Posts related to 'safety'

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.

Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee - discussing Council’s new wellbeing plan

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 15th of July, 2008

While the Premier and Cabinet descended upon Maroondah as part of their ‘Community Cabinet’ — and left without an announcement towards the redevelopment of Ringwood Station, I was chairing Maroondah’s Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee to discuss council’s direction in community wellbeing.

Today’s Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee discussed the charter of the existing group and began gathering input into council’s new Community Wellbeing Plan. This plan will replace the former Health, Safety and Wellbeing Plan and will encompass a broader perspective on issues facing our community.

The Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee is one of the groups overseeing the plan and a number of workshops will be held to gather input from the committee and the broader community. Workshops will be conducted during August and September and will provide an opportunity for community service providers to provide guidance into the plan. This consultation will broadly involve four themes including the built environment, the natural environment, the environment environment and the social, cultural and health environment.

The Community Wellbeing Plan is expected to be finalised in mid 2009 and will guide council’s approach to a number of health, safety and wellbeing issues within our community.

Community Safety Week, which is planned for October was also discussed at today’s meeting and a separate meeting will be established to plan activities for the week. Connex is particularly interested in holding education sessions around safety at rail stations to ensure that people stand behind the yellow line and are mindful of ensuring that the needs for people with disabilities are respected.

The next Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee is scheduled for the 16th of September and will provide further updates on the formation of the Community Wellbeing Plan.

Ringwood Rotary - discussing the Maroondah Police Seniors Register

Published by Alex Makin on Wednesday 9th of July, 2008

This evening I attended a Ringwood Rotary meeting held at Club Ringwood on the corner of Oban Road and Maroondah Highway. Ringwood Rotary is one of the 50 clubs that form District 9810, which covers eastern and southeastern Melbourne.

Rotary’s motto “service above self” epitomises the work undertaken by the organisation with the club being involved in a range of diverse community projects, including the provision of shelter for people affected by the recent tsunami in Burma. Guest speakers are invited to discuss community activities and potential avenues for assistance from Rotary.

Tonight’s guest speaker was Sergeant Sandra Haining from Ringwood Police who discussed the Maroondah Police Senior’s Register, The register, which was formed as a partnership between Maroondah Police, Eastern Volunteers and Maroondah City Council, aims to improve the safety and wellbeing of seniors. Once a person joins the register, a home safety audit is conducted to provide advice on safety issues around the home, such as potential tripping hazards and to provide contact details about local services.

Members also have the option of receiving monthly calls from a volunteer to provide a proactive approach to the welfare of senior citizens. The calls help reduce social isolation and ensures that someone is aware of any concerns that may arise, ensuring a prompt and proactive approach. For details on the register please contact 9724 0177.

Ringwood Rotary meets each Wednesday evening from 6:00 pm at Club Ringwood.

The refugee experience: a celebration of culture

Published by Alex Makin on Saturday 21st of June, 2008

This afternoon EV’s Youth Centre in Croydon hosted a presentation facilitated by the Migrant Information Centre and the Blackburn Language School to celebrate the Burmese culture introduced by refugees from the Chin, Karen and Zomi communities.

Democracy in Burma ended in 1962 and while elections were held in 1990 the results were not recognised by the ruling military junta which continued its grip on power. Burma is comprised of several ethnic groups many of whom have suffered immensely under the military regime.

Today’s presentation provided an opportunity to learn about Burmese culture, through traditional costumes, songs and dance and to hear first-hand the stories of migration from students at the Blackburn English Language School and the Migrant Information Centre.

Many of the refugees spoke about the pain and repression experienced at their homes in Burma and the difficulties in fleeing their homeland. Escaping Burma was not the end of their difficulties, with many of the speakers also discussing the hardship they experienced in countries such as Thailand or Malaysia or refugee camps.

Refugees and their families have escaped to Australia to start a better life. As a community it is imperative that we welcome these refugees so that they can partake in the many opportunities that exist within this country. Council through the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee, has recently established a working group to further improve the delivery of services to newly arrived migrants and refugees to assist them with their lives in Australia.

Ringwood After Dark

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

This evening I walked home from the Council meeting. While this month’s meeting was largely harmonious the walk home demonstrated how much needs to be done.

As I was walking along Maroondah Highway I passed the bus stop near the Mount Dandenong Road and Maroondah Highway intersections. A lady was waiting at the bus stop who asked me if there were any more buses to get her to the station so she could go to Mitcham. I mentioned that bus route 670, which travels along Maroondah Highway, finished service at 9pm and that walking to the station was the only option available to her.

As we were walking towards Ringwood Station, we passed Ringwood Lake and about half a dozen youths involved in a fight along the median strip of Maroondah Highway. While I contacted the Police, it is saddening that despite so many cars driving past only two drivers stopped to contact the authorities. It is a terrible reflection upon our society when so many people will simply choose to ignore a situation than try and assist.

I find it ironic that as a council we talk about the vibrant future of Ringwood, while we have a situation where people are unable to get to their destinations and we have violent fighting occurring in our streets. While Ringwood certainly needs a vision, it is important we do not lose sight of the fact that there is much that needs to be done to immediately improve our amenity.

It’s easy to get caught up in a vision for the future, but a vision begins with practical steps to achieve that outcome. There is much more that needs to be done to improve the amenity of Maroondah and while some of it may be outside the domain of local government we should not be skirting our responsibilities.

Meanwhile, council is preoccupied with trying to overturn the VEC’s decision into changes proposed for Maroondah’s ward structure. Perhaps some of my colleagues would benefit from walking around Ringwood after dark.