Environment Archives

Handing over Council’s Petition calling for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station

Posted on 19 November 2010 by alex

Maroondah City Council’s petition calling for the upgrade of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange concluded today with the handing over of copies of the petition to representatives of the Australian Labor Party, the Victorian Liberal Party and the Victorian Greens.

Alex with a petition of approximately 3000 signatures calling for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station.

Throughout this afternoon I handed copies of the petition to Chris Padgham, the Greens Candidate for Warrandyte, Brian Tee, the Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport and Ryan Smith, the Member for Warrandyte. Each copy contained approximately 3000 signatures all confirming the need to redevelop Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange.

Alex handing over a petition of approximately 3000 signatures calling for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station to Chris Padgham, Greens Candidate for Warrandyte.

The Maroondah community has clearly demanded the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and as such all political parties should be supportive of this campaign. The redevelopment of Ringwood Station will enhance amenity, improve safety and ensure that the station will be accessible for people with disabilities.

Alex handing over a petition of approximately 3000 signatures calling for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station to Brian Tee, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport.

The current Station fails disability compliance standards due to the steepness of the ramps and is unfriendly and due to its outdated design. Ringwood’s importance as Central Activities District should in itself highlight the need for an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange that encourages sustainable transport and social inclusion.

Alex handing over a petition of approximately 3000 signatures calling for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station to Ryan Smith, Member for Warrandyte.

All three parties accepted the petition and while both the Greens and Liberal Parties have supported the full redevelopment of Ringwood Station, the Maroondah community is still awaiting a similar commitment from the Labor Party. The redevelopment of Ringwood Station is clearly the top priority of the Maroondah community and all political parties should act to ensure an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange for Ringwood.

Media Release: Final call for commitment for Ringwood Station upgrade

Posted on 18 November 2010 by alex

Maroondah City Council has issued a final call to all political parties to commit to the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange.

“Both the Greens and Liberal parties have listened to the concerns expressed by the Maroondah community regarding the urgent need to upgrade Ringwood Station within the term of the next government, but unfortunately the call has fallen on deaf ears with the current State Government.”

“While Council received a commitment in 2008 from Labor to fund the development of the Ringwood bus interchange and other improvements around the station, to date we have had no commitment to fund the upgrade of Ringwood Station itself,” said Cr Makin.

“We now wait in hope that the Labor party will follow its parliamentary colleagues, listen to the Maroondah community and commit to an upgrade,” said Cr Makin.

“Council has worked closely with the Maroondah community on a high profile advocacy campaign to highlight the urgent need for the funding commitment, as well as a commitment of starting date,” said Cr Makin.

“The campaign called for all major political parties to commit to an upgrade of Ringwood Station within the term of the next government. The Greens and Liberals listened to our community’s concerns and are now on board, we continue to await a commitment from the Labor party,” Cr Makin said.

“Council’s campaign has received enormous community support with a Ringwood Station upgrade petition receiving almost 3000 signatures,” Cr Makin said.

“The strong community support for the campaign has secured a commitment from two out of three major state political parties. It is extremely disappointing to note that the Labor Party not only continues to ignore the Maroondah community but ignores the need to fund the missing piece of its own Central Activities District,” Cr Makin said.

“The feedback I have received from people during the course of the campaign is that people want a station which is safe, accessible and integrated,” Cr Makin said.

“I will be presenting a copy of the petition, with all signatures and comments to both the Greens and Liberals in an acknowledgement of their support to the Maroondah community,” said Cr Makin.

“I will also be delivering a copy of the petition to Mr Brian Tee, Parliamentary Secretary on Public Transport, and Maroondah’s representative for the Eastern Metropolitan Region of the State Legislative Council,” said Cr Makin.

“The petition containing the almost 3000 signatures and comments will surely provide a weighty reminder to the Parliamentary Secretary and his colleagues in the Victorian Labor Party to sit up and take notice of the Maroondah community,” said Cr Makin.

Some of the comments posted on Council’s online petition:

“This station urgently needs an upgrade due to the increasing older population, to assist in making the train more accessible. It is very difficult for the elderly to manage stairs etc and updating the station would hopefully make it more secure for travellers. Older people don’t want to travel for this reason, it limits their freedom.”

“No one feels safe at this station. Our worries should not be ignored.”

“The upgrade is urgently needed if it wants to attract future residents. It’s needed to keep the existing travel users safe and secure. What happened to the Government’s duty of care. What happened to the Government’s responsibilty to Maroondah residents?”

“The current state of Ringwood Station is unacceptable. It is clearly not safe for the community- particularly those who are vulnerable ie pregnant women, elderly, disabled, mothers with prams- and its complete redevelopment should be the government’s highest priority.”

“This is an issue of great importance and ought to be a priority on the agenda for state political parties. Ringwood has been very much left behind and the upgrade would not only assist with the mobility of disabled commuters but will also make the area safer for all commuters.”

– ENDS –

Recognising the service of Council’s volunteers

Posted on 11 November 2010 by alex

Like many community based organisations Maroondah City Council is fortunate to have volunteers who assist in the delivery of services or provide assistance in the form of social support, environmental care and committees of management.

This evening Maroondah City Council acknowledged the service of its volunteers who dedicate their time to the community. The reception also provides an opportunity to thank volunteers who have achieved milestones in their contributions, including several who have been volunteering through Council for 35 years.

Alex with Council's CEO, Frank Dixon and volunteers who were recognised for 35 years of voluntary service to the Maroondah community.

The strength of a community can be measured by the number of volunteers and I would to thank everyone that has dedicated their time to volunteering within the municipality. The speech provided during the reception is available within this post:

Continue reading “Recognising the service of Council’s volunteers”

2010 Maroondah Festival

Posted on 7 November 2010 by alex

The Maroondah Festival is one of the largest community events within Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, attracting approximately 30,000 attendees and featuring dedicated community, business, sustainability, fitness, teenagers and children.

The weather remained largely pleasant throughout the day, providing a contrast to the hot weather experienced in previous years. The new location at Town Park also provides additional shade and ensures that activities are closer together making the festival easier to attend.

As the Mayor I delivered the opening speech for the Maroondah Festival, welcoming community members and highlights the partners that assisted in delivering the event:

Alex at the opening of the 2010 Maroondah Festival.

On behalf of the Maroondah City Council I would like to welcome everyone to the 2010 Maroondah Festival.

In the spirit of Reconciliation, we acknowledge that we are meeting on land for which the Wurundjeri people have been custodians for many centuries, and on land which the Indigenous Australians have performed age old ceremonies.

We, Maroondah City Council, accept, respect and have shared with the Wurundjeri people in their customs of welcome.

The Wurundjeri people support the coming together of all people, respecting their individuality to focus on a unified and cohesive nation.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of this wonderful community event and we invite you and your families enjoy the beautiful sunshine and take part in the huge array of activities available here today, including some fresh new initiatives and of course the old favourites.

I would especially like to extend a warm welcome to Ringwood Honda as the principal sponsor of the 2010 Maroondah Festival. Be sure to visit the Ringwood Honda stand next to the Information tent to collect your free Honda merchandise and check out the latest range of Honda vehicles on display. There will also be an opportunity to talk to the friendly staff from Ringwood Honda and enter the draw to win some fantastic prizes including a Honda lawn mower valued at over $800.

At the Festival today, over 150 local groups and businesses have come together to provide information on their networks, goods and services. With their continued support, the Maroondah Festival has grown to become the most well supported community Festival in Melbourne’s east.

I invite everyone to visit the Denso Australia Group – Community Expo today and learn more about the valuable work undertaken by our fantastic local community groups.

We are also fortunate that we have many businesses in our municipality who support the Maroondah Festival. I would like to thank the following businesses for their generous sponsorship at this year’s festival:

Ringwood Honda: The principal sponsor of the Maroondah Festival
Bankwest – sponsor of the Main Stage
Denso Australia Group – sponsor of the Community Expo
Maroondah Weekly – our media partner
Anaconda – sponsor of the Fun and Fitness Arena
Ventura – sponsor of the Park n Ride service
Jalna – sponsor of the Fun and Fitness Walk breakfast

An event the size of Maroondah Festival requires a lot of planning and hard work and I would especially like to extend a huge thank you to all of the volunteers and staff assembled here today. In particular I would like to acknowledge the assistance of St John Ambulance and Victoria Police, and I would also like to thank the staff of Maroondah City Council and Fruitbowl Productions.

I hope that you enjoy the rest of the day, visit the Festival Information tent to find out about the huge array of activities on offer and be sure to take advantage of the free sunscreen.

Thank you all for being part of this fantastic event and celebrating our wonderful Maroondah community.

I would now like to welcome to the stage, the Yarra Valley School band.

2010 Regional Adult Community Education Awards

Posted on 4 November 2010 by alex

The Regional Adult Community Education Awards is a new initiative from the Adult and Community Further Education (ACFE) board to recognise excellence within community houses and learning centres in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

This evening I attended the inaugural awards which were held in the City of Whitehorse. While ACFE hosts State-wide awards for the adult education sector, the regional awards are designed to highlight local success stories. As a result, these awards provide an opportunity to highlight local success stories in adult education and to provide recognition to community houses, students and tutors.

Melbourne’s eastern suburbs are fortunate to have a number of community houses and learning centres, providing educational opportunities for adults and tailored learning for people with disabilities. It is fantastic to see ongoing excellence and innovation with community houses and I look forward to the ongoing involvement of Maroondah’s community houses within these awards.

Media Release: Support grows for Ringwood Station upgrade

Posted on 27 October 2010 by alex

Maroondah City Council is delighted that the Greens and Liberal parties have listened to the community’s concerns with both of them pledging to upgrade Ringwood Station within the term of the next government.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said Council will continue its advocacy campaign leading into the state election in the hope the Labor party would follow its parliamentary colleagues, and also commit to an upgrade.

“The campaign calls for all major political parties to commit to an upgrade of Ringwood Station within the term of the next government. With the Greens and Liberals now on board, we await a commitment from the Labor party,” Cr Makin said.

“Council’s campaign has received a lot of community support with the petition signatures fast approaching 3000,” Cr Makin said.

“The strong community support for the campaign has secured a commitment from two out of three major state political parties. Now we need to continue the campaign and secure a commitment from the Labor Party to fund the missing piece of the State Government’s own Central Activities District,” Cr Makin said.

“The feedback I have received from people during the course of the campaign is that people want a station which is safe, accessible and integrated,” Cr Makin said.

“I urge those who haven’t already signed the petition to visit Maroondah City Council’s information booth at the Maroondah Festival on November 7,” Cr Makin said.

“At the booth we will have the Missing Piece jigsaw puzzle which highlights how important an upgrade to Ringwood Station is to the overall success of Ringwood as a Central Activities District,” Cr Makin said.

Some of the comments posted on Council’s online petition:

“No one feels safe at this station. Our worries should not be ignored.”

The petition is also available at Council’s service centres or sign online by visiting www.maroondah.vic.gov.au

– ENDS –

Media Release: Push to turn Maroondah’s street lighting green

Posted on 27 October 2010 by alex

Maroondah residents were among more than 3500 people to support a Municipal Association of Victoria petition calling on an upgrade to energy efficient street lighting.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin thanked those Maroondah residents who pledged their support to the Give Our Streets the Green Light campaign.

“The petition was calling on the State and Federal governments to partner with local councils to fund the $114 million upgrade costs which come with the switch to energy efficient street lighting,” Cr Makin said.

“The Municipal Association of Victoria delivered the community petitions to the Premier and Opposition Leader ahead of last Friday’s Local Government Climate Change Summit,” Cr Makin said.

“The Municipal Association of Victoria are confident the strong support by 46 councils and their communities will result in a commitment ahead of the state election to contribute some funding to fast-track the changeover to energy efficient street lighting,” Cr Makin said.

“Securing a combined contribution of $45million over four years from the Federal and State Governments would mean that councils could change about 330,000 street lights from 80W mercury vapour lamps to energy efficient globes at a low cost and in a quicker turn around,” Cr Makin said.

In Maroondah the upfront costs of replacing more than 5500 mercury vapour globes currently lighting Maroondah’s streets is about $2million.

Cr Makin said the reason for changing to more energy efficient globes was to reduce Council’s greenhouse gas emissions and create a greener more energy-efficient future.

“Council estimates that 31 per cent of its green house gas emissions and 22 per cent of its electricity costs are generated by lighting Maroondah’s local streets,” Cr Makin said.

“Electricity is predominately generated by burning brown coal which results in significant green house gases. By making the change to energy efficient globes, we can reduce our carbon footprint and work towards mitigating the effects of climate change,” Cr Makin said.

“The sooner the change over the sooner we start making a difference,” Cr Makin said.

– ENDS –

Media Release: State funding commitment essential for Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure

Posted on 20 October 2010 by alex

Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Alex Makin has confirmed Council’s major project for funding at the forthcoming State election.

“The proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure is the number one funding priority for Council as an essential piece of community and Council infrastructure,” said Cr Makin.

“As a State Government designated Central Activities District, Ringwood is enjoying significant investment and development from private enterprise with major commercial and residential growth underway,” said Cr Makin.

“The State Government has committed $39million in funding towards the bus interchange with funding still to come for the Ringwood Railway Station. Both are essential government infrastructure elements for the Central Activities District,” said Cr Makin.

“The significance of the Ringwood Central Activities District has been identified and acknowledged by both the Greens and Liberal parties in the lead up to the State election with their commitment to funding an upgrade to Ringwood Station within the term of the next government,” said Cr Makin.

“Council’s proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure will complement the development taking place in the Ringwood Central Activities District, enabling it to meet the needs of the growing and diverse regional population of more than 400,000 people,” said Cr Makin.

“The proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure is a critical element to the Central Activities District, both in recreational and leisure terms, as well as the economic and employment benefits during construction and operation,” said Cr Makin.

“Council is seeking considerable funding to assist with the development of this project, particularly for the diving facilities which will provide unique dry diving training for the State, as well as a FINA standard 10 metre diving tower and pool,” said Cr Makin.

“Council has met with all state candidates to ensure that they are aware of the needs of the Maroondah community, and will continue to advocate strongly in the lead up to the State election on behalf of our local community,” said Cr Makin.

– ENDS –

Media Release: Ringwood Station funding pledge

Posted on 20 October 2010 by alex

“On behalf of the Maroondah community I would like to congratulate the Liberal Party for listening to the community’s concerns and pledging $60million to upgrade Ringwood Station,” Maroondah City Council Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said.

“I thank our local members of parliament Ryan Smith and Heidi Victoria for advocating strongly on behalf of the Maroondah community and securing not only the funding, but a commitment to start the project within the next term of Parliament,” Cr Makin said.

“The Liberal Party’s commitment follows last week’s announcement by the Greens who pledged their support to transform Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated public transport hub,” Cr Makin said.

“We have now secured a promise from two of the major political parties to upgrade Ringwood Station. I now call on the Labor Party to join with their colleagues and commit to an upgrade of Ringwood Station to improve the future prosperity of Ringwood and Melbourne’s eastern region”, Cr Makin said.

“A safe, vibrant and integrated Ringwood Station is the missing piece of the State Government’s own Ringwood Activities District and to date Council has collected more than 2000 signatures on a petition calling on all major parties to commit to funding an upgrade to Ringwood Station within the term of the next government,” Cr Makin said.

“During the course of Council’s campaign calling for the Ringwood Station upgrade we have received support from many members of the community including several disability advocates. A video was produced and uploaded to YouTube which highlighted the concerns people with a disability have about accessing Ringwood Station,” Cr Makin said.

“This video was an important part of the campaign and I thank those people who were willing to share their personal stories as a way of highlighting the inadequacies of the current station layout,” Cr Makin said.

“The community support has been critical in demonstrating the need for improvements to Ringwood Station. I congratulate people for standing up for what they believe in and making the political parties realise that they can no longer ignore the needs of the Maroondah community,” Cr Makin said.

– ENDS –

Delegates’ Report: Regional Partnerships, Celebrating Diversity, Ringwood Station Advocacy

Posted on 18 October 2010 by alex

There are several notable items I will discuss tonight.

The first being the regional partnership signed by the Mayors of the Cities of Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges on the 22nd of September. This agreement will strengthen co-operation between the municipalities in areas such as advocacy, where each of these councils have supported calls for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange.

The Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival was held on the 9th of October, with over 5000 attendees enjoying a range of multicultural food, entertainment and performances. It is great to see the Maroondah community embracing cultural diversity and this was further evident at the New Year celebrations of Maroondah’s Chin community, an ethnic group from Burma who celebrated Fang Er at Ringwood Secondary College on the 16th of October. The afternoon provided an opportunity to learn about Fang Er, which coincides with the harvest season in Burma and to discover national dances and food.

Monkami, a not-for-profit service provider for people with intellectually disabilities, has continued to strengthen its community connections and I had the pleasure of launching Alarming Art on the 14th of October. Alarming Art is Monkami’s new public gallery located at the Croydon Fire Station in Croydon Road, the space will provide an opportunity to showcase the talents of Monkami’s clients and further strengthen connections with the community.

Lastly, Maroondah City Council launched its Missing Piece Campaign on the 13th of October, calling on all political parties to commit to the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange. The campaign, which I co-launched with accessibility advocate Margaret Stevens, reinforces the dire state of Ringwood Station and the need for a commitment. The campaign will continue until the State Election with updates being available at www.facebook.com/ringwoodstation.

I’ll table the rest of my report.