people between 12 to 16 years of age, full of activities that will ensure that these school holidays will not go to waste.

Councillor Alex Makin described the program as a terrific way to ensure that your teenagers make the most of their time off, providing them with the opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people while having fun.

“The huge list of activities includes a day at The Melbourne Show, a trip to the Melbourne Zoo and the Eureka Skydeck,” said Cr Makin.

“EV’s Youth Centre will turn into a chill out zone for a day, with a portable digital dome theatre taking up EV’s. Young people will be able to lay down, eat pizza and watch films on the roof of the big blow up Cosmodome,” said Cr Makin.

“A visit to The Warrook Cattle Farm and Koala Conservation Centre at Phillip Island is also on the cards, as well a trip to the cinemas, and a game of Laser Strike will keep young people on their toes and having a great time,” said Cr Makin.

Other activities available also include splashing around at the new Croydon Leisure & Aquatic Centre and a craft workshop at Council’s Wyreena Community Arts Centre.

“Make sure you book soon as places will fill up quickly. Don’t miss out on one of the best holiday experiences this year,” said Cr Makin.

The cost for the holiday program varies between $15 to $30 per day, depending on the activity. There is a 20% discount for families experiencing financial difficulties.

For further information or to book activities, telephone Duré Morrell, Youth Programs Worker on 9298 4252. Bookings are essential.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

Tonight’s meeting provided an opportunity to update the community on steps Maroondah Council and other agencies are taking to enhance the amenity of the area. In particular the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued a Pollution Abatement Notice (PAN) to CMA Recycling (Victoria) in regard to breaches of noise limits.

The issuing of this notice means that the company is required to undertake an assessment of noise emitted from the site as well as implement measures to abate the noise so that further breaches do not occur. The notice issued by the EPA is available on their website.

It is encouraging that the EPA is taking this matter seriously and cooperating with both Whitehorse and Maroondah Councils. As the ward councillor, I will continue to ensure that I am making a difference to the Heatherdale community.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

I have recently called on the current Maroondah councillors (all of whom who have indicated that they are re-standing in the upcoming election) and prospective candidates to commit to creating their own web site and blog to provide a new form of communication to the community.

A Maroondah councillor has called on his colleagues to “move with the times”, encouraging them to create individual web pages and blogs to increase interaction between the council and residents.

I have been actively maintaining my website and blog since 2005, prior to being elected onto council. I have found the website to be extremely useful in conveying the activities undertaken as a councillor and encouraging people to contact me to discuss the issues that matter to them.

Loughnan’s Hill Ward Councillor Alex Makin said councillors and future candidates should move into the 21st century.

Local government has unfortunately been relatively slow to adopt new technologies and it is critical that councillors and candidates undertake this commitment to assist people in communicating with local councils.

“Local government is supposed to be the closet form of government to the community. Having an active web presence helps bridge the gap between the council and the community.”

An active web presence, going behind a static web page through the provision of an interactive blog provides an opportunity to leave comments and contact their local elected representatives.

He said residents could leave comments, ask questions, raise concerns and inquire about upcoming events within the council and community.

“It is another tool for the community to use, in addition to mobile phones and email.”

A web presence would augment rather than replace the more traditional forms of communication, such as telephone, email and postal mail. The more opportunities for the community to make contact, the easier it is for people to raise their concerns directly with elected representatives.

He said part of a councillor’s role was to keep up-to-date with technology.

“It also enables young people who may be disengaged with the community to have their say in a way they feel comfortable.”

Councillors have an obligation to keep up-to-date with technology and ensure that are representing the interests of their constituents. In particular younger people, as well as people with disabilities, tend to predominately use the Internet as a communication tool. A website complete with an interactive blog would assist these people in contacting their elected representatives and ensuring that are being heard.

It was encouraging to see that Cr Jo-anne Taylor stated her support for the idea and is considering establishing a website.

I will continue to maintain and update my website to ensure that the community is kept informed on the activities I undertake as an elected councillor and the community events that I attend.

If you would like to stay informed then please subscribe to updates to receive regular notifications on the events I am attending.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

The Maroondah Disability Action Group also known as the Disability Action Group Eastern Region, aims to provide a voice for people with disabilities across Maroondah and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

The group is a community led movement and includes people with disabilities who desire to improve the accessibility of Maroondah and the outer east. Specific aims include:

• To provide systemic advocacy to influence policies at a local, state or federal level;
• To campaign for accessible transport improvements;
• To cooperate with other like minded groups at a local and state level, and
• To push for greater, accessible and inclusive health services.

The Maroondah Disability Action Group meets at 10 am on the second Monday of each month at the Ringwood Church of Christ at 13 Bedford Road in Ringwood.

The venue is fully accessible and in close proximity to Ringwood Station and bus routes 367 (Ringwood to Croydon via East Ringwood) and 679 (Chirnside Park Shopping Centre to Ringwood via Mount Evelyn, Montrose and Canterbury Road).

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

Today’s meeting marked the adoption of a mission statement, whereby the group exists to raise awareness through advocacy for greater accessibility across the outer eastern region. This mission statement reinforces the purpose of the group and its focus on accessibility improvements across Maroondah and the outer east.

A series of objectives were also identified with the aims being:

• To provide systemic advocacy to influence policies at a local, state or federal level;
• To campaign for accessible transport improvements;
• To cooperate with other like minded groups at a local and state level, and
• To push for greater, accessible and inclusive health services.

Specific priorities include advocating for bus improvements, securing the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible transit interchange and mobility improvements across Maroondah. The group also aims to work cooperatively with other groups at a local, state and federal level to achieve these aims.

The Maroondah Disability Action Group meets at 10 am on the second Monday of each month at the Ringwood Church of Christ at 13 Bedford Road in Ringwood.

The venue is fully accessible and in close proximity to Ringwood Station and bus routes 367 (Ringwood to Croydon via East Ringwood) and 679 (Chirnside Park Shopping Centre to Ringwood via Mount Evelyn, Montrose and Canterbury Road).

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

The Rotary Club of Ringwood, which meets each Wednesday evening at the Ringwood Club on the corners of Oban Road and Maroondah. Ringwood Rotary is part of Rotary District 9810, which covers eastern and southeastern Melbourne.

Rotary is an international organisation with over 1.2 milllion members world-wide. The core philosophy of Rotary is adherence to the Four Way Test:

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

I became a member of Ringwood Rotary on the 6th of August 2008 and am currently part of the Community sub-committee, which aims to support community based organisations and undertake community based projects.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

The Ringwood Football Club, also known as the Ringwood Redbacks, is a supporter of the Ringwood Spiders a football team for people with disabilities. It is fantastic to see Ringwood’s sporting clubs supporting other groups within our community, with the the football club providing the Spiders with the use of their club rooms and training facilities.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

It is amazing to see the depth of commitment that members of Ringwood Rotary have towards the wider community. These are people who are devoted to assisting the community on a local, national and international level, without the politicking and egos that appear far too often within council. Rotary’s core philosophy stems from the ‘Four Way Test’, a series of principles that were established by Herbert J. Taylor, a Rotarian member and former director of Rotary International.

The Four Way Test is the foundation of Rotary and consists of the following four principles:

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

The origin of the Four Way Test stems from 1932 during the midst of the Great Depression with his company, Club Aluminium facing bankruptcy. Taylor believed that by encouraging a strong sense of ethics that the company would do what was right for its customers, employees and business partners. Amazingly, within just five years Club Aluminium was free from bankruptcy and exists to this day as part of Standex International.

I am looking forward to my time within the Rotary Club of Ringwood with its adherence to principles such as the Four Way Test.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

Councillor Alex Makin said HealthNuts is being run by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

“The HealthNuts project team are working with Maroondah’s immunisation team to recruit participants for the study via selected immunisation sessions over the coming weeks,” said Cr Makin.

“With the incidence of food allergy rising, the project aims to measure how many people are affected by food allergies, why the number is increasing and which children are at greatest risk,” said Cr Makin.

“The HealthNuts team will be at a number of Maroondah immunisation sessions where they will provide information on the research project and invite parents of children under one year of age to participate, initially with an assessment of their allergy status,” said Cr Makin.

Participation is voluntary and will take approximately 20 minutes during the post-immunisation waiting period. Parents will be asked to complete a questionnaire relating to their own and their child’s diet and lifestyle, and their child will be required to have a skin prick test.

A positive skin prick test does not automatically mean your child has an allergy, however all children with a positive skin prick test will be invited to attend The Royal Children’s Hospital allergy clinic for further testing.

Participation in the study is voluntary and parents can withdraw at any stage of the study without any reduction in care from the participating organisations.

For more information on Council’s immunisation service contact Maroondah City Council on 1300 882 233.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

While current budgetary resources meant that the forum must remain at its current quarterly frequency, this will be reviewed early next year. Assuming that I am returned as a councillor after November’s elections, I will be advocating for the forums to be held on a bi-monthly frequency or for another working group to be established to exclusively examine strategic and advocacy issues. Either option will ensure a greater level of engagement for people with disabilities and ensure an improvement to the level of accessibility within Maroondah.

One of the major concerns from the feedback was the lack of publicity in regard to the forum, this has been rectified with council issuing media releases to publicise the forums and it being included on the council website. This will assist in ensuring that the community is aware of the forums and the opportunity to provide input and to inform council on accessibility issues. Terms of reference have been developed to provide direction for the forum and help improve communication and feedback between participants in the forum and council.

The guest speaker was from the Commonwealth Respite Centre who spoke about the programs that are available for carers and for people with disabilities in seeking respite or taking a break from their usual duties.

Today’s forum also included a workshop on council’s future Disability Policy and Action Plan. The policy, which is expected to be adopted in draft status at the next council meeting, will govern council’s approach to accessibility issues and its role as an advocate on behalf of the community. It is imperative that the views of people with disabilities and carers are taken into account so that council can be responsive to the needs of the community.

While the forum provided an additional opportunity for comment, people will be able to submit their thoughts on the policy once it reaches draft status. I encourage members of the community to take an interest in the policy as it will shape council’s position on accessibility.

One of the areas that requires feedback is in regard to the need for a Disability Advisory Committee. Councils such as Monash, Knox and Whitehorse all have committees which provide strategic advice to council in regard to accessibility issues. This differs from Maroondah’s forum, in that the focus is on strategic issues with representation from peak groups. The forum for people with disabilities and carers provides an opportunity for input on specific issues, while the committee could oversee the strategic direction on council’s approach to accessibility and supervise the implementation of the disability policy and action plan.

Such concepts must be considered as part of council’s approach to accessibility to ensure that Maroondah strives to create an inclusive municipality.

The next forum for people with disabilities and carers will include a session on the Ringwood Transit City and the need for an accessible and safe Ringwood Station.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

The program enables dedicated students to study abroad and further their education. Today’s speaker was Cindy, who was an ambassadorial scholar through district 7750 in South Carolina in the United States. Cindy is studying postgraduate qualifications at Monash University and aims to begin a career in international diplomacy.

Throughout the past three weeks, Ringwood Rotary has presented a range of speakers discussing various community initiatives. Organisations like Rotary demonstrate the positive community impact that can be achieved when members of the community work together towards common aims.

© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)

Councillor Alex Makin said National Tree Day is one of Australia’s largest community tree planting event, with over 290,000 volunteers taking part last year.

“Community tree planting took place on Sunday 27 July at four sites throughout Maroondah, and Council staff did their bit at Croydon Town Park at lunchtime on Tuesday 29 July,” said Cr Makin.

“Maroondah City Council plants 30,000 trees and shrubs every year, and if you combine the number of trees in public and private land, you’ll find there are more than 500,000 trees in Maroondah,” said Cr Makin.

“There are numerous reasons why we need trees, not least that they are the earth’s lungs, inhaling carbon dioxide and removing greenhouse gas from the atmosphere then exhaling oxygen for humans to breathe,” said Cr Makin

“In addition, trees provide habitat and food for the many different species of wildlife that we are fortunate to enjoy in Maroondah,” said Cr Makin.

Council staff planted Eucalyptus radiata and cephlacapa as well as Dianella and Lomandra grasses in an area 200 square metres of Town Park in Croydon, to improve and extend the natural bush in the western end of the park.

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© Copyright 2004 - 2008 Alex Makin. All rights reserved. Authorised and Written by Alex Makin, 2/42 Bond Street Ringwood VIC, 3134 e8f733adeb5aa35a922cdb9c4e62ab8d (38.103.63.61)