Tag: agm

Ringwood Diving Club – 2010 Annual General Meeting

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The Ringwood Diving Club is based at Ringwood Aquatic Centre in Jubilee Park, Ringwood and has over 100 members. The Club has a strong history within diving, including having four members who will be competing at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Today’s annual general meeting provided an opportunity to elect committee members for the upcoming year and to present trophies to competition winners. In addition I spoke about the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure Centre, which would provide new facilities for the community including vastly improved diving capabilities, as well as wellness and gym components which are currently lacking at the existing Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

The Ringwood Diving Club has undertaken extensive planning for the future, including expanding its coaching capacity, providing coaching for people with hearing impairments and forming alliances with the Whitehorse Diving Club. For further details please visit www.ringwooddivingclub.com.au

Maroondah Business Association – AGM and Social Networking

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The Maroondah Business Association, which was formerly known as Maroondah HomeBiz, provides a supportive and nurturing environment for businesses within Maroondah. The Association has an emphasis on networking, business knowledge, workshops and practical support through providing monthly guest speakers and other events.

While Maroondah HomeBiz had an exclusive emphasis on home-based businesses, the Maroondah Business Association encompasses businesses of all sizes, to ensure that the organisation is able to continue to facilitate growth and development of a business.

Tonight’s guest speaker discussed social networking providing an overview of the various social networking sites and their relevance to an increasing demographic. The speaker offered insight into the various social media tools and some background in regard to search engine optimisation.

The Maroondah Business Association meets on the first Wednesday of each month, for further information please visit www.maroondahbusiness.org.au.

Ringwood Swimming Club – 75th AGM and Presentation Evening

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The Ringwood Swimming Club is located at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre at Jubilee Park and provides a range of swimming activities, including competitive events for its members. The Club has had ongoing success in State and National competitions, with medals being won across a number of age groups and events.

This evening, along with my ward Colleagues, Cr. Nora Lamont and Cr. Ann Fraser, I attended the Ringwood Swimming Club’s Annual General Meeting and Presentation Evening held at the Heathmont Bowls Club. The event provided an opportunity to congratulate the many swimmers within the Club and to build upon this success for future years.

The guest speaker was Sarah Katsoulis, a Commonwealth Games record holder in 50m Breaststroke and part of the 400-medley relay team. Sarah discussed the ongoing need for training and determination so that swimmers can achieve their fullest potential. In addition, Sarah spoke about her own experiences and challenges as a competitive swimmer and provided insights into the sport.

Alex at the 75th Annual General Meeting for the Ringwood Swimming Club
Alex at the 75th Annual General Meeting for the Ringwood Swimming Club

The Ringwood Swimming Club, which is celebrating its 75th year, has had a long association with Ringwood and it is great to see the Club celebrating its ongoing success. Swimming complements the many other sporting activities within Jubilee Park and Council is currently finalising the Management Plan for this precinct. Combined with further improvements, this will help ensure that Jubilee Park and the associated facilities meet the changing needs of Ringwood and Maroondah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

42nd Annual General Meeting for the Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau

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The Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau has offices in Ringwood and Croydon within Maroondah, where they provide referral services and emergency relief.  The organisation is operated largely through volunteers, who need to complete a training course before they can provide assistance to people in need of their services.

This afternoon the Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau held its 42nd Annual General Meeting, electing committee members for the upcoming year and to provide an overview of changes within the organisation over the past twelve months.  Like many community organisations, the Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau has had to adapt to changing community needs and as a result has focused on developing a range of policies to outline roles and responsibilities.

I re-nominated as a committee member at the AGM and was invited to discuss current issues within Maroondah,   including the redevelopment of Eastland, the former Ringwood Market site and Ringwood Station.  Works on the Station forecourt and bus interchange are expected to begin towards the middle of this year and will help in improving the appearance of the Station.  These works however will not resolve the issue surround the lack of disability compliance standards for Ringwood Station and further funding is required to ensure the creation of a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange.

Priorities for the Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau include an upgrade of their computer systems to improve connectivity between the two offices and ensure that information is maintained and up-to-date.  The Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau requires additional volunteers, please visit www.mcab.org.au for further information.

U3A Croydon Annual General Meeting

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The University of the Third Age (U3A) is a community based organisation that provides educational opportunities to retirees and seniors.  Maroondah has two local U3A organisations, with one in Ringwood and in Croydon, these two groups are part of the U3A Network Victoria, which includes other U3As across the State.

This morning I was invited to to be the guest speaker at U3A Croydon Annual General Meeting.  U3A Croydon has over 600 members and provides a range of courses, including languages, literature, history, computer studies and handicrafts.  The organisation is embarking on developing a business plan to provide a cohesive direction for the future and this demonstrates the professionalism and foresight of its committee and members.

Given that U3A Croydon is a growing organisation, one of their concerns is the ongoing need for community space.  As the guest speaker I discussed Council’s current work on assessing community needs, which will assist in identifying potential venues and meeting places for community organisations.  This project is expected to be completed towards the end of this year and will provide a centralised resource to locate community venues, making it easier for groups to plan ahead.

Like many other people in our community, the members of U3A Croydon are also concerned about the condition of Ringwood Station and several members raised questions in regard to the lack of easy access in using the Station.  While the majority of its members are located in Croydon, it is clear that an issue like Ringwood Station affects the entire municipality, reinforcing the need for further funding to create a safe, integrated and accessible transport interchange.

While the core focus of U3A is education, it is important to recognise how the group assists in providing a social outlet for its members and peer support.  The U3A model encourages collaboration between teachers and students to create a dynamic and stimulating learning environment and it is clear from the attendees at the AGM, that U3A Croydon is achieving this objective.

For further details on U3A Croydon please visit home.vicnet.net.au/~unita/index.htm

North Ringwood Community House 2010 AGM

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North Ringwood Community House is located at 120 Oban Road, located at the rear of the Holy Spirit Primary School in Ringwood North.  The North Ringwood Community House is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and offers a range of accredited courses, as well as adult education and social groups.

As a community based organisation, North Ringwood Community House is overseen by a voluntary committee of management and this afternoon the organisation held its annual meeting to elect committee members for the next twelve months.  While I was previously a committee member of the North Ringwood Community House, I have chosen not to seek re-nomination and have resigned from the committee.

While I enjoyed being a committee member of North Ringwood Community House, changes to the Local Government Act, prevent a Councillor from formally discussing matters involving an organisation, where they are part of its decision making body.  As a consequence, this has meant that I was unable to discuss the community house within formal council meetings.

Given these changes to the Local Government Act, I believe I will be better able to advocate for the community house if I was no longer a member of the committee of management.

During the past twelve months North Ringwood Community House prepared a new business plan and completed the feasibility study exploring potential sites for the organisation and its services.  The study identified Norwood Reserve along Warrandyte Road as the preferred site and Council will now able undertaking an assessment of this location, including consultation with existing users and exploring the traffic implications.

This assessment is expected to be completed by July, when Council will discuss the findings with the North Ringwood Community House.

Croydon Conservation Society 2010 AGM

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The Croydon Conservation Society  was formed in 1964 and is Maroondah’s oldest environmental organisation.  The Society covers a broad range of natural and urban sustainability issues, including environmental preservation and planning issues.

Tonight’s Annual General Meeting, including a presentation on the works being undertaken at Brushy Creek to prevent flooding that affects nearby residents.  The project, which includes two phases totalling over $2 million, will restore Brushy Creek between Bellara Drive and Maroondah Highway and includes extensive re-vegetation.

The 2010 Committee for the Croydon Conservation Society is aimed to strengthen its ability to become a community resource for people interested in sustainability.  This will see the Society strengthen the role of its website as it aims to deliver content for the community.

Yarrunga Community Centre AGM

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Yarrunga Community Centre opened in 1996 and is a not-for-profit community organisation, located in Croydon Hills.  Like other community centres within Maroondah, the organisation is overseen by a voluntary committee of management,. with operational decisions delegated to the staff.

Tonight’s annual general meeting included a presentation from a Whitehorse sustainability ambassador, who spoke of initiatives to reduce water consumption, particularly through developing a sustainable garden.

Yarrunga has a strong focus on sustainability and recently installed solar panels to reduce its environmental footprint.  In addition the Centre is planning to install water tanks to reduce the Centre’s usage of potable water.

Yarrunga offers a diverse range of activities, including adult education, social programs and an Early Learning Centre.  For further information please visit www.yarrunga.org.au.

Central Ringwood Community Centre 2010 AGM

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Central Ringwood Community Centre is a not-for-profit community organisation located within Bedford Park, Ringwood and provides a range of community courses, as well as facilities available for hire.

This afternoon I attended Central Ringwood Community Centre’s 2010 Annual General Meeting, which provided an opportunity to learn about the activities undertaken within the Centre. The Centre recently received funding through the Better Regions Program Funding, which has provided for accessibility improvements and a new activity room.

In addition Central Ringwood Community Centre is a partner in a project that aims to identify the needs of refugees from Burma, through identifying any gaps in existing services.  The project is due for completion in March 2011 and reinforces the Centre’s strong interest in Maroondah’s diverse community.