initiatives Archives

Speaking to Volunteering Geelong

Posted on 12 May 2011 by alex

Volunteering Geelong, like Eastern Volunteers, is one of several volunteer recruitment agencies within Victoria. This afternoon I was invited to speak to the Board of Management of Volunteering Geelong to discuss marketing and strategic partnerships that can assist in promoting the work of Volunteering Geelong.

The discussion outlined the marketing approach adopted by Eastern Volunteers, including the development of a consistent brand and key messages that are used to promote Eastern Volunteers within the community.

Ultimately marketing needs to be supported through a range of tools that assist in communicating these messages. In this regard Eastern Volunteers complements its marketing activities with events that support the aims of the organisation. These events, which include targeted activities with business partners, support the aim of Eastern Volunteers being seen as a peak regional body. Likewise, engagement with the media, as well as online tools, promote these activities and reinforces the role of Eastern Volunteers within the community.

It is imperative that marketing activities support an overall strategy of an organisation. Conflicting messages create confusion and undermine the branding of an organisation and this can diminish outcomes that otherwise would have been achieved.

A marketing plan is required to provide this strategic focus and guide initiatives that achieve the identified objective. The marketing plan should explore all marketing initiatives that are available, including a mix of offline and online tools to deliver positive and proactive marketing.

Once a marketing plan has been completed, it will provide guidance on marketing opportunities and the action required to achieve the goals within the marketing plan. This approach enables an organisation to measure results and effectiveness.

Community organisations are increasingly needing to be innovative and proactive with their marketing to ensure that they can communicate with the community and key stakeholders. The discussion with Volunteering Geelong was useful in providing potential strategies and should support future planning for the organisation.

National Volunteer Week at the Healesville Living and Learning Centre

Posted on 10 May 2011 by alex

The Healesville Living and Learning Centre is an adult education provider offering nationally accredited training in Healesville. The Centre also operates an Opportunity Shop, with proceeds supporting the operations of the Living and Learning Centre. The centre, which is managed through a committee of management and staff, is supported though volunteers that assist with administration and with the opportunity shop.

This afternoon I was invited to speak to the volunteers to discuss how volunteering is changing and the need to clear roles and responsibilities. It is becoming increasingly evident that governments are reluctant to provide ongoing discretionary government grants that support community organisations. The trend instead is for governments to support project based funding with the increased expectation that these projects will become self-sufficient. As a result community organisations are increasingly dependent on independent sources of funding to complement their operations.

The opportunity shop serves as a significant fundraiser for the Healesville Living and Learning Centre which supports its operations and the delivery of classes. In this regard it is critical that volunteers are aware of the purposes of the Shop and its role as a fundraising initiative. While volunteers are donating their time, it is important to recognise that they have rights and responsibilities. Policies are required to provide certainty for volunteers and guide their actions, likewise position descriptions can help in clarifying volunteer roles and requirements.

The Healesville Living and Learning Centre has a significant role in the community providing courses that deliver new skills and qualifications. It is great to see the organisation supporting its volunteers and extending its fundraising initiatives through the planning of its Opportunity Shop.

2010 Maroondah Festival

Posted on 7 November 2010 by alex

The Maroondah Festival is one of the largest community events within Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, attracting approximately 30,000 attendees and featuring dedicated community, business, sustainability, fitness, teenagers and children.

The weather remained largely pleasant throughout the day, providing a contrast to the hot weather experienced in previous years. The new location at Town Park also provides additional shade and ensures that activities are closer together making the festival easier to attend.

As the Mayor I delivered the opening speech for the Maroondah Festival, welcoming community members and highlights the partners that assisted in delivering the event:

Alex at the opening of the 2010 Maroondah Festival.

On behalf of the Maroondah City Council I would like to welcome everyone to the 2010 Maroondah Festival.

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.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of this wonderful community event and we invite you and your families enjoy the beautiful sunshine and take part in the huge array of activities available here today, including some fresh new initiatives and of course the old favourites.

I would especially like to extend a warm welcome to Ringwood Honda as the principal sponsor of the 2010 Maroondah Festival. Be sure to visit the Ringwood Honda stand next to the Information tent to collect your free Honda merchandise and check out the latest range of Honda vehicles on display. There will also be an opportunity to talk to the friendly staff from Ringwood Honda and enter the draw to win some fantastic prizes including a Honda lawn mower valued at over $800.

At the Festival today, over 150 local groups and businesses have come together to provide information on their networks, goods and services. With their continued support, the Maroondah Festival has grown to become the most well supported community Festival in Melbourne’s east.

I invite everyone to visit the Denso Australia Group – Community Expo today and learn more about the valuable work undertaken by our fantastic local community groups.

We are also fortunate that we have many businesses in our municipality who support the Maroondah Festival. I would like to thank the following businesses for their generous sponsorship at this year’s festival:

Ringwood Honda: The principal sponsor of the Maroondah Festival
Bankwest – sponsor of the Main Stage
Denso Australia Group – sponsor of the Community Expo
Maroondah Weekly – our media partner
Anaconda – sponsor of the Fun and Fitness Arena
Ventura – sponsor of the Park n Ride service
Jalna – sponsor of the Fun and Fitness Walk breakfast

An event the size of Maroondah Festival requires a lot of planning and hard work and I would especially like to extend a huge thank you to all of the volunteers and staff assembled here today. In particular I would like to acknowledge the assistance of St John Ambulance and Victoria Police, and I would also like to thank the staff of Maroondah City Council and Fruitbowl Productions.

I hope that you enjoy the rest of the day, visit the Festival Information tent to find out about the huge array of activities on offer and be sure to take advantage of the free sunscreen.

Thank you all for being part of this fantastic event and celebrating our wonderful Maroondah community.

I would now like to welcome to the stage, the Yarra Valley School band.

Ringwood Bowls Club 2010/2011 Season Launch

Posted on 8 October 2010 by alex

The Ringwood Bowls Club is located at 2-12 Loughnan Road in Ringwood and comprises of almost 400 members, with men’s and women’s bowling teams. The Ringwood Bowls Club has an extensive history of community engagement and has formed an ongoing partnership with organisations like the Ringwood Spiders and several schools to encourage lawn bowls across a range of age groups.

This evening I was invited to officially open the 2010 Lawn Bowls Season where I was able to congratulate the Ringwood Bowls Club for its focus on sustainability and community partnerships.

The Club has invested significantly in water sustainability initiatives, including water tanks and retention systems to provide a sustainable source for watering the greens.

In addition, the club has formed several community partnerships, including local schools and sporting clubs. The Ringwood Bowls Club also actively participates in Maroondah’s Healthy Aging Network, providing activities for Maroondah’s senior citizens.

I congratulate the Ringwood Bowls Club for its ongoing innovation and participation within the community and wish members the very best for the 2010/2011 Lawn Bowls Season.

For further information on the Ringwood Bowls Club please visit www.ringwoodbowls.asn.au.

Ministerial visit to the Ringwood Aquatic Centre Co-generation plant

Posted on 21 July 2010 by alex

This afternoon I joined Peter Garrett, the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, as well as Mike Symon, the Federal Member for Deakin, in observing the new co-generation plant at Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

The co-generation plant was jointly funded through a $250,000 Federal Government grant complementing Council funding of $200,000. The plant includes two 70kW gas generators, which creates enough electricity to run the centre and to maintain heating for the pools at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

Alex with Peter Garrett, the Minister for Environment Protection and Mike Symon, Member for Deakin, at the opening of the Ringwood Aquatic Centre co-generation plant

The co-generation plant will be stored off-site during the construction of the proposed multi-purpose Ringwood Leisure and Aquatic Centre and will be returned to the site once the new facility is operational.

The speech I delivered during the visit is included within this post:

Continue reading “Ministerial visit to the Ringwood Aquatic Centre Co-generation plant”

Media Relase: Co-generation plant attracts attention

Posted on 21 July 2010 by alex

Maroondah Mayor, Councillor Alex Makin welcomed the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, the Honourable Peter Garrett to Ringwood last Wednesday.

Hon. Garrett inspected the co-generation plant at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre which was jointly funded by the Federal Government in January last year.

The funding was part of the $300 million Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program. The $450,000 project saw funding of $250,000 from the Federal Government with the remainder allocated from Council’s sustainability budget initiatives.

Cr Makin said the co-generation plant enabled the aquatic facility to generate heat and power simultaneously, and from a single fuel source.

“The plant runs on two 70kW gas generators which create enough electricity to run the centre and to maintain the heat requirements of the pool,’’ Cr Makin said.

“By installing the plant Council is estimated to save approximately $110,000 this year on its gas and electricity bills at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre. It is also estimated to reduce Council’s ecological footprint by 917 tonnes of greenhouse gas, the equivalent of taking 166 cars off the road,’’ Cr Makin said.

With the expected closure of the Ringwood Aquatic Centre in May next year the co-generation plant will be stored off-site and recommissioned for use at the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility.

– ENDS –

Launch of the Victorian Early Intervention Pilot Program

Posted on 6 July 2010 by alex

The Victorian Early Intervention Pilot Program (VEIPP) is a youth alcohol diversion program, aimed to assist younger people at risk of alcohol abuse.

The program is a pilot project between Victorian Police, Department of Health, Eastern Access Community Health and Turning Point Alcohol and counselling and diversion programs to prevent ongoing criminal convictions.

The City of Maroondah was chosen as the location for the pilot program due to alarming trends that have emerged with teen drinking within the municipality. While these trends are concerning, it is encouraging that the Police and other organisations are taking a proactive role in trying to reverse these trends.

This morning I accompanied Kieran Walshe, Deputy Commissioner of Victoria Police and Dr Karleen Edwards, Executive Director, Mental Health, Drugs and Regions Division of the Department of Health, in launching the Victorian Early Intervention Pilot Program.

The speech delivered during the proceeds is included within this post:

Continue reading “Launch of the Victorian Early Intervention Pilot Program”

Media Release: Ensuring a sustainable financial future for Maroondah

Posted on 30 June 2010 by alex

Maroondah City Council’s Proposed Council Plan 2010-2014 and Proposed Budget 2010-2011 were formally adopted during Council’s Monday 28 June meeting. The documents highlight the key initiatives which underpin the planning and budget blueprints for the Maroondah community.

Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Alex Makin, said the Council Plan set out a broad range of Council activities designed to assist Council and the community move towards the future, as identified in Maroondah 2025: A Community Planning Together.

“The Council Plan clearly details the range of strategies that will be adopted over the coming four years and outlines Council’s commitment to working in partnership with the community to foster quality and sustainable lifestyles,” Cr Makin said.

“There are eight themes within the Council Plan: community; economic development and employment; infrastructure; leisure and culture; natural environment; transport; urban design and development; governance and corporate support,” Cr Makin said.

“The 2010-2011 Budget outlines the provision of financial resources for the coming 12 months, and details how these resources will be applied to delivering the many services Council provides to the community,” Cr Makin said.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

“One of the key factors in this year’s Budget is providing the resources to bring forward the operational deficit that has existed in 12 out of the past 14 Council Budgets,” said Cr Makin.

“It is imperative that this Council draws a line in the sand to ensure that ongoing deficits are no longer acceptable. We must move our financial status into surplus as soon as possible to allow Council to be in the position to invest in community facilities and to meet our obligations now and into the future,” said Cr Makin.

“Council has determined that the operational surplus will now be brought forward to the 2012/13 financial year (three years earlier), commencing with the 2010/11 Budget,” said Cr Makin.

“The operating result for the 2010/11 year is planned at a $1.782 million deficit which halves that of the 09/10 Budget,” said Cr Makin.

“It is important to remember that rates and charges provide 63 per cent of Council’s operating revenue, with the remainder sourced from user charges, operating and capital grants and interest,” said Cr Makin.

“The cost of services delivered to the Maroondah community in 2010/2011 is expected to be $91 million, which is an increase of $6.2million over the 2009/2010 Budget,” said Cr Makin.

The Budget is based on a proposed general rate and charges increase of 9.8 per cent.

This increase is made up from:

CPI (taken from the December 2009 quarter)	3%
Infrastructure Levy	2.5%
New initiatives	2.5%
Regional Aquatic & Leisure Centre in Ringwood	1.1%
State Government imposed increase in Landfill Levy	0.7%

For the average ratepayer living in a median priced house in Maroondah this represents a $98.10 increase in annual rates and charges, or $1.88 extra per week.

“Maroondah remains one of the lowest rating councils in Victoria, with figures released this week by the Municipal Association of Victoria indicating Maroondah has the 7th lowest (per capita) rates and charges of 71 Victorian Councils,” said Cr Makin.

“When further assessing these figures, the six lower rating Councils (per capita) are much larger in population than Maroondah, and therefore benefit from substantial economies of scale as well as other sources of income,” said Cr Makin.

“In addition, at an average rate of $549 per head, Maroondah has the lowest rating of all nine Victorian Councils of similar size (90,000 to 120,000 people),” said Cr Makin.

INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

“Council’s Budget provides the resources to ensure we are able to sustainably provide over 120 services to the 105,000 members of our community, as well as providing resources for a number of new initiatives,” said Cr Makin.

These new initiatives include

$445,000 to provide ongoing maintenance on new capital works projects, such as the new Ringwood multi-purpose shared sports pavilion and all weather synthetic surface
An additional $126,000 in funding to Ringwood and Croydon libraries provides books and computer access for all members of the community, with over 1 million library books borrowed each year
An extra $150,000 to be spent on bushland clearance and fire prevention works in our bush reserves
Additional $250,000 to ensure powerline clearance of trees throughout the municipality
Investment of $50,000 to develop the Heathmont Structure Plan to identify and plan for residential and community needs around this transport hub and shopping precinct
Additional $50,000 on striking new signage throughout Maroondah identifying parks, reserves and buildings, includes pedestrian/cycling signage

LEISURE FACILITIES – MEETING THE COMMUNITY’S FUTURE NEEDS

“The allocation of funding in the 2010-2011 Budget (1.1% of rate increase) will be used to develop the design work and continue the community consultation for the proposed Regional Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Ringwood, which will replace the existing Ringwood Aquatic Centre,” said Cr Makin.

“It is important that Council looks to the future to ensure that we meet the expectations and needs of the Maroondah community. A new regional aquatic and leisure facility is an exciting project that will generate enormous community benefit, and ensure significant leisure and aquatic facilities for the Maroondah community into the next 50 years,” said Cr Makin.

“Maroondah is maintaining its position as a lower rating council in metropolitan Melbourne and returning the budget to surplus allows us to deliver exciting projects like the proposed Regional Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Ringwood,” said Cr Makin.

The 2010-2011 Budget and 2010-2014 Council Plan will be available for viewing on the Maroondah City Council website at www.maroondah.vic.gov.au

– ENDS –

The 2010 National General Assembly of the Australian Local Government Association

Posted on 17 June 2010 by alex

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) is the peak body representing local government at a national level. Each year the organisation holds a National General Assembly, where Councils across the country nominate motions to influence the priorities and initiatives undertaken by ALGA.

This year Maroondah proposed three motions to be debated at the National General Assembly, covering the need for the Commonwealth Government to provide funding for infrastructure required to meet ongoing population growth, as well as support for replacing existing street lighting with energy efficient lights. A third motion calling for funding certainty for Home and Community Care Services (HACC) has already been achieved given that the the Commonwealth Government has committed to protecting arrangements for Victoria.

Maroondah’s motions were successful and it is encouraging to see Councils across the country supporting each other in calling for the best outcomes for our community and the nation. One of the advantages of ALGA is the dialogue between local councils and the Commonwealth, with several Members of Parliament, across all political parties, speaking at the conference.

Attending the ALGA Conference in Canberra is a time demanding task and it is encouraging to see several of my colleagues recognising the importance of a strong Maroondah presence at the National Assembly and during discussions with Federal Members of Parliament. Maroondah’s CEO Frank Dixon, as well as Councillors Michael Macdonald, Paul Macdonald, Rob Steane and Les Willmott joined me in Canberra and I thank them for their attendance.

While we were in Canberra we took the opportunity to meet the Federal Members of Parliament, which include Maroondah within their electorates and I would like to thank Mike Symon, the Member for Deakin, Kevin Andrews, the Member for Menizes and Tony Smith, the Member for Casey for their time. In addition, we had the opportunity to speak to several Ministers and senior advisors and Canberra serves as a useful opportunity to discuss Maroondah’s priorities and the need for further collaboration and partnerships between multiple levels of Government.

All levels of government need to work together to deliver the best possible outcomes for our community and Maroondah’s presence in Canberra helped to convey the need for this partnership and collaboration.

Federal Government 2010-2011 Budget Breakfast

Posted on 20 May 2010 by alex

This morning I attended the Federal Government’s Budget Breakfast, where the recent Federal Budget was presented by the Treasurer Wayne Swan. The Treasurer outlined the economic conditions within Australia, as well as discussing the outcomes from the recent Henry Review into Taxation.

One of the initiatives through the economic stimulus package was the investment in community infrastructure, through partnerships with Local Government. The redevelopment of the Ringwood Soccer Pavilion is an example of this program and demonstrates the outcomes that can be achieved when multiple levels of Governments work together.

I asked a question in regard to the need for an ongoing program of infrastructure funding that should be available for local government projects. While the Treasurer did not provide a definitive answer, he did suggest that further announcements would be forthcoming in this regard.

It is imperative that all levels of Government work together to provide the best possible facilities for the community and Council will be discussing projects, such as the redevelopment of the Ringwood Aquatic Centre, with the Federal Government.