Posts related to 'melbourne 2030'

Media Release: Ringwood Station announcement only half-complete

Published by Alex Makin on Thursday 25th of September, 2008

MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
Thursday, 25 September 2008

Station Announcement only half-complete

Alex Makin, Councillor for Loughnan’s Hill Ward and public transport advocate, has welcomed the $39 million State Government announcement for Ringwood Station but expressed concern over the failure to fund accessibility improvements

“After years of public pressure and campaigning the State Government has finally delivered $39 million to begin the redevelopment of Ringwood Station”, Cr. Makin said. “While the State Government deserves congratulations for this belated announcement, their commitment is only half complete and further funding is required.”

Ringwood has been identified as a Transit City under the State Government’s Melbourne 2030 planning framework. The transit city policy aims to create urban centres with diverse housing and employment opportunities, interlinked by frequent and efficient public transport services.

“This announcement will provide improvements to the station forecourt and bus interchange and it must be accompanied by pedestrian improvements across Maroondah Highway”, Cr. Makin said. “It is extremely disappointing that the current funding will not provide accessibility implements for Ringwood Station itself.”

“The steep gradient of the ramps at Ringwood Station means it fails disability compliance standards. It is critical that further funding is announced so that people of all ages and abilities can partake in our community. I will continue to campaign for an accessible Ringwood Station to ensure that we can create an inclusive and sustainable 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 is focused on accessibility, sustainability, public transport, planning and community engagement.

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

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Eastern Transport Coalition Public Transport Summit

Published by Alex Makin on Friday 4th of July, 2008

The Eastern Transport Coalition represents one million residents across the seven eastern metropolitan councils within Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Today’s summit highlighted the need for public transport improvements within the eastern suburbs to become sustainable and accessible through providing transport choice for residents facing worsening traffic congestion and rising petrol prices. The theme includes the infrastructure needs of the region and included presentations on the need for new rail lines serving Rowville and Doncaster, as well as required improvements to the Belgrave and Lilydale rail lines.

The keynote speakers, Professors Peter Newman and Graham Currie, spoke about the importance of public transport in reducing greenhouse emissions and mitigating the effects of rising petrol prices. Both speakers reiterated the trend of rising petrol prices and demonstrated quite clearly that such increases were only going to continue.

While the Premier was unable to attend, Rob Hudson, the Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport, stated that the Government would release a new transport plan by the end of the year. While the State Government released Meeting Our Transport Challenges in 2006, the plan was widely condemned as being inadequate and failed to plan for any infrastructure improvements in the eastern suburbs. It is hoped that the government’s next plan will rectify these shortcomings.

The Opposition Leader, Ted Baillieu, spoke about the government’s litany of public transport plans and the increasing cost of inaction. While the opposition leader did not make any commitments, he did highlight the need for rail lines to Doncaster and Rowville.

The summit was extremely well attended by community members, as well as local councillors, State MPs and members of local environment and transport groups. Time was provided to allow attendees to discuss the needs of the eastern region and during this time the need for accessibility improvements on public transport was mentioned.

I spoke on the needs of the Belgrave/Lilydale lines and Ringwood with Cr. Samantha Dunn from the Shire of Yarra Ranges, who spoke about the need for rail duplications to improve the reliability of the line.

My presentation focused on the need for rail improvements between Box Hill and Ringwood and the importance of Ringwood as a regional centre within the eastern region. The expectations of eastern Melbourne and its 1 million residents were conveyed at this summit. The State Government must act and deliver the much needed public transport infrastructure, including the redevelopment of Ringwood Station, that is urgently required for the region

Please continue reading to view a copy of the speech I delivered at the summit.

(Read more…)

Melbourne 2030 Reference Group

Published by Alex Makin on Thursday 14th of February, 2008

Thursday, 21 February 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 24 April 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 12 June 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 21 August 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 30 October 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm
Thursday, 11 December 2008
10:00 am	to	12:00 pm

The Melbourne 2030 Reference Group provides a forum for councils to discuss the State Government’s Melbourne 2030 planning policy and its ramifications for local government. The group has focused on activity centre development, public transport and sustainability to ensure that local councils are empowered and supported by the State Government in the aim of creating sustainable communities.

Ultimately the State Government must lead by example and implement its own planning policies. Ringwood, where Maroondah Council has been advocating for an upgrade of Ringwood Station, is an example of where State Government commitment is required to ensure the creation of a vibrant and sustainable urban community. While Maroondah has been strengthening its planning schemes to encourage sustainable urban design, these efforts will be difficult without a newly redeveloped Ringwood Station or a stronger statewide emphasis on accessible and sustainable urban design.

The Melbourne 2030 Reference Group provides an avenue to discuss these concerns and to seek improvements into the implementation of Melbourne 2030. I have been Maroondah’s delegated representative to this committee since being elected in November 2005.

2007 in review: standing up for the community

Published by Alex Makin on Sunday 6th of January, 2008

As we enter the final year of this current council term, it is important to reflect on the last twelve months so as to shape the priorities for 2008:

Improving Accessibility

• Ongoing advocacy calling on the State Government to redevelop Ringwood Station into an accessible and safe transport interchange;
• Supporting Scoot Wheel N Move, including the highly successful Recharge Program for motorised mobility aids;
• Regularly attending Maroondah’s Forum for People with Disabilities and Carers, so as to discuss and identify accessibility issues;
• Participating in the Good Access = Good Business accessibility forum;
• Launching Campaign Enable, a community advocacy group managed by people with disabilities.

Improving Sustainability

• Successfully advocating for the introduction of Maroondah’s Sustainability Fund, which includes one million dollars for water sustainability improvements;
• Ensuring that cost savings generated by the sustainability improvements are reinvested into the sustainability fund to generate further improvements;
• Involvement in Maroondah’s first Environment Forum, which attracted over 100 attendees and demonstrated the strong community interest in sustainability;
• Launching Maroondah’s first environmental workshop, focused on energy conservation;

Advocating for Sustainable Transport

• Securing a political commitment for the abolition of zone three, which took effect from March 2007;
• Ongoing advocacy calling on the State Government to redevelop Ringwood Station into an accessible and safe transport interchange;
• Ongoing advocacy for pedestrian improvements, particularly along Maroondah Highway;
• Successfully advocating for bus improvements, including more frequent services along Maroondah Highway and Canterbury Road;
• Successfully advocating for the introduction of a full-time sustainable transport officer, to ensure that Maroondah is at the forefront of sustainable transport;
• Fulfilling duties as the Acting Chair of the Eastern Transport Coalition, to continue regional advocacy for public transport improvements.

Standing up for the community

• Successfully saving Maidstone Park, in conjunction with the local community, from being sold by council. This community advocacy also led to the saving of parks in Bedford Road in Ringwood and Mainfold Court in Croydon;
• Completion of a new pavilion and track works at AC Robertson Athletics Track at Proclamation Park;
• Supporting youth initiatives within Maroondah, including Maroondah’s first Youth Film Festival;
• Fighting successfully to retain and re-open the Croydon Memorial Pool;
• Regularly attending seniors groups, such as Enjoying Planned Retirement;
• Assisting support groups, such as the Croydon Stroke Support group, in holding their first successful art exhibition;
• Active involvement in promoting the arts within Maroondah;
• Regularly attending a variety of community meetings and events;
• Protecting the local amenity of residents from excessive noise;
• Regularly holding meetings over planning applications, to ensure suitable planning outcomes that maintain community identity;
• Successfully continuing the Walking School Bus program, despite attempts to end the initiative by the end of 2007.

Over the course of this year I plan on continuing to stand up for the community, including through my involvement in the Committees of Management for the Maroondah Citizens’ Advice Bureau and North Ringwood Community House. I am also Maroondah’s representative on the Eastern Transport Coalition and am continuing my involvement to the Maroondah Tourism and Heritage Advisory Board. I should also be continuing as chair of the Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee, although this will be dependent on the outcome of the notice to review that I issued for February’s council meeting.

It is critical that Maroondah becomes a leader in sustainability and accessibility. The vision for the Ringwood Transit City and Croydon Activity Centre will result in changes that will remain with us for at least 20 or 30 years. It is imperative that we get things right from the very beginning, so as not to repeat past mistakes.

I would like to thank the many people who have contacted me during 2007 to discuss issues within Maroondah. It is your calls and emails that provide me the opportunity to stand up for the community.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make Maroondah a better municipality throughout 2007.

Cr. Alex Makin

Councillor for Loughnan’s Hill Ward
City of Maroondah

Maroondah Journal: Experience needed

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 27th of November, 2007

The Maroondah Journal this week included a letter from Carol Hunter on behalf of the Maroondah Residents and Ratepayers Association in regard to my decision to nominate for the position of Mayor.

The letter is included below:

IT has been suggested in the Journal (November 13) that a younger person should be mayor.
While the opinions of young people should be heard and considered, they lack the life skills and experience to properly appreciate and understand the needs of a community whose ages range up to more than 100.
Also, it requires someone whose interest and comments are not apparently limited to the issue of public transport, which is a state government, not a council responsibility.
While councils can and should present the community’s concerns to all levels of government it is more effective for the council as a whole to do so, not individual councillors.

Carol Hunter
Maroondah Residents and Ratepayers Association

While the Maroondah Residents and Ratepayers Association refused to specifically name me within the letter, it is clear that as Maroondah’s youngest councillor and someone who is passionate about sustainability, that I am the target of these ill informed comments.

While public transport advocacy is an issue that I have and will continue to be involved in, it is incorrect to assert that this is my only interest. Representatives of the Maroondah Residents and Ratepayers Association, including Carol Hunter, attend council meetings and would have heard me speak about a diverse range of topics through my delegates’ reports and in regard to council motions.

As an example, I spoke about the following as part of my delegates’ report tabled at the council meeting held on the 19th of November:

• Enjoying Planned Retirement’s Art and Craft Exhibition
• October’s Eastern Transport Coalition Meeting
• Maroondah’s Forum for People with Disability and Carers
• Meeting with Eastland Centre Management to discuss accessibility and sustainability issues
• October’s Melbourne 2030 Councillor Reference Group meeting
• EV’s FReeZA program
• Campaign Enable

I will be writing a letter to the editor to challenge these remarks and the denigration of younger people within our community.