Category: Environment

Media Release: Council signs an Agreement of Mutual Support

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Maroondah City Council Mayor Alex Makin has joined five eastern council Mayors in signing an Agreement for Mutual Support in an effort to provide a stronger voice for the region.

Councillor Makin said the agreement would deliver a cohesive approach to issues facing the region.

“Having the support of our surrounding Councils will mean that Maroondah is better placed to tackle issues which affect our region, including public transport and community facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“Our aim is to ensure that all levels of government are well aware of the collective issues facing Councils and communities in the eastern suburbs. Maroondah Council has already been working cooperatively with our neighbouring councils and I look forward to this continuning into the future,” Cr Makin said.

The Mayors of the municipalities of Whitehorse, Knox, Manningham and Yarra Ranges also signed the agreement.
The agreement for mutual support commits the councils, where consistent and in accordance with each council’s adopted policy or position, to:

  • Lend support of the Council’s activities as considered appropriate in matters of common interest or mutual benefit
  • Be mindful of and take up opportunities to include other councils in activities that can provide economic, social and environmental benefit across the municipal boundaries
  • Work cooperatively and pro-actively to provide a collective voice for the region in matters where a collective voice will give greater weight to regional issues and solutions
  • Not replicate the activities of existing bodies, forums or like associations that already provide a collective voice for the councils covered by the agreement.

“This agreement will strengthen the partnerships that already exist between the five Councils and ensure that we work collectively to deliver outcomes for our communities,” Cr. Makin concluded.

The signing took place on Wednesday 22 September at the Art Space at Box Hill Town Hall, 1022 Whitehorse Road.

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Monkami Luncheon – Introducing Alarming Art

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The Monkami Centre is located in Croydon and is a not-for-profit disability services provider for people with intellectual disabilities.  The Centre has a strong emphasis on empowering its clients and provides a range of educational, employment and community development activities.

This afternoon I attended a luncheon organised by the Monkami Centre to provide an introduction to their latest project, ‘Alarming Art’. The project includes the transforming of the former Croydon Fire Station into a community art space, featuring artwork from Monkami’s clients and other artists.

Today’s lunch also provided an opportunity for Monkami to discuss their other projects, including volunteer and employment opportunities that exist for their clients. These projects are critical in demonstrating that people with intellectual disabilities can contribute positively to our community and I commend Monkami for its emphasis on developing and enhancing the skills of its clients.

An official launch of Alarming Art is planned for 6.30 pm on Thursday the 14th of October at the former Croydon Fire Station, 14A Croydon Road in Croydon.

Maroondah Leader: Point of no slick churn

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The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) is a community based organisation that promotes improvements to public transport.

I served as the founder and Convenor of the Outer East Branch until 2008, forming the branch to provide local advocacy on public transport issues affecting Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Since 2008 Jeremy Lunn has served as the branch convenor and has performed tremendously in continuing to raise public transport issues effecting the the eastern region.

The Maroondah Leader has reported on ongoing concerns regarding the lack of frequent rail services along the Belgrave and Lilydale lines beyond Ringwood. I joined Jeremy in calling for more frequent services:

Public Transport Users Association outer east convenor Jeremy Lunn said passengers travelling on the Belgrave/Lilydale line beyond Ringwood were receiving services below urban standards.

Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said consistent 10 minute services were essential, given Ringwood’s status as a Central Activities District.

The use of sustainable forms of transport is critical to the success of Ringwood’s transformation into a Central Activities District and the current half services beyond Ringwood do not encourage public transport usage.

“For example, people are waiting up to 30 minutes for an eight minute train ride to and from Croydon,” Cr Makin said. “It is completely unacceptable to have long gaps in frequency, particularly when we want more people to use public transport in Ringwood.”

The Frankston line was recently provided with a consistent 10 minute off-peak service, providing a frequent service linking the Frankston Central Activities District. This a welcomed step and provides public transport services that minimise waiting times.

Ringwood and Box Hill are both Central Activities Districts and served by the Belgrave/Lilydale lines, it is clear that these services require similar frequency improvements. Outer eastern residents should not need to wait up to half an hour to connect them to Ringwood or Box Hill.

Media Release: Councillors show support for Ringwood Station petition

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Maroondah City Councillors have thrown their support behind the Ringwood Station Petition and are urging other members of the community to get behind the campaign.

All nine Maroondah Councillors have signed the petition which is calling on all state political parties to commit to an upgrade of Ringwood Station within the term of the next government.

Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin, who was the first signatory on the petition, thanked the community for their ongoing support of the campaign.

“There have been many community groups and individuals, who feel strongly about the station upgrade, circulating the petition around the region,” Cr Makin said.

“We appreciate the community support, but to make the signatures count, the petitions need to be returned to Council by Friday October 1,” Cr Makin said. “The petition will then be collated and presented to State Parliament in the final sitting week before the state election.”

“The more signatures and community support we can generate through the petition the stronger our voice is to ensure the funding commitment is made. So it’s not too late to sign the petition at one of Council’s service centres or on council’s website,’ Cr Makin said.

To sign the petition or find out more about the campaign:

Visit one of Council’s service centres:

City Offices Service Centre
Braeside Avenue, Ringwood

Eastland Service Centre
Level 2, Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood

Croydon Service Centre
Civic Square, Croydon

Go online to watch the video, to complete an online submission or to download a copy of the petition:
Maroondah Council website – www.maroondah.vic.gov.au
Maroondah Youth Services website www.maroondahyouthservices.com.au
Facebook – www.facebook.com/ringwoodstation

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Media Release: Draft Community Facilities Occupancy Policy and Pricing Policy on public display

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Maroondah City Council has endorsed the draft Community Facilities Occupancy Policy and the draft Community Facilities Pricing Policy for public display.

The policies were presented at the Council meeting on September 20.

Council currently owns or manages more than 100 sports fields, pavilions, halls, meeting rooms and other facilities on behalf of the community.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said the draft policies were developed concurrently and were directly aligned.

“The draft policies provide a comprehensive framework for the community use of Council owned or managed facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“The draft Community Facilities Occupancy Policy and the draft Community Facilities Pricing Policy will guide the process of determining appropriate occupancy agreements and pricing structures for all Council owned or managed facilities and ensure the agreements are consistent and transparent,” Cr Makin said.

“The draft policies aim to establish clear frameworks so the community groups know what they are paying for, why they are paying and that other users groups in similar situations are contributing in a consistent manner,” Cr Makin said.

“Under the draft Community Facilities Occupancy Policy community groups wishing to use Council owned or managed facilities will have to undergo an assessment to determine the suitability of the proposed arrangement and the length of tenure. Once this assessment has taken place Council will then discuss the rate of rental,” Cr Makin said.

“There are two existing policies relating to the occupancy and the pricing of community facilities, however these policies have not been updated for a number of years. During this time there has been changes to legislation, increased emphasis on risk management and occupational health and safety requirements and changes to the way the groups are using the facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“To meet these new needs Council has also reassessed the pricing structure associated with the use of Council facilities. The current pricing structure has been in place for the past 11 years and was established with the intention that Council could recover an estimated 30 per cent of facility maintenance costs,” Cr Makin said.

“In the past 11 years that margin has dropped significantly and Council is currently recovering on average 3 per cent of maintenance costs for the sporting grounds and 15 per cent for the pavilions,” Cr Makin said.

“Council believes the sporting grounds and community facilities are integral to the development of a strong community, which is why we subsidise and support the many groups which use them,” Cr Makin said.

“We need to have a system in place which allows for the reasonable, transparent and equitable use of these facilities,” Cr Makin said.

The policies cover most Council owned facilities or grounds including:

  • Council Owned Community Halls
  • Community Centres
  • Kindergartens
  • Senior Citizens Centres
  • Sporting Pavilions
  • Sports Grounds and sporting activity surfaces
  • Scout and Guide Halls
  • Facilities managed by Council Committees of Management
  • Maroondah Federation Estate

The draft policies will be on public display until October 26. Those wanting to make a submission must do so before this date. Following consideration of the submissions the policies will be amended where appropriate and Council endorsement will be sought.

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Maroondah Weekly: Station upgrade high on wishlist

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Maroondah City Council’s campaign calling for the upgrade of Ringwood Station is continuing with a strong response to the petition calling on all political parties to commit to the redevelopment of the Station during the next term of Government.

The Maroondah Weekly has reported on Council’s campaign and the widespread community support it has received:

“It has been great to hear how strongly the community feels about the need for an upgrade to the station,” mayor Alex Makin said.  “People are fed up with the current state of the station and are willing to speak out to campaign for change.  The more community support we can generate, the greater the impact it will have when we present the petition to the political parties.”

The online petition enables community members to leave comments on their thoughts on the condition of Ringwood Station and Council has received many responses highlighting the accessibility and safety issues that exist at the station.

Cr Makin said the comments highlighted the station’s inadequacies and shows the personal impact it was having on rail users.

“It is not compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act and it is time that Ringwood Station receives the upgrade it deserves.  This is something the people of Maroondah feel strongly about. Council has listened to their concerns and is doing everything possible to ensure that these voices are heard.”

There is still time for members of the community to sign the petition which is available at Council’s Customer Service Centres or online at www.maroondah.vic.gov.au.

Eastern Transport Coalition – September 2010 meeting

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The Eastern Transport Coalition is a regional based council advocacy group, which includes Melbourne’s seven outer eastern Councils. I attended tonight’s meeting to provide members with an update on Council’s campaign to secure the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated interchange.

The Eastern Transport Coalition is planning a series of candidate forums across each Council to provide the community with an opportunity to discuss public transport issues in the lead up to the State Election. Maroondah’s Candidate Forum will be held on Wednesday the 13th of October at 6.30 pm at the Karralyka Centre in Ringwood East.

This date will coincide with Maroondah City Council’s launch of its Ringwood Station – the missing piece campaign, where we will be calling on all political parties to commit to delivering an accessible, safe and integrated transit interchange for Ringwood. The current station, which fails disability compliance standards, is an essential part of Ringwood and must be upgraded to ensure the creation of a vibrant urban centre.

The Ringwood Station – the missing piece campaign will be held at 6pm at the Karralyka Centre on Wednesday the 13th of October.

Second Meeting with Central Activities District Mayors

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This afternoon the Mayors of Melbourne’s six Central Activity Districts; Dandenong, Frankston, Footscray, Hume, Maroondah and Whitehorse discussed the need for increased dialogue between each Council. The Central Activities Districts are six urban centres, that have been nominated for intensification and mixed use development, providing a range of housing, employment and community opportunities.

While senior Council Officers have regular discussions across these Councils, there has been little interaction between respective Mayors despite each municipality experiencing similar challenges in regard to public transport infrastructure and long-term commitments to the Central Activities Districts.

Today’s meeting furthered these discussions, with Councils working together to secure a long-term funding commitment and implementation plan from the State Government for each Central Activities District. This will ensure that all levels of government are working towards common goals and ensuring a strategic vision for each of these urban centres.

Opening the mecu Eastland service centre

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mecu is a credit union, which encompassed several other organisations including Maroondah Credit Union. As an organisation, mecu has a strong focus on sustainability, with expert advice provided to their board in regard to sustainability initiatives.

This morning I was invited to open their new Eastland Service Centre, mecu’s flagship store for the eastern suburbs. The Service Centre incorporates sustainable building materials and it is encouraging to see mecu’s commitment to sustainability. The Eastland Service Centre recognises Ringwood’s position as a regional centre, with mecu offering a full range of financial services as this flagship store.

Media Release: Ringwood Station petition well supported

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Maroondah City Council’s petition calling on all state political parties to commit to a redevelopment of Ringwood Station in the next term of government has received generous support from the community.

Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said to date more than 150 people had signed the petition, some choosing to leave comments on Council’s website.

“It has been great to hear how strongly the community feel about the need for an upgrade to the station. Last week Council released a video on our website which highlights the difficulties people who rely on a mobility device have in accessing the station,” Cr Makin said.

“The amount of community support our campaign has received to date speaks for itself. People are fed up with the current state of the station and are willing to speak out to campaign for change,” Cr Makin said.

“I urge those who haven’t already signed the petition to visit one of Council’s service centres or website and support our campaign. The more community support we can generate the greater the impact it will have when we present the petition to the political parties,” Cr Makin said.

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

“Every time I walk up or down this station I wonder how people with disabilities, pregnant women or mums with prams get up and down the walkway to go over the tracks. It’s a big worry, and I feel unsafe walking there and nothing is even wrong with me.” Georgia, Mount Evelyn

“Ringwood Station needs to be more user friendly for all Maroondah residents. More and more residents are relying on Ringwood Station than ever before. It is time to invest.” Emily, Ringwood.

“This is discrimination, clear and simple.” Aidan, Bayswater North

“I use Ringwood Station daily for commuting to work in the city and the Ringwood Station is a joke….. The ramps are quite steep and falling over on icy conditions is not uncommon, I have done it a couple of times. We need action fast.” Sandy, Ringwood.

“The sooner the better, waited too long,” Ringwood East couple

“I have a 19-year-old intellectually and physically disabled daughter. It is IMPOSSIBLE for us to use Ringwood Station due to the appalling lack of disabled facilities. Is it not part of the State Disability Plan to ensure ALL Government sites have disabled access? Surely the Department of Transport is remiss in its responsibility to ensure that Ringwood Station (as a major transport hub) is accessible for all people, not just the able bodied. Karen, Ringwood East.

“It is appalling that people who use public transport should be subjected to an unsafe and intimidating environment at their local station. Ringwood Station is an anachronism that the Government should be ashamed of, and improve if it has any sense of social conscious.” Nick

Go online to watch the video, to complete an online submission or to download a copy of the petition:
Maroondah Council website – www.maroondah.vic.gov.au
Maroondah Youth Services website www.maroondahyouthservices.com.au

To sign the petition or find out more about the campaign:
Visit one of Council’s service centres:
City Offices Service Centre
Braeside Avenue, Ringwood

Eastland Service Centre
Level 2, Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood
Croydon Service Centre
Civic Square, Croydon

Visit one of Council’s facilities:
Arrabri Community Centre
Allambanan Drive, Bayswater North.

Croydon Library
Civic Square, Mount Dandenong Road, Croydon.

Karralyka Centre
Mines Road, Ringwood.

Maroondah Federation Estate
Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood.

Ringwood Library
4 Ringwood Street Mall, Ringwood
(Adjacent to Eastland Shopping Centre).

Wyreena Community Arts Centre
13-23 Hull Road, Croydon.

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