Category: Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee

Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee – First meeting for 2010

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The Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee oversees the implementation of Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan.  The plan itself will be officially launched on the 19th of April and was developed through engaging the community and the members of last year’s Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee.

Today’s meeting discussed the launch of the plan and the new Charter which will guide the conduct of the committee.  Members on the committee have been chosen to reflect the priorities of the plan and include health providers, community organisations and environmental groups to assist in its implementation and measuring its progress.

Maroondah Partners in Comunity Wellbeing Committee

Posted on by alex

The Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee meets on a quarterly basis to oversee the implementation of Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan.  The plan aims to improve the wellbeing of the Maroondah community through working in partnership with other organisations, many of which are represented on the committee.

Priority areas in the plan include:

  • Promoting healthy minds and healthy choices
  • Developing engaged and resilient communities
  • Creating accessible and safe communities
  • Promoting lifestyle opportunities that support health and wellbeing
  • Targeting equity and social inclusion
  • Achieving healthy and sustainable environments

Cr Ann Fraser and myself are the two Councillor representatives on the the Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee and there is a newly formed Safety Committee which is represented by Cr Rob Steane.  These two committees provide a collaborative approach to the health, safety and wellbeing of our community.

Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing – final meeting for 2009

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The Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee, meets on a bi-monthly basis to discuss initiatives that improve the health, safety and wellbeing of municipality and its residents. This year’s priority has been the development of the Maroondah Community Wellbeing Plan.

This plan, otherwise known as a Municipal Public Health Plan, is a statutory requirement and is a high-level strategic document that guides the Council in terms of health, safety and wellbeing initiatives and partnerships with other key agencies.

The Community Wellbeing Plan will be formally considered by Council in December, after extensive engagement with service providers and the wider community, through stalls, surveys and interviewing. In addition, the Marooondah Partners will be aligned with the new Community Wellbeing Plan, and hence will be known as the Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee.

Nominations through expressions of interest will be sought from service providers and community members. This will empower the committee so that it is able to monitor the implementation of the Wellbeing Plan and suggest recommendations as required.

The Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing has been one of the committees I have enjoyed the most and the adoption of the Plan will provide a renewed focus and direction for the group.

Media Release: Creating a safe community

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Community Safety Month 2009 kicks off in October and there are a number of supporting events planned for the Maroondah community.

Councillor Alex Makin said the month aimed to promote awareness about a broad range of safety matters including crime prevention, personal safety, safe work practices, staying safe during emergencies, and improving the perception of safety.

“Community Safety Month is celebrating its 13th year in 2009 and it’s proven to be a valuable tool in raising community awareness of safety matters,” Cr Makin said.

“This October Council will be hosting several events to showcase the activities it is undertaking and supporting to address community safety issues in a variety of ways,” Cr Makin said.

Some of the activities planned for Community Safety Month include:

  • Portraits of Positive Seniors – a project that aims to break down the negative stereotypes of the older generation while addressing the broader issue of safety by profiling local citizens and focusing on the positive outcomes of community engagement. The project aims to inspire the older generation to keep moving physically, mentally and socially by providing peer-based examples that are realistic, achievable and identifiable. Portraits will be on display at various Council facilities in the second half of October. Phone Council’s Community Safety Officer on 9294 5745 for further details.
  • Launch of Monkami Army in Main St, Croydon – a group of individuals from disability service provider Monkami will embark on a gardening project in Main Street, Croydon from 10.30am on Monday 26 October. The volunteers will help plant and maintain the garden in a bid to further enhance perceptions of safety and wellbeing in the area. Look out for the Monkami Army volunteers the next time you’re in Croydon.
  • Responsible service of alcohol – Council and Good Sports are subsidising a Responsible Serving of Alcohol course on Wednesday 21 October at Richard Silcock Pavilion, Croydon. The course, normally $100 per person, is just $15 for Good Sports members and $30 for non-members. Gain the knowledge and awareness to serve alcohol responsibly.

Community Safety Month is coordinated by the Victorian Safer Communities Network (of which Maroondah is a member), and supported by Victoria Police.

To find out more about Council’s community safety initiatives visit Council’s website at www.maroondah.vic.gov.au.

For further information on Community Safety Month in Maroondah, phone Council’s Community Safety Officer on 9298 4212 or email naomi.dashwood@maroondah.vic.gov.au

Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committe – Reporting on the Community Wellbeing Plan

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The genesis of the the Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee was to oversee the implementation Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Plan. This plan which established the health, safety and wellbeing priorities for the municipality is currently being updated and rewritten as the Community Wellbeing Plan.

During this process the Committee has fulfilled a role in highlighting health, safety and wellbeing issues within Maroondah and works in partnership with external agencies such as Eastern Access Community Health, the Primary Care Partnerships and Victoria Police.

While wellbeing is an all encompassing term designed to incorporate health and safety, it is important that specific concerns are still highlighted and addressed by the committee and its members.

As a result the committee now receives updates from Maroondah’s two safety committees. These committees were formed to address safety concerns within central Ringwood and Croydon and to ensure a cooperative approach between council, traders and services such as Victoria Police.

This provides greater insight into safety initiatives and will help provide an holistic and practical approach to concerns within Maroondah.

Launch of the Outer East Community Food Access Research

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The Outer East Community Food Access Research Project, was a report commissioned through the Primary Care Partnerships and nutrition networks and examined the proximity to fresh and nutritious food to residents living in Maroondah, Knox and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

While Maroondah is generally well provisioned with access to fresh food, through supermarkets, green grocers, delicatessens and other outlets, there are considerable differences between the prices that are charged for fresh food between each suburb and locality.

This has an impact on residents being able to purchase nutritious food, relative to other needs such as clothing and shelter. The report found that some residents within the community were eating less so as to afford other necessities, such as accommodation.

The launch of the report provides further insight into the health and wellbeing of the Maroondah community and is timely given that Council is currently reviewing its Community Wellbeing Plan.

Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee – new terms of reference

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The Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee meets on a bi-monthly basis and includes representation from council, as well as several external agencies, including Victoria Police, the Department of Human Services, the Primary Care Partnerships, Connex and the Royal District Nursing Association.

The committee’s priority over the course of this year is to oversee the establishment of Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan, which will identify council’s priorities over the course of the next four years.

As a result today’s meeting provided an update on the plan, which is expected to be completed by November of this year. Council’s engagement and collaboration with the community is continuing and this feedback will guide the development of the plan.

An update was also provided in regard to the much needed security cameras at Ringwood Station, with Victoria Police working closely with Connex, Maroondah Council and Eastland to develop a proposal for funding consideration by the State Government.

The committee also formally adopted its revised terms of reference, which include a name change to the Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee, to reflect its role in overseeing the development and implementation of the Wellbeing Plan.

Eastern FM – discussing the Community Wellbeing Plan

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Eastern FM, is based at Wyreena Community Arts Centre and broadcasts on 89.1 FM. The Friday morning breakfast program includes a number of community guests, with the first Friday of each month featuring a Councillor from the City of Maroondah.

This morning it was my turn as the guest for Eastern FM, where I discussed the purposes of the Community Wellbeing Plan and the opportunities that exist for community engagement.

A large number of responses were received from the Maroondah Focus survey, where residents had the opportunity to identify the top five issues relating to their views on community wellbeing. In addition, the online survey, which was available on the Council website, also attracted a large number of responses.

This feedback will be collated and assist council, as well as the Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee in being able to ascertain the major concerns identified by the community.

Further opportunities also exist for input, with surveys being conducted as immunisation sessions and as part of Council’s Picnic in the Park program. The next Picnic in the Park is scheduled for Saturday the 16th of May at Brentwood park in Croydon, followed by Saturday the 23rd of May at McAlpin Reserve, off Wonga Road in Ringwood North.

Both events run from 10am to 1pm and will include activities and a sausage sizzle. The community will also have the chance to provide further feedback which will be incorporated into the Community Wellbeing Plan.

Participating within Eastern FM provides a further opportunity for the community to speak with their local councillors and it was encouraging to receive several calls while I was in the studio.

For further details on Eastern FM please visit www.easternfm.com.au.

Community Wellbeing Plan – Judging for the drawing competition

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Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan will shape the council’s priorities and actions for working towards an inclusive, healthy and safe municipality.  The Wellbeing Plan is one of council’s highest level documents and as such extensive consultation and engagement across all ages is critical to ensuring that it reflects the viewpoints of our community.

To encourage participation from schoolchildren, council recently held a drawing competition to discover the particular qualities primary schoolchildren like about living within Maroondah.  This evening myself and Cr. Nora Lamont judged the drawings and to discover the topics identified by these schoolchildren.

Most of the students identified Maroondah’s parks and sporting facilities as the main reason they liked living within Maroondah.  In particular there was an emphasis on the close proximity of playgrounds, as well as football and swimming facilities.  This feedback will help reinforce the strong value our community places on green open space and will be utilised to provide input into the Community Wellbeing Plan.

The formal presentation of awards to the paticipating schoolchildren will be held within the next month.

Delegates' Report: advocacy, fundraising and annual general meetings

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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.