Tag: graffiti

MAV: Future of Local Government progressing the Inter-Governmental Agreement

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The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) as the collective voice for the 79 local councils in Victoria is calling for sector-wide reform of local government, with the aim of improving community engagement and regional collaboration, in an attempt to secure more equitable funding arrangements from the State and Federal Governments.

In 2003 David Hawker, MP for Wannon (in Victoria) chaired a Federal Parliamentary inquiry into instances of cost shifting between local, state and federal governments. The completed report officially called Rates & Taxes: A Fair Share for Responsible Local Government, but commonly known as the Hawker Inquiry, found that local government was increasingly the victim of cost shifting particularly from State Governments.

As a result the Hawker Inquiry recommended the signing of an Inter-Governmental Agreement with the aim of preventing further instances of cost shifting. In April 2006 the Inter-Governmental Agreement was signed between Federal, State and Local Governments providing local councils a rare opportunity to seek redress to the current imbalance of costs and revenue that exists.

Today I attended a briefing organised by the MAV in its pursuit of furthering the Inter-Governmental Agreement.

Progressing the opportunity presented by the Inter-Governmental Agreement will require local government to identify its core services and to recognise which tier of government is best able to deliver the service expected by the community. For example, in relation to graffiti the State Government would be the best tier to coordinate policy response and monitoring with the empowerment of local government to eradicate and document reported graffiti.

The Inter-Governmental Agreement will only succeed if all tiers of government have the maturity to seek better outcomes for the community. Unfortunately the State Government has typically been the worst culprit in regard to cost shifting and there is little indication that this will change in the near future.

Local Government, has for example, has become involved in kindergartens, aged care facilities and public transport simply due to a reluctance from the State Government to provide adequate investment in such areas. Unfortunately when the State Government uses the word ‘partnership’, such as in the case of school crossing supervisors or walking school bus, it appears to simply be a mechanism to eventually cost shift services onto another tier of government.

Local Government is at the crossroads and is poised to secure a better outcome for the community if it pledges to enhance community facilitation and education on the benefits of widespread reform. The community needs to become actively engaged so that the wider community can map out of the future of their neighbourhoods and recognise which tier of government is responsible for providing the improvements that they seek.

Media Release: Maroondah needs Fair Public Transport Fares

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Media release – Wednesday, 22 August 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Maroondah needs Fair Public Transport Fares

Councillor for Loughnan’s Hill Ward Alex Makin has called on the State Government to commit to lower cost public transport fares and a reform of public transport zones.

“While Maroondah the outer east definitely need more frequent and later running bus and rail services it is also necessary to look at the pricing of public transport to ensure it is competitive with car travel,” said Loughnan’s Hill Ward Councillor Alex Makin. “Unfortunately the existence of zone three seems to serve the sole purpose of taxing outer eastern public transport users.”

Cr. Makin highlighted the financial burden borne by Maroondah public transport users at the council meeting on the 21st of August where he used his delegates’ report to inform the community on the latest campaign planned by the Eastern Transport Coalition comprising of the seven outer eastern councils.

“The arbitrary nature of zones two and three means that Hurstbridge, which located in zone two, is located further away from the CBD than either Ringwood or Croydon but yet Maroondah residents are slugged with the cost of a zone three ticket,” said Cr. Makin.

“The baseless boundary that places Ringwood in zone three is inconsistent with aims to encourage public transport usage and results in costly traffic congestion through the centre of Ringwood since people choose to park at Heatherdale Station which is the boundary for zone two,” Cr. Makin said. “As a result we have an unnatural demand for parking at Heatherdale which adversely impacts local amenity.”

“A yearly zone one, two and three ticket costs $2000 and the existence of zone three places an additional burden on eastern Melbourne that is not shared by the western and northern suburbs. The Eastern Transport Coalition will be mounting a campaign on this issue to seek fairer public transport fares,” Cr. Makin concluded.

About Alex Makin:
Alex Makin, Maroondah’s youngest serving councillor, was elected onto Maroondah Council in November 2005 after conducting a campaign focused on community engagement, anti-graffiti measures, accessibility issues and greater public transport and environmental advocacy.

Transcript of the Delegates’ Report is available at www.alexmakin.com.au/journal

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES: ALEX MAKIN ON 0408 311 645

– ENDS –

August meeting of the Croydon Conservation Society (CCS)

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The Croydon Conservation Society (CCS) is Maroondah’s pre-eminent conservation society and encompasses a broad scope that seeks to protect and enhance the environment and amenity of Maroondah.

The Croydon Conservation Society for example has been actively involved in issues relating to graffiti within Maroondah and has submitted a number of comments and recommendations in regard to Maroondah’s draft illegal graffiti policy.

Tonight I attended the Croydon Conservation Society’s August general meeting to ensure I remain informed about environmental and amenity issues raised by the Society. A number of topics were discussed including the need to strengthen the protection of Maroondah’s sites of biological significance and the usage of chemicals in spraying weeds.

For further information on the Croydon Conservation Society please visit home.vicnet.net.au/~croycons.

Ringwood Chamber of Commerce – Graffiti Graffiti Graffiti

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Graffiti is a major problem for Ringwood and as such the August meeting of the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce featured a presentation from Maroondah City Council in regard to the draft illegal graffiti strategy.

The persistent presence of graffiti can have a detrimental impact on local amenity and is often seen as a sign of neglect. As a result graffiti can have a detrimental impact on local businesses and the local community.

The Ringwood Chamber of Commerce provided considerable feedback, particularly in reaffirming the need to promptly remove the presence of graffiti on all property located within the municipality. The rapid removal of graffiti removes the ability for taggers to showcase their graffiti and when used in tandem with other initiatives it can significantly reduce the presence of graffiti.

As the representative group for traders within Ringwood it is encouraging to see the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce stress the need for council to implement the urgent removal of graffiti.

As part of the proceedings of the evening I formally introduced myself as the ward councillor for Loughnan’s Hill and outlined my background in community advocacy. Loughnan’s Hill Ward with the eastern boundary of Warrandyte Road encompasses most of the designated Ringwood Transit City Area and as such the views of the Chamber are directly relevant to my ward.

Ringwood will experience considerable change over the next three years and while these changes into a vibrant transport hub will be largely positive it is crucial that the Chamber is in regular contact to discuss the issues relevant to commerce within Ringwood.

I look forward to continued discussions with the Chamber and will advocate on their behalf within council.

The Public Exhibition period for the illegal graffiti policy ends on the 11th of August. Once community feedback has been collated the revised document will be considered for adoption by council.

Please visit www.ringwoodchamber.com.au for further information on the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce.

Maroondah Leader: More work still to be done

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The local media plays a critical role through monitoring local and ensuring accountability for residents and ratepayers. It is therefore fitting that the campaign promises made by newly elected councillors are periodically reviewed to ensure that elected representatives are honouring their commitments.

This week the Maroondah Leader reviewed the campaign commitments by the three newly elected councillors:

LOUGHNAN’S HILL: Alex Makin

Promises: Stop the rot and listen to the community.

Results: Cr Makin said he listened to the community when he attended meetings of the Croydon Conservation Society, Maroondah Bushlinks and the Heatherdale Rd Action Group.

Promise: Stop inappropriate development.

Results: The Ringwood Transit City project is the main tool Cr Makin said he would use to halt unsuitable development.

Promise: Strengthen anti-graffiti laws.

Result: Cr Makin said he wanted Maroondah to follow the zero-tolerance stance of the City of Casey, a council that takes it on itself to remove graffiti off all buildings. With the council’s graffiti policy currently being reviewed, Cr Makin said this was the perfect opportunity for his input. He said that after the review was released, he planned to initiate programs to use spray cans in a productive way, like competitions for students or mentor programs.

While I believe I am continuing to honour my election commitments it is imperative to remember as the there is definitely more work to be done.

Walking School Bus Finds New Feet

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I am pleased to announce that Maroondah City Council has resolved to continue the Walking School Bus program to assist in combating childhood obesity and to encourage walking.

Continue reading “Walking School Bus Finds New Feet”

Maroondah Leader: Public views can influence city's policy review

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The Maroondah Leader has reported on the Croydon Conservation Society’s AGM and Cr. Steve Beardon’s overview of the City of Casey’s anti-graffiti policy.

MAROONDAH councillors hope to use feedback from a public meeting for the city’s graffiti policy review.

Mullum Ward councillor Jo-anne Taylor and Cr Alex Makin, of Loughnan’s Hill Ward, represented the council at the meeting to learn about the City of Casey’s successful crackdown on graffiti.

Community groups must be encouraged to highlight their concerns to government, whether it be local council, state or federal governments. Community groups often have the interest and expertise within issues to provide worthwhile advice.

Cr Makin said he hoped to take up Cr Beardon’s invitation to see the educational program Casey used in schools to educate young people about the consequences and health effects of graffiti.

Graffiti is a growing problem within Maroondah and a proactive response is required:

Graffiti Action Removal team leader Jorg Winkles, who also attended the meeting, is contracted by Australia Post and VicRoads to clean up graffiti.

“We clean up in Maroondah every week Ringwood is on par with the St Kilda Junction. It’s one of the hotspots we’ve identified,” Mr Winkles said.

The Croydon Conservation Society must be congratulated on organising this anti-graffiti information evening and involving Councillors from Maroondah, Whitehorse and the Yarra Ranges.

Croydon Conservation Society AGM

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The Croydon Conservation Society (CCS) held its annual general meeting this evening and featured Cr. Steve Beardon as their guest speaker.

Cr. Beardon is renowned for being the founder of Residents Against Graffiti Everywhere (RAGE) a community lobby group which seeks the rapid removal of graffiti, community education and stronger enforcement of vandals.

As a community advocate Cr. Beardon (prior to being a councillor for Casey) successfully lobbied the City of Casey to introduce a comprehensive anti-graffiti strategy focused on the eradication of graffiti, the enforcement when the offence is continually committed and education for schoolchildren to deter graffiti usage initially.

The City of Casey’s program has proved to be highly successful with instances of graffiti removed within 48 hours of it being reported via a toll-free hotline. The educational component of the program has had success with students now recognising that graffiti is both a crime and harmful through adverse health and community impacts.

Casey’s anti-graffiti program also avoids punishing the victim of graffiti since hired contractors remove graffiti free of charge to businesses and residents. Many other municipalities request that the victim either pay or paint over graffiti.

Amazingly the City of Casey now spends less on removing graffiti throughout all buildings within its municipality ($118,000) than when it just removed graffiti from council buildings ($140,000).

The City of Casey’s success with its anti-graffiti strategy means similar measures must be considered within other councils.

Herald Sun: Graffiti game outrage

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The presence of graffiti is a growing problem both within Maroondah and the broader Melbourne metropolitan area.

Among the increasing media coverage of Melbourne’s graffiti problem the Herald Sun has today reported on the impending release of a computer game called Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure which features graffiti tagging.

“Anything that legitimises graffiti needs to be discouraged, said Cr Makin, 25. “Graffiti is a growing problem.”

The upcoming Commonwealth Games in March provides the ideal opportunity to eradicate the current presence of graffiti it is therefore imperative that the State Government provides action.

Local Councils must be empowered and adequately resourced to ensure that they have the resources necessary to promptly remove graffiti when it occurs.

Maroondah Council Local Law No. 5 – Public Safety and Amenity

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Local Law No. 5 is a Maroondah Council by-law which relates to public safety and amenity. The local law which came into effect in January 2000 aims to protect Maroondah’s amenity through reducing harm to public safety, public health and the environment.

Issues covered within the local law include graffiti, trees and vegetation and animal management (including the number of animals allowed within a household). The materials that are allowed within the general garbage collection and within the recycling bins is also covered within this local law.

Local Law No. 5 – Public Safety and Amenity was designed to ensure that the community is aware of risks to Maroondah’s environment and public health and is therefore worth reading by any Maroondah resident or ratepayer.

A copy of local law no. 5 – Public Safety and Amenity is available from the Maroondah City Council website (PDF).