Month: August 2009

Ringwood Spiders – 2009 Trophy Presentation Night

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The Ringwood Spiders are a football team for people with disabilities, which competes in the Football Integration Development Association league.

The Spiders have had a year of triumph, particularly after winning the 2009 Grand Final, its first first premiership in 15 years. Given the success of the Spiders, tonight’s Trophy Presentation Night was filled with jubilation, as the club reflected on its successful year.

The success has been both on and off the field, with the club establishing pathways through its Junior Development Squad and forming a Cheerleader Squad to ensure that all people are able to participate within the club.

Alex at the Ringwood Spiders 2009 Trophy Presentation Night

The Ringwood Spiders will be organising a series of off-season activities to continue the companionship and friendship that has formed within the club.

Tonight’s presentation evening was held at the Ringwood Bowls Club in Loughnan Road, Ringwood demonstrating the ongoing partnerships the Spiders have formed with community organisations. The Ringwood Redbacks, based at Jubilee Park, have also been extremely supportive of the club, offering training facilities and access to the grounds.

The Ringwood Spiders demonstrates the capabilities of people with disabilities and how all people in our community should be valued and provided with opportunities.

Media Release: Business Week registration now open

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Online registration and bookings are now open for all Maroondah Business Week activities and functions. There’s a great range of events to get involved in including breakfast, lunch and evening events with guest speakers, training sessions and workshops.

Councillor Alex Makin said the annual Business Week offered local businesses an opportunity to network and update their skills.

“The week runs from 5 to 9 October and is a great opportunity to learn from the experts and share your experiences with other local business people,” Cr Makin said.

“This is a chance to raise your business profile and spend the week reflecting on where your business is currently and where you see it heading in the future,” Cr Makin said.

“The range of guest speakers is fantastic so come along and hear their own personal stories and share in their triumphs,” Cr Makin said.

“So you don’t miss out at any of the events, get online and book your place. Spaces are limited so it’s best to get in early for all the events and workshops,” Cr Makin said.

The week begins with the Eastland Women in Business Lunch with Maggie Beer, who will talk about her passion for food and her success in the business world. Maggie will be appearing on Monday 5 October at the Karralyka Centre, so book your tickets now to enjoy a two course meal while listening to her inspirational story.

Another one of the week’s highlights will come when Steve Moneghetti speaks on Wednesday 7 October at the NAB Business Breakfast. Steve’s success as a marathon runner is legendary. A Commonwealth Games participant, he is one of Australia’s greatest ever long distance runners.

There are also two guided bus tours available through the Ringwood Central Activities District. As places are limited it is best to book in early. Booking forms are available online.

For a full listing of all the events being offered during Business Week, or to book your place, go to www.bizmaroondah.com.au.

Copies of the 2009 program are also available at Council’s service centres or by phoning 9298 4320.

Ringwood Jewellers – businesses expanding within Maroondah

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Ringwood Jewellers is a local family operated business located within Ringwood Square. This evening I was invited to the opening of the store’s Pandora jewellery collection, a reflection of the ongoing growth experienced at Ringwood Jewellers.

Maroondah Council has recently unveiled a buy local program to encourage our community to support local businesses. This program will be followed up through consultation with the business community to gauge the ongoing effectiveness of this program.

Amid difficult economic times it is great to see examples of businesses that are still experiencing ongoing growth and are confidentially investing in the future. Ringwood Jewellers is one example of a business that is still willing to invest within the local community despite the ongoing uncertainty.

North Ringwood Tennis Club – official opening of water tanks

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Like many aspects of our community, sporting clubs have had to adapt to climate change and water restrictions. It is imperative that our community groups focus on environmental sustainability to ensure that they can continue to remain viable into the future.

As a result, Maroondah City Council launched its Sustainability Fund in 2007 to provide sporting clubs with the ability to apply for grants to assist in improving their environmental sustainability.

North Ringwood Tennis Club was one of the successful recipients of this $10,000 grant which allowed for the installation of water tanks and court treatments when combined with a Commonwealth Government of $50,000.

This afternoon the North Ringwood Tennis Club officially opened the water tanks and I had the opportunity to congratulate the club on its foresight and emphasis on environmental sustainability.

It is fantastic to see that our sporting community is taking steps to reduce its environmental footprint and to ensure a sustainable future.

North Ringwood Tennis Club is based at 12/182 Warrandyte Road and for further information please visit www.nrtc.com.au.

Norwood Football Club – Final Home Game and President’s Lunch

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This afternoon I was invited to the Norwood Football Club’s President Lunch and to watch Norwood’s final home game for the season, which was played against Croydon Football Club.

While Norwood lost the game against Croydon, it was a close match and Norwood played exceedingly well against Croydon, which is currently one of the top teams of the season.

Norwood Football Club is based at the Mullum Reserve along Mullum Road in Ringwood and has one of the largest number of junior teams within the Eastern Football League.

Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau Website

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The Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau is a not-for-profit community organisation which provides advice, referrals and emergency relief to people in need.

The organisation provides monthly training sessions for its volunteers to encourage the development of new skills and to provide an opportunity to keep volunteers informed of activities within the organisation.

This afternoon I conducted a training session on the organisation’s new website. The Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau has not previously had a website presence and hence the training session provided an overview of the website and its content.

The website is managed using a content management system which means the committee of management will be able to readily add and modify content on the site. The website is designed to promote the organisation to prospective volunteers, clients and donors and hence needs to cater to three diverse target groups.

The website is expected to finalised at Monday’s committee of management and will then become publicly available on the Internet.

Eastern Transport Coalition – Presentation on Myki

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Tonight’s Eastern Transport Coalition meeting included a presentation on myki, Melbourne’s new ticketing system, as well as providing an update on the rollout of the Monster Petition.

Myki is due for introduction by the end of the year and will replace the paper-based Metcards with a plastic smartcard that will deduct public transport fares from credit established on the account.

There are currently no plans to alter Melbourne’s public transport fares with the introduction of myki and any fare reforms will need to be considered by the State Government. One of the touted benefits of myki is its flexibility and fare reforms would further provide equity across Melbourne’s public transport system.

The Eastern Transport Coalition’s monster petition was successfully launched at Monash University and will be available within each of the member councils.
The petition is currently located at the City of Whitehorse and is scheduled to arrive in Maroondah in time for Maroondah Festival in November.

The meeting also discussed the bus service reviews and will be calling on the State Government to ensure that the final reports of the review are released and that the findings, including frequency and operating span improvements, are quickly implemented.

Ringwood Art in Windows Project

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One of the difficulties experienced with the revitalisation of Ringwood and its identification as Central Activities District has been the need for a transition to ensure that the area does not deteriorate while waiting for developments such as the new town square and Eastland improvements.

One of the initiatives to assist with this transition, is the Ringwood Art in Windows Project, which is supported by both the State and Maroondah City Council and was launched this afternoon by my ward colleague Cr. Nora Lamont.

The Art in Windows Project aims to showcase local art and historical photographs of Ringwood within the current vacant shops around Eastland and Civic Plaza Way.

Local community groups are being encouraged to submit their artwork so it can be displayed within these shops. For further details please visit www.maroondah.vic.gov.au.

North Ringwood Community House – consultation over feasiblity study

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North Ringwood Community House is currently undertaking the feasibility study into its relocation. The study is required to ensure that the community house is able to provide an accessible and diverse range of courses for the community.

As part of the study process the consultants have undertaken consultation with staff, committee members and students to help identify the current and future requirements for the house.

Today’s consultation sessions involved a series of workshops involving several groups of people who are part of the community within the house. A range of issues were discussed including the need for an accessible location that is in close proximity to public transport and available to both the Ringwood and Ringwood North communities.

The feedback received from today’s sessions will help guide the consultants as they undertake an assessment of potential locations for North Ringwood Community House.

Media Release: Keeping Maroondah beautiful

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Maroondah residents are being encouraged to make an effort during Keep
Australia Beautiful Week (24 to 30 August) by taking simple steps to ensure
our local environment and roads remain clear of rubbish.

Councillor Alex Makin said everyone could make a difference to the look, feel and health of the municipality by disposing of their waste appropriately.

“Litter is not only ugly, it iss damaging to our environment. Litter around the road is particularly detrimental as it can build up, blocking gutters and finding its way into our creeks, rivers and other waterways,” Cr Makin said.

“What’s more, litter can easily break up or spill across a road or carriageway, posing a potential hazard to road users,” Cr Makin said.

“People caught littering face on-the-spot fines of $105 for a small piece of litter such as chewing gum, an extinguished cigarette butt or small piece of paper, to $210 for a lit cigarette and other items,” Cr Makin said.

Some handy tips to reduce the amount of litter on our roads:

  • Carry a bag in your car for collecting rubbish.
  • Keep rubbish in your car until you arrive home.
  • Never throw food scraps out of the car. This can attract animals to the road where they may be injured or killed.
  • Secure and cover your load when transporting any materials to ensure they don’t break free. It is an offence to drive with an unsecured or uncovered load.
  • Make sure cigarette butts go in the ashtray or bin.

“By applying these tips, we can ensure our roads, waterways and public open spaces remain clean and safe for everyone. They’ll also help to minimise our impact on the environment,” Cr Makin said.

For more information on Keep Australia Beautiful Week, visit www.kab.org.au

If you’d like to learn more about what Council is doing to protect our environment and how you can help, visit www.maroondah.vic.gov.au/EnvironmentWaste.aspx