Month: September 2007

Maroondah Journal: East misses out on extra trains

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The Belgrave and Lilydale lines have been missed completely by a new train timetable announced by Conex and the State Government and the Maroondah Journal has reported on this neglect:

Eastern Transport Coalition spokesman, Maroondah Councillor Alex Makin, said the east had been neglected. “The Belgrave and Lilydale lines, which serve Melbourne’s eastern suburbs have been neglected by the State Government despite growing patronage and peak hour overcrowding.”

While other lines were provided with additional shoulder peak services, the Belgrave and Lilydale lines were provided with nothing, despite the inadequate half hourly services that exist during interpeak and non-peak times on weekdays.

“Rather than continuing to play catch-up, the State Government should have used this opportunity to provide significant improvements to train services.”

A major review of Melbourne’s rail timetables is required to ensure that frequent services and efficient scheduling that would help minimise overcrowding. Unfortunately the new timetable which will take effect from the 30th of September provides little more than just minor tweaking on those lines that were fortunate enough to see additional services.

Delegates' report: volunteerism and community engagement

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The previous month marked a number of events that I would like to share with my colleagues and the gallery this evening.

On the 4th of September I had the pleasure of opening Brush Strokes, an art exhibition featuring works created by members of the Croydon Stroke Support Group and I would also like to thank Cr. Taylor for her attendance that morning. The exhibition, which is on show at the foyer of Maroondah Federation Estate, celebrates the support offered to members of the Croydon Stroke Suppport Group with the aim of restoring confidence and skills.

The Brush Strokes exhibition was a recipient of Maroondah’s Cultural Grants and it was great to be able to see the project, which looked good on paper, at its completion. I must offer my thanks to the organisers of the exhibition and the based council team at Federation Estate.

While art may come naturally to some people, many of the artists featured in the exhibition have had to re-learn their artistic skills and the fact that these artists have been able to re-develop their talents is a testament to the supporting nature of the Croydon Stroke Support Group.

In addition, there was also a number of collaborative pieces which allowed all members of the group to contribute, using a number of unique instruments, such as chopsticks, cups and eye droppers. These collaborative pieces served to represent the experiences of the members and the support and friendship gained from others.

After the opening, I spoke to a number of the artists who had their works on display and each of them discussed how the project helped them rebuild their confidence and assist in re-engaging with the community.

Brush Strokes will be on display in the foyer of the Maroondah Art Gallery at Federation Estate until the 30th of September. I would strongly recommend that people visit the exhibition so that they can see first hand the professionalism and diversity of the artworks in display.

On the 6th of September I, along with Cr Taylor, attended the Annual General Meeting of the Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre. The EVRC is a not for profit organisation, which provides volunteer assistance and community transport for people living in the Cities of Maroondah and Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges. We are fortunate to have the main offices of the EVRC located in Maroondah and to have an organisation that actively promotes and encourages volunteerism. I would like to congratulate the office bearers for the upcoming year and for the new model rules that the organisation has adopted. These new rules which provide additional governance for the EVRC and separate its elected committee of management from its operational staff, will provide a focus for the organisation into the future.

I would like to table the Annual Report of the Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre and trust the organisation will continue to further its successes in coming years.

Eastern Transport Coalition – Meeting the Minister

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This evening’s Eastern Transport Coalition (ETC) meeting included a discussion with Lynne Kosky, the Minister for Public Transport. While the chair of the ETC, Cr. Mick van de Vreede, met the Minister earlier this year, tonight’s meeting marked the first occasion where the Minister addressed the entire organisation.

Encouragingly the Minister acknowledged the current difficulties with Melbourne’s public transport system and in this regard the Minister stated that work is being undertaken to accelerate the projects listed within Meeting Our Transport Challenges. While this is welcome news the Minister did stop short of agreeing to undertake a detailed assessment of the infrastructure needs of the region., meaning that the detailed planning required to ensure the sustainability of Melbourne’s east is still sorely lacking.

I asked a question in regard to the State Government’s support for the Ringwood Transit City Project and the need for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station. The Minister replied that Ringwood is one of a number of projects supported through the Transit City initiative meaning that funding should hopefully be forthcoming. The redevelopment of Ringwood Station is critical to the success of the Transit City given that Council has invested heavily in the concept and is actively encouraging sustainable forms of transport through footpath construction with new developments. Likewise there is also a need to further improve the bus network so that public transport becomes the mode of choice within Transit Cities such as Ringwood.

While the Minister didn’t provide too many details, it was encouraging to see the establishment of dialogue between the ETC and the current Minister for Public Transport. The Eastern Transport Coalition will be pursuing a number of these issues in its submission to the Melbourne 2030 Audit. This will help ensure that these issues continue to be raised with the State Government.

Likewise the ETC will be continuing its campaign to focus on the infrastructure needs of the Eastern region, including the need for additional rail services from Ringwood. An event is scheduled for early October and will mirror the campaign that led the successful removal of zone three.

2007 AGM for Heatherdale Community Action Group

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This evening marked the 2nd Annual General Meeting for the Heatherdale Community Action Group and provided an opportunity to reflect on the successes over the past year. The Action Group has continued to represent the Heatherdale Community and provide a voice for residents who face the unique situation of being split into two differing municipalities.

As the ward councillor in the Maroondah side of Heatherdale, I have appreciated the contact with the Heatherdale Community Action Group to achieve the joint objective of maintaining the amenity of the area. The ongoing noise issues from Southern Rocycling are being pursued and are scheduled to be heard in the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday the 3rd of October.

I would like to thank the Heatherdale Community for their ongoing interest in their local community and would like to congratulate the Heatherdale Community Action Group for their dedication to the community.

2007 Graduation for North Ringwood Community House

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This evening I was invited by the North Ringwood Community House to present certificates to graduates of the 2007 Certificate III Aged Care Work and Certificate IV in Disability Work Courses.

North Ringwood Community House, located in 120 Oban Road, Ringwood North, provides these courses in a friendly and personalised atmosphere compared to traditional educational providers such as TAFEs.

A number of the graduates have already found a successful job placement and I wish to offer my congratulations to each of the students who graduated this year.

Ringwood Chamber of Commerce: 'Grow me the Money'

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This evening’s Ringwood Chamber of Commerce included a presentation from the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) on the Grow me the Money, an initiative designed to assist businesses in improving their environmental sustainability while cutting energy, water and waste usage.

Like households, businesses also have a need to reduce their environmental footprint, particularly when it can also reduce costs and improve triple bottom line sustainability. 

Grow me the Money allows businesses to track their energy, water and waste usage, which allows companies to reduce their environmental impact through undertaking initiatives that also help to improve their financial sustainability. The program works through providing mentors to businesses, training programs and information on products and services that help businesses reduce their environmental footprint.

For further information on Grow me the Money please visit www.growmethemoney.com.au.

Maroondah Journal: Volunteer centre in need of new home

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One of the ongoing issues for the Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre (EVRC) has been the need for a new community premises to cater for the ongoing growth of the organisation. The EVRC provides volunteer assistance and community transport and also serves as a critical conduit for the encouragement and recruiting of volunteers within Maroondah, as well as Whitehorse and the Yarra Ranges.

The Maroondah Journal has reported on the dire need of a new community premises for the Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre:

Cr Alex Makin said it was council’s responsibility to step in and help the centre.

The EVRC has outreach offices in Box Hill and Lilydale with its the main office located within Ringwood, providing a truly community based asset to Maroondah. Due to a lack of space, the EVRC recently relocated from Maroondah Federation Estate to commercial premises in New Street, Ringwood. While this has provided ample space for the organisation, the payment of commercial rental rates has placed a significant strain on the not-for-profit organisation.

“This is one instance where the council really needs to assist. The council is not under a firm obligation to do so, but in order to help them remain in the area, we need to help”.

I discussed the need for assistance from council at the recent EVRC AGM, where I stated:

I personally believe there needs to be collaboration between EVRC and Maroondah in finding suitable long-term office accommodation for the organisation. I believe that the role EVRC undertakes in encouraging volunteerism and providing recruitment and referral services is critical to ensuring a vibrant and healthy community.

While it could be argued that EVRC should undertake this effort on its own, if EVRC was not active within Maroondah then ultimately the burden of finding, training and nuturing volunteers would fall on council and would obviously place a further burden directly on Maroondah in terms of costs and resources. It would also mean more than likely less volunteers overall, therefore placing further stress on the current pool of committed volunteers.

Encouraging volunteers helps create a more engaged and stronger community and as such Maroondah is fortunate to have the main offices of the EVRC located within its municipal boundaries. Maroondah Council would potentially face a significant burden, in terms of recruiting volunteers and service delivery, if organisations such as the EVRC did not exist or were not actively present within Maroondah.

2007 EVRC AGM

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The Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre (EVRC) is a not for profit organisation established in 1976, which provides volunteer assistance and community transport for people living in the Cities of Maroondah and Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges. Eastern Volunteers works in partnership with all levels of government, peak volunteer organisations, other volunteer resource centres and a wide range of community service organisations and businesses.

The EVRC main office is located in Ringwood with small part-time outreach offices are located at Box Hill and Lilydale. It has 14 part-time staff; about 100 volunteers assisting in program delivery and a volunteer-based Committee of Management. The organisation provides transport services for people with disabilities and the frail aged, home and community care services and the recruitment, training and referral of volunteers.

I was invited to speak at the AGM of the Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre to discuss the partnership that exists between the City of Maroondah and the Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre. The City of Maroondah is truly blessed to have such an active organisation recruiting, training and developing volunteers, resulting in a stronger and more engaged community.

Please continue reading to view the speech I delivered at the 2007 EVRC AGM.

Continue reading “2007 EVRC AGM”

Media Release: Brush strokes – artworks by stroke survivors

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The latest exhibition in the Foyer of the Maroondah Art Gallery proves that there really is life after having a stroke – just a different one to what was had before.

Councillor Alex Makin opened the exhibition Brush Strokes – artworks by stroke survivors last week amidst an array of brightly coloured canvases, pottery and other handcrafts.

“The array of works on exhibition are the creation of members of the Croydon Stroke Support Group – a self-help group of volunteers who are either stroke survivors or their carers,” said Cr Makin.

The Group has been operating for over sixteen years and was instigated by Gillian Simons, a stroke survivor, who saw the need for a support group to assist stroke survivors come to terms with the devastating effects of stroke on themselves and families.

“Three years ago painting was introduced as an activity to the group with truly amazing results – and not just in the artwork!” said Cr Makin.

“Last year the group received funding from Council through the Cultural Development Grants to assist with the preparation and setting up of this exhibition,” said Cr Makin.

“Some of the collaborative pieces had up to forty people contributing to the overall work, creating a very unique piece of art,” said Cr Makin.

The groups motto: And it only takes one stroke (of a pen) to turn a negative (-) into a positive (+).

Brush Strokes – artworks by stroke survivors will be on show in the Foyer of the Maroondah Art Gallery until Saturday 29 September.

Maroondah Art Gallery is located at Maroondah Federation Estate, 32 Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood.

Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 4pm and Saturday 12pm to 4pm. For further information telephone the Maroondah Art Gallery Curator on 9298 4542.

Public Transport for Melbourne's Southeast

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This evening I was invited by Casey, Greater Dandenong and Cardinia residents to discuss public transport issues in Melbourne’s southeast.

While the meeting was planned to proceed through the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA), the committee was unable to provide a speaker, leaving local residents in the lurch. At the request of the then PTUA Southeast branch, I attended the meeting to answer questions and to reinforce the need for outer suburban residents to speak up about the transport woes they are facing.

While it would appear that the PTUA Southeast Branch has been disbanded due to a lack of support from the PTUA, local residents are keen to establish their own organisation to ensure an ongoing presence for public transport advocacy.

Terry Hornbuckle, June Whitton both formerly from the PTUA Southeast Branch must be congratulated for their ongoing efforts and for engaging the local community to ensure a solid attendance at the meeting. Cr. Steve Beardon, a Councillor for the City of Casey, must also be congratulated for providing a meeting venue and for his support in promoting the meeting.

Melbourne’s growth suburbs should be the frontline for public transport advocacy as it is imperative that public transport in new areas is provided at the onset of new development. Failure to deliver such public transport, will only result in a similar situation to Rowville, where transport advocates are on the backfoot calling for investment in established areas, and provide major difficulties in future years.

I look forward to working with residents as they find their voices in the call for public transport advocacy.