My Internet Journal is designed to provide details on my role as a Councillor for the City of Maroondah and my involvement within a variety of community organizations.
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 Maroondah community.
Your comments and thoughts are welcomed and encouraged.
The actions by Maroondah Councillors Joe Cossari and Neil Rose in registering the name Ringwood Transit City Community Coalition was mentioned in The Sunday Age on the 30th of October 2005, amid reports of a similar situation in Knox.
NAME snatching is the latest craze in local council election shenanigans, with two residents’ groups in Melbourne’s east having their names registered by opponents.
In actions that would make Sir Humphrey Appleby blush, two Maroondah City councillors, Joe Cossari and Neil Rose, have taken on their most vocal opponents by registering the name of the opponents’ organisation.
Both Joe Cossari and Neil Rose acted with contempt towards the community through restricting the community’s voice:
They paid $73.40 to register the name Ringwood Transit City Community Coalition and used the registration to stop group member Alex Makin using the name to ask a question at a council meeting, because he was acting “fraudulently”.
“I personally find their actions contemptible,” Mr Makin, who has now decided to stand against Cr Cossari in next month’s election, said on Friday.
There is a need for councillors to work with and not against the community. If elected I pledge to work with the community to ensure that we succeed in creating a better Maroondah.
Nominations for the Maroondah Council elections have now closed and there are a total of eight candidates contesting Loughnan’s Hill Ward. Candidate positions on the ballot paper are allocated randomly via a lottery draw and I will be located fifth on the ballot sheet.
With a total of eight candidates the election will be a definite challenge. Questions must be asked, however about what appears to be a prolific use of ‘dummy candidates’ or ‘running mates’ within the ward.
The use of ‘dummy candidates’ who exist solely to boost the preferences of another candidate is not a practice that should be undertaken within a democratic society or local government.
I pledge above all to genuinely represent the interests of the people of Loughnan’s Hill Ward and the wider Maroondah municipality. I thank everyone so far for their support and taking the time to discuss their concerns with me.
I look forward to the possibility of acting upon these concerns if elected onto Maroondah Council.
Today I formally announced my candidacy for Loughnan’s Hill Ward in the upcoming Maroondah Council elections.
It is with great honour that I submitted my nomination to the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) Office.
Maroondah must have a council that represents and responds to the concerns of the community. We must stop the rot of arrogant councillors that haved failed to listen and act upon community concerns.
We must enhance the mobility of residents by ensuring that our streets are safe and by advocating for better public transport.
We must protect our residential areas from inappropriate development and we must enhance the environment of Ringwood to ensure a peaceful and vibrant suburb that all people can enjoy.
We must strengthen the employment and educational opportunities within Ringwood to ensure that residents have opportunities to work and study. We must also provide an atmosphere that people of all ages and mobility can enjoy.
We must ensure that Ringwood fulfils its potential and becomes the vibrant suburb it was always meant to become.
This is the vision I have for Ringwood; I hope that together we can achieve a cohesive vision for the future of Ringwood.
It is with great honour that I pledge to genuinely represent the concerns of the community to enhance the advocacy and representation I have provided within a number of voluntary associations.
Please contact me on mobile 0409 136 213 or email alex@alexmakin.com.au and tell me about your vision for Maroondah and the issues that are of concern to you.
I thank everyone for their support so far.
The announcement that Sunday services will be provided on route 670, connecting Ringwood, Croydon, Chirnside Park and Lilydale is a victory for the Maroondah community and a victory for what was a key priority for the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) Outer East Branch.
The Maroondah Leader reported on the announcement of Sunday bus services along Maroondah Highway:
A NEW hourly Sunday bus service from Ringwood to Lilydale will provide much-needed public transport for the outer east, a lobby group says.
While further public transport improvements are definitely required, including the addition of evening services and more frequent hours of operation the announcement of Sunday bus services along Maroondah Highway is a genuine victory for the community.
Transport Minister Peter Batchelor last week announced a new bus route between Chirnside Park and Lilydale, and improvements to five other bus services in Maroondah and the Yarra Ranges.
Route 670 (Lilydale to Ringwood via Croydon and Chirnside Park Shopping Centre) will have a new hourly Sunday bus service between 8am and 5pm.
Myself, as a candidate for the Maroondah Council elections and organisations such as the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) will still continue in our endeavours to include bus services along Maroondah Highway, Canterbury Road and Wonga Road on the Principal Public Transport (PPTN). Inclusion on the PPTN will ensure that these vital bus links will be provided with frequent services operating from early morning to midnight seven days per week.
The Public Transport Users Association’s Alex Makin said it was a “victory for the community”.
“Funding for Sunday bus services along Maroondah Highway will finally provide services seven days per week along this major thoroughfare connecting Ringwood, Croydon, Chirnside Park and Lilydale. It has taken a lot of effort and required continued persistence but it finally appears that our dedication has provided results,” he said.
This announcement is just the beginning and advocacy will continue to secure further public transport improvements.
Sunday bus services along Maroondah Highway are expected to begin in early 2006.
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Sunday Bus Service - A Victory For the Community , Maroondah Leader: Group mad over axing three key bus routes , Ministerial Ignorance Terminates Transit City , Moving Maroondah - Sustainable Transport in Maroondah , Much Needed Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus Welcomed
Category: Maroondah, Sustainable Transport
The Age has reported on the announcement of new bus services for the outer suburbs of Melbourne:
Melbourne’s outer suburbs are about to get extra public transport, with more than 50 new or improved bus routes to be unveiled.
But critics, including the Public Transport Users Association, say the new services are nowhere near enough to meet transport needs.
The routes will be paid for with $44 million over four years announced in the May state budget. But critics say $50 million a year is needed to fund minimum services for the outer suburbs.
Public Transport Users Association spokesman Alex Makin said the announcement was inadequate given the pressure caused by high petrol prices.
While the announcement of funding for bus services is welcomed, the level of funding is inadequate to provide frequent public transport seven days per week in Melbourne’s outer suburbs.
The Bus Association of Victoria (BAV) has stated that at least $60 million per annum is required for Melbourne’s bus services. The PTUA stands in agreement that $44 million split over four years and divided into twelve areas is simply not enough to substantial public transport improvements to Melbourne’s neglected outer suburbs.
“A lot of these services will still not run on Sundays or late in the evening and they still follow the same haphazard, illogical routes we have seen for too long,” Mr Makin said.
With rising petrol prices the government is fast running of time to deliver genuine improvements to the public transport network.
Alex Makin is a candidate for Mullum Ward in Maroondah City Council. Alex has been a councillor since 2005, representing ratepayers, businesses, community groups and residents.
I aim to provide an active voice for the community and welcome any thoughts you may have in regard to life and business in Maroondah.
Phone: (03) 9812 2337 or 0409 136 213
Email: alex@alexmakin.com.au
