Posts related to 'Sustainable Transport'

Maroondah Leader: Station receives no funding from upgrade

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 30th of September, 2008

While the State Government has announced $39 million for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station interchange, the station itself has missed out on a commitment. The Maroondah Leader has reported on these concerns:

Maroondah councillor Alex Makin said it would not address the “crux of the problem” - the physical condition of Ringwood Station.

“They are addressing the cosmetic side of the precinct but people will continue to struggle day in and day out with those ramps,” Cr Makin said.

The announcement has indicated that the State Government will providing $39 million of funding over three years in the 2009/10 State Budget for the redevelopment of the bus interchange and station forecourt.

“Ringwood cannot be an economic and employment hub if it remains difficult to access by public transport. I’m concerned that this announcement may make it difficult to get further funding for the station redevelopment.”

Ringwood Station currently fails disability compliance standards making it difficult for people with disabilities to access Ringwood and the employment, community and recreational opportunities it provides. It is extremely disappointing that the State Government will not address these concerns.

I will be continuing to advocate for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station so that we can have an inclusive urban centre that can be accessed by all members of our community.

Media Release: ETC releases short term public transport project list

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

The Eastern Transport Coalition has delivered a plan on behalf of one million eastern suburban residents direct to the Premier of Victoria in response to a request made by John Brumby and Public Transport Minister Lyn Kosky at a recent community cabinet meeting held at Ringwood

The submission highlights a wide range of short term projects that will help public transport deprived residents increase their public transport options and usage.

Cr Mick Van De Vreede said that the first submission concentrated on a number of large critical projects but that the Premier and Public Transport Minister were also interested in a range of smaller projects for consideration in the development of the Metropolitan Transport Plan.

“We know that in the eastern suburbs three out of five people would consider getting out of their cars if they had decent public transport options.

“Public transport usage in the majority of local municipalities is very low, at around 3 to 7 per cent compared with a much higher rate in other parts of Melbourne. This makes it clear that we need a generational step up in public transport.”

“The State Government needs to deliver public transport improvements so that families in the outer suburbs are provided with the choice to catch frequent, readily available and accessible public transport services”, Alex Makin Maroondah’s representative on the Eastern Transport Coalition said. “The Government must commit to these short-term priorities, including the much needed redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible transport interchange, frequency improvements on the rail lines beyond Ringwood and substantial bus improvements.”

“If the State Government includes our short, medium and long term projects in the Metropolitan Transport Plan then we will eventually have all the public transport options we need to dramatically reduce congestion, to protect our families from rising fuel prices and to negate rising greenhouse gas emissions,” Cr Van De Vreede concluded.

The ETC’s plan which is available at www.etc.org.au includes the following suggestions;

• Upgrades to major public transport interchanges with an initial focus on Transit Cities such as Ringwood and Dandenong.
• Increased off peak frequency on Belgrave / Lilydale lines
• The immediate undertaking of full feasibility studies for Rail to Rowville and Doncaster and the duplication of the Belgrave/Lilydale rail lines.
• Bringing forward the SmartBus network so that it is complete by the end of 2009
• Bus routes into new and existing estates, including Warranwood and Canterbury Road between Ringwood and Box Hill
• Tram 75 extended to Knox City and Tram 48 extended to Doncaster
• Bus priority measures along Springvale Road, Stud Road, Cheltenham Road, Wellington Road, Doncaster Road, Hoddle Street and within the CBD
• Immediate extension of free early bird tickets to buses and trams

For media inquiries please contact Alex Makin on 0408 311 645

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Delegates’ Report: strengthening transport advocacy, the Ringwood Spiders, showcasing youth creativity and supporting our community

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 15th of September, 2008

The first item is the Eastern Transport Coalition meeting, which held its meeting on the 21st of August. The Eastern Transport Coalition, is the council grouping which involves the seven eastern councils and represents approximately 1 million residents.

The August meeting continued to focus on the strategic objectives of the coalition and revised the group’s mission statement to reflect the importance of accessibility and the need for an integrated public transport system.

The mission statement now reads as follows:

The Eastern Transport Coalition will advocate for integrated and accessible sustainable transport in the Eastern region of Melbourne to improve liveability and reduce car dependency.

The revised mission statement reinforces the focus of the Eastern Transport Coalition, to ensure that it remains a strong advocate for public transport improvements in the region.

The meeting also included a presentation from the Bus Association of Victoria, which provided the group with some advice regarding the future bus service reviews. The State Government has been undertaking municipal level reviews of bus services and Maroondah will shortly be undergoing this process.

It is unsurprising that bus routes that have received service improvements have in turn seen patronage increases. This is clearly apparent with the Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus, which has seen a 50% patronage increase due to the fact that the service now runs seven days a week and on public holidays. There is a clear correlation between service improvements and patronage and the impending bus service reviews will allow this council and our community to stress the need for bus improvements.

On the 22nd of August I attended the Ringwood Spiders Presentation Night. The Ringwood Spiders, is a football team for people with disabilities, and it was great to see the club celebrate a successful season. The Spiders have had tremendous on-field success, making it to the semi-finals, as well as off-field achievements, through becoming an incorporated association and collaborating with the umpires association and other bodies. The club is now looking at off-season activities for its members and further opportunities to involve people with disabilities.

The Maroondah Snippets Short Film Festival returned for its second year and on the 3rd of September I attended the awards presentation night. It was great to see the depth of creative and film skills that exists within younger people in our community and that opportunities like the festival exist exist to showcase this talent. All entrants should be commended for partaking in the festival and I would like to extend a congratulatory note to Youth Services for organising such a wonderful event for its second year.

Maroondah Hospital held its Charity Golf Day Thank You on the 10th September. The hospital began as a community facility and still maintains strong links with the surrounding area. The afternoon provided a way of thanking the many sponsors involved in the golf day and I am pleased to present Council with a Certificate of Appreciation for Council’s contribution as a Silver Sponsor. The Hospital raised over $56,000 used to purchase much needed new hospital equipment.

The final planning is underway for the Maroondah Writers and Readers Festival and I have been involved in the steering group which met several times last month. The festival begins on Friday the 3rd of October, with workshops, forums and events held over the weekend. The theme of the festival is crime writing and I encourage people to attend the events over the weekend.

Maroondah Youth Voice, a publication by the youth of Maroondah through a number of Secondary Schools, launched its first edition on the 12th of September. The publication provides a voice for our youth and covers a range of topics including creative writing, culture sport, fashion and health. Once again it was great to see our Youth Services Team supporting the project and I look forward to the next edition which is due in late November.

Lastly was the Good Life After Stroke Expo and Information Day held earlier today at Karralyka. The event, which was organised between the Croydon Stroke Support Group and Maroondah Council, provided information on stroke, the support services available and living life to the fullest after experiencing stroke. The speakers were truly inspirational as were the artworks, including paintings, mosaics and silk scarves developed by members of the Croydon Stroke Support Group. The Croydon Stroke Support Group, Maroondah’s MetroAccess Worker and the staff of Karralyka must be commended for the tremendous work they provided for the event.

Delegates’ Report: Supporting community calls for accessibility and sustainability

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 17th of March, 2008

On the 28th of February I attended the launch of the Coloured Emotions Art Display, facilitated by the Parent Support Network - Eastern Region. The group provides support for carers, parents and families that have children with a disability, through support groups, advocacy and other activities.

Coloured Emotions is an art therapy program facilitated by the Parent Support Network and is one of the activities provided by the group. The program allowed these carers to express their emotions through art within a supportive environment.

The raw emotion that was on display demonstrated the stress and challenges that carers face, including the need for peer support. Groups like the Parent Support Network and the people involved in them need to be congratulated for the peer support they provide. It is often difficult for most people, due to time constraints, to become involved in a voluntary capacity within community groups, but for parents who are carers for children with disabilities it must be even more difficult to manage caring, careers and being involved in the community.

It is imperative that we continue to improve the accessibility of our municipality to ensure that all people have access to the community, lifestyle and opportunity that Maroondah provides.

On the 6th of March I attended the Croydon Conservation Society’s AGM, where Phil Turner, our Director of Major Projects and Planning, was the guest speaker to discuss the Ringwood Transit City and the plans for Ringwood. The Croydon Conservation Society is Maroondah’s oldest environmental association and topics discussed included strengthening provisions for water and energy efficiency, as well as the continued advocacy for sustainable transport.

The Croydon Conservation Society welcomed this opportunity and it was great to see our community groups being included in the discussions for the plans for Ringwood.

On the 13th of March I attended the Eastern Transport Coalition meeting. This month’s meeting discussed the bus service reviews that are currently being undertaken within some of the member council areas, as well as furthering the call for the necessary public transport improvements. One of these improvements is the Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus and and will begin operating next Monday on the 24th. The SmartBus will provide a bus service operating through to midnight six days a week, with services every 15 minutes during weekdays and half hourly during evenings and weekends. The SmartBus marks the first really substantial upgrade to bus services within Maroondah and indeed the outer east and will provide transport choice for parts of Maroondah that previously had little option but to drive.

While it is unfortunate that this upgrade took almost four years, it is certainly an encouraging improvement and hopefully a sign of more to follow.

The role of urban transport is critical to reducing Australia’s greenhouse emissions and yesterday on the 16th of March I attended a meeting with the Maroondah Climate Change Action Group. Transport is Australia’s fastest growing sector of greenhouse emissions and contributes up to 50% of household emissions. There has been much discussion around potential greenhouse reduction targets for 2020 and any serious targets are going to be established they must include a reduction in car dependence and thus also assist with providing transport choice and mitigating worsening traffic congestion.

Croydon Conservation Society 2008 AGM

Published by Alex Makin on Thursday 6th of March, 2008

The Croydon Conservation Society (CCS) is Maroondah’s oldest and largest conservation and environmental society. The Society aims to promote urban sustainability within Maroondah to preserve the leafy image of the municipality.

Tonight’s meeting included a presentation from Phil Turner, the Director of Major Projects and Planning of Maroondah City Council, who discussed the Ringwood Transit City and the aim to revitalise central Ringwood. Urban sustainability, through promoting water and energy efficiency and sustainable forms of transport will be critical to the success of Ringwood. It is imperative that the proposed redevelopment of central Ringwood and the next stage of Eastland incorporates sustainability, as well as a high standard of accessibility, to ensure a vibrant town centre that all people can enjoy.

Likewise, the redevelopment of Ringwood Station will underpin sustainable transport, through promoting walking, cycling and public transport usage. The station upgrade must be delivered in the upcoming State Budget and supported through upgrades to bus services within Maroondah.

Tonight’s AGM also included the election of office bearers for the next twelve months. I am pleased to announce that I have been elected Treasurer of the Croydon Conservation Society for the upcoming year. I have had a long association with the CCS, since we jointly organised a public meeting over transport issues back in 2004 and I am delighted to be part of the committee.

Urban sustainability is a looming issue for Maroondah and it is imperative that we meet these challenges.