Delegates' Reports presented at Council Meetings

Delegates’ Report: opportunities for people with disabilities, the upcoming writers festival and the strength of community spirit

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 18th of August, 2008

On the 23rd of July I had the pleasure of attending Titanic - the Untold Story: Resunk by the Monkami Drama Group hosted at the Karralyka Centre. The performance revisited the drama group’s 2007 production through the introduction of new characters and a revised script.

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.

Delegates’ Report: Support services, musical talents, advancing reconciliation and planning for Community Safety Week

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 21st of July, 2008

On the 20th of June I had the pleasure of attending Hope City Mission’s Charity Auction Evening. Hope City Mission, based in Croydon South provides assistance to people in need within our community. The mission does this by not only providing emergency relief in the form of food and clothing but by also focusing on the wellbeing of individuals. Through this focus on wellbeing and empowering change the Mission provides pamper days and extravaganza days, which provide haircuts and a chance to socialise and restore community connectedness. I also had the pleasure of seeing the Mission’s Pamper Day in action, last Friday on the 18th of July and I saw firsthand the benefits this service provides to some of our most vulnerable community members.

Individual wellbeing is just as important as food and clothing and Hope City achieves its Mission through broadening its focus on empowerment.

On the 4th of July the Eastern Transport Coalition held its Public Transport Summit, entitled it’s ‘Time to Move On’, that is time to move away from car dependence and the crippling cost that petrol is having on our families and towards public transport improvements. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many members of the Maroondah community who attended the summit and supported my presentation on the need for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and the importance of the Ringwood Transit City as a regional centre.

The redevelopment of Ringwood Station is critical to ensuring the revitalisation of Ringwood. The current station fails accessibility standards and is perceived to be unsafe, with Ringwood Station consistently being perceived as one of the most unsafe locations within Maroondah. Coupled with traffic calming along Maroondah Highway, pedestrians which total approximately 10,000 per day would be able to conveniently travel between the transport interchange and the residential/commercial precincts of Ringwood.

The Eastern Transport Coalition has recognised Ringwood’s importance as a regional centre and as a council we must support our neighbouring municipalities in calling for greater investment in public transport. There is strength in Maroondah being part of a concerted regional push, whereby one million residents across the eastern suburbs, recognise the importance in redeveloping Ringwood Station. Let us hope that the State Government heeds this call and delivers this essential upgrade to the station.

On the 11th of July I attended the Maroondah NAIDOC week celebrations which commemorated council’s permanent flying of the Aboriginal flag and I would like to congratulate the many community groups, the Indigenous networks and the Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place for attending the ceremony.

The theme for this year’s NAIDOC week is ‘Advance Australia Fair?’ It is important to note that the organisers intended this theme as a question, since it is a timely reminder of the health, education and wellbeing inequities that exist between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australia. Council’s Reconciliation Plan, which is included on tonight’s agenda will hopefully assist in bridging this gap and ensure that we as local government are working towards reconciliation.

On the 12th of July I had an afternoon of music, firstly with Enjoying Planned Retirement’s Hidden Talents concert. Where EPR’s unveiled the diverse singing, comedy and music talents of its expansive membership. EPR states that they are ‘recycled teenagers’ although I don’t think my teenage years were ever that fun! I would like to congratulate EPR on yet another fun filled event and look forward to the next Hidden Talents concert in September.

That evening I attended the Ringwood Eisteddfod, marking its 54th year of showcasing the immense musical talent that exists within our community. I would like to commend the many people involved in organising and performing within the Eisteddfod.

While the Premier Cabinet held a community cabinet session in Karralyka on the 15th of July, I was busy chairing the Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee. With the year half over it is encouraging the see the continuation of the strong networking that exists within the committee with a number of agencies and organisations, such as Connex and the Department of Education, assisting council in undertaking activities for Community Safety Week in October. Do watch this space for details on the council activities for Community Safety Week.

Delegates’ Report: Reconciliation Week, engaging our youth, supporting people with disabilities and calling for an investment in public transport

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 16th of June, 2008

While held slightly before Reconciliation Week I attended the screening of a film Liyarn Ngarn by Eastern Access Community Health on the 23rd of May. The screening was held as part of EACH’s Stage Club program at Lifeworks in Ringwood. Stage Club hosts film or life performances every third Friday and provides an opportunity for people with mental illnesses to learn skills relevant to the hospitality industry.

Liyarn Ngarn means ‘Coming Together of the Spirit’ in the Yawuru language of the West Kimberley region. The film is a documentary which explores the treatment of Indigenous Australians from the perspective of English actor Peter Postlethwaite. The film focuses on the journey undertaken by Peter, singer/songwriter Archie Roach and Patrick Dodson as they travel from Perth through to Archie Roach’s home country in south west Victoria. Throughout the journey they hear from personal accounts and discuss major turning points in the relationship with Indigenous Australians such as the Bringing them Home Report and the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Inquiry.

The film, which features a soundtrack by Archie Roach is a very moving and thought provoking documentary. The theme for this year’s Reconciliation Week was it’s all our story, representing that to progress reconciliation it will involve all of Australia coming together and I certainly encourage people to view the film and consider how reconciliation can become part of our story.

On the 30th of May I had the pleasure of officiating the Young Leaders Presentation Evening held at EV’s Youth Centre. The presentation provided an opportunity to acknowledge the twenty Year 10 students who participated in council’s young leaders program.

Young Leaders is a week long program that helps develop a wide variety of leadership skills, such as public speaking, communication and conflict resolution. The program is held during the school week and while some students may look forward a week off school, in reality it means that they will need to catch up on the work they have missed. Participating in the program is a huge responsibility and one which each student passed with superb results.

The presentation evening provides an opportunity to see firsthand the skills these students have learnt and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Youth Services Team for facilitating the program and also to the schools and parents for their cooperation. I hope that these students will remember the skills they have learnt and use them not only in school and employment but also within the community. Many community groups would welcome the involvement of younger people and I hope they will use these skills to assist in strengthening our community.

On the 10th of June I attended the launch of Youth Voices at Ringwood Secondary College. Youth Voices will develop a magazine to provide a voice for our youth and to demonstrate the positive contribution that young people make within society. The launch began with an online interactive forum which covered a range of topics, including the future of Ringwood. Council’s Youth Services Team and Economic Development Team, as well as Eastland, need to be congratulated for using this opportunity to consult our youth to understand their vision for Ringwood. This an exciting project and it was great to see the embracing of technology through interactive online forums to encourage people to offer their thoughts. I hope that as a council we will continue to explore innovative methods of community engagement.

On the 15th of June I attended a game of the Ringwood Spiders and their Sponsors Gala function. The Ringwood Spiders is part of the 14 team league organised through the Football Integration Development Association (FIDA). The Ringwood Spiders have a strong focus on the community and they encourage community engagement through their sponsorship program where businesses and community members can sponsor a player for $150 to provide funds for uniforms and other expenses. While the Spiders narrowly lost to Parkside they played some great football and it was great to see the player I sponsored, half back Tom Raisebeck, out on the field. The Spiders have just two remaining home games on the 29th of June and 27th of July and I wish them all the best for the remaining rounds in the season.

On the 15th of June I attended the EastLink open day like many other people and while it certainly is true that Eastlink is an engineering feat we need to remind ourselves that it is not the end of our transport needs in the eastern region. In fact with evidence suggesting $2 per litre petrol prices being common in the not too distant future we need the public transport equivalent of Eastlink.

For those among us that are sceptical about petrol ever reaching $2 a litre we only need to look back a few years and remember how many people claimed that a $1 litre was unforeseeable.

Fortunately Maroondah and the eastern region is focused on the needs of public transport and I am pleased to announce that the Eastern Transport Coalition, the consortium of the seven eastern councils, will be hosting a public transport summit aptly titled ‘It’s Time to Move On’. This summit will explore the public transport needs for eastern Melbourne including a session on Ringwood and its importance as a regional centre.

The summit will be held on Friday the 4th of July from 8.30 am through to 11 am at the Manningham Function Centre in Doncaster. To RSVP please visit www.etc.org.au or let me know as Maroondah’s delegated representative to the ETC.

We have had the investment in our road network - it now is time to move on to ensure that we also receive the necessary investment in our public transport network.

Delegates’ Report: Recognising our natural environment, volunteers, accessibility and the strength of partnerships

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 19th of May, 2008

On the 27th of April I attended the launch of the Mullum Mullum festival, which is now entering its tenth year. The Mullum Mullum Festival is a community led project, which is supported by Whitehorse, Manningham and Maroondah Councils and encourages conservation and appreciation of our natural environment.

The significance of the Mullum Valley has been long recognised with an appreciation dating back from the 1920s. We are fortunate in Maroondah to have this unique bushland at our doorsteps and I strongly advise anyone who is unfamiliar with our environment to walk through the Mullum Valley and take the time to appreciate its natural beauty.

On the 28th of April I attended a workshop in regard to the Maroondah Forum for People with Disabilities. Maroondah has held a successful quarterly forum for people with disabilities and carers, allowing the opportunity to exchange information and to raise issues with council in an informal manner. While the forum has been working well and feedback was generally positive, this workshop provides the opportunity to improve it even further and I must commend the many council staff who attended this workshop with the intent of listening to the community.

The were several main issues that were discussed within the workshop context, including the need to ensure wider involvement, particularly through involving younger people with disabilities and also ensuring that a diverse range of disabilities are covered. In addition there was some debate around the time and frequency of meetings with a strong preference towards bi-monthly forums to ensure quicker response and greater opportunity to provide input.

It has been estimated that almost one in five people in Maroondah has experience with a disability. It is imperative that we use the feedback derived from the workshop to ensure that we further ensure that this section of our community is being heard.

On the 13th of May I attended the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce meeting where the topic of the Ringwood Transit City was discussed. This provided an opportunity to further explore the Transit City concept and the opportunities it provides. It is unfortunate however that the State Government failed the Maroondah community, including its many businesses, by not delivering on the much anticipated upgrade of Ringwood Station. While this was a definite disappointment it was encouraging to see the business community rallying behind the need for the Station redevelopment and to improve the Maroondah Highway crossing for pedestrians.

On the 13th and 14th of May I attended two volunteer recognition functions. The first hosted by Eastern Volunteers, who as part of National Volunteer Week thanked its volunteers for the many hours of community service they provide. On the 14th I attended Maroondah’s Youth Volunteer Recognition Function which provided an opportunity to acknowledge and encourage younger volunteers within our community. It was great to see the widespread interest in volunteering at both functions. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community and without them the world would be a much harsher place. The slogan for this year’s volunteer week is: Volunteers change the world! This is definitely true since volunteers in whatever they serve collectively make this municipality and the world in general a much better place. My congratulations to the volunteers that were recognised at both functions and also to the youth services team for coordinating yet another successful event at Maroondah’s youth centre.

On the 15th of May I attended the Eastern Transport Coalition meeting. As I’ve mentioned previously the ETC involves the seven eastern council and represents one million residents. In light of the disappointing news in regard to Ringwood Station, I am pleased to say that the entire eastern region is rallying behind Maroondah Council. The ETC has provided critical support for the Ringwood Transit City and public transport improvements, including securing the removal of zone three and better bus services. It is easy for a State Government to dismiss the voice of one council, it is much harder to dismiss seven councils that stand united. Many of these public transport improvements would not have not been possible without the support of the Eastern Transport Coalition.

The ETC is preparing a public transport summit on the 4th of July at 10am. One of the topics that will be discussed is the need for public transport improvements to ensure the success of Ringwood, not just for Maroondah but for the entire eastern region. The group stands firm in recognising the significance of Ringwood and stands steadfast in its support for the redevelopment of the Station.

I hope that my council colleagues recognise the importance of Maroondah within this group. I will be tabling seven factsheets that the ETC produced, including a factsheet on the need for upgrades at Ringwood Station and separate factsheets on the need for rail improvements and bus service enhancements.

• View factsheets produced by the Eastern Transport Coalition.

2008 Eastern Volunteers recognition function

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 13th of May, 2008

This afternoon Eastern Volunteers, as part of National Volunteer Week held its Volunteer Recognition Function to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of their many volunteers.

Eastern Volunteers, which covers the areas of Maroondah, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges, provides transport services or for the frail aged and people with disabilities as well as recruiting volunteers for over 350 community organisations.

The slogan for this year’s Volunteer Week is Volunteers Change the World! which recognises the important and positive contribution that volunteers deliver for the community and I would like to congratulate the many volunteers that dedicate their time to improving life within Maroondah.

For more information on Eastern Volunteers please visit www.easternvolunteers.org.au.