central activities district Archives

Maroondah Leader: Trains unreliable

Posted on 12 April 2011 by alex

The Maroondah Leader has reported on the decline in reliability for trains serving Maroondah through the Belgrave and Lilydale lines.

Cr Alex Makin said the lack of services left passengers waiting up to 30 minutes to get from Croydon to Ringwood.

While peak-hour services continue to suffer from reliability issues, there is also a lack of frequent rail services serving stations beyond Ringwood during inter-peak times.

“The whole notion of Ringwood being the Central Activities District is built on the notion of reliable and frequent public transport.”

While the Government should be commended for committing to the redevelopment of Ringwood Station from 2014, there is a need to provide frequent services to reduce the delays in travelling to and from Ringwood and other stations in Maroondah.

Attendance Report: Australia Day and the changeover for the CAD Mayors Forum

Posted on 21 February 2011 by alex

On the 26th of January I attended the Maroondah Australia Day Celebrations at Ringwood Lake. The celebrations, which coincide with a citizenship ceremony and the awarding of Maroondah’s Citizen, Young Citizen and Event of the Year, were held at Ringwood Lake and provided an opportunity to welcome new citizens, as well as acknowledge the many people who undertake service to the community.

On the 20th of December I attended the changeover meeting for the former Mayors and current Mayors of Councils that include a Central Activities District. There has been a changing of Mayors in each of the Councils, with the exception of the City of Melbourne, and the meeting provided an opportunity to update the new Mayors on the alliance and the issues common to each of the Councils.

Meeting with the Mayors and Former Mayors of the Central Activities Districts Councils

Posted on 20 December 2010 by alex

This morning a meeting was held to officially handover the alliance between the City of Melbourne and Central Activities District Councils to the newly elected Mayors. The meeting provided an opportunity to formally introduce the new mayors to the group and to discuss the activities that were undertaken over the past year.

The alliance has been officially endorsed by each participating Council and priorities include meeting with the new State Government to identify the transport, housing, employment and community priorities for each Central Activities District. I would like to thank the former Mayors of Frankston, Greater Dandenong, Whitehorse, Hume and Maribyrnong, as well as Robert Doyle, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne for their support of this alliance.

I am confident that the new Mayors, including Cr Tony DIb as the Mayor of Maroondah, will continue to support this alliance and ensure that all levels of government have a shared vision and implementation plan for Melbourne’s Central Activities Districts. A collective voice for Melbourne’s Central Activities Districts will help ensure that they become vibrant, accessible and sustainable urban centres.

Attendance Report: Social inclusion and Council alliances

Posted on 13 December 2010 by alex

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.

Maroondah Leader: Maroondah and other CAD councils unite for action

Posted on 3 December 2010 by alex

The Maroondah Leader has reported on the newly formed alliance between Councils that include Central Activities Districts and the City of Melbourne. This alliance will ensure that Councils will be able to collectively advocate for the needs of these central activities districts, to ensure that they become vibrant, accessible and sustainable urban centres.

Former Maroondah mayor Alex Makin said the councils had identified common issues across the CADs: mainly the need for investment in transport interchanges and next-generation community facilities.
“With Melbourne quickly becoming a city of many cities, we want to ensure certainty for the respective CADs,” Cr Makin said.

The alliance will be focusing on three priorities, including transport, housing and employment opportunity for the Central Activities Districts and will be advocating for a shared vision between State and Federal Governments for funding to support the implementation of these urban centres. The alliance will continue to meet throughout 2011 and a meeting will be held on the 20th of December to officially hand over the group to the newly elected Mayors of each Council.

Conclusion of the 2010 Mayoral Year

Posted on 1 December 2010 by alex

This evening Maroondah City Council held its Statutory Meeting, whereby the Mayor is elected for the 2011 Council Year. While I have enjoyed the challenges experienced throughout this year I chose not to seek re-nomination as Mayor and Cr Tony Dib has been unanimously elected as Mayor for the oncoming Council year.

Maroondah is truly fortunate to have such a vibrant sense of community and I would like to thank the many community organisations and individuals that I have met throughout this year. While the volume of work undertaken as Mayor is immense it is also incredibly rewarding to meet the many people that are dedicated to their local community.

2010 has marked the year that Council delivered financial sustainability, ensuring that future Councils will be able to invest in community facilities and services. Maroondah City Council has finally reversed over 12 years of annual financial operating deficits to ensure that Council is able to meet future challenges. In addition, partnerships with neighbouring Councils have been strengthened and Maroondah is at the forefront of a newly formed alliance between the six Councils containing Central Activities Districts and the City of Melbourne.

Furthermore, Council has reaffirmed its commitment to Reconciliation through incorporating the Acknowledgement of Country at all Council events and Council meetings. Likewise, reforms to strengthen accountability and governance through encouraging debate and discussion were undertaken, including the rearrangement of the Council Chamber to ensure that Councillors are able to see members of the public present at Council meetings.

Council’s advocacy for an accessible, safe and integrated transit interchange for Ringwood proved successful and I congratulate the incoming State Government for their pledge to overhaul Ringwood Station.

Lastly, I would like to thank my colleagues for their support throughout this year, being Mayor is an incredible experience and I wish Cr Tony Dib all the best of success in the year ahead. I will be continuing as a Councillor for the Mullum Ward and I welcome feedback from residents and the community.

Policy Development and collaboration between Central Activities Districts

Posted on 29 November 2010 by alex

This afternoon the City of Melbourne hosted a forum on policy development focusing on the Central Activities Districts of Ringwood, Dandenong, Frankston, Box Hill, Broadmeadows and Footscray. The forum, which was an outcome of the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Mayors of Maroondah, Greater Dandenong, Frankston, Whitehorse, Hume, Maribyrnong and the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne, aimed to strengthen collaboration and exchange knowledge on each of the Central Activities Districts.

Today’s session provided an overview on the changes experienced within the City of Melbourne, including strong residential growth and a strategy of differentiation to attract commercial tenancies to counteract competition from Australia’s other capital cities. Similarly, there is a need for each Central Activities District to identify unique strengths to deliver a diverse range of housing, employment and community opportunities.

Further work and collaboration will be undertaken by each Council to ensure a cohesive approach to Melbourne’s Central Activities Districts and to assist in providing a shared vision between Local, State and Federal Governments.

Central Activities District Mayors and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne sign Memorandum of Understanding

Posted on 22 November 2010 by alex

Ringwood is one of six Central Activities Districts across Melbourne, whereby Ringwood was identified as an urban centre that would experience a diverse range of housing, employment and community facilities. Ringwood, like the other identified Central Activities Districts of Frankston, Dandenong, Box Hill, Broadmeadows and Footscray, requires cooperation and a shared vision between all levels of government.

Throughout this year I have been working with my Mayoral counterparts in Frankston, Greater Dandenong, Whitehorse, Hume and Maribyrnong to ensure a collective voice for the Central Activities Districts to ensure that State and Federal Governments provide an ongoing commitment and implementation plan for each of these centres.

Alex with the Mayors of Melbourne's Central Activities Districts and the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne

While each Central Activities District has its own strengths it is important that we work cooperatively to secure commitments for each urban centre. In this regard, the six Mayors have also involved Robert Doyle, as the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne to ensure that there the role of Melbourne’s CBD is taken into account.

This morning each of the Mayors and the Lord Mayor met at Frankston to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes the common objectives for this grouping of Councils. This grouping is unique given that it involves Councils that are facing like issues, rather than traditional alliances with have tended to be focused on geographic areas.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being Mayor this year has been the strengthening of partnerships between Maroondah and other Councils. This new grouping of Mayors from the Central Activities Districts and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne will become pivotal in ensuring that the Central Activities Districts and the visions held by the respective Councils are shared at a State and Federal level.

Media Release: The Lord Mayor joins forces with CAD Mayors to enhance city centres

Posted on 22 November 2010 by alex

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed between City of Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, and Mayors from the State Government’s six designated Central Activities Districts (CADs) – Frankston, Maroondah, Greater Dandenong, Hume, Maribyrnong and Whitehorse – on Monday 22 November at 9.30am in the Frankston City Council Chambers to officially cement their unanimous commitment to seek State Government support and funding to create the most productive, liveable and sustainable city centres.

The MOU acknowledges that mutual benefit can be derived by these municipalities through measures of mutual support, collaboration and by providing a united voice and joint approach to lobbying.

Frankston City Council Mayor, Cr Christine Richards said these six metropolitan hubs have been selected to attract people, investment and jobs and it is pivotal they remain supported to achieve the objectives of the State Government’s Melbourne 2030 and Melbourne @ 5 million strategies.

“This is a historical political event – the joining of Mayors to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. The CAD municipalities are ready, willing and able to face the challenges ahead together to make our CADs thriving metropolises. However, we cannot do so without a whole-of-government commitment to CAD planning,” Cr Richards said.

Maroondah City Council Mayor, Cr Alex Makin, said despite the CADs individual differences, synergies do exist between the municipal city centres.

“This alliance means we can work co-operatively to provide a united voice with more weight that will give greater strength to plans and solutions to state-wide issues. We need a State Government supported implementation plan to ensure our city centres can achieve their designated potential,” said Cr Makin.

The Mayors’ will further discuss how to best achieve the objectives set out in the State Government’s Planning Policy Framework. The Mayors’ are unanimous that at a minimum CADs must:

have a functioning transit interchange – to enable comfortable, quick and efficient journeys by buses and trains throughout each municipality – in some CADs substantial infrastructure funding is still required to make this vision a reality
create more local jobs – CADs need to expand their base of employers to create a greater range and number of local jobs available to local residents
create more affordable housing.

“This Memorandum of Understanding between the Central Activities District Mayors and the Mayor of the City of Melbourne will allow for increased co-operation between our municipalities and allow us to jointly advocate for our key priorities,” Cr Makin said.

“Our main priority at a state level is to secure a long term funding commitment for the CADs. With Melbourne quickly becoming a city of many cities, we want to ensure certainty for the respective CADs, as well as bolstering the opportunity for all levels of governments to provide more services across greater metropolitan Melbourne”, Cr. Makin concluded.

– ENDS –

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.