Posts related to 'youth'

Media Release: Rattle some chains at the Annual Punkfest

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 19th of August, 2008

Smooth the hair into a Mohawk and get the chains and studded leather ready for the 6th annual Punkfest at EV’s Youth Centre in Croydon on Friday 12 September.

Councillor Alex Makin said the annual Maroondah Punkfest has become one of Melbourne’s leading underage FReeZA gigs.

“The Maroondah Punkfest brings together some big names in the Australian punk scene while giving talented local bands a chance to perform before an enthusiastic audience,” said Cr Makin.

“This year’s lineup on the Main Stage at EV’s features five bands, with headliner act Yidcore returning to Melbourne following a successful tour in Israel and the release of their latest EP,” said Cr Makin.

Supporting Yidcore will be The Resignators, Ashleys Affair, Paris, and Two Cone Tyrone.

Maroondah Punkfest is an annual event organised by Maroondah Youth Services FReeZA group, Out Loud Audio.

Punkfest will run from 6.30pm to 11pm on Friday 12 September at EV’s Youth Centre, with tickets available at the door for $10 with a pass, or $12 without.

EV’s Youth Centre is located at 212 Mt Dandenong Road, Croydon.

This is an all ages, fully supervised, drug, alcohol and smoke free event. There are no passouts.

For more information and band set times call Amanda on 9298 4379 or visit www.evsyouthcentre.com or www.myspace.com/outloudaudio08

Media Release: School Holiday fun!

Published by Alex Makin on Wednesday 13th of August, 2008

Make the most of these school holidays at Council’s Spring Teenage Holiday Program at EV’s Youth Centre from Monday 22 September until Friday 3 October 2008.

Council’s Youth Services have organised a great program for young people between 12 to 16 years of age, full of activities that will ensure that these school holidays will not go to waste.

Councillor Alex Makin described the program as a terrific way to ensure that your teenagers make the most of their time off, providing them with the opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people while having fun.

“The huge list of activities includes a day at The Melbourne Show, a trip to the Melbourne Zoo and the Eureka Skydeck,” said Cr Makin.

“EV’s Youth Centre will turn into a chill out zone for a day, with a portable digital dome theatre taking up EV’s. Young people will be able to lay down, eat pizza and watch films on the roof of the big blow up Cosmodome,” said Cr Makin.

“A visit to The Warrook Cattle Farm and Koala Conservation Centre at Phillip Island is also on the cards, as well a trip to the cinemas, and a game of Laser Strike will keep young people on their toes and having a great time,” said Cr Makin.

Other activities available also include splashing around at the new Croydon Leisure & Aquatic Centre and a craft workshop at Council’s Wyreena Community Arts Centre.

“Make sure you book soon as places will fill up quickly. Don’t miss out on one of the best holiday experiences this year,” said Cr Makin.

The cost for the holiday program varies between $15 to $30 per day, depending on the activity. There is a 20% discount for families experiencing financial difficulties.

For further information or to book activities, telephone Duré Morrell, Youth Programs Worker on 9298 4252. Bookings are essential.

Maroondah Journal: honest to blog, keep up to date

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 12th of August, 2008

While local council is often cited as the closest form of government to the people, it is critical that councillors and prospective candidates undertake new initiatives to help bridge the gap between council and the wider community.

I have recently called on the current Maroondah councillors (all of whom who have indicated that they are re-standing in the upcoming election) and prospective candidates to commit to creating their own web site and blog to provide a new form of communication to the community.

A Maroondah councillor has called on his colleagues to “move with the times”, encouraging them to create individual web pages and blogs to increase interaction between the council and residents.

I have been actively maintaining my website and blog since 2005, prior to being elected onto council. I have found the website to be extremely useful in conveying the activities undertaken as a councillor and encouraging people to contact me to discuss the issues that matter to them.

Loughnan’s Hill Ward Councillor Alex Makin said councillors and future candidates should move into the 21st century.

Local government has unfortunately been relatively slow to adopt new technologies and it is critical that councillors and candidates undertake this commitment to assist people in communicating with local councils.

“Local government is supposed to be the closet form of government to the community. Having an active web presence helps bridge the gap between the council and the community.”

An active web presence, going behind a static web page through the provision of an interactive blog provides an opportunity to leave comments and contact their local elected representatives.

He said residents could leave comments, ask questions, raise concerns and inquire about upcoming events within the council and community.

“It is another tool for the community to use, in addition to mobile phones and email.”

A web presence would augment rather than replace the more traditional forms of communication, such as telephone, email and postal mail. The more opportunities for the community to make contact, the easier it is for people to raise their concerns directly with elected representatives.

He said part of a councillor’s role was to keep up-to-date with technology.

“It also enables young people who may be disengaged with the community to have their say in a way they feel comfortable.”

Councillors have an obligation to keep up-to-date with technology and ensure that are representing the interests of their constituents. In particular younger people, as well as people with disabilities, tend to predominately use the Internet as a communication tool. A website complete with an interactive blog would assist these people in contacting their elected representatives and ensuring that are being heard.

It was encouraging to see that Cr Jo-anne Taylor stated her support for the idea and is considering establishing a website.

I will continue to maintain and update my website to ensure that the community is kept informed on the activities I undertake as an elected councillor and the community events that I attend.

If you would like to stay informed then please subscribe to updates to receive regular notifications on the events I am attending.

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.

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.