Month: September 2008

Rotary District 9810 2009 Conference Launch

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As a member of the Ringwood Club of Rotary I was invited to attend the launch of the District 9810 Conference, which will be held in Hobart from the 26th till to the 29th of March 2009.

The event will be hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Tasmania and in particular the Club of Salamanca, who will welcome the 51 clubs within District 9810 during their time at the conference. The annual conference provides an opportunity to speak with other Rotary Clubs and learn about the many community projects that Rotary supports.

A number of prominent speakers will be part of the conference and will discuss an array of topics including Rotary International, community causes and stories of personal perseverance and dedication.

For more details on Rotary District 9180 and the 2009 Conference please visit www.rotary9810.org.

Eastern Transport Coalition – presenting the short-term priorities of the region

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Tonight’s Eastern Transport Coalition finalised a report into the short-term priorities of the eastern region. This report, which was requested by Premier John Brumby, presents the projects required by the eastern region to assist in mitigating rising petrol prices and worsening traffic congestion.

These priorities, such as a new bus route for Canterbury Road, which would travel between Ringwood and Box Hill, and further improvements to bus service frequencies and operating spans, as well as pedestrian priority measures across Maroondah Highway, can be implemented in the short term and assist in providing transport choice across the eastern region. These projects need to be reinforced by longer term investment in the region, such as the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and new rail lines for Doncaster and Rowville, which would drastically reduce car dependency across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

The State Government’s transport strategy, which will be released in November this year, must deliver public transport improvements across Melbourne and deliver the necessary infrastructure to our outer suburbs. After several attempts at a long term transport strategy, including the clearly insufficient Meeting Our Transport Challenges, which was released in 2006, the State Government must finally deliver real public transport improvements and provide immediate relief to rising petrol prices and improve the accessibility and sustainability of our outer suburbs.

The Eastern Transport Coalition’s short-term priorities for the eastern region will be delivered to the Premier’s office on Friday.

Rotary Club of Ringwood – Community fundraising ideas

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The Rotary Club of Ringwood meets each Wednesday evening and is one of the 51 clubs within Rotary District 9810, which spans Melbourne’s eastern and southeastern suburbs.

Tonight’s meeting included a presentation on community fundraising ideas by Melbourne Open Air Cinemas, which provides an outdoor move experience. The outdoor cinemas can be combined with community causes to assist in fundraising activities. A number of different sized screens are available, depending on the size of the area and the number of people that are expected to attend.

I am part of the Rotary Club of Ringwood Community Committee and the potential for an outdoor cinema event will be discussed as we consider fundraising projects to assist the many community causes that Rotary supports.

Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee – defining the wellbeing of Maroondah

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The Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee comprises of internal council staff and external agencies to develop strategies and implement actions to improve the wellbeing of Maroondah.

The group’s current priorities include council’s new Community Wellbeing Plan. This plan, which is expected to be finalised in mid 2009, will set council’s priorities for the wellbeing, health and safety of Maroondah and will operate in partnership with agencies such as Victoria Police, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and community based organisations such as Eastern Volunteers and indigenous groups.

Earlier this month council conducted consultation sessions with service providers, such as carers networks, community houses and health agencies and today’s meeting provided an opportunity for the committee to provide its feedback.

The committee defined wellbeing as good health with social and cultural connectedness underpinned by a supportive and safe community.

This definition assisted the committee in identifying a number of issues that adversely affect the wellbeing of the Maroondah community. These issues were categorised into the broad categories of transport (inducing accessibility), housing, safety and social isolation and were identified as priority areas by the group.

The input from today’s meeting will assist council is preparing the Maroondah Community Wellbeing Plan and identifying potential partnerships to assist in its implementation.

The next and final meeting for 2008 will be held on Tuesday the 18th of November.

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

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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.

The Good Life After Stroke Expo and Information Day

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Stroke occurs when the supply of blood to the brain is suddenly disrupted through a blood clot or bleeding to the brain. Stroke effects over 53,000 Australians every year and is the second cause of death after Heart Disease.

The Good Life After Stroke Expo and and Information Day was organised in partnership between Maroondah City Council and the Croydon Stroke Support Group to raise awareness about stroke and the support services that are available. The event, expanded upon the Croydon Stroke Support Group’s Brush Strokes exhibition which was held last year. The group’s artworks was on display at Karralyka as were a number of information sessions and community stalls.

Stroke is the biggest cause of disability within our community and approximately half of the stroke survivors will experience permanent disabilities, such as paralysis, memory loss, speech or vision impairment. Despite these challenges, it is possible to lead a good life after stroke and a number of stroke survivors discussed their first hand experiences with the recovery process and new lease on life.

Peer support for both stroke survivors and carers is available through groups such as the Croydon Stroke Support Group and through health and community agencies. While the path to recovery can be difficult, the speakers reinforced the need for perseverance and a positive outlook. This optimism was clearly apparent in the art that has been created by members of the Croydon Stroke Support Group and the use of tools as innovative as eye droppers and chopsticks allowed a chance for everyone to participate.

The Good Life After Stroke Expo and Information Day helped showcase the support services that are available for people that experience stroke and I would like to congratulate the Croydon Stroke Support Group for its efforts in demonstrating that a good life after stroke is possible.

First edition of Maroondah Youth Voice

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Maroondah Youth Voice is a publication produced by secondary school students to provide a voice for Maroondah’s youth. This afternoon provided an opportunity to celebrate the first edition of Maroondah Youth Voice.

The first edition involved students from Ringwood Secondary College, Maroondah Secondary College and Croydon Secondary College, with plans to encourage further schools to contribute in future editions. The publication includes a mixture of health information, creative writing, poetry, sport and community information.

As part of the first edition I was encouraged to write about my experiences as Maroondah’s youngest councillor and the challenges I have faced:

Pick the first word you think of when describing Ringwood. Chances are one of the words you didn’t choose was ‘vibrant’. Yet ‘vibrant’ is exactly what we are trying to achieve with our vision for Ringwood.

So what exactly is vibrant? Therein lies the problem. Like most buzzwords, ‘vibrant’ means different things to different people and while we have a general understanding of what most people would like to see, there hasn’t been much youth input.

As Maroondah’s youngest councillor (despite the fact that I’m now closer to 30 than to 20), I’m often described as the youth voice for council but the reality is there are people younger than me that also must be heard.

While government and councils should be actively trying to seek youth opinions, young people should also make sure that we cannot be ignored. Unfortunately for younger people it can be challenging at times to make sure that people do listen. Even when I was in my early 20s many people were intent on ignoring me and the issues, such as public transport, that I was concerned about. Of course being on council has meant that it is harder for these same people to ignore what I say!

Even though it may be easy to give up, as youth we need to break down those walls and make sure that people do listen. There are also many places and plenty of community groups, that would welcome younger people.

It is great to see Youth Voice reach its first edition, I hope that many more follow and that we can ensure that younger people will be heard.

Copies of Maroondah Youth Voice are available from EV’s Youth Centre and from the Secondary Schools that were involved. The next edition of Maroondah Youth Voice will be published in late November.

Heatherdale Community Action Group: 2008 AGM

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Tonight marked the second Annual General Meeting for the Heatherdale Community Action Group (HCAG). The group, aims to enhance and protect the amenity Heatherdale, a locality that is split between Maroondah and Whitehorse Councils.

One of the most pressing issues is the ongoing noise complaints within the Heatherdale area. In this regard Maroondah Council has led two successful prosecutions in regard to noise issues and the EPA has issued a pollution abatement notice to CMA Recycling (Victoria) and is also aware of air quality concerns.

The action group has also been successful in establishing an ongoing interest in the Heatherdale community and has held two barbeques at Heatherdale Station, including one to mark the 50th anniversary of the station’s opening. The group collaborated with Connex and Invicta Bus Services to organise the event, which included primary school students singing happy birthday to the station.

In addition Maroondah Council is undertaking works at the Heatherdale Reserve, near the Dandenong Creek, in consultation with members of HCAG. These works will help improve the Dandenong Creek Trail and provide additional walking and cycling paths for the community.

It is great to see the Heatherdale Community Action Group continuing strongly a year after its incorporation. The group has successfully engaged its community and helped achieve positive changes for Heatherdale.

Media Release: Ringwood Athletics Track ready for new season

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Little Athletics is a uniquely Australian sport for children from 5 to 16 years. As the name suggests, it is based upon the sport of athletics (track and field) and offers a wide range of events from running, jumping, throwing and walking, each modified to suit the age and ability of the children.

Maroondah has two athletic centres: at Town Park on the corner of Norton and Mt Dandenong Roads in Croydon; and the AC Robertson Track, Sylvia Grove, Ringwood.

“The Little Athletics season commences on Saturday 4 October at 8.30am, and families new to Little Athletics are welcome to come along to either centre and discover the benefits of participation. Registration will still be available on this day,” said Cr Makin.

The registration date for the Ringwood Little Athletic Track and Field Season is Saturday 20 September between 9.30am and 11am at the AC Robertson Athletics Track, Sylvia Grove, Ringwood.

For more information on Little Athletics in Maroondah, contact Carolyn Scott, Croydon Little Athletics Centre on 9733 4352 or Kathryn Moss, Ringwood Little Athletics Centre on 9879 5461.

Media Release: Musical chills abound at Maroondah’s FReeZA

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It’s that time of the year again when Maroondah City Council’s Youth Services team puts out the call for young people in the community to become part of the Maroondah FReeZA Program.

Councillor Alex Makin said Council’s Youth Services team are looking for enthusiastic young people aged between 15 and 21 years who are interested in learning new skills, participating in the music industry, and organising eight live music events.

An information evening will be held on Wednesday 15 October from 5.30pm to 7.00pm at EV’s Youth Centre, 212 Mt Dandenong Road, Croydon.

“I would highly recommend attending this evening to anyone thinking of participating in the 2009 Maroondah FReeZA program. Members of the 2008 group will be available to answer questions and give an insight into the responsibilities and commitment involved in being a Maroondah FReeZA member,” said Cr Makin.

“Being part of the Maroondah FReeZA Program is a great way to develop leadership and interpersonal skills, gain first hand experience in the music industry, make new friends and put something back into the local community,” said Cr Makin.

“Maroondah FReeZA members are trained in a broad range of areas – including event management, teamwork, effective communication, meeting structures, networking, professionalism, budgeting and occupational health and safety,” said Cr Makin.

Members of the program will also train in five accredited modules of music industry training. The group will plan, coordinate and evaluate eight all-ages drug, alcohol and smoke free music events during 2009.

The Maroondah FReeZA program is part of the State Government’s FReeZA program, which concentrates on interactive personal development and group skills through the organisation of live music events.

Maroondah FReeZA Program hopefuls must be willing to attend all training sessions and weekly meetings, be able to commit to the program until December 2009, must live work or study in Maroondah, and enjoy working in a team environment.

If this sounds like you and you think that you have what it takes, call Helena Bates, Youth Programs Worker, for more information or an application form on 9298 4471 or email helena.bates@maroondah.vic.gov.au.

Completed application forms must be received no later than 5pm Monday 27 October, 2008.