Tag: annual general meeting

Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau 2011 Annual General Meeting

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The Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau is in its 43rd year and provides emergency relief for people in need, information referral and support.

Today’s Annual General Meeting elected committee members for the 2011/2012 year who provide ongoing direction for this vital community organisation. I had previously been a committee member of the Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau since 2007 where I assisted in the planning and delivery of their business plan.

This plan led to modernisation of the service, including database systems for clients and referral agencies, improving efficiency and ensuring up-to-date records and information. The plan also strengthened the marketing of the organisation through a website, as well as ensuring consistent promotional materials and publicity.

Governance reforms were also undertaken providing delegated authority for the office administrator and a clear distinction between paid staff and the committee of management.

I chose not to re-nominate for the committee given that I felt that the changes over the past few years helped deliver an ongoing and sustainable future for the organisation.

For further information on the Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau please visit www.mcab.org.au.

North Ringwood Community House Annual General Meeting for 2011

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North Ringwood Community House is located at 120 Oban Road in Ringwood North and is the only community house in Maroondah that provides accredited training through courses offering Certificate III and Certificate IV accreditation.

North Ringwood Community House is the only community house not located on Council land, hampering the ability to seek grants for extensions and new developments.

Today’s Annual General Meeting provided an update on the relocation of North Ringwood Community House, with Council adopting in December last year to fund a masterplan for Quambee Reserve through the 2011/2012 Council Budget. This masterplan will include extensive consultation with North Ringwood Community House, Quambee Reserve and residents to ensure the best range of facilities for the community.

The guest speaker was Russ Haines the President of the Ringwood Historical Society who discussed the progress of the group’s history of Ringwood North.

I offered to return to the Committee of Management for North Ringwood Community House to assist the House in its activities over the course of this year.

North Ringwood Community House continues to experience strong growth in its courses reinforcing the need for a new home for this community facility.

Attendance Report: Social inclusion and Council alliances

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One of the reforms undertaken during my year as Mayor was to extend delegate reports into attendance reports, to ensure that Councillors can confidently discuss the events and activities that they have undertaken. In addition, a new report, known as Ward Reports was also introduced which allows Councillors to discuss upcoming events.

On the 19th of November I attended Maroondah’s end of year function for crossing supervisors. The function provides an opportunity to thank crossing supervisors for the work they undertake in providing safety for students gaining access to and from schools. Several crossing supervisors are some of Maroondah’s longest serving employees and I would like to thank these dedicated members of staff for the service that they provide to the community.

On the 20th of November I attended the 10th anniversary of Maroondah Movement for Reconciliation. The group, which was formed in 2000 aimed to encourage reconciliation and promote an understanding and awareness of Indigenous culture. I would like to congratulate the group for its achievements, particularly in encouraging Council and the community to embrace Reconciliation.

On the 21st of November I attended the first annual general meeting of the Maroondah Inter-faith network. The network, which was established in November last year aims to encourage dialogue and understanding between faith based communities in Maroondah. The group has experienced a strong first year and I would like to thank the interim committee for their service and dedication, as well as congratulate the incoming committee, which is already planning events for the year ahead.

Lastly, on the 22nd of November I joined my then Mayoral counterparts of the Councils containing Central Activities Districts to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between these Councils and the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne. This alliance will ensure that the Councils that contain Central Activities Districts, namely Maroondah, Frankston, Greater Dandenong, Whitehorse, Hume and Maribyrnong will be able to collectively advocate for the needs of these urban centres.

A meeting is scheduled for the 20th of December where this alliance will be introduced to the newly elected Mayors and priorities established for the next twelve months. This alliance will having growing significance to Council over future years as it will ensure that Maroondah will be also work cooperatively with these other Councils to ensure a cohesive approach to Melbourne’s Central Activities Districts.

The first annual general meeting of the Maroondah Interfaith Network

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The Maroondah Interfaith Network was formed in November 2009 to promote understanding and social harmony between Maroondah’s faith based communities. The Network, which comprises of representatives from several Maroondah faith organisations, has held a series of events throughout to promote understanding and awareness of Maroondah’s faith communities.

This afternoon I attended the Maroondah Interfaith Network’s first Annual General Meeting, which elected committee members to replace the interim committee and to focus on strengthening and developing the network over the next twelve months. While the Maroondah Interfaith Network is a relatively new organisation, it has already highlighted the diversity of Maroondah’s faith communities through promoting understanding and dialogue between religious faiths.

Congratulations to the many faiths involved in establishing the Maroondah Interfaith Network and for their ongoing involvement. Many of Maroondah’s neighbouring municipalities have had long established Interfaith Networks and it is great that Maroondah now has its own Interfaith Network to promote social inclusion and understanding.

2010 Eastern Volunteers Annual General Meeting

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Eastern Volunteers is a not-for-profit community organisation that provides volunteer recruitment and community transport services across Maroondah, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

Eastern Volunteers has a voluntary board of management which establishes the strategic direction of the organisation, which has 14 staff and over 100 volunteers. I accepted the position of Manager of Marketing Services in late September and as a result did not seek re-nomination to the Eastern Volunteers Board of Management.

As part of the Annual General Meeting, myself and Eugene Wong, the Manager of Business Development, discussed Friends of EV, a new program developed by Eastern Volunteers to encourage community and business partnerships.

Friends of EV provides ongoing benefits to businesses, through consulting services, corporate volunteering and training, as well as providing an ongoing link to the community sector. Further details on Friends of EV is available at www.easternvolunteers.org.au.

Manager of Marketing Services at Eastern Volunteers

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Eastern Volunteers is a community based not-for-profit organisation that provides volunteer assisted transport and volunteer recruitment across the Cities of Maroondah and Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

I had been a board member of Eastern Volunteers since July 2008 providing oversight and direction for the activities undertaken by the organisation. Eastern Volunteers has grown considerably over the past few years and now has 14 part-time staff supported with approximately 100 volunteers.

This morning I accepted the position of Manager of Marketing Services for Eastern Volunteers, which means I will not be seeking re-nomination to the board at the annual general meeting. This new role will focus on expanding the marketing activities of Eastern Volunteers, ensuring that the organisation is able to continue to expand and deliver its services.

The role is part-time enabling me to undertake my Council commitments, as well as my employment with Eastern Volunteers.

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

2010 Annual General Meeting for Heathmont Inter Church Help

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Heathmont Inter Church Help is a combined ministry of several churches in Heathmont, including the Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian and Uniting Churches, which work together to provide relief services for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. This evening I joined Cr. Natalie Thomas in attending the 2010 Annual General Meeting, where the officebearers for the next twelve months were nominated and members could discuss the past twelve months

Tonight’s annual meeting highlighted the ongoing need for emergency relief, in the form of food, travel assistance and support. In addition, the Heathmont Inter Church Help operates an Op Shop providing a range of clothes and an opportunity to raise funds to complement the emergency relief services provided by the organisation.

Heathmont Inter Church Help is supported through volunteers who ensure that our most vulnerable members of our community are able receive food and assistance when needed.

Heatherdale Community Action Group – 2010 Annual General Meeting

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The Heatherdale Community Action Group was formed as a residents based group to preserve and enhance the amenity of Heatherdale, a locality located within the municipalities of Whitehorse and Maroondah.

This evening I attended the Annual General Meeting of the Heatherdale Community Action Group, where committee members were elected for the upcoming year. In addition, the evening featured a presentation from EACH a community based health provider located within the eastern region of Melbourne and beyond.

EACH, which was formally known as Eastern Access Community Health, has grown extensively since its formation over 30 years ago and now includes over 600 staff who deliver a range of health and community support services. In addition to its active presence in Maroondah, Knox and the Shire of Yarra Ranges, EACH also covers most of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, as well as having a presence in regional Victoria and Western Sydney.

EACH has a focus on preventive health and provides services covering dental care, mental health, disability assistance, gambling assistance, counselling and career assistance. For further information on EACH please visit www.each.com.au.

Ringwood Chamber of Commerce 2010 AGM

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The Ringwood Chamber of Commerce aims to specifically represent the interests of businesses within Ringwood and is one of several business groups within the City of Maroondah. This evening the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce held its annual general meeting to elect officebearers for the upcoming twelve months and to outline the future direction of the organisation.

The Ringwood Chamber of Commerce and Industry was founded in 1947 and has played an important role in the history in Ringwood, including advocating for the placement of Eastland Shopping Centre, as well as Ringwood Square and the former Ringwood Market. Tonight’s guest speaker was Richard Carter, who spoke about his book, “From Horse Shoes to High Heels”, which documented the history of the land that is now occupied by Eastland Shopping Centre.

The establishment of Eastland in 1967, reshaped the Ringwood landscape and the centre has expanded several times over the following years, with the most recent extensions being in 2001. Eastland is now planning a further expansion, which will see the site expand to the Maroondah Highway and create a new mall-like environment. In addition, this redevelopment will provide for the creation of a new Library and Learning Centre for Ringwood, as well as the creation of a new town centre, to provide a civic and community soul for Ringwood.

This proposed development and the new civic facilities, means we can create an accessible urban centre, providing a range of community, residential and commercial opportunities. Ringwood has a unique history and it is great to see the involvement of our community in discussing the possibilities that exist for Ringwood’s future.