Media Hub: submissions

Response Submission to the VEC’s representation review for Maroondah City Council

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 22nd of April, 2008

I have submitted my response submission to the Victorian Electoral Commission’s (VEC) representation review into Maroondah City Council.

It is encouraging that the Victorian Electoral Commission has found that substantial changes are required to Maroondah’s ward structure as demonstrated through the three options brought forward in the preliminary submission.

In providing a response to the three options proposed by the VEC I assessed the models against the issues listed within my preliminary submission to ensure a consistent and systematic approach.

Ultimately it is imperative that Maroondah’s ward boundaries are restructured to combine communities of interest, rather than the current case where communities are clearly being divided.

• View response submission to the Victorian Electoral Commission’s representation review for the City of Maroondah

VEC Preliminary Submission - Achieving a cohesive Maroondah community

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 4th of March, 2008

Given that Maroondah City Council has failed to reflect the community’s views in its submission to the Victorian Electoral Commission I have authored my own individual submission recommending multi-member wards, as supported by the community.

It is unfortunate that some councillors in Maroondah have chosen to disregard the community’s view and decided to put their own self interests above the needs of the municipality. The City of Maroondah, with its current single-member wards, has divided our community with suburbs such as Ringwood being separated into differing wards. Likewise, the divisions between Ringwood and Croydon, a situation perpetuated by the current ward boundaries, has prevented a cohesive and united Maroondah.

A restructure of Maroondah so that it consists of three council wards electing three councillors each would remove the arbitrary divisions that currently exist within Maroondah. Three wards would ensure easily identifiable ward boundaries and would combine broad communities of interest leading to a higher standard of representation and community involvement.

The proposed structure outlined in my submission would lead to stronger governance and a higher standard of representation within the City of Maroondah and would be consistent with the VEC’s approach to nearby municipalities that share similar populations to Maroondah. Lastly, this structure would be robust enough to maintain its relevancy over the next eight years and beyond.

The VEC’s preliminary review aims to propose preferred options for Maroondah and is due on the 1st of April. Following this report there will be a round of further community consultation and submissions including a public hearing.

• View preliminary submission to the Victorian Electoral Commission’s representation review for the City of Maroondah

Media Release: Youth in councils - a critical situation

Published by Alex Makin on Thursday 30th of August, 2007

MEDIA RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
Thursday, 30 August 2007

Youth in councils - a critical situation

In an individual submission issued over councillor remuneration, Cr. Alex Makin has highlighted the lack of youth participation in local government and called for higher councillor allowances to ensure more representative local councils.

“The call for higher councillor allowances must not be seen as a grab for cash. While it is true that I am calling for higher allowances, I am doing so to ensure a greater level of commitment and a healthier balance for both councillors and the community,” Cr. Makin said.

The State Government has called for a review into councillor allowances with submissions closing the 1st of September. Currently Victoria’s councils are on a three tired system providing up to $12,000, $15,000 or $18,000 per annum for councillors. Councillors elected within the City of Maroondah receive $15,000 per annum.

“It is distressing that youth participation within councils is extremely low with just 7.8% of councillors aged under 35, despite the fact that over one quarter of our population is within this age group,” Cr. Makin said. “The current rates of remuneration are partially responsible for this, since it is extremely difficult for younger people to make a positive impression within their careers while balancing other commitments. This is contrasted against older people who generally have stable careers, assets and family, making it much easier to fulfil council duties on the current remuneration provided.”

Cr. Alex Makin has supported the rates proposed by the Municipal Association of Victoria which would provide three categories allowing up to $19,933, $24,204 or $28,475 per annum dependent on the budget capacity of the respective municipality.

“Councillors spend on average the equivalent of 20 hours per week on council duties and the allowance should reflect this commitment. While there may be some current councillors who fail to provide the necessary work, the fact is the current remuneration is deterring committed individuals and particularly our youth from stepping forward,” 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 and just one of several councillors Victoria wide aged under 30, has a keen interest in sustainability, including public transport, planning and community engagement.

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES: CR. ALEX MAKIN ON 0408 311 645

• Read submission: ‘Youth in Councils’ Councillor Remuneration Review

Submission: Councillor Remuneration Review Panel

Published by Alex Makin on Wednesday 29th of August, 2007

The State Government has announced a review into councillor remuneration, as part of this process I authored a submission encouraging to examine the need for stronger youth represention with local government:

Given the time commitment councillors provide, it is fair and reasonable to look at a level of remuneration that allows elected officials to adequately manage council, work, family and other commitments.

It has been estimated that the majority of councillors undertake between 11 to 30 hours per week on council duties and as such it is reasonable to view the commitment to council as a significant time component. Given this commitment and the current remuneration provided, it is unsurprising that youth are significantly under-represented as councillors given that younger people are often beginning to undertake significant career and family commitments.

While it would be wrong to entice candidates into council purely due to the remuneration provided, the current quantum may in fact be deterring committed individuals and particularly our youth from seeking election.

In 2005 I was elected as a Councillor for the City of Maroondah and am one of the few Victorian councillors younger than 30 years of age.

While I understand that both the Municipal Association of Victoria and the City of Maroondah have issued submissions, I believe that there is the need for a submission that explicitly explores the challenges facing younger people in local government.

Speaking from my own experience, I can testify to the challenges that the role provides particularly in regard to balancing career, family and other commitments. While such commitments are not exclusive to younger people, the effects are often more prominent for younger age groups. There may be councillors who are not putting the work into the role, but this is not a path I have wanted to take. In fact, I can confidently and honestly state that I have and will continue to represent my community to the fullest of my ability, despite ongoing competing demands for my time.

Lastly, I would like to state that while I am writing in support of higher remuneration this is not a grab for cash. People should not enter politics or local government due to remuneration, but it is reasonable to expect fair compensation to ensure that competing time demands can be managed and to maximise the ability to represent the community.

• Read submission to the Councillor Remuneration Review Panel (PDF)
  

ALGA and the Maroondah Mobility Expo: Empowering the Community

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 11th of December, 2006

I will be tabling my report but would like to elaborate further on two items, those being the National General Assembly of Local Government and the Maroondah Mobility Expo.

From the 26th through to the 30th of November I along with Cr. Gurr and Cr. Willmott participated in the National General Assembly of local government in Canberra. The National General Assembly convened by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) allows councils to raise issues within a national context., allowing ALGA to make representation on behalf of local councils to the Federal Government.

In this regard I am particularly pleased that Maroondah’s motion in relation to sustainable transport was passed by the general assembly. This will empower ALGA to advocate for federal involvement in sustainable transport.

I will be tabling a written report, which provides further details on the conference. View the written report on the 2006 National Assembly of ALGA

On the 5th of December I was invited by the Scoot Wheel ‘N’ Move to officially launch and MC the proceedings of Maroondah’s first mobility expo.

The expo provided a full day program that included:

• Free scooter and wheelchair safety checks;
• Trials of a low-floor bus;
• Information sessions on topics such as:
• Accessing public transport safely;
• Road rules for motorised scooters and pedestrians;
• Advice from occupational therapists;
• Scooter etiquette to ensure safe usage of motorised scooters and wheelchairs;

The expo, which attracted over 250 attendees, was an overwhelming success and demonstrates the results that can be achieved with strong community partnerships.

The expo coincided with the launch of the booklet, Maintaining Your Mobility in Maroondah, which contains valuable tips and etiquette on using mobility aids with Maroondah.

Both the expo and the booklet were only possible due to the strong partnerships that exist between Maroondah City Council and the Maroondah’s Scoot Wheel ‘N’ Move Working Group.

The Scoot Wheel N Move working group comprises of local residents who are passionate volunteers and dedicated to improving mobility within Maroondah. The empowerment of the Scoot Wheel N Move and the strong cooperation with Maroondah resulted in the mobility expo exceeding all expectations.

The community members of the Scoot Wheel ‘N’ Move working and staff from Maroondah City Council, in particular Katie Goodrope Maroondah’s MetroAccess and Trisha Matthes, must be congratulated on working tirelessly to ensure the success of the expo.

The Mobility Expo coincided with the International Day for People with Disabilities and it was therefore fitting that the aim of the expo was to help ensure that all members of the Maroondah community could participate confidently and fully in society.

Given the positive it is clear that the Mobility Expo succeeded in its aim of empowering people within Maroondah. The success of the Expo and Scoot Wheel ‘N’ Move provides a framework to ensure further engagement and empowerment of our community.

• View the written report on the on the 2006 National Assembly of ALGA