Category: Attendance Reports

Delegates’ Report: Annual general meetings, art exhibitions and launching Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan

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There are several items I’d like to discuss this evening:

On the 23rd of March I attended the North Ringwood Community House annual general meeting, which coincided with the graduation ceremony of their Certificate III and IV students.

North Ringwood Community House is the only community house in Maroondah that has Registered Training Organisation status, meaning that they are able to offer Certificate level courses. As part of the AGM the House discussed its new business plan and it is great to see that they are planning on expanding their accredited courses into the future.

On the 29th of March I attended the first meeting of the Maroondah Partners for Community Wellbeing Committee along with Cr Ann Fraser. This committee is tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of Council’s Community Wellbeing Plan and incorporates a number of different agencies, including Eastern Volunteers, Eastern Access Community Health, the Primary Care Partnerships and others.

So what is Council’s Community Wellbeing Plan, it’ll be discussed later in this report.

On the 13th of April, I attended a community meeting hosted by Common Equity Housing Limited (CEHL), the managers of the 80 unit affordable housing development in Larissa Avenue. While Council and the community were understandably concerned about the State Government overriding Maroondah Council as a planning authority, it is encouraging to see the CEHL holding discussions with the community to help explain and demystify this development.

On the 15th of April I had the pleasure of opening two exhibitions, Konrad Winkler’s Moments of My Life and the Ringwood Art Society’s Artist of the Year. Konrad’s work highlights the changing nature of photography and the Art Society’s exhibition showcases the talents of one of Victoria’s oldest and largest arts societies.
The Artist of the Year was judged by an independent adjudicator but the community also has the possibility of providing input, through the Community Choice Award.

As part of the proceedings I had the privilege of announcing that Council will be utilising the Mayoral Art Fund to acquire one of the artworks that was exhibited by a member of the Ringwood Arts Society and I look forward to formalising this announcement once it is finalised.

The two exhibitions are hosted at Maroondah Art Gallery at the Maroondah Federation Estate and are on display until the 8th of May.

On Sunday the 18th of April I attended the Anzac March in Croydon hosted by the Croydon RSL. I would like to commend the Croydon RSL for holding such a welcoming and friendly event, it was great to see them involve the wider community, including local Primary and Secondary Schools and I believe it reinforces the community atmosphere that is so prevalent at the Croydon RSL.

This morning I had the pleasure of launching Maroondah City Council’s Community Wellbeing Plan. The plan, which was adopted by Council in December in last year, identifies the key wellbeing priorities over the next four years, including:

  • Healthy Minds Healthy Choices
  • Engaged Resilient Communities
  • Accessible Safe Community
  • Lifestyle Opportunities and Choices
  • Targeting Equity and Social Inclusion
  • Healthy Sustainable Environments

The plan was developed through the former Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee of which Cr. Nora Lamont, Cr. Rob Steane and myself were members.

In addition, Council undertook extensive community engagement in the development of its Community Wellbeing Plan including a survey in the Maroondah Focus, where we received over 1000 responses.

This was a tremendous result given that there are 44,000 households within the municipality. These responses provided quantitative information and Council also undertook extensive consultation with community organisations and discussion sessions at locations such as Eastland.

The end result is a plan that was developed in partnership with the community and which will be overseen by the Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee, which includes community organisations, Council staff, as well as two Councillors, Cr. Ann Fraser and myself.

I would like to commend the many people who were involved in the development of the plan. The implementation of the Community Wellbeing Plan depends on community partnerships and I look forward to this collaboration as we improve the health, safety and wellbeing of our municipality.

Delegates’ Report: Annual General Meetings, Promoting Harmony and Recognising Achievements

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February and March have both been busy months with the opening of new facilities, annual general meetings and awards.

On the 19th of February I had the pleasure of opening the revamped Keystone Hall, located in Croydon. The project, which received Council and Federal funding, is a multi-purpose facility that houses several groups, including Croydon Little Athletics and the Croydon U3A. The facility includes accessibility improvements, as well as sustainability initiatives, through the installation of water tanks.

On the 4th of March, the City of Maroondah was officially presented an Award for achieving the Highest Level of Community Engagement during Walktober. Walktober is an event held each October, whereby Councils, community groups and organisations are encouraged to organise walks to promote sustainable transport and community wellbeing.

I would like to extend my congratulations to Maroondah’s Leisure Services Department for working collaboratively with community groups and registering 55 walks during Walktober.

Further details will be presented during tonight’s agenda.

On the 9th of March I had the pleasure of opening Maroondah City Council’s International Women’s Day Breakfast. 2010 marks the Centenary of the Girl Guides and we had the privilege of hearing from two speakers from Girl Guides Victoria, including local Guide leader Billee Henry who spoke passionately about the organisation and the opportunities to provides its members.

On the 16th of March I had the honour of opening the Lighthouse Foundation’s Home for Mums and Bubs in Heathmont. The Home will provide a home for two homeless young mothers and their babies, providing a nurturing environment, combined with holistic support, counselling and education. I look forward to welcoming the residents of the home into the Maroondah community.

On the 17th of March I assisted in the preparations of the Ride2School program at Croydon West Primary. Ride2School is a program that aims to encourage walking and cycling and it was great to see so many students participating in the program.

The 18th of March saw the coming together of many organisations, including Maroondah Council, Eastern Regional Libraries, Centrelink, Department of Justice, Maroondah Police and Mission Australia to hold a festival marking Cultural Diversity Week and Harmony Day.

The event was held at the front of the Ringwood Library and saw the space come alive with songs, dance, story telling and face painting. Many members of our community participated in the festivities and it was fantastic to demonstrate the key message of Harmony Day, by showing that Everyone Belongs in Maroondah.

Lastly, on the 16th of March I attended the Central Ringwood Community Centre’s Annual General Meeting and the Annual General Meeting of Yarrunga Community Centre on the 17th. Both Community Centres, are overseen by a voluntary committee of management and it is great to see that they are both continuing to meet the needs of the wider community, through social groups, adult education and child services.

Delegates’ Report: Entering 2010

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While we are just officially starting the new Council year, December was a busy month, with end of year functions, followed by January, where events and community organisations began to meet for the year ahead.

Some of these events include:

Delegates’ Report: End of Year Functions for 2009

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This time of year is synonymous with end of year functions and I’ve attended several over the past month, including:

Despite us rapidly approaching the end of the year, it is still business as usual. On the 10th of December I had the pleasure of attending the graduation of the Maroondah FReeZA Group, Stuff Your Stereo Productions, along with Cr. Natalie Thomas, Rob Steane and Peter Gurr.

FReeZA is a program for young people who organise music gigs, through EVs Youth Centre in Croydon. This year’s group was particularly innovative in forming partnerships with other organisations and introducing gigs covering a range of musical genres and tastes. The Youth Services Team who oversee the group, are already busy at work planning for next year’s group and I commend the Team at EVs for organising yet another successful event.

Lastly, on the 13th I had the pleasure of opening the Maroondah Carols by Candlelight.

While there were patches of light rain during the morning, we were fortunate to have pleasant weather for the evening. The large crowd enjoyed the carols immensely and I would like to congratulate the many people and community organisations that worked together to host such a fantastic event.

Delegates’ Report: Theatre, recognising volunteers and documenting Ringwood’s history

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On the 20th of October I attended the Monkami Drama Group’s Performance of the Picnic at Hanging Rock. This is now the third year of the Monkami Drama Group and it is great to see the group expanding its talents.

Monkami is a service provider for adults with intellectual disabilities and strongly believes in providing a range of opportunities for its clients, including drama and the arts. This year’s performance was another demonstration of Monkami’s commitment to the wider community and it was great to see the actors developing increasing confidence and skills during the production.

On the 5th of November I attended the Youth Volunteer Recognition Evening, which provides a chance to recognise the volunteering commitments of younger people. It was great to see the young people themselves involved in the preparation and conduction of the evening and to see that volunteerism is certainly strong within young people.

The 8th of November marked the new date of the Maroondah Festival and while the weather followed us to that date, it was great to hear the ongoing positive feedback about the new format and community involvement. I would like to commend the staff for their many hours in preparing and holding the event.

The 11th of November saw the launch of From Horse Shoes to High Heels, a history of Eastland, written by Richard Carter and introduced by our Director of City Development Phil Turner. This documented history of the Eastland site is timely given Ringwood’s status as a Central Activity District and the change that is proposed to occur.

While I believe that many people within our community would welcome change to Ringwood, it is always important to recognise the history of the area so that we can learn from the past and plan for the future. The book documents the history of the lots within what is now Eastland Shopping Centre and I do encourage people to read this history of one of the prominent locations within Ringwood.

Lastly, on the 12th of November I attended the Maroondah Volunteer Recognition Function, where we formally acknowledge the many volunteers within our City. I would like to add my congratulations to our residents that do dedicate their time to volunteering within our community.

Delegates’ Report: Annual General Meetings and Seniors Week

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This month has marked the beginning of the Spring season for Annual General Meetings, and I had the pleasure of attending the Ringwood Historical Society AGM on the 22nd of September.

The Society documents the history of Ringwood and it is great to see renewed interest in our local history. The Ringwood Historical Society previously met on a quarterly basis, but now meets monthly covering a diverse range of topics within our community.

The Eastern Volunteers Annual General Meeting followed on the 24th of September and I was joined by Cr. Lamont and Cr. Macdonald in attending this event. Eastern Volunteers is continuing to grow strongly and is planning three major events over the course of the next year, its annual Fun Run for March, the return of its community conference in July and a Multicultural Festival planned for October.

The Ringwood Diving Club Annual General Meeting was held on the 11th of October and is a sporting club that encourages participation in diving based at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

Several special weeks all seemed to converge in October, including Mental Health Week, Maroondah Business Week and the Maroondah Seniors Festival.

On the 8th of October I attended a presentation on the National Seniors Association. The National Seniors Association is unique in that while it provides a social connection, it also provides significant policy advice and advocacy.

On the 9th of October I attended the Ringwood Bowls Club 80th anniversary and season launch. The Ringwood Bowls Club is a successful sporting club and has a strong community focus. The club has had an emphasis on environmental sustainability through the installation of a water retention system and is also focused on social sustainability, through developing partnerships with community organisations.

One of the partnerships the Bowls Club has developed is with the Ringwood Spiders and is great to see that the Club mentioned the Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Night as one of its highlights. The Club is planning further community events including a jazz evening in November and partnerships with Eastern Volunteers.

Lastly, I attended a combined Ringwood U3A, North Ringwood Seniors and Enjoying Planned Retirement Luncheon on Saturday the 17th of October.

It is great to see the members of each group supporting each other and I would like to commend the committee members and members for the holistic view of the facility. In addition, I would also like to commend the council officers that have supported these groups and responded to the concerns that they have raised.

Delegates’ Report: Environmental Sustainability and Achievements by People with Disabilities

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On the 23rd of August I attended the launch of the North Ringwood Tennis Club’s water sustainability project. The club, through a combination of Federal and Council grants, has installed water tanks to assist the watering of its courts and reduce dependence on our limited water supplies.

Like many of our sporting clubs, North Ringwood Tennis Club is committed to environmental sustainability and it was great to hear their members discussing the ongoing need for sustainability, including the investigation of potential energy conservation projects.

I commend the club for its ongoing foresight and commitment to sustainability.

I attended the Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Night on the 28th of August.

The atmosphere was understandably jubilant given the strong success of the team, including winning the Premiership Cup for the first time in 14 years, with the club already planning for next year’s season. Each year the number of attendees at the Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Night increases, so much so that they had outgrown the clubrooms at Jubilee Park and instead held their function at the Ringwood Bowls Club.

With the football season drawing to a close, the Ringwood Spiders are preparing a range of off-season activities, including partnerships with other sporting clubs such as the Ringwood Bowls Club.

The Ringwood Spiders demonstrates what can be achieved within our community and it is fantastic to see the ongoing partnerships that have been formed within the Club, including the Ringwood Redbacks, the Ringwood Bowls Club and businesses such as Lakeside Cafe.

Lastly, this morning I attended a combined meeting of Scoot Wheel n Move and the Maroondah Disability Action Group. The two groups are both focused on accessibility, with Scoot Wheel n Move having a particular interest on mobility aids and the Disability Action Group focusing on advocacy.

This morning the groups were at a joint meeting to hear Bill Shorten, the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children Services, who attended the meeting at the request of the Disability Action Group.

It is quite an achievement for any community group to secure the presence of a senior Government Member and it is great to see an example of a community group advocating on behalf of its community.

The discussion this morning was productive and I commend the two groups for their advocacy within the community.

Delegates' Report: Ringwood Spiders entering the finals and community inclusion within the community

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On the 2nd of August I attended the Ringwood Spider’s final home game for the 2009 Football Season. The Ringwood Spiders, is a football team for people with disabilities and compete in the Football Integration Development Association League, which consists of fourteen teams across Victoria.

The Ringwood Spiders continued their winning streak and are well positioned to compete in the Division Two Grand Finals, which will be held this Sunday on the 23rd of August. This is a momentous occasion for the Spiders, since the last time they competed within the finals was back in 1994, when they were known at the Ringwood Blues.

While the Spiders will be playing at Glen Waverley for the finals, I am sure that we will all be wishing them well and a speedy victory for the Premiership Cup.

On the 3rd of August, I along with my two Mullum Ward colleagues, Cr. Lamont and Cr. Fraser attended a tour of St Stephens Community Living Centre, located in Ringwood East. The Community Living Centre, operates from several rooms at St Stephens Church and provides a similar environment to a community house, through the provision of courses and classes for local residents.

In particular The Community Living Centre has an emphasis on community wellbeing and provides a range of classes covering health, fitness and creativity. Ringwood East is without a community house and the St Stephens Living Centre fills this void by providing a range of unique courses for local residents.

Lastly, on the 14th of August I spoke at the Kerrabee Club, a Planned Activity Group operated by Maroondah Council. The Kerrabee Club provides activities and events for the frail aged and people with disabilities, as well as providing respite for carers. These activities include gardening, games, exercises, outings, guest speakers and other social activities, aimed to enhance the social and emotional wellbeing of participants. In addition a Men’s Shed also operates on the site.

The Kerrabee Club is one example of the support Maroondah offers to Home and Community Care clients and I would like to extend my congratulations to the staff and volunteers who are involved with the program.

Delegates' Report: Advocating for public transport improvements and an update on the Ringwood Spiders

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On the 18th of June and the 16th of July I attended the Eastern Transport Coalition, as Maroondah’s delegate to the committee. The Eastern Transport Coalition is a regional body, that consists of Melbourne’s seven outer eastern councils and this includes the City of Maroondah.

One of the priorities for the group is to engage with the wider community and provide advocacy for the needed public transport improvements within the region. As part of this program, the Eastern Transport Coalition will be launching a regional petition, which will be circulated throughout the member councils and the wider community.

The Petition will be launched tomorrow and I would like to thank our Mayor for confirming his attendance at this important event.

The petition is calling for much needed public transport infrastructure improvements and has six key requests including several which are relevant to Maroondah:

  • A full and public feasibility study for an increase in capacity on the Belgrave/Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines,
  • Improved facilities for passengers, particularly at interchanges located in central activity districts – Ringwood, Dandenong and Box Hill,
  • Fully accessible public transport facilities and vehicles

Among those requests is the need for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange, recognising the regional importance of Ringwood to Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs.

On the 22nd of June I attended the second series of workshops for the review of Maroondah’s bus network. These workshops are an initiative of the State Government and aim to make recommendations to improve the configuration of bus routes, their frequencies and service spans.

It is encouraging that the network recommended for Maroondah consists of largely positive proposals, including the need for more direct and frequent services. While the final report still needs to be prepared, it was somewhat disappointing that details were vague in regard to the implementation of the recommendations.

This is an issue the Eastern Transport Coalition will be following in coming months to call on the Government to commit to the timely implementation of the bus route reviews, particularly since parts of the reviews conducted in other regions of Melbourne have already received commitments.

On the 28th of June I attended the Ringwood Spiders Home Game against Parkside. The Ringwood Spiders are a football club for people with disabilities and is supported by the Ringwood Football Club at Jubilee Park. The game coincided with the Ringwood Spiders Sponsorship Day Afternoon and it was great to see the team playing some of its best football all year.

The Spiders had a tremendous victory against their competition and the development of the team over the season was clearly evident. What is always amazing about the Spiders is their focus on providing a sense of community and opportunities. This was reinforced by the player who was awarded the Best Player of the Match and who spoke about what the Spiders meant to him and how it helped him realise his potential.

The Ringwood Spiders now sit at the top of the division ladder and are playing their next home game on Sunday the 26th of July from 11am at Jubilee Park in Ringwood.

Delegates' Report: Maroondah's Wellbeing, Reconciliation, Planning for the Future and Supporting Migrant Communities

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On the 19th and 25th of May I had the pleasure of presenting certificates to the students who participated in Council’s drawing competition for the Community Wellbeing Plan. The competition provided school students with the opportunity to discuss what they liked about Maroondah and to gain input from these students for the Community Welleing Plan.

Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan is a comprehensive document that will identify strategies to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of our municipality. It is great to provide creative ways of encouraging all members of our community, including schoolchildren to comment on the plan.

On the 27th of May I had the privilege of launching Maroondah’s Indigenous Policy and officiating the Maroondah Reconciliation Week festivities. The event was attended by students from a number of Maroondah based schools, as well as members of our community. The event included a series of workshops, as well as an Indigenous Elder retelling Dreamtime Stories and the One Fire Aboriginal Dance Troupe who recreated traditional Indigenous dances. It is great to see the continued strong interest that our community has towards Reconciliation.

On the 12th of June I attended a business planning workshop for North Ringwood Community House. The house is in the process of updating its three year business plan to ensure that it has a sustainable economic, social and environmental future. The House is delighted by the success of its application for feasibility study funding, with both the State Government and Maroondah Council announcing a financial contribution towards the study.

The discussion during the workshop understandably included the need for a new premises and location and this successful application, with $25,000 from the State Government and $5000 from Maroondah, means that this this vision is one step closer to reality.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the many council officers who assisted the House in preparing the application and also for their ongoing assistance, as the study scope is defined and the work commences.

On the 13th of June I attended a Soccer and Volleyball Tournament organised by the Migrant Information Centre for the Burmese and Sudanese Communities. Maroondah has one of the highest Burmese populations within Metropolitan Melbourne and it was great to see events being held to support our migrant communities.

The Rotary Club of Ringwood assisted the Migrant Information Centre through holding a barbecue and serving food and refreshments and the participants certainly appreciated the hospitality. When my grandparents migrated to Australia from Poland in 1958 there was little support in learning about Australia and the English language. It is wonderful to see that there are now community organisations that can assist migrants in settling into their new lives in Australia.