2010 Khaudo Festival

The Khaudo Festival is a new year celebration celebrated by the Zomi, an ethnic group from Burma. This afternoon I attended the 2010 Khaudo Festival organised by the Zomi Association of Australia for the Maroondah community.

The Khuado Festival is an important annual event that is celebrated throughout the Northern Chin State of Burma, Manipur State and Mizoram State, India during the end of October or early November. The celebration includes dance, music and the sharing of good, with an emphasis on welcoming the new harvest and year.

The Zomi Association of Australia organised the Maroondah Khuado Festival to share the Zomi cultural heritage with the wider community. The Zomi welcomed the wider community through the Khuado Festival and we have been able to welcome the Zomi community into Maroondah.

The festival showcased traditional Zomi dance, music and food throughout the afternoon and I congratulate the Zomi community hosting the Maroondah Khaudo Festival.

Media Release: Community seeks commitment to Ringwood Station at Forum

The Maroondah community took the opportunity to quiz representatives from the Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party and The Greens on their public transport credentials at a forum hosted by the Eastern Transport Coalition last night.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said the event, held at the Karralyka Centre, was attended by candidates contesting the lower and upper house seats, which cover Maroondah.

“Whilst the ALP and Liberal representatives did not provide any new announcements, the Greens gave a commitment to support the full redevelopment of the Ringwood Railway Station. The Greens Candidate for Kilsyth, Justin-Paul Sammons told the forum that he saw an upgrade to Ringwood Station as a priority, which needed to be addressed in the term of the next state government,” Cr Makin said.

“Prior to the forum, Greens candidate for Warrandyte Chris Padgham also signed the petition calling on all major parties to commit to an upgrade of Ringwood Station,” Cr Makin said. “Shadow Transport Minister Terry Mulder and incumbent Warrandyte MP Ryan Smith have also signed the petition but have yet to deliver any commitment.”

“I am absolutely delighted The Greens have pledged their support to transform Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated public transport hub. I call on all political parties to match this announcement and commit to the future prosperity of Ringwood and Melbourne’s eastern region”, Cr. Makin concluded.

Other issues which were raised at the forum included the number of buses in operation and the frequency of all public transport in the eastern region.

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The 2010 Maroondah Seniors Jazz Concert

The Maroondah Seniors Jazz Concert, is an annual event organised through the Maroondah Healthy Ageing Network and is now in its second year. The Network comprises of over 30 senior groups and clubs, as well as service organisations and provides ongoing dialogue and collaboration for organisations that focus on the needs of senior citizens within Maroondah.

Today’s concert, which was held at the Ringwood Bowls Club also served as a fundraiser for the Maroondah Hospital, with half the cost of hall hire being donated, as well as raffles. The event, which was booked out, was primarily organised through the Eastern Rangers Retirees Club, National Seniors Australia (Ringwood Branch), Life Activities Club, Enjoying Planned Retirement, and the Ringwood Bowls Club.

The jazz afternoon was an excellent event and provided not only an afternoon of jazz but also provided support for Maroondah Hospital, a major health service provider within the municipality and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Maroondah Business Week Breakfast with David Schwarz

Maroondah Business Week is an annual Council initiated program that aims to promote and enhance businesses within the municipality. The Week consists of workshops, tours and networking events offering a range of activities to cater to the business sectors within Maroondah.

One of these events is the Maroondah Business Week Breakfast, which featured David Schwarz as the speaker. David was a former footballer and Vice-Captain for Melbourne Football Club and discussed the challenges he faced during this career, including a gambling addiction, which he spoke about candidly during the breakfast session.

Alex with David Schwarz and Cr Rob Steane at the 2010 Maroondah Business Week Breakfast
Alex with David Schwarz and Cr Rob Steane at the 2010 Maroondah Business Week Breakfast

David’s openness set him apart from some of the speakers of other years and he spoke candidly about the difficulties in establishing a post football career. David’s comments reflect the need for ongoing perseverance and the advantages of networking within businesses and provided a number of parallels between his experiences and the challenges facing business.

As part of the proceedings I had the opportunity to introduce Maroondah Business Week and the speech I provided is available in this post:

Continue reading “Maroondah Business Week Breakfast with David Schwarz”

2010 Maroondah Hospital Fun Run

The Maroondah Hospital Fun Run is an annual event that raises funds for Maroondah Hospital and the services it provides. The event takes place around Ringwood Lake and it is fantastic to see several hundred participants being part of the event.

Maroondah Hospital, located in Ringwood East, in a major health provider within the municipality and serves the Maroondah region and beyond. The hospital holds a number of events throughout the year to engage the community and to augment its funding levels.

Croydon Special Development School – Spring Formal

The Croydon Special Development School is located in Belmont Road East in Croydon and provides an educational curriculum for children with a disability, beginning with early year programs through to secondary education.

This evening I was invited to the School’s Spring Formal, which involved several 15 and 16 year old students. The Spring Formal not only celebrated the start of Spring but also the presenting of students at the Formal, who participated in several dance routines.

Croydon Special Development School has a strong focus on the community and this was seen through several students from other secondary schools participating in the event alongside students from Croydon Special Development School.

The Spring Formal was made possible through the work of volunteers, staff and students and I would like to congratulate the school on organising such a fantastic event and for providing the opportunity of a school formal for the students.

The 2010 Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Evening

The Ringwood Spiders is a football club for people with disabilities, competing within the Football Integration Development Association (FIDA) League.

The Ringwood Spiders has seen on-going success, including the formation of a second team and the continuation of its cheer squad and junior development squad. This evening I attended the Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Evening, which was held at the Ringwood Bowls Club.

Alex with Josh and Adam from the Ringwood Spiders
Alex with Josh and Adam from the Ringwood Spiders

The Ringwood Spiders trophy presentation evening provides an opportunity to reflect on the past season and recognise the accomplishments of players. It is encouraging that there is ongoing support for the Ringwood Spiders from organisations like the Ringwood Redbacks, the Ringwood Bowls Club and businesses like Lakeside Cafe in Ringwood.

While the football season may be drawing to a close the Spiders will be undertaking a Summer events program, including lawn bowls at the Ringwood Bowls Club and a range of other activities.

For further information on the Ringwood Spiders please visit www.ringwoodspiders.com.

2010 Year of Women in Local Government – LGPro Women’s Network Dinner

LGPro is the peak body for local government professionals within Victoria and holds regular events to promote development within the sector. 2010 is the year of women in local government and this evening I attended the LGPro Women’s Network Dinner to show my support for equity within the sector.

Maroondah City Council has been a stronger supporter of equity, with Maroondah being one of the sponsors of the event and an active member of LGPro and its board of management.

2010 North Ringwood Senior Citizens Annual General Meeting

The North RIngwood Senior Citizens are based at Norwood Park along Warrandyte Road and is one of several groups that utilises these facilities on a shared basis. The North Ringwood Senior Citizens is one of three senior-based groups, that provides a range of activities to encourage social inclusion and active lifestyles.

This afternoon I attended the Annual General Meeting of the North Ringwood Senior Citizens, where I was asked to officiate proceedings for the election of officeholders for the 2010-2011 Year. While some groups have faced difficulties in maintaining interest, it is fantastic to see ongoing community involvement with the North Ringwood Senior Citizens, including the confirming of an active and enthusiastic committee.

The North Ringwood Senior Citizens have already planned a series of activities for the remainder of the year, including trips and social events. Details on the group are available within the Maroondah Community Guide.

Media Release: Community satisfaction results are in

The State Government’s 2010 Community Satisfaction Survey results have been announced and it’s great news for Maroondah.

The Survey is conducted by an independent research group for the Department of Planning and Community Development. This is the thirteenth annual Community Satisfaction Survey and results are used to measure how Victorian residents rate the performance of their local governments.

The random phone interview survey was conducted during February and March, with a minimum of 350 Maroondah residents asked to rate Council’s performance.

“Maroondah City Council’s overall results are excellent,” Mayor, Councillor Alex Makin said.

“The survey is an important measurement tool in gauging Council’s progress towards the goals stated in Maroondah 2025 and Council’s mission.

“It is one of many processes by which Council elicits important community feedback to ensure its activities are well targeted, performing efficiently and are relevant to the community,” Cr Makin said.

“Maroondah City Council was rated on par with the median result recorded for the group of “like” inner metropolitan Councils. In terms of overall performance, 84 percent of respondents rated Council’s performance as excellent, adequate or good with only four percent of respondents indicating Council’s performance needed a lot of improvement. Seventeen percent thought it had improved and 71 percent thought it had stayed the same,” said Cr Makin said.

“Community satisfaction with Council’s performance in eight of the specific performance areas remained unchanged, but we have seen a marked improvement in the scoring for recreational facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“We have also seen significant positive change in the delivery of health and human services,” Cr Makin said.

“The survey results for recreational facilities have reinforced what we in Maroondah have known for a long time – our municipality is home to a wealth of top class sporting and leisure opportunities,” Cr Makin said.

“Ninety-three per cent of residents scored Maroondah’s recreational facilities as excellent, good or adequate, with seven per cent indicating that Council’s performance in this area needed improvement,” Cr Makin said.

“The delivery of health and human services in Maroondah also received a solid response, with 88 per cent of respondents scoring Council’s performance as excellent, good or adequate,” Cr Makin said.

“And although there are areas where residents desire further improvement, Maroondah did relatively well compared to other councils in its group for traffic management and local roads and footpaths,” Cr Makin said.

  • Traffic Management and parking facilities were well above the respective median. (Maroondah scored 61 compared with the Group median of 57)
  • Customer Contact was slightly above the respective medium. (Maroondah scored 74 compared to the Group median of 73)
  • Town Planning Policy and Approvals were equal with the Group median of 57.
  • Local Roads and Footpaths and Advocacy Enforcement of Local Laws and Appearance of Public Areas were all just under the median.

Community Engagement and Waste Management were areas that the survey indicated had a need for improvement.

“This survey provides valuable feedback and assists Council to prioritise its resources. To ensure that continued improvement occurs, these areas will receive attention,” said Cr Makin said.

“However, I am very pleased with the ratings and believe this reflects our commitment to community partnership and is a reward for our efforts,” said Cr Makin.

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