Tag: news

Media Release: National Green Jobs Corps graduation

Posted on by alex

After six months of working to improve the Mullum Mullum Creek area the National Green Jobs Corps crew will graduate from the program today.

National Green Jobs Corps is a Federal Government funded youth development program which offers young people a chance to gain quality experience and training while participating in community based projects of significant environmental and cultural heritage.

The Maroondah-based team worked in partnership with Council, Mission Australia Employment Solutions, Melbourne Water, Waterwatch Melbourne, Mullum Mullum Creek Bushcare Group, CRISP Community Nursery and Platypus Conservancy.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin, who attended the graduation today, said the participants had gained a lot of experience during the program.

“The program is structured in such a way that the participants receive the right balance of work experience, skill development and accredited training,” Cr Makin said.

“During the course of the program the participants in the Maroondah team assisted in the extension of the Mullum Mullum Cultural Heritage Trail, undertook extensive weed removal and revegetation works, and conducted water monitoring and flora and fauna surveys,” Cr Makin said.

“The new paths around the reserve are looking fantastic and I urge those who haven’t seen the works to head down and experience one of the most tranquil and beautiful areas that Maroondah has to offer,” Cr Makin said.

“It is great to know that the Mullum Mullum area is being preserved and enhanced, given its importance to the biodiversity of the area,” Cr Makin said.

Each of the participants will graduate with a Certificate II in Conservation and Land Management from Swinburne TAFE, a Level II First-aid course and herbicide use training.

“So in the six months each of these participants has risen to the challenge and their efforts will be rewarded with nationally recognised qualifications and workplace experience. I wish them all the very best in their future careers,” Cr Makin said.

A second round of National Green Corps participants will now join the program, also working in the Mullum Mullum Creek area.

To be eligible for the National Green Jobs Corps program you have to be aged 17-24, unemployed and receiving the Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance or Parenting Payment.

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Maroondah Journal: Community centre gets second wind

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Central Ringwood Community Centre is located in Bedford Park in Ringwood and provides courses, as well as meeting space for community groups.  The Centre received a $200,000 grant to provide accessibility improvements and a new activity room through a partnership between Maroondah City Council and the Federal Government.

Cr Makin said the upgrades came as wonderful news for families of the 105 children who attended the centre’s playground each week and community groups who used the venue.

“They have given the centre a new lease on life and ensure that user groups will continue to enjoy high quality facilities.”

Central Ringwood Community Centre has a strong focus on social inclusion, including migrant communities and people with disabilities and the completed building improvements will assist in better meeting the needs of the Maroondah community.

Media Release: Gaming machines a blight on Maroondah

Posted on by alex

Responsible Gambling Week will be marked throughout Australia and Maroondah from 17 to 23 May in an effort to build resilience to problem gambling and educate community members at risk of developing a gambling problem.

Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said it was extremely disappointing that Maroondah now bore the distinction of hosting the highest density of gaming machines in metropolitan Melbourne.

“In recent figures released by the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation, Maroondah ranked ahead of both Greater Dandenong and Maribyrnong with 9.52 gaming machines per 1000 adults,” Cr Makin said.

“This is extremely disappointing and is something Council would like to see reversed,” Cr Makin said.

“While poker machine density has been trending downward in both metropolitan Melbourne (down 8.3 per cent from 2007 to 2009) and Victoria (down 5.9 per cent from 2007 to 2009), the trend in Maroondah has grown at a rate of 2.7 per cent between 2007 and 2009,” Cr Makin said.

“In fact, gaming expenditure in Maroondah topped $68.4 million in 2008-09, dwarfing the $42.4 million of municipal rates and charges raised that year,” Cr Makin said.

“Council advocates strongly against any new applications for poker machines in Maroondah and surrounding municipalities,” Cr Makin said.

“Recent cases have included Council submissions objecting to an additional 10 poker machines being installed at Wantirna Club (City of Knox) and to the inclusion of 70 machines at a new venue opposite Chirnside Park Shopping Centre (Shire of Yarra Ranges),” Cr Makin said.

“While Council recognises that not all gamblers in Maroondah are deemed ‘problem gamblers’, it’s important to stress that moderation is the key to keeping gambling under control,” Cr Makin said.

“It is vital that we, as a community, speak with one voice against a further proliferation of gaming machines in Maroondah, and the subsequent gambling expenditure that would result,” Cr Makin said.

“Council will maintain its stance and continue to strongly advocate for less gaming machines in Maroondah and surrounding municipalities over the coming years,” Cr Makin said.

Council has developed a Gaming Policy which sets out its position on electronic gaming in Maroondah, with a focus on problem gambling and the location and operation of poker machines. For information detailing Council’s stance on gaming in Maroondah, visit www.maroondah.vic.gov.au/Gambling.aspx.  For the latest Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation figures and news please visit www.vcgr.vic.gov.au

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Media Release: Boost for sustainability at Ringwood Aquatic Centre

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Council expects to deliver more than $60,000 in electricity savings and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 917 tonnes a year through the operation of a
new energy production system at Ringwood Aquatic Centre (RAC).

The gas fired cogeneration system, delivered to the centre last Thursday, converts heat produced by two gas fired engines into usable energy to warm pool water and generate electricity for the facility.

Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said the system was great news for the environment.

“This initiative is part of Council’s ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint toward the goal of carbon neutrality by 2020,” Cr Makin said.

“The $376,000 project is co-funded by the Federal Government through its Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program ($250,000) and Council ($126,000),” Cr Makin said.

“This project will lead to significant energy savings and a large reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at RAC,” Cr Makin said.

“Once it’s up and running this February, the system will join the range of Council’s sustainability initiatives in place throughout the municipality,” Cr Makin said.

“An example of two of the larger sustainability projects completed last year was the installation of an innovative filtration system at Croydon Memorial Pool and a backwash water recycling system at Croydon Leisure and Aquatic Centre, which is expected to save a combined seven million litres of water per annum,” Cr Makin said.

“Council will continue to implement environmentally sustainable initiatives at its facilities in a bid to cut resource use and reduce greenhouse emissions,” Cr Makin said.

Tour of Eastern FM’s studios and Interview

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Eastern FM is a community radio station based at Wyreena Community Arts Centre in Croydon.  The station broadcasts on 98.1 FM and has coverage throughout Maroondah, Knox and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

Eastern FM broadcasts to over 600,000 people in region and approximately 200,000 listeners.  This afternoon I was invited to a tour of the station’s studios and facilities, along with Wyreena Ward Councillors, Michael Macdonald and Rob Steane.

Eastern FM began full-time broadcasting on the 23rd of February 1991 from its studios at Wyreena and outside broadcasts at community events. Like many other community organisations, Eastern FM has plans to grow and continue meeting the needs of the municipality and the region. In particular the station is keen to develop additional studio space and further expand its outside broadcast program.

After the tour I joined Michael and Rob for an interview with Peter McArthur, a presenter at Eastern FM on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday mornings. The interview discussed the year ahead and looked back on 2009.

A recording of the interview was kindly provided by Eastern FM and is available from this website:

[flv width=”400″ height=”50″]http://www.alexmakin.com.au/audio/2009-12-24-eastern-fm.mp3[/flv]