Archive for October 15th, 2007

Delegates’ report: Engaging our youth and people with disabilities

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 15th of October, 2007

On the 19th of September I attended Maroondah Snippets, Maroondah’s very own youth film festival. This event showcased the breadth of talent that exists within Maroondah, particularly in regard to cinematography, multimedia, script writing and acting.

All entrants should be congratulated for the the level of professionalism within the films and the diverse range of genres that were covered. This project was a collaborative effort between our youth, which suggested the idea of a film festival and Maroondah’s Youth Services Team that prepared, managed and conducted the event. Maroondah’s Youth Service Teams, based at EV’s in Croydon, must be congratulated for their dedication and I certainly hope that Snippets will become an annual fixture on the Maroondah calendar.

It was also great to see proceeds from Snippets being donated to Beyond Blue, to advance the level of support provided for people experiencing depression. I would once again like to thank Maroondah’s Youth Services Team for their efforts in undertaking Snippets.

On the 4th of October I participated in Bar None, a combined initiative between Maroondah City Council, Scoot Wheel N Move and the Department of Human Services. Bar None aimed to celebrate community inclusion and to recognise local examples of inclusion for people with disabilities. This forum provided an opportunity to discuss accessibility in the context of the business community.

The forum provided the opportunity to showcase businesses that are doing the right thing. Including Invicta Bus Company, which has exceeded the regulatory requirements for low floor buses and provides a telephone hotline for people that require accessible buses for their travel needs.

It was also encouraging to see representatives from Eastland at the forum. It is imperative that the proposed development of Eastland and the new town centre are accessible from the beginning, rather than requiring costly retrofitting to make up for past mistakes. The fact that Eastland attended the forum should demonstrate a willingness of their part to ensure an accessible environment.

I would like to congratulate the Scoot Wheel N Move Group and Maroondah’s MetroAccess and Community Planning and Development Unit for the time they have dedicated to ensuring a successful event. Scoot Wheel N Move provides a role model for community engagement and I encourage this council to follow in other areas to ensure that we are listening and responding to community concerns.

Lastly, as Maroondah’s representative on the Eastern Transport Coalition I would like to thank the mayor, Councillor Peter Gurr for his participation this morning in the joint mayoral letter signing calling for Federal involvement in urban public transport infrastructure.

2007 Maroondah City Council Meeting

Published by Alex Makin on Wednesday 3rd of January, 2007

Monday, 19 February 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Monday, 19 March 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Monday, 16 April 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Monday, 21 May 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Monday, 18 June 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Monday, 16 July 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Monday, 20 August 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Monday, 17 September 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Monday, 15 October 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Monday, 19 November 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
7:30 pm	to	9:30 pm

Council meetings commence at 7.30 pm and are held in the Council Chambers, Braeside Avenue, Ringwood.

The public is welcome to attend and there is an opportunity to submit a question to be answered at council meetings or to speak directly to councillors and council staff after the meeting.

If you wish to submit a formal question at a council meeting, please download the form for Public Question Time from the Maroondah City Council Website.