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Station fails disability compliance standards due to the steepness of the ramps and is unfriendly and due to its outdated design.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.
Ringwood Station fails to meet disability compliance standards and is perceived to be unsafe due to the poor station design, including narrow and steep ramps. The community has continually called for the full redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated interchange that will meet the needs of Ringwood as a vibrant urban centre.
While public transport is a State Government responsibility, Council must advocate on behalf of its community and it is clear that Maroondah is seeking a commitment for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station.
Council has been circulating a petition for the past month which has now attracted over 2000 signatures with approximately 1000 visitations through social media tools, including Facebook and Youtube. This evening Council officially launched the Missing Piece campaign with a direct call to action for all political parities to commit to the station upgrade.
Alex with Margaret launching Maroondah's Missing Piece campaign calling for the upgrade of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange
Ringwood Station is the Missing Piece in a vision for Ringwood, since a lack of commitment diminishes the residential, commercial and community investment that is taking place. Margaret Stevens, a renowned accessibility advocate who spent a week at Eastland collecting signatures for the petition, joined me in launching the campaign and calling on all political parties to commit to Ringwood’s future.
Council’s video highlighting the condition of Ringwood Station was displayed throughout the launch reinforcing the accessibility difficulties that exist.
The speech provided during the launch is available within this post:
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.
As you have gathered here this evening, you will have seen the video playing overhead showing the difficulty people in our community, and particularly those with a disability, have accessing Ringwood Station and the 50 year old ramps leading to the station platforms.
This video has been an important element of an advocacy campaign Council has been running over the past six weeks.
The campaign is seeking a funding commitment from all state political parties in the lead up to the State election for the upgrade of Ringwood Station within the next term of government.
The campaign has been running for six weeks with significant support and media coverage from Maroondah’s two local papers, editorial has appeared each week for the past 6 weeks.
Community support has been extremely strong, and to date we have over 2000 signatures to the petition, from individuals and community groups.
One of these individuals is here with us tonight, and I would like to acknowledge Margaret Stevens for her dedication to the cause in securing over 600 signatures from the Maroondah community and beyond during a week at Eastland. In addition, several members of the community, including Dawn Oliffe spent time at Ringwood Station securing signatures for the petition.
Margaret is one of many voices demanding action for Ringwood Station. I have spoken with many people during the course of this campaign and the message from the community is clear, Maroondah residents are tired of waiting, they want a safe, integrated, accessible and vibrant Ringwood Station, and they want it in the term of the next government.
Tonight, Council is launching “The Missing Piece – Ringwood Station” in the lead up to this evening’s Eastern Transport Coalition Forum.
Alex with Margaret launching Maroondah's Missing Piece campaign calling for the upgrade of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange.
Significant investment and development continues in Ringwood, with support from the State Government and private enterprise, however the commitment to fund the redevelopment of Ringwood Station remains the missing piece of the vision for the Ringwood Central Activities District.
As you can see within the Ringwood Central Activities District jigsaw, we have EastLink providing an important road transport corridor from Mitcham to Frankston, an area responsible for 40 percent of Victoria’s manufacturing output and over 1.3 million people living in the area and providing more than 350,000 jobs.
The sporting, recreational and leisure facilities that either currently exist (Maroondah Federation Estate/Maroondah Art Gallery, tennis, croquet, football and cricket), are under construction (Soccer), or awaiting funding (proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure) in the Jubilee Park precinct are within walking distance from Ringwood Station and the Central Activities District.
New businesses and services are moving to Ringwood, bringing increased employment and spending, as evidenced by the Connect East building perched over EastLink.
Ringwood Lake Park is an icon of Ringwood, providing enormous leisure and recreational pleasure all year round for people of all ages and abilities.
The $39million bus interchange is poised to change the face of Maroondah Highway, however, it does not provide an interface with the existing Ringwood Station.
Residential housing development is showing consistent growth within the Central Activities District with private building developers showing their support for the vision of Ringwood. The new 10 story co-operative housing development will soon be home to over 100 people early next year.
Eastland and the Ringwood Market site are expected to see construction and expansion of retail, community and business floorspace, changing the face of Ringwood significantly.
The Lake to Creek project will see pedestrian and cycling links between the Mullum Mullum Creek and Ringwood Lake, adding another vital layer to the accessibility of our city.
It is time to add the missing piece to the Ringwood Central Activities District jigsaw, a new Ringwood Station.
It is time for each state political party to not only acknowledge the need for an upgrade to Ringwood Station, but to actually stand up and commit to fund this important piece of public transport infrastructure that remains the missing piece of the vision for the State Government’s own Ringwood Central Activities District.
Maroondah’s campaign to secure a commitment for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange is continuing, with many members of the community dedicating their time to encourage signatures on the petition calling for the upgrade.
One of the areas of concern of Ringwood Station is safety, due to the outdated station design and narrow ramps and walkways, which also fail to meet disability compliance standards.
The Maroondah Leader has reported on the ongoing safety concerns at Ringwood:
Maroondah’s Mayor says people are bypassing Ringwood railway station because they feel it is unsafe. Cr Alex Makin said he had spoken to people who chose to use another station rather than wait alone at Ringwood.
While the Police have been proactive in increasing patrols at Ringwood Station, the Station design, which has not been updated in over 50 years, does not create a safe atmosphere.
Cr Makin said many people had highlighted safety concerns.
“Ringwood is a safe area but people have commented on their sense of insecurity at the station at night,” he said. “The proposed upgrade to the station would open the whole area up to scrutiny and act as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour.”
The City of Maroondah and the eastern region deserves a Station that is safe, accessible and integrated with facilities. Our community should feel confident and safe in using Ringwood Station and sustainable forms of transport and it is incumbent on all political parties to commit to delivering this improvement.
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.
Radio Eastern FM is a community radio station that broadcasts on 98.1 FM from studios at Wyreena Community Arts Centre. The radio station has a variety of programs, including interviews with Councillors on the first Friday of each month.
This month I was interviewed on Radio Eastern FM to discuss Council’s role in advocating on behalf of the community and to provide further details on Council’s campaign calling on all political parties to commit to the upgrade and redevelopment of Ringwood Station.
The State Election in November provides the ideal opportunity to secure a commitment towards Ringwood Station, so that it becomes an accessible, safe and integrated transit interchange. While the State Government has committed $39 million to redevelop the bus interchange and station forecourt, further funding is required to improve the station itself, including ramps that fail disability compliance standards.
The redevelopment of Ringwood Station is essential to transforming it into a vibrant, sustainable and accessible urban centre. Ringwood will only be successful as a Central Activities District if it is provided with public transport infrastructure and services that are accessible, safe and easy to utilise. The current station does not meet this criteria and needs a State Government commitment to secure its redevelopment and upgrade.
Council is working in partnership with the community to secure the upgrade of Ringwood Station. A petition is available at Council Service Centres, as well as online at www.maroondah.vic.gov.au so that community members can demonstrate their support for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station.
In addition, I will be writing to community groups to outline how they can get involved in the campaign and assist in securing a commitment from all political parties towards the vital redevelopment of Ringwood Station.
Council will be continuing this campaign in the lead-up to the State Election and will be holding an official launch in mid October. Regular updates will be provided on the progress of this Campaign and I look forward to working with the community to advocate for a safe, accessible and integrated Ringwood Transit Interchange.
The ongoing need for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station is a major priority for the Maroondah community and Council will be advocating very strongly to secure funding through the State Election in November.
The steep ramps at Ringwood Station do not meet disability compliance standards and the station itself does not provide the amenities required to encourage public transport usage.
It is critical that Council secures a commitment so that Ringwood Station is transformed into an accessible, integrated and safe transport interchange.
The Maroondah community has waited for far too long for a safe, accessible transit interchange. The current layout of the station fails disability compliance standards – meaning it is difficult to access for people with a disability, the elderly and parents with prams.
Alex Makin adding the first signature to Maroondah City Council's petition for the redevelopment and upgrade of Ringwood Station.
This morning Council launched a petition calling on all political parties to commit to the redevelopment and upgrade of Ringwood Station. As the Mayor of Maroondah, I had the honour of being the first to sign the petition and I look forward joining with the community as we advocate for a safe, integrated and accessible transit interchange.
Please visit www.maroondah.vic.gov.au/StationAdvocacy.aspx to complete the online petition, or visit Council’s Customer Services at Braeside Avenue, Ringwood Eastland or the Croydon Civic Centre.
“Today marks the start of our campaign to secure a commitment from all major state political parties to commit to an upgrade of Ringwood Station within the term of the next government,” Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said.
“I am proud to be the first signatory on the petition which we hope will see Ringwood Station transformed into an integrated public transport interchange. I urge others to show their support for our campaign by also signing the petition,” Cr Makin said.
“The Maroondah community has waited for far too long for a new station so by creating a united voice in the form of a petition we can show the political parties that our concerns are justified and should not be ignored any longer,” Cr Makin said.
“Council shares the community’s concerns and recognises that we need a station which is compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act and addresses safety concerns,” Cr Makin said.
“The current layout of the station fails disability compliance standards meaning it is difficult to access for people with a disability, the elderly and parents with prams,” Cr Makin said.
The prayer of the petition is as follows:
We, the undersigned, are greatly concerned with the continued lack of commitment to complete the redevelopment of Ringwood Station.
The redevelopment of the Ringwood Station into an accessible, integrated and safe public transport interchange is critical to the needs to the Maroondah community and to the success of Ringwood’s transition into a sustainable, accessible and vibrant Central Activities District.
We seek a commitment from all state political parties, in the lead up to the State Election, to fund the upgrade of Ringwood Station within the next term of government.
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.
Glen Park Community Centre
30 Glen Park Road, Bayswater North.
Maroondah City Council is calling on all state political parties to commit to delivering a safe, accessible and integrated Ringwood Station within the term of the next State Government.
On September 1, Council will launch a petition as the first stage of a community based campaign calling for the Station redevelopment.
Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said Council shares the community’s concern about the station.
“The Maroondah community has waited for far too long for a safe, accessible transit interchange. The current layout of the station fails disability compliance standards meaning it is difficult to access for people with a disability, the elderly and parents with prams,” Cr Makin said.
“The Disability Discrimination Act is about treating people equally and giving people the same opportunities as everyone else as to access public transport. The continued lack of commitment towards the upgrade makes a mockery of delivering sustainable and accessible transport options,” Cr Makin said.
“The Tudor-style brick building which houses the ticket office was built in 1889 and the footbridge linking the platforms was upgraded in the 1960s. Despite the substantial population growth in the region and the importance of public transport, there has been no significant upgrade to the station in more than 50 years,” Cr Makin said.
“Following years of lobbying by Council the State Government undertook initial urban design works in 2004,” Cr Makin said.
“In 2007 the State Government spent $4.5million on design works to integrate the public transport interchange with the Eastland redevelopment. In September 2008 the State Government announced $39million for the Bus Interchange and Maroondah Highway Station Plaza project. While this is a positive step, we are still waiting for a funding commitment to upgrade the most important aspect of the Central Activities District – Ringwood Station,” Cr Makin said.
“Council will continue to work in partnership with State Government, and meet with department representatives and ministers to stress the importance of upgrading Ringwood Station to be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act and for safety reasons,” Cr Makin said.
“We will also continue to meet with local members of parliament who are supportive of Council’s campaign and are willing to advocate of our behalf for a funding commitment to this essential project,” Cr Makin said.
“The redevelopment of the Ringwood Station into an accessible, integrated and safe transit interchange is critical to the success of our transition into a sustainable and accessible Central Activities District,” Cr Makin said.
“Council has a critical role in advocating on behalf of our community. The petition is an important way for Council and the community to get that message to the State Government,” Cr Makin said.
“The best way we can do this is generating as much support as possible, so we encourage everyone to sign the petition which will be available online, at Council’s service centres and Ringwood and Croydon libraries,” Cr Makin said.
“The more community support we gain, the stronger our voice in demanding that the funding commitment is made. I urge the community to join this campaign and to get involved” Cr Makin concluded.
To sign the petition and to join the campaign you can:
Common Equity Housing Limited (CEHL) are the managers of the affordable housing development at 4-10 Larissa Avenue in Ringwood. The organisation has held a series of public meetings with prospective members of the 80 unit development and tonight’s session discussed the vision for Ringwood as a Central Activities District.
The presentation covered the plans for the transformation of Ringwood into a vibrant and accessible urban centre and also highlighted the pedestrian and cycling improvements, such as footpaths within Ringwood and the new Creek to Lake trail, which will connect Ringwood Lake with the Mullum Creek trail.
As part of the presentation I discussed the importance of public transport in providing an alternative to car dependence and to deliver sustainable forms of transport. In particular, I highlighted the need for ongoing advocacy to secure a State Government commitment for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange.
While the State Government will shortly begin works to create a new station forecourt and bus interchange, there is a need to redevelop the station itself, given that the ramps fail disability compliance standards and the platforms lack modern passenger amenities.
Maroondah Council will be undertaking a community based advocacy campaign calling on all political parties to commit to the creation of safe, integrated and accessible transport interchange for Ringwood. It was encouraging to this vision shared by the participants at the meeting and I look forward to them joining us in Ringwood.
The Maroondah Leader this week ran a feature on the plans for the Ringwood Central Activities District, outlining the plans for the transformation of Ringwood into a vibrant, accessible and sustainable urban centre.
Ultimately this vision require cooperation across all levels of Government and the redevelopment of Ringwood Station is one area where a State Government commitment is urgently required:
“Council has invested heavily in footpaths in Ringwood and plans to invest heavily in community facilities, we need the redeveloped Ringwood Station to complement this and the central activities district,” Cr Makin said. “If we want Ringwood CAD to become the regional centre for the eastern suburbs, we need the station to be replaced.”
Ringwood Station currently fails disability compliance standards making it difficult to use by our community. It is imperative that all political parties commit to the redevelopment of Ringwood Station to deliver a safe, integrated and accessible transport interchange that will serve as a catalyst for Ringwood’s revitalisation into a .
