Tag: interchange

Conclusion of the 2010 Mayoral Year

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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.

Media Release: State funding commitment essential for Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure

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Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Alex Makin has confirmed Council’s major project for funding at the forthcoming State election.

“The proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure is the number one funding priority for Council as an essential piece of community and Council infrastructure,” said Cr Makin.

“As a State Government designated Central Activities District, Ringwood is enjoying significant investment and development from private enterprise with major commercial and residential growth underway,” said Cr Makin.

“The State Government has committed $39million in funding towards the bus interchange with funding still to come for the Ringwood Railway Station. Both are essential government infrastructure elements for the Central Activities District,” said Cr Makin.

“The significance of the Ringwood Central Activities District has been identified and acknowledged by both the Greens and Liberal parties in the lead up to the State election with their commitment to funding an upgrade to Ringwood Station within the term of the next government,” said Cr Makin.

“Council’s proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure will complement the development taking place in the Ringwood Central Activities District, enabling it to meet the needs of the growing and diverse regional population of more than 400,000 people,” said Cr Makin.

“The proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure is a critical element to the Central Activities District, both in recreational and leisure terms, as well as the economic and employment benefits during construction and operation,” said Cr Makin.

“Council is seeking considerable funding to assist with the development of this project, particularly for the diving facilities which will provide unique dry diving training for the State, as well as a FINA standard 10 metre diving tower and pool,” said Cr Makin.

“Council has met with all state candidates to ensure that they are aware of the needs of the Maroondah community, and will continue to advocate strongly in the lead up to the State election on behalf of our local community,” said Cr Makin.

– ENDS –

Delegates’ Report: Regional Partnerships, Celebrating Diversity, Ringwood Station Advocacy

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There are several notable items I will discuss tonight.

The first being the regional partnership signed by the Mayors of the Cities of Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges on the 22nd of September. This agreement will strengthen co-operation between the municipalities in areas such as advocacy, where each of these councils have supported calls for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange.

The Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival was held on the 9th of October, with over 5000 attendees enjoying a range of multicultural food, entertainment and performances. It is great to see the Maroondah community embracing cultural diversity and this was further evident at the New Year celebrations of Maroondah’s Chin community, an ethnic group from Burma who celebrated Fang Er at Ringwood Secondary College on the 16th of October. The afternoon provided an opportunity to learn about Fang Er, which coincides with the harvest season in Burma and to discover national dances and food.

Monkami, a not-for-profit service provider for people with intellectually disabilities, has continued to strengthen its community connections and I had the pleasure of launching Alarming Art on the 14th of October. Alarming Art is Monkami’s new public gallery located at the Croydon Fire Station in Croydon Road, the space will provide an opportunity to showcase the talents of Monkami’s clients and further strengthen connections with the community.

Lastly, Maroondah City Council launched its Missing Piece Campaign on the 13th of October, calling on all political parties to commit to the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange. The campaign, which I co-launched with accessibility advocate Margaret Stevens, reinforces the dire state of Ringwood Station and the need for a commitment. The campaign will continue until the State Election with updates being available at www.facebook.com/ringwoodstation.

I’ll table the rest of my report.

Eastern Transport Coalition – September 2010 meeting

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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.

Maroondah Leader: Video ramp struggle

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Maroondah Council is continuing its campaign to secure an upgrade of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transit interchange through a video that highlights the accessibility issues that exist with the Station.

The Maroondah Leader has reported on Council’s innovative approach to this campaign:

Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said the video, recorded last Wednesday by Maroondah Council, revealed how bad the station was for people with disabilities to access.

The video highlights the personal experiences of people with disabilities and mobility aids experience in using the station.

“In one case the station’s ramps were so steep that the rear support wheels on the wheelchair lifted two to three centimetres off the ground”, Cr Makin said. “Others can’t stop on the ramps because the brakes are not strong enough to cope with the gradient.”

The video clearly demonstrates the critical need to upgrade Ringwood Station, particularly given its status as a Central Activities District.

Cr Makin said the video showed the personal impact on people tying to use a station that does not meet the Disability Discrimination Act.

“The amount of feedback the council has received has been phenomenal,” he said. “Many people have expressed their fear of using the station because of its access issues.”

To view the video or to sign the petition, please visit www.maroondah.vic.gov.au.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSKJvKKnwoo[/youtube]

Maroondah Leader: Petition junction

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Maroondah City Council has begun its advocacy campaign to secure a commitment for Ringwood Station in the lead up to the State Election. The City of Maroondah is calling on all political parities to commit to providing a safe, accessible and integrated transit interchange for Ringwood.

The Maroondah Leader has reported on the start of this campaign:

Mayor Alex Makin said the continued lack of action made a mockery of the government’s aim to make transport accessible to all.

“Wherever I go in Maroondah I am guaranteed to get a question about the station’s condition,” Cr Makin said. “It is important that the council works with the community to highlight the concerns that we have in regard to the condition of Ringwood Station.

The petition can be completed at Council’s customer service centres or online at www.maroondah.vic.gov.au.