Category: Attendance Reports

Delegates’ Report: Celebrating volunteering, the environment and social inclusion

Posted on by alex

There has been a variety of events that I have attended over the past month and I would like to discuss a few of those in further detail:

On the 25th of April I attended the Anzac Day Dawn Service and each year it is encouraging to see the crowds increase. The Ringwood RSL needs to be commended for holding such a sincere service and for their hospitality to the local community.

On the 27th of April I had the pleasure of speaking to Grade 5 and 6 students from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Primary in Ringwood. The students are undertaking a unit of study on government and sustainability and I discussed the role of Council and the importance of environment and working together to mitigate climate change.

The school has a sincere and genuine commitment to sustainability and is currently planning to organise a range of school activities, such as tree plantings, to further encourage the students to take an interest in the environment.

On the 7th of May I had the pleasure of speaking to participants of the Maroondah Young Leaders Program. The program is a week-long course involving approximately twenty year 10 students who learn team-building skills, public speaking and leadership qualities. I was invited to speak to the students about my role as a Councillor and discuss the need for younger people to remain active within our community.

The presentation evening for the students was held on the 8th of May and this was where the participants were able to display the skills they developed over the course of the week. The calibre of the participants was excellent and Maroondah’s Youth Services at EV’s Youth Centre must be congratulated for another wonderful job.

This year, the students will be encouraged to utilise their skills to develop and implement a community project of their choosing. This ensures that the participants are able to practice and further develop their skills within the community and not simply forget about what they have learned. The participants have begun meeting to discuss the community project and I am certain we will hear further in coming months.

Last week marked National Volunteers Week and I spent the week with a variety of different groups, including Meals on Wheels last Tuesday on the 12th of May. Meals on Wheels is a council program operated by volunteers who provide a tremendous service to our community. The social interaction between volunteers and participants is just as important as the meals themselves and it is wonderful to see Maroondah’s caring and compassionate community first-hand.

A compassionate and caring community was also on display this afternoon on the 18th of May where I attended the 30th anniversary of the Ringwood Uniting Day Care service. This service, provides social interaction and inclusion for Maroondah’s older citizens, with some participants well into the nineties. While there is now a number of similar programs available, the service was truly an innovation when it was formed 30 years ago.

It was wonderful to see several of the original volunteers still contributing their time to this very worthwhile cause and to witness the warmth and enjoyment gained by this valuable community service.

Delegates' Report: Community Houses, water conservation and upcoming conferences

Posted on by alex

On the 24th of March I attended the Ringwood Precinct Open House, which provided an opportunity for residents living within the Ringwood Central Activities District and namely the residential area to the west of Ringwood to actively engage council and discuss any concerns they may have.

It was great to see a strong interest from the community and discussion with council around areas such as Eastland, Ringwood Station, open space and traffic. I would like to thank the many staff across all areas of council who engaged the community and took the time to hear and provide feedback.

There were three annual general meetings that I attended over the past month, including the North Ringwood Community House on the 24th of March. North Ringwood Community House is the only community house in Maroondah which is a registered training organisation and as a result they provide TAFE accredited Certificate III and IV training courses, in areas such as Aged Care, Palliative Care and Disability Services.

As I’ve reported previously, the priority for the house is to find a new location which will improve its accessibility and provide additional rooms to cater for increasing enrolments. The house recently submitted its grant application for feasibility study funding through the Department of Planning and Community Development.

The following day on the 25th of March I attended the annual general meeting for Central Ringwood Community House based in Bedford Park in Ringwood. Central Ringwood Community House provides an emphasis on computer training courses, as well as educational services to migrant communities and many other areas of interest for our community. The house is continuing to experience ongoing growth and has plans to improve accessibility and provide additional classroom facilities.

The Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau AGM was held on the 1st of April and provided an opportunity for its membership to meet their new office manager and report on the ongoing growth in their emergency food relief. The guest speaker for the meeting was from the Primary Care Partnerships who spoke about food security and the difficulties some households are experiencing in purchasing fresh and nutritious food.

On the 4th of April I attended the launch of the Ringwood Bowls Club Water Reclamation Facility. The project provides three water tanks and a water retention system collecting water from the roof, adjacent roadways, the car park and their greens resulting in a capacity of 280,000 litres. It is estimated that the facility will conserve 1.5 million litres providing significant water savings. This project was the culmination of cooperation between all levels of government, Federal, State and Local, which included a grant from Council’s Water Sustainability Fund.

Lastly, Eastern Volunteers have organised a conference for the 13th and 14th of May exploring volunteer, social inclusion and community wellbeing. For details, including registration and the conference program, please visit their website at www.easternvolunteers.org.au.

Delegates' Report: advocacy, fundraising and annual general meetings

Posted on by alex

Firstly, I would like to report that the Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee has been reconvened for this year and held its first meeting on the 17th of February.

The primary objective for this year is to oversee the development of Council’s new Wellbeing Plan, which will guide Maroondah’s approach to health, safety and wellbeing initiatives within the municipality. The committee involves a broad cross section of organisations and is well positioned to provide this input.

On the 19th of February I attended a forum on bus services, convened as part of the State Government’s review into bus routes across Metropolitan Melbourne. It is encouraging that the Government is investigating bus routes within Maroondah as there is a need for more frequent bus services and better connectivity across the network. The government has called for public submissions and has extended the deadline for submissions until the 3rd of April. A second workshop will be scheduled for later this year.

I attended two annual general meetings over the past month, including Maroondah Homebiz on the 3rd of March where it is encouraging to see the organisation continuing to strongly represent the growing numbers of small and homebusiness owners within Maroondah. I also attended the Croydon Conservation’s Society AGM on the 12th of March. The organisation is enthusiastically entering its 45th year and maintained a budget surplus over the past twelve months.

Lastly, I participated in a fundraiser for the bushfire appeal through the Rotary Club of Ringwood on the 20th of February, collecting coin donations at the Maroondah Highway and Mount Dandenong Road intersection. I am pleased to say that Rotary raised in excess of $10,000 and would like to thank our community for giving so generously.

Delgates' Report: Groups working for the wellbeing of our community

Posted on by alex

There a few items I will be discussing this evening.

On the 26th of November 2008, I was invited to launch Coloured Emotions, an art exhibition from the Parent Support Network. This was the second exhibition organised by the group throughout the year and it was an opportunity for these parents to convey the challenges in caring for a child with a disability. The calibre of peer support and friendship gained through the group is a testament of Jenny Newman, the convenor, who was awarded the Maroondah Citizen of the Year at the Australia Day Awards.

On the 2nd of December 2008, I attended the launch of Enjoying Planned Retirement’s bocce season. EPR is a group for senior citizens and provides a range of activities for its members. The launch of its bocce season provided a chance for EPR to unveil its new barbecue, which was graciously donated to them by Rinnai Australia, after the theft of their previous barbecue.

Last week I was notified by the group that this new barbecue had been stolen, with the locks broken at its storage facility at Norwood Hall in Ringwood North. It is bitterly disappointing that someone would be so callous and steal from a group like EPR, that exists to provide friendship and support for our senior citizens.

Norwood Hall houses three seniors groups and they are working together to prevent such a theft occuring again. The fact that EPR has been hit by theft twice in two years is extremely disheartening.

Last Wednesday I attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Ringwood. The Rotary Club is currently discussing projects to assist people affected by the ongoing bushfires. This Wednesday the club’s guest speaker will be a former Ringwood Rotarian and resident of Marysville, who will discuss the assistance that is required for affected communities.

The recovery efforts from these bushfires will be ongoing and as a community it is important that we recognise this and continue to provide assistance where we can.

Lastly, I would like to thank the many community organisations and individuals who have offered their support to bushfire relief efforts. No matter what group I speak to they have all asked how they can assist in recovery efforts. The strength our community shows in times of need and is truly overwhelming. I thank them for their efforts.

Delegates' Report: community inclusion, appreciating local history and recognising our many volunteers

Posted on by alex

Thank you, as per previous months there are a few items I will be reporting on this evening:

On the 23rd of October I had a meeting with the Maroondah Skylarkers. The skylarkers is a group that delivers musical performances for senior citizens centres, nursing homes and retirement villages. The skylarkers are already booked out for their 2009 season, but are on the lookout for new members, so if anyone has musical and performing talents and would like to entertain our senior citizens please do consider speaking to the Maroondah Skylarkers.

Later on that afternoon I attended the Monkami Annual General Meeting. Monkami is a non-profit service provider for people with an intellectual disability. Monkami is unique in that is has an emphasis on community inclusion and the centre funds a community inclusion officer to ensure strong connections with the community.

Monkami is involved in a number of community projects, including the highly successful Monkami Drama Group, which has performed two seasons of its Titanic Resunk production, as well as partnerships with Croydon Secondary College and Arts Out East, which includes an exhibition from a number of community groups and will be held between the 21st and 23rd of November.

In addition Monkmai has developed an office administration course, which includes customer service, administrative and computer skills. Through this course, Monkami is exploring the possibility of work placements for these students to demonstrate the capabilities of their students. Two of the students showcased the presentation skills they learnt and their computing and PowerPoint skills were exemplary. Centres like Monkami prove that all people have abilities and it is important that we provide opportunities for these skills to be valued and acknowledged with our community.

On the 6th of November I attended the Eastern Access Community Health Annual General Meeting. EACH is a community based health provider that continues to go from strength to strength.

The guest speaker was human rights advocate Julian Gardiner, who spoke about the need to break down the systemic human rights inequities. Systemic inequities prevent people from recognising their full potential and hamper the delivery of an inclusive society. Organisations like EACH, through its holistic approach to health and wellbeing, as well as Monkami help address this disadvantage.

On the 8th of November I attended the Ringwood and District Historical Society’s bus tour of Ringwood East. The tour included thirteen stops highlighting the history of Ringwood East and explaining the stories behind locations such as Burnt Bridge and the region’s early mining and brick manufacturing industries.

The historical weekend continued through the 9th of November where I attended the Launch of Ringwood East Collections. The book captures some of the memories of Ringwood East through the retelling of thirty-five stories. The book is available for purchase through the Ringwood and District Historical Society and the group is already planning the recollections of Ringwood North, which is due in 2010.

On the 13th of November I was invited, as the Deputy Chair of the Eastern Transport Coalition, to participate in a panel discussion as part of the Victorian Transport Infrastructure Summit. The discussion provided an opportunity to highlight the strong support for better public transport in the eastern suburbs, where the majority of respondents surveyed through the ETC believed that governments were not giving sufficient priority to the provision of public transport.

On the 14th of November I attended the annual performance of Enjoying Planned Retirement’s Spotlighters. I spoke about Spotlighters last year and it was great to see at least one other councillor attending this year’s performance. EPR’s Spotlighters mixes music, singing, acting, tapdancing, comedy and theatre into an extremely polished musical production. Spotlighters is an entertaining event and I do look forward to the 2009 season.

On the 13th of November I attended Maroondah’s Volunteer Recognition Evening and I would like to commend the many people that devote their time to creating a better and more inclusive community. Volunteers are the strength of any society and it is great to see an ongoing interest in people wanting to devote their time to volunteer and community activities.

Lastly, I would like to thank the many community groups and individuals that I have met over the past three years. It is wonderful that we have many committed people within Maroondah and I do wish each and everyone well.

Delegates' Report: celebrating our history, supporting our sporting clubs, cultural events, volunteers and community houses

Posted on by alex

On the 23rd of September I attended the Ringwood Historical Society’s AGM. The Society meets each month at Federation Estate with the aim of preserving our heritage for the future. The society has developed extensive archives over its 50 year history and is one of the oldest historical society’s within the eastern suburbs.

In fact the Ringwood Historical Society celebrates its 50th birthday this month and I encourage the community to attend its 50th birthday celebrations on the 28th of October from 8pm at Federation Estate.

On the 26th of September I attended the Ringwood Bowls Club Season Launch. The occasion marked the beginning of the bowls season and also coincided with their water sustainability project.

Ringwood Bowls Club has been part of Ringwood’s history since 1929 and its current membership and executive are determined to ensure that it has a sustainable future. The bowls club has embarked on a project to install water tanks and rainwater retention systems to water its two grass greens. The club is in fact the first bowling green to retrofit its facilities for water sustainability.

It was encouraging to see all levels of government work together to achieve this outcome. A combination of Federal, State and council grants have assisted in providing the funding for this project to be undertaken. I congratulate the club on its foresight and its commitment to a sustainable future.

From the 3rd to the 5th of October I attended a number of events as part of the Maroondah Writers and Readers Festival. As some of you may recall, I’ve spoken previously about the Festival steering committee, and as a member of this committee it was great to see the positive public reception and involvement in the festival. We had a steering committee meeting this morning and Eastern Regional Libraries, as well as the community members were all amazed at the success of this inaugural event. Next year the festival will probably comprise of a series of events to cover a range of writing genres and to build on some of the community partnerships that were formed during this event. I am sure that details will be forthcoming once they are available and the events are organised.

I would like to thank the many people that attended events during the weekend and also to the hardworking people that were involved in preparing and organising the festival.

On the 8th of October I attended the Eastern Volunteers AGM with Cr. Jo-anne Taylor. Eastern Volunteers provides volunteer recruitment and transport services for the frail aged and people with disabilities. Eastern Volunteers is based in Ringwood and it is amazing to see how much they have grown since their inception in 1976. The organisation is currently renting a premises in New Street, Ringwood and its current priority is to purchase accommodation that will ensure it has a sustainable future in the longer-term.

Eastern Volunteers has established a building fund to assist with this project and will be embarking on a process to raise the funds necessary. All donations made to the Building Fund are tax deductible.

On the 10th of October I had the pleasure of opening Enjoying Planned Retirement’s annual Art and Craft Festival, along with Cr. Jo-anne Taylor. The festival, now its third year, provides an appropriate conclusion to the Maroondah Seniors Festival, as it is celebrates the many talents of Marondah’s seniors. EPR is an incredibly active organisation and the support and activities they provide for members is amazing.

Lastly, this morning and at quite a few times over the past month I have met with North Ringwood Community House to assist in their grant application for funding into a feasibility study to identify a new location for the services the community house provides. I am pleased to say that work on the application is advancing rapidly and we will be submitting the application to State Government shortly.

Community houses facilitate social connectedness and North Ringwood Community House, as a Registered Training Organisation also provides TAFE accredited courses to assist in providing new skills for the community. The house after 30 years has outgrown its current location and premises and this grant will begin the process in finding a new site.

I would like to thank the staff members who have assisted in the house with information and also to Cr. Jo-anne Taylor for writing a letter of support for this application.

Delegates' Report: opportunities for people with disabilities, the upcoming writers festival and the strength of community spirit

Posted on by alex

On the 23rd of July I had the pleasure of attending Titanic – the Untold Story: Resunk by the Monkami Drama Group hosted at the Karralyka Centre. The performance revisited the drama group’s 2007 production through the introduction of new characters and a revised script.

Monkami is a service provider for adults with an intellectual disability and aims to develop skills that will enable them to live with the greatest degree of independence within their own community.

Each performer was given the opportunity to develop their own character drawing upon many popular names such as James Bond, Captain Jack Sparrow, Wolverine and Judge Judy and of course Napoleon who was the villain of the show.

The level of detail in the performance was incredible, not only was the stage decked out as the Titanic, and the costumes extremely thorough, but they even gave Titanic hats to the audience to ensure that they were part of the show. It was all hands on deck, when everyone tried to escape the sinking Titanic, fortunately with the audience joining in on the hokey pokey we were all able to escape to dry land!

After two successful seasons the production is now considering further opportunities to continue the performance, including the potential of a touring show.

The Ringwood Spiders, based in Jubilee Park in Ringwood, is a football team for people with disabilities and on the 27th of July I attended their last home game for the season against the Maribyrnong Bulldogs. Like Monkami, the Ringwood Spiders is another example of how people with disabilities can participate within our community. It was great to see the Spiders playing one of their best games for the season, with the players coming together as one team and playing some extraordinary football.

With such on-field skills the Spiders defeated their opposition, which was a fitting way to end their last home game for the season at Jubilee Park.

Groups like Monkami and the Ringwood Spiders demonstrate that when given the opportunity people with disabilities can participate within our wider community. Perhaps the most wonderful aspect of these two events, was the breadth of the wider community support. Community groups such as the Ringwood Ballet Group and the Ringwood Movie Makers provided immense support to Monkami and the Ringwood Football Club is one of the Spiders biggest supporters, providing the use of training facilities and clubrooms.

On the 5th of August I attended Maroondah’s Forum for People with Disabilities and Carers, which provides an opportunity to raise issues in regard to accessibility so that we can strive for an inclusive community.

The forum provided an opportunity to discuss the feedback from the workshop held earlier this year and it was encouraging to see most of the input being incorporated into the forum. I would like to thank the many departments that are responsible for the forum, including Metro Access, aged and disability services, community planning and development and council’s engineers.

The forum continues to demonstrate the importance of providing dialogue and hearing first-hand the accessibility issues that exist within Maroondah so that as a council we can work towards making a difference through creating an inclusive municipality.

Lastly, this morning I attended a steering group meeting of the Maroondah 2008 Writers and Readers Festival.

The Festival which will be held between the 3rd and 5th of October include writer’s workshops, discussion groups and keynote speakers around the key theme of crime. The event which is funded through a Maroondah City Council grant in partnership with Eastern Regional Libraries will feature a number of prominent writers including John Silvester, the author of the Underbelly.

Once again the community spirit shines through in the preparation for the festival, with North Ringwood Community House offering to manage ticket sales and businesses such as Lakeside Cafe being available as a venue.

For details please visit the Eastern Regional Library website at www.erl.vic.gov.au, otherwise details are also available on my own web site at www.alexmakin.com.au.

Delegates' Report: Support services, musical talents, advancing reconciliation and planning for Community Safety Week

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On the 20th of June I had the pleasure of attending Hope City Mission’s Charity Auction Evening. Hope City Mission, based in Croydon South provides assistance to people in need within our community. The mission does this by not only providing emergency relief in the form of food and clothing but by also focusing on the wellbeing of individuals. Through this focus on wellbeing and empowering change the Mission provides pamper days and extravaganza days, which provide haircuts and a chance to socialise and restore community connectedness. I also had the pleasure of seeing the Mission’s Pamper Day in action, last Friday on the 18th of July and I saw firsthand the benefits this service provides to some of our most vulnerable community members.

Individual wellbeing is just as important as food and clothing and Hope City achieves its Mission through broadening its focus on empowerment.

On the 4th of July the Eastern Transport Coalition held its Public Transport Summit, entitled it’s ‘Time to Move On’, that is time to move away from car dependence and the crippling cost that petrol is having on our families and towards public transport improvements. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many members of the Maroondah community who attended the summit and supported my presentation on the need for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and the importance of the Ringwood Transit City as a regional centre.

The redevelopment of Ringwood Station is critical to ensuring the revitalisation of Ringwood. The current station fails accessibility standards and is perceived to be unsafe, with Ringwood Station consistently being perceived as one of the most unsafe locations within Maroondah. Coupled with traffic calming along Maroondah Highway, pedestrians which total approximately 10,000 per day would be able to conveniently travel between the transport interchange and the residential/commercial precincts of Ringwood.

The Eastern Transport Coalition has recognised Ringwood’s importance as a regional centre and as a council we must support our neighbouring municipalities in calling for greater investment in public transport. There is strength in Maroondah being part of a concerted regional push, whereby one million residents across the eastern suburbs, recognise the importance in redeveloping Ringwood Station. Let us hope that the State Government heeds this call and delivers this essential upgrade to the station.

On the 11th of July I attended the Maroondah NAIDOC week celebrations which commemorated council’s permanent flying of the Aboriginal flag and I would like to congratulate the many community groups, the Indigenous networks and the Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place for attending the ceremony.

The theme for this year’s NAIDOC week is ‘Advance Australia Fair?’ It is important to note that the organisers intended this theme as a question, since it is a timely reminder of the health, education and wellbeing inequities that exist between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australia. Council’s Reconciliation Plan, which is included on tonight’s agenda will hopefully assist in bridging this gap and ensure that we as local government are working towards reconciliation.

On the 12th of July I had an afternoon of music, firstly with Enjoying Planned Retirement’s Hidden Talents concert. Where EPR’s unveiled the diverse singing, comedy and music talents of its expansive membership. EPR states that they are ‘recycled teenagers’ although I don’t think my teenage years were ever that fun! I would like to congratulate EPR on yet another fun filled event and look forward to the next Hidden Talents concert in September.

That evening I attended the Ringwood Eisteddfod, marking its 54th year of showcasing the immense musical talent that exists within our community. I would like to commend the many people involved in organising and performing within the Eisteddfod.

While the Premier and Cabinet held a community cabinet session in Karralyka on the 15th of July, I was busy chairing the Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee. With the year half over it is encouraging the see the continuation of the strong networking that exists within the committee with a number of agencies and organisations, such as Connex and the Department of Education, assisting council in undertaking activities for Community Safety Week in October. Do watch this space for details on the council activities for Community Safety Week.

Delegates' Report: Reconciliation Week, engaging our youth, supporting people with disabilities and calling for an investment in public transport

Posted on by alex

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.

Delegates' Report: Recognising our natural environment, volunteers, accessibility and the strength of partnerships

Posted on by alex

On the 27th of April I attended the launch of the Mullum Mullum festival, which is now entering its tenth year. The Mullum Mullum Festival is a community led project, which is supported by Whitehorse, Manningham and Maroondah Councils and encourages conservation and appreciation of our natural environment.

The significance of the Mullum Valley has been long recognised with an appreciation dating back from the 1920s. We are fortunate in Maroondah to have this unique bushland at our doorsteps and I strongly advise anyone who is unfamiliar with our environment to walk through the Mullum Valley and take the time to appreciate its natural beauty.

On the 28th of April I attended a workshop in regard to the Maroondah Forum for People with Disabilities. Maroondah has held a successful quarterly forum for people with disabilities and carers, allowing the opportunity to exchange information and to raise issues with council in an informal manner. While the forum has been working well and feedback was generally positive, this workshop provides the opportunity to improve it even further and I must commend the many council staff who attended this workshop with the intent of listening to the community.

The were several main issues that were discussed within the workshop context, including the need to ensure wider involvement, particularly through involving younger people with disabilities and also ensuring that a diverse range of disabilities are covered. In addition there was some debate around the time and frequency of meetings with a strong preference towards bi-monthly forums to ensure quicker response and greater opportunity to provide input.

It has been estimated that almost one in five people in Maroondah has experience with a disability. It is imperative that we use the feedback derived from the workshop to ensure that we further ensure that this section of our community is being heard.

On the 13th of May I attended the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce meeting where the topic of the Ringwood Transit City was discussed. This provided an opportunity to further explore the Transit City concept and the opportunities it provides. It is unfortunate however that the State Government failed the Maroondah community, including its many businesses, by not delivering on the much anticipated upgrade of Ringwood Station. While this was a definite disappointment it was encouraging to see the business community rallying behind the need for the Station redevelopment and to improve the Maroondah Highway crossing for pedestrians.

On the 13th and 14th of May I attended two volunteer recognition functions. The first hosted by Eastern Volunteers, who as part of National Volunteer Week thanked its volunteers for the many hours of community service they provide. On the 14th I attended Maroondah’s Youth Volunteer Recognition Function which provided an opportunity to acknowledge and encourage younger volunteers within our community. It was great to see the widespread interest in volunteering at both functions. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community and without them the world would be a much harsher place. The slogan for this year’s volunteer week is: Volunteers change the world! This is definitely true since volunteers in whatever they serve collectively make this municipality and the world in general a much better place. My congratulations to the volunteers that were recognised at both functions and also to the youth services team for coordinating yet another successful event at Maroondah’s youth centre.

On the 15th of May I attended the Eastern Transport Coalition meeting. As I’ve mentioned previously the ETC involves the seven eastern council and represents one million residents. In light of the disappointing news in regard to Ringwood Station, I am pleased to say that the entire eastern region is rallying behind Maroondah Council. The ETC has provided critical support for the Ringwood Transit City and public transport improvements, including securing the removal of zone three and better bus services. It is easy for a State Government to dismiss the voice of one council, it is much harder to dismiss seven councils that stand united. Many of these public transport improvements would not have not been possible without the support of the Eastern Transport Coalition.

The ETC is preparing a public transport summit on the 4th of July at 10am. One of the topics that will be discussed is the need for public transport improvements to ensure the success of Ringwood, not just for Maroondah but for the entire eastern region. The group stands firm in recognising the significance of Ringwood and stands steadfast in its support for the redevelopment of the Station.

I hope that my council colleagues recognise the importance of Maroondah within this group. I will be tabling seven factsheets that the ETC produced, including a factsheet on the need for upgrades at Ringwood Station and separate factsheets on the need for rail improvements and bus service enhancements.