Maroondah City Council Mayor Councillor Alex Makin congratulates the 14 Ringwood Diving Club members who have qualified for the National Competition next year.
“It is a fantastic effort from our local club to have so many divers representing the state at such an elite level,” Cr Makin said.
“The news of the club’s success timed in perfectly with Council’s proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility information expo at Ringwood Aquatic Centre on Saturday October 23,” Cr Makin said.
“The expo gave the community a chance to find out more about the proposed facility which includes the state diving centre. The proposed state diving centre would provide Ringwood Diving Club and other diving clubs with a state of the art training facility,” Cr Makin said.
“The proposal has been strongly supported by Diving Australia, Diving Victoria and Ringwood Diving Club. If we can secure state and/or federal government funding, the facility would include unique dry driving training facilities and a FINA standard 10 metre diving tower and pool,” Cr Makin said.
“The recent success of former Ringwood Diving Club members at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games level proves that we have the talent to compete on the world stage,” Cr Makin said.
“A facility like the proposed state diving centre would offer these athletes a chance to train in a world class venue, perfecting their skills and putting them in a better position to compete at an international level,” Cr Makin said.
Council is hosting another proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility information expo at Maroondah Festival on November 7.
Members of the Ringwood Diving Club will provide an interactive display as part of the festival with divers performing on the portable springboard, mini trampolines, and kinder dive activities.
The expo will also highlight the types of exciting aquatic and leisure activities the new Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility would provide for families and individuals,” Cr Makin said.
“There will be a variety of information, images and concept plans on display and an opportunity for people to provide feedback on their thoughts of the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.
“For those who want to discuss the proposal further there will be leisure experts, representatives from aquatic clubs and council staff on hand to answer all of your questions,” Cr Makin said.
The proposed facility is accessible for all, and includes warm water pool; dedicated learn to swim pool; 50 metre pool; and extensive water play and large indoor water slides. It is also proposed to include an extensive gymnasium with multipurpose exercise rooms and a wellness centre.
“With all of this under the one roof the proposed facility will offer exciting aquatic and leisure activities for everyone,” Cr Makin said.
What: Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure information expo When: Sunday November 7 Where: Maroondah Festival, Town Park, Croydon When: 10am to 5pm
Maroondah City Council Mayor Councillor Alex Makin has congratulated former Ringwood divers Grant Nel, Anabelle Smith and Jaele Patrick for their outstanding performances at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
“In the weeks before they left for Delhi I had the opportunity to meet all three divers at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre, where they started their careers as members of the Ringwood Diving Club,” Cr Makin said.
“It was fantastic to see the divers competing on the world stage and I congratulate them on their performances,” Cr Makin said.
Jaele Patrick won two bronze medals, one in the Women’s 3m Springboard and the other in the Women’s 3m Synchronized Spring Board. She also finished fourth in the Women’s 1m Springboard.
Grant Nel won a bronze medal in the Men’s 3m Spring board event and Annabelle Smith won a bronze medal in the Women’s Synchronized 10m Platform and finished fourth in the Women’s 3m Springboard.
“These divers are the latest champions who have emerged from the Ringwood Diving Club over the years, following in the footsteps of Olympic gold medallist Chantelle Newbury,” Cr Makin said.
“In speaking with the divers and the Club in relation to the proposed Maroondah Aquatic Centre, they have highlighted the benefits which would come with the proposed dry diving training facility and the FINA standard 10 metre diving tower and pool,” Cr Makin said.
“These aspects of the proposal are still subject to significant state and federal Government funding, but with state-of-the-art facilities like these on offer we could see more and more Victorian based divers competing at an international level,” Cr Makin said.
“In the past few months Council has hosted several community expos giving people an opportunity for to see how the proposed new facility would provide exciting aquatic and leisure activities for them and their family,” Cr Makin said.
“The next community expo will be held at Maroondah Festival on November 7. The expo will feature a variety of information, images and concept plans as well as providing an opportunity for people to provide feedback on their thoughts on the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.
“For those who want to discuss the proposal further there will be leisure experts, representatives from aquatic clubs and council staff on hand to answer all of your questions,” Cr Makin said.
“The proposed facility is accessible for all, and includes warm water pool; dedicated learn to swim pool; 50 metre pool; and extensive water play and large indoor water slides. It is also proposed to include an extensive gymnasium with multi-purpose exercise rooms and a wellness centre,” Cr Makin said.
What: Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure information expo When: Sunday November 7 Where: Maroondah Festival, Town Park, Croydon When: 10am to 5pm
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.
The Eastern Transport Coalition is a council initiated advocacy group, covering Melbourne’s seven outer eastern Councils; Greater Dandenong, Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
As part of its advocacy campaign, the Eastern Transport Coalition is holding a series of candidate forums, throughout each of the member councils. The evening was attended by representatives of each of the three major parties, the Australian Labor Party, the Victorian Liberal Party and the Victorian Greens.
I provided the introduction to tonight’s forum to highlight the current public transport deficiencies within Maroondah. The speech is available within this entry:
Welcome candidates and the community to the Maroondah City Council Eastern Transport Coalition Public Transport Forum.
Maroondah City Council, in the spirit of reconciliation, acknowledges that we are meeting on the 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 are fortunate tonight to have secured Mr Clay Lucas as our independent moderator. Clay may be well known to some of you as he is part of The Age’s city team having worked The Age and The Sunday Age since 2005 as a city reporter. This role sees Clay reporting on a range of topics across the transport sector, including roads, public transport, planning and development. In 2009 Clay won a Quill for transport reporting with Age investigative reporter Royce Millar.
Before I hand over to Clay to get the evening underway I just want to provide a quick overview of the public transport issues that Maroondah sees as important to the community and help set the context of public transport in the east.
Regional Perspective
The eastern region is an established area experiencing significant economic and population growth.
This growth is mainly occurring through infill and consolidation of existing residential, commercial and employment areas.
The network is struggling to keep up with demand and provide services that the community require to carry out their day to day activities as viable alternatives to the motor vehicle.
The Victorian Transport Plan – Does not deliver for the east
To keep pace with the population and economic growth the current public transport system needs to expand.
The Victorian Transport Plan does not adequately consider or respond to the needs of the East and greater investment is still required, if the eastern suburbs are to continue to be liveable and met the State’s land use and transport plans as outlined in Melbourne @ 5 million.
The high household car ownership in the City of Maroondah is evidence of the public transport systems inability to provide a service that allows our community to undertake their daily activities. The ETC and Maroondah City Council call on the government for the development of a long term regional public transport strategy for the Eastern region.
Ringwood Station Upgrade
Ringwood is identified as one of six Central Activity Districts which will offer CBD type services in suburban locations. In recent MTF public survey, Ringwood Station was voted as Melbourne’s second worse station, after Richmond.
The current Ringwood Station is difficult to access with steep ramps to station platforms that fail the State Government’s Disability Discrimination Act requirements.
The footpath access from each side of the station is not safe, particularly for people in wheel chairs and there is not direct wheel chair access to the car park which is located at the bottom of a steep stairway.
There has been no significant upgrade to the station in more than 50 years and it is desperately needing to be modernised.
For Ringwood Station to be truly accessible to all and permit convenient transferring between transport services, it is imperative that it is clean, comfortable, accessible and safe and secure.
Triplication for the Belgrave/Lilydale line
As Central Melbourne will continue to be a major location for employment, the arts, culture, sport and leisure, central Melbourne should be conveniently accessible by public transport for all Melbournians.
The demand on the Belgrave/Lilydale lines, with approximately 93,000 daily boardings, make these lines one of Melbourne’s most highly patronised rail corridors.
The patronage of both lines is reaching capacity with overcrowding a regular passenger experience. To facilitate more efficient and comfortable commuting for those passengers coming from beyond Ringwood Station, the triplication of the line between Box Hill and Ringwood is required.
Better Buses
Buses are the largest public transport option available to residents within Maroondah and the neighbouring municipalities. Bus patronage is growing, particularly on services with long operation and high frequency of service, i.e. the SmartBus Routes.
The recently conducted Metropolitan Bus Service Reviews was a step in the right direction with identifying inadequate service and generating regional specific solutions. However, very few of the recommendations have been implemented and they have only been small route extensions or minimal frequency and duration improvements.
Bus services in Maroondah remain poor with limited out of peak services and long wait times between services throughout most of the day. Improving bus services in coverage, service frequency and duration will provide real alternatives to the private vehicle and enable the community of Maroondah to have real choice in transport.
Conclusion
The provision of a more equitable, accessible public transport will reduce the detrimental effects of poor access to public transport in the eastern region, such as, social isolation, high car dependency, reduced financial freedom or the inability to access services.
A truly integrated and accessible transport network will also reduce the regions vulnerability to changes in the environment, such as climate change and peak oil.
I thank you for your attendance tonight and look forward to hearing how the candidates respond to your issues.
I’ll now hand you over to Clay to get the evening underway.
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 City Council is hosting an information expo at Ringwood Aquatic Centre on Saturday October 23 to give the community a chance to find out more about the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility.
Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said Council had received positive feedback from the previous two expos which have been held at Eastland.
“We decided to host another expo to give current users an opportunity to find out more about the proposal and what types of exciting aquatic and leisure activities the new centre would provide for them and their family,” Cr Makin said.
“There will be a variety of information, images and concept plans on display and an opportunity for people to provide feedback on their thoughts of the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.
“For those who want to discuss the proposal further there will be leisure experts, representatives from aquatic clubs and council staff on hand to answer all of your questions,” Cr Makin said.
“The proposed facility is accessible for all, and includes warm water pool; dedicated learn to swim pool; 50 metre pool; and extensive water play and large indoor water slides. It is also proposed to include an extensive gymnasium with multi-purpose exercise rooms and a wellness centre,” Cr Makin said.
“With all of this under the one roof the proposed facility will offer exciting aquatic and leisure activities for everyone,” Cr Makin said.
“The expo will also highlight the proposed state diving centre which is strongly supported by Diving Australia, Diving Victoria and Ringwood Diving Club. If we can secure state and/or federal government funding, the facility would also include unique dry driving training facilities and a FINA standard 10 metre diving tower and pool,” Cr Makin said.
“The expo is a valuable opportunity for the public to chat to the experts; meet representatives from swimming, diving and other aquatic sports; and provide feedback on the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.
A community information stall will also be available at the Maroondah Festival on November 7.
What: Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure information expo
When: Saturday October 23
Where: Ringwood Aquatic Centre, Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood.
When: 10am to noon
Ringwood is one of six urban centres identified as a Central Activities District through State and Local Government planning policies. Throughout this year I have worked with my Mayoral counterparts in Greater Dandenong, Frankston, Hume, Maribyrnong and Whitehorse to highlight the need for an ongoing funding and implementation commitment for our respective Central Activities Districts.
Box Hill, Broadmeadows, Dandenong, Footscray, Frankston and Ringwood have all been identified as Central Activities Districts, but yet only Dandenong has received an implementation plan and ongoing investment from the State Government.
The State Government’s ten year funding commitment for Dandenong, which will see $550 million invested into the revitalisation of the urban centre, demonstrates what can be achieved when there is joint commitment between State and Local Governments.
All of Melbourne’s Central Activity Districts deserve a similar commitment and the Maroondah Leader has reported on this regional cooperation, which stretches across Metropolitan Melbourne:
“With the exception of Dandenong, there’s been no long-term funding or planning commitment to the CADs,” Cr Makin said, noting that Greater Dandenong Council was backing the other CAD councils’ call for funding.
Ongoing investment and commitment to Melbourne’s Central Activities Districts will provide amenity improvements and deliver a range of educational, employment and community opportunities throughout Metropolitan Melbourne.
This will provide mini-cities within Melbourne and complement the the role of CBD throughout these urban centres. The City of Melbourne has also been working with the Mayors of the Councils containing Central Activities Districts and it has been fantastic to see an ongoing commitment to this unique alliance.
Unlike Dandenong, where there is a 10-year implementation plan for the investment of about $550 million, just one major project in the Ringwood Central Activities Districts has been allocated money – the $39 million bus interchange.
Cr Makin said plans for other parcels of government-owned land in the area, including the railway station and surrounds remains unclear.
While the Central Activities Districts are dispersed throughout Metropolitan Melbourne there are common issues that unite each of the urban centres, including the need for an ongoing commitment and implementation plan from the State Government.
Cr Makin said government departments have done a lot of work but there hadn’t been the necessary “political buy-in” and leadership was necessary to send a stronger signal to investors.
Each of the Central Activities Districts Councils have identified key projects that would deliver improved facilities and services, with transport interchanges being common across each of the urban centres.
It is clear that public transport improvements, both in regard to interchanges and service frequencies, are critical for the success of each Central Activities District. There is a need for greater level of community facilities with Ringwood Station and the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure Centre forming Council’s two key priorities.
The formation of regional partnerships has been one of the highlights of my year as Mayor, each of Melbourne’s Central Activities Districts has its own strengths and it is imperative that the State Government support these centres through an ongoing implementation plan and funding certainty.
The Maroondah community is invited to an information expo at Eastland on Wednesday October 15 to hear more about the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility.
Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said following the success of the first expo at Eastland in August Council would be hosting more throughout the municipality.
“The expos are an opportunity for people to see how the proposed new facility could provide exciting aquatic and leisure activities for them and their family,” Cr Makin said.
“There will be a variety of information, images and concept plans on display and and there will be an opportunity for people to provide feedback on their thoughts of the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.
“For those who want to discuss the proposal further there will be leisure experts, representatives from Ringwood Diving Club, Ringwood Swimming Club, Ringwood Triathlon Club and council staff on hand to answer all of your questions,” Cr Makin said.
“The proposed facility is accessible for all, and includes warm water pool; dedicated learn to swim pool; 50 metre pool; and extensive water play and large indoor water slides. It is also proposed to include an extensive gymnasium with multipurpose exercise rooms and a wellness centre,” Cr Makin said.
“With all of this under the one roof the proposed facility will offer exciting aquatic and leisure activities for everyone,” Cr Makin said.
“The expo will also highlight the proposed state diving centre which is strongly supported by Diving Australia, Diving Victoria and Ringwood Diving Club. If we can secure state or federal government funding, the facility would also include unique dry driving training facilities and a FINA standard 10 metre diving tower and pool,” Cr Makin said.
“The expo at Eastland is a valuable opportunity for the public to chat to the experts; meet representatives from swimming, diving and other aquatic sports; and provide feedback on the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.
Two more Community expos have also been organised; from 10am to noon, October 23 at Ringwood Aquatic Centre and on November 7 during Maroondah Festival.
What: Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure information expo
When: Wednesday October 15
Where: Eastland Shopping Centre main stage area
When: 1pm to 8pm
The Ringwood Diving Club is based at Ringwood Aquatic Centre in Jubilee Park, Ringwood and has over 100 members. The Club has a strong history within diving, including having four members who will be competing at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
Today’s annual general meeting provided an opportunity to elect committee members for the upcoming year and to present trophies to competition winners. In addition I spoke about the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure Centre, which would provide new facilities for the community including vastly improved diving capabilities, as well as wellness and gym components which are currently lacking at the existing Ringwood Aquatic Centre.
The Ringwood Diving Club has undertaken extensive planning for the future, including expanding its coaching capacity, providing coaching for people with hearing impairments and forming alliances with the Whitehorse Diving Club. For further details please visit www.ringwooddivingclub.com.au
At least two more information expos on the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility are planned following the success of the Eastland expo on August 26.
Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said the expo gave the community a chance to see how the proposed facility would provide exciting aquatic and leisure activities for all members of the Maroondah community.
“It was great to see so many people taking advantage of the expo and spend the time to look at the range of information, images and concept plans which were on display. For those who wanted to discuss the proposal further we had leisure experts, representatives from Ringwood Diving Club, Ringwood Swimming Club, Ringwood Triathlon Club and council staff on hand to answer all of their questions,” Cr Makin said.
“We had people from all ages and interests come and discuss the proposal with us. The majority were supportive of the proposed project and were keen to hear about the planned aspects of the project particularly the water play areas, water slides and the various programs which would be on offer,” Cr Makin said.
“Of course not everyone was supportive of the proposal, however after discussing their concerns most people realised that the extensive range of facilities and proposed programs would be of benefit to either themselves or their families,” Cr Makin said.
“One of the best things about the proposal is that it caters for everyone from young children to our seniors, and it will be fully accessible for all,” Cr Makin said.
“The proposal includes a warm water pool; dedicated learn to swim pool; 50 metre pool; an extensive water play area and large indoor water slides, an extensive gymnasium with multi-purpose exercise rooms and a wellness centre,” Cr Makin said.
“Representatives from Ringwood Diving Club were on hand at the expo to discuss the benefits of a state diving centre which is proposed for the venue,” Cr Makin said.
“The club already has a long history of divers who have represented Australia at an Olympic and Commonwealth games level, including gold medallist Chantelle Newbury, and they are well aware of the benefits that would come with the proposed dry driving training facilities and the FINA standard 10 metre diving tower and pool. These aspects of the proposal are still subject to significant State and Federal Government funding,” Cr Makin said.
Council is planning further community expos at Eastland and the Ringwood Aquatic Centre and will have a stall set up at the Maroondah Festival which is on Sunday November 7. At All three events the public will have an opportunity to chat to the experts; meet representatives from swimming, diving and other aquatic sports; and provide feedback on the proposed facility.
