Tag: pedestrians

Celebrating Community Safety Month through Community Art at Bayswater North

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Community Safety Month, an initiative of Victoria Police is held every October with the aim of encouraging safer communities. One of the major focal points of Bayswater North Community Renewal is safety and this has led to the formation of the Paths and Parking Action Group.

The Paths & Parking Action Group is a working group of Community Renewal consisting of three members who have worked for almost three years to improve safety, particularly in regard to pedestrians and accessibility.

The Action Group advocated for an accessible bus stop to be located on Colchester Road, opposite the Canterbury Gardens Shopping Centre. This bus stop has been decorated with mosaic tiles created by students from grades 3 and 4 at Bayswater North Primary with the theme of community.

This morning I officially launched the new bus stop and congratulated the three founding members of the Paths & Parking Action Group, all of whom are mothers with children at Bayswater North Primary. These three members not only advocated for safety improvements but also encouraged community participation through their links to the Bayswater North Primary.

The accessible bus stop and community art project demonstrates the positive improvements that can be undertaken in partnership with the community and Council. I congratulate the three members of the Paths and Parking Working Group for their dedication and community service.

Ringwood Precinct Open House

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The centre of Ringwood, has recently been identified as a Central Activities District and has been earmarked for significant urban revitalisation and aims to transform Ringwood into an accessible and vibrant urban centre.

Within the Ringwood Central Activities District is a significant residential area, such as the North Western Residential Precinct, which is bound by Ringwood Street, Nelson Street, Bond Street and Burwood Avenue.

This part of Ringwood has seen significant changes such as the construction of multi-storey developments and as a resident in Bond Street I have seen and experienced this first-hand.

This afternoon Council organised an Open House for residents and property owners within this area to discuss amenity issues and identify potential solutions. Residents and property owners were able to express their concerns and speak directly to council staff and myself as an elected Councillor.

Recently constructed footpaths have improved the accessibility of this area and a new playground is planned for the park on the corner of New Street. The playground will be connected through the Eastlink shared trail and will include play equipment, seating and shelter.

In addition, a bridge over Maroondah Highway will provide a continuous linkage for pedestrians and cyclists and is expected to be completed later this year.

Sustainability is at the forefront of Ringwood’s transformation with water tanks, energy efficiency, as well as bicycle facilities and footpath construction, being a part of new developments within this precinct.

Waste management is also being improved through conditions requiring body corporate involvement such as maintaining their own private garbage collection. This will reduce the number of rubbish bins located on nature strips during garbage collection days.

In addition parking issues are also being explored and council will shortly be releasing a strategy to address these concerns and reduce difficulties in travelling through streets within this area.

It was great to see the many people, including neighbours of mine, taking advantage of the Open Day and speaking directly to council.

The transformation of Ringwood presents challenges to Maroondah Council and the wider community. These challenges are being addressed to ensure that our amenity to achieve our vision of creating a more sustainable and accessible Ringwood.

Ongoing updates are critical to Ringwood’s revitalisation and a dedicated website www.ringwoodgoingplaces.com.au has been created to provide ongoing updates on projects undertaken within the Ringwood Central Activities District.

North Ringwood Community House 2009 AGM

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This morning North Ringwood Community House held its Annual General Meeting to elect committee members for the next two years. The community house appoints a two-year term for its committee members to provide continuity, while still providing flexibility for new members to get involved.

I have been re-elected onto the Committee of Management so that I can continue to provide advice in regard to advancing the aims of the new Community House for Ringwood North.

While changes to the Local Government Act may unnecessarily complicate a councillor’s involvement in community organisations, I believe that my inclusion on the committee assists the house in being able to achieve its goal of new premises. The relocation of North Ringwood Community House will allow for the expansion of its services and to meet the growing needs of an increasingly diverse Ringwood North and Ringwood community. In particular it would provide for an accessible community house within a location that can be accessed by people residing in both Ringwood and Ringwood North.

I was also the guest speaker at the AGM and discussed the transformation of Ringwood as a designated Central Activity District and the need for community facilities to be at the forefront of this project.

Recent improvements to Ringwood include the construction of footpaths throughout the residential precinct, including Nelson Street, Bourke Street, Bond Street, Browns Avenue, Churchill Street, Montgomery Street, Sherbrook Avenue and Burwood Avenue. These footpaths were constructed through development contributions and will assist in creating an accessible environment that encourages sustainable forms of transport, such as walking.

The redevelopment of Eastland and the creation of a new town square for Ringwood is expected to begin at the start of next year and will restore a civic heart to Ringwood through delivering new public open space and a new library and community complex.

The creation of a forecourt and bus interchange for Ringwood Station is expected through State Government funding of $39 million. This work is expected to begin either late this year or early next year.

While this funding will improve the appearance of Ringwood Station and make it easier for pedestrians to access the transport interchange, it will not improve the accessibility of the station itself, meaning that further work is required to ensure that the standards meets the needs of people with disabilities.

It is imperative that State Government funding is received for these further works to create an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange.

The major challenge facing both Ringwood and the North Ringwood Community House is the need to deliver new community services within Ringwood while still providing facilities for the Ringwood North community. In this regard a proposed location for the community house will need to retain its connection to Ringwood North while being accessible to the Ringwood community.

The feasibility study which is designed to identify potential sites will explore this criteria to ensure that the most suitable location is found.

I look forward to my continued involvement in the North Ringwood Community House as we advance the aims of providing a community focus for the Ringwood and Ringwood North communities.

For further information on North Ringwood Community House please visit www.nrchi.com.

Media Release: Remember the school road rules

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Maroondah’s schools are back in action from Monday 6 October and Maroondah City Council is reminding drivers to remember the school rules and slow down to the specified speeds in school zones.

Councillor Alex Makin stresses how important it is that all motorists be responsible when approaching school zones, and obey the reduced speed limits.

“Maroondah schools are clearly signed to indicate the appropriate 40km/h speed zone. The reduced speed applies to specified time periods before and after school in some areas whereas others are permanent 40km/h zones,” said Cr Makin.

“The exceptions to these school zones include time based 60km/h speed limits outside schools on 80km/h roads, like Maroondah Highway. Electronic variable signs are used on these roads to indicate the correct speed limits for the particular time of the day,” said Cr Makin.

“The 40km/h school speed zones are in place to reduce the alarming statistics surrounding injuries and deaths of children in and around school areas. Research has indicated reducing speed can dramatically increase the chances of survival for a child involved in an accident,” said Cr Makin.

“Being aware of the location of schools throughout Maroondah and paying attention to the speed zone signs is essential, because even a minor reduction in travelling speed can make the difference in saving a life or reducing injury,” said Cr Makin.

“Although school speed zones have been in effect since 2005, for everyone’s safety motorists are reminded to slow down as we enter a new school term,” said Cr Makin.

In Maroondah each year, on average, there are approximately 310 to 330 casualty accidents (where someone is injured and the Police attend), and out of these approximately 30 involve pedestrians, of which around 7 to 8 are school age children (Source: VicRoads Crash Stats).

For further information about speed limits around schools, contact the VicRoads information hotline on 1300 360 745 or visit www.arrivealive.vic.gov.au

– ENDS –

Delegates' Report: Support services, musical talents, advancing reconciliation and planning for Community Safety Week

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On the 20th of June I had the pleasure of attending Hope City Mission’s Charity Auction Evening. Hope City Mission, based in Croydon South provides assistance to people in need within our community. The mission does this by not only providing emergency relief in the form of food and clothing but by also focusing on the wellbeing of individuals. Through this focus on wellbeing and empowering change the Mission provides pamper days and extravaganza days, which provide haircuts and a chance to socialise and restore community connectedness. I also had the pleasure of seeing the Mission’s Pamper Day in action, last Friday on the 18th of July and I saw firsthand the benefits this service provides to some of our most vulnerable community members.

Individual wellbeing is just as important as food and clothing and Hope City achieves its Mission through broadening its focus on empowerment.

On the 4th of July the Eastern Transport Coalition held its Public Transport Summit, entitled it’s ‘Time to Move On’, that is time to move away from car dependence and the crippling cost that petrol is having on our families and towards public transport improvements. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many members of the Maroondah community who attended the summit and supported my presentation on the need for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and the importance of the Ringwood Transit City as a regional centre.

The redevelopment of Ringwood Station is critical to ensuring the revitalisation of Ringwood. The current station fails accessibility standards and is perceived to be unsafe, with Ringwood Station consistently being perceived as one of the most unsafe locations within Maroondah. Coupled with traffic calming along Maroondah Highway, pedestrians which total approximately 10,000 per day would be able to conveniently travel between the transport interchange and the residential/commercial precincts of Ringwood.

The Eastern Transport Coalition has recognised Ringwood’s importance as a regional centre and as a council we must support our neighbouring municipalities in calling for greater investment in public transport. There is strength in Maroondah being part of a concerted regional push, whereby one million residents across the eastern suburbs, recognise the importance in redeveloping Ringwood Station. Let us hope that the State Government heeds this call and delivers this essential upgrade to the station.

On the 11th of July I attended the Maroondah NAIDOC week celebrations which commemorated council’s permanent flying of the Aboriginal flag and I would like to congratulate the many community groups, the Indigenous networks and the Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place for attending the ceremony.

The theme for this year’s NAIDOC week is ‘Advance Australia Fair?’ It is important to note that the organisers intended this theme as a question, since it is a timely reminder of the health, education and wellbeing inequities that exist between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australia. Council’s Reconciliation Plan, which is included on tonight’s agenda will hopefully assist in bridging this gap and ensure that we as local government are working towards reconciliation.

On the 12th of July I had an afternoon of music, firstly with Enjoying Planned Retirement’s Hidden Talents concert. Where EPR’s unveiled the diverse singing, comedy and music talents of its expansive membership. EPR states that they are ‘recycled teenagers’ although I don’t think my teenage years were ever that fun! I would like to congratulate EPR on yet another fun filled event and look forward to the next Hidden Talents concert in September.

That evening I attended the Ringwood Eisteddfod, marking its 54th year of showcasing the immense musical talent that exists within our community. I would like to commend the many people involved in organising and performing within the Eisteddfod.

While the Premier and Cabinet held a community cabinet session in Karralyka on the 15th of July, I was busy chairing the Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee. With the year half over it is encouraging the see the continuation of the strong networking that exists within the committee with a number of agencies and organisations, such as Connex and the Department of Education, assisting council in undertaking activities for Community Safety Week in October. Do watch this space for details on the council activities for Community Safety Week.

Eastern Transport Coalition Public Transport Summit

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The Eastern Transport Coalition represents one million residents across the seven eastern metropolitan councils within Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Today’s summit highlighted the need for public transport improvements within the eastern suburbs to become sustainable and accessible through providing transport choice for residents facing worsening traffic congestion and rising petrol prices. The theme includes the infrastructure needs of the region and included presentations on the need for new rail lines serving Rowville and Doncaster, as well as required improvements to the Belgrave and Lilydale rail lines.

The keynote speakers, Professors Peter Newman and Graham Currie, spoke about the importance of public transport in reducing greenhouse emissions and mitigating the effects of rising petrol prices. Both speakers reiterated the trend of rising petrol prices and demonstrated quite clearly that such increases were only going to continue.

While the Premier was unable to attend, Rob Hudson, the Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport, stated that the Government would release a new transport plan by the end of the year. While the State Government released Meeting Our Transport Challenges in 2006, the plan was widely condemned as being inadequate and failed to plan for any infrastructure improvements in the eastern suburbs. It is hoped that the government’s next plan will rectify these shortcomings.

The Opposition Leader, Ted Baillieu, spoke about the government’s litany of public transport plans and the increasing cost of inaction. While the opposition leader did not make any commitments, he did highlight the need for rail lines to Doncaster and Rowville.

The summit was extremely well attended by community members, as well as local councillors, State MPs and members of local environment and transport groups. Time was provided to allow attendees to discuss the needs of the eastern region and during this time the need for accessibility improvements on public transport was mentioned.

Alex speaking at the ETC Public Transport Summit

I spoke on the needs of the Belgrave/Lilydale lines and Ringwood with Cr. Samantha Dunn from the Shire of Yarra Ranges, who spoke about the need for rail duplications to improve the reliability of the line.

My presentation focused on the need for rail improvements between Box Hill and Ringwood and the importance of Ringwood as a regional centre within the eastern region. The expectations of eastern Melbourne and its 1 million residents were conveyed at this summit. The State Government must act and deliver the much needed public transport infrastructure, including the redevelopment of Ringwood Station, that is urgently required for the region

Please continue reading to view a copy of the speech I delivered at the summit.

Continue reading “Eastern Transport Coalition Public Transport Summit”

EastLink Open Day

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After the Ringwood Spiders Game I attended the EastLink Open Day and walked through both of the tunnels. While there is no doubt that EastLink is an impressive project, it is a shame that the Government neglected the opportunity to substantially invest in public transport as part of the road project.

It is common practice in Perth to build new rail lines in tandem with freeway projects, providing an integrated approach and transport choice for the community. While the EastLink project will provide a continuous cycling and walking trail, public transport improvements were limited to amenity and car parking upgrades to stations such as Heatherdale.

In an era of rising petrol prices the role and need for public transport is only going to increase. It therefore makes sense to invest in public transport in tandem with road projects. Projects such as the redevelopment of Ringwood Station as well as rail extensions should and could have been part of the EastLink project scope.

Fortunately one glaring omission from the original project scope will be rectified. A pedestrian bridge across Maroondah Highway linking the shared trail will be built in the coming months. This will enhance the safety of pedestrians and cyclists using the shared path since they will be able to avoid crossing the busy Maroondah Highway interchange and several sets of traffic lights.

Delegates' Report: Recognising our natural environment, volunteers, accessibility and the strength of partnerships

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On the 27th of April I attended the launch of the Mullum Mullum festival, which is now entering its tenth year. The Mullum Mullum Festival is a community led project, which is supported by Whitehorse, Manningham and Maroondah Councils and encourages conservation and appreciation of our natural environment.

The significance of the Mullum Valley has been long recognised with an appreciation dating back from the 1920s. We are fortunate in Maroondah to have this unique bushland at our doorsteps and I strongly advise anyone who is unfamiliar with our environment to walk through the Mullum Valley and take the time to appreciate its natural beauty.

On the 28th of April I attended a workshop in regard to the Maroondah Forum for People with Disabilities. Maroondah has held a successful quarterly forum for people with disabilities and carers, allowing the opportunity to exchange information and to raise issues with council in an informal manner. While the forum has been working well and feedback was generally positive, this workshop provides the opportunity to improve it even further and I must commend the many council staff who attended this workshop with the intent of listening to the community.

The were several main issues that were discussed within the workshop context, including the need to ensure wider involvement, particularly through involving younger people with disabilities and also ensuring that a diverse range of disabilities are covered. In addition there was some debate around the time and frequency of meetings with a strong preference towards bi-monthly forums to ensure quicker response and greater opportunity to provide input.

It has been estimated that almost one in five people in Maroondah has experience with a disability. It is imperative that we use the feedback derived from the workshop to ensure that we further ensure that this section of our community is being heard.

On the 13th of May I attended the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce meeting where the topic of the Ringwood Transit City was discussed. This provided an opportunity to further explore the Transit City concept and the opportunities it provides. It is unfortunate however that the State Government failed the Maroondah community, including its many businesses, by not delivering on the much anticipated upgrade of Ringwood Station. While this was a definite disappointment it was encouraging to see the business community rallying behind the need for the Station redevelopment and to improve the Maroondah Highway crossing for pedestrians.

On the 13th and 14th of May I attended two volunteer recognition functions. The first hosted by Eastern Volunteers, who as part of National Volunteer Week thanked its volunteers for the many hours of community service they provide. On the 14th I attended Maroondah’s Youth Volunteer Recognition Function which provided an opportunity to acknowledge and encourage younger volunteers within our community. It was great to see the widespread interest in volunteering at both functions. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community and without them the world would be a much harsher place. The slogan for this year’s volunteer week is: Volunteers change the world! This is definitely true since volunteers in whatever they serve collectively make this municipality and the world in general a much better place. My congratulations to the volunteers that were recognised at both functions and also to the youth services team for coordinating yet another successful event at Maroondah’s youth centre.

On the 15th of May I attended the Eastern Transport Coalition meeting. As I’ve mentioned previously the ETC involves the seven eastern council and represents one million residents. In light of the disappointing news in regard to Ringwood Station, I am pleased to say that the entire eastern region is rallying behind Maroondah Council. The ETC has provided critical support for the Ringwood Transit City and public transport improvements, including securing the removal of zone three and better bus services. It is easy for a State Government to dismiss the voice of one council, it is much harder to dismiss seven councils that stand united. Many of these public transport improvements would not have not been possible without the support of the Eastern Transport Coalition.

The ETC is preparing a public transport summit on the 4th of July at 10am. One of the topics that will be discussed is the need for public transport improvements to ensure the success of Ringwood, not just for Maroondah but for the entire eastern region. The group stands firm in recognising the significance of Ringwood and stands steadfast in its support for the redevelopment of the Station.

I hope that my council colleagues recognise the importance of Maroondah within this group. I will be tabling seven factsheets that the ETC produced, including a factsheet on the need for upgrades at Ringwood Station and separate factsheets on the need for rail improvements and bus service enhancements.

Ringwood Chamber of Commerce – discussing the Ringwood Transit City

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The Ringwood Chamber of Commerce represents businesses and traders located in Ringwood and the surrounding district providing a critical voice for the business community. This evening the topic of the Ringwood Transit City was discussed with a presentation outlining the precinct plans for the Ringwood Town Centre (the area bound by Maroondah Highway, Bond Street, Ringwood Street and Warrandyte Roads).

It is abhorrent that the State Government has failed the Maroondah community by not delivering funding for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station. It is imperative that Ringwood Station is redeveloped into a safe, efficient and accessible transport interchange to connect the town centre and facilitate the revitalisation of Ringwood.

While the business community, Queensland Investment Corporation (the parent company of Eastland) and council has invested heavily within Ringwood, it is disappointing that the State Government has failed the community. Members of the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce were collectively aghast at the State Government’s neglect of Ringwood and agreed on the need for public transport improvements, better pedestrian connectivity and a campaign to ensure that funding is forthcoming for Ringwood Station.

Maroondah Journal: People power – residents may reclaim roads, shopping strip

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The transformation of Ringwood into a vibrant suburb filled with opportunities for people of all abilities, will only succeed if the centre becomes pedestrian friendly. The Maroondah Journal has reported on Maroondah’s efforts to return Ringwood back to the community.

Cr Alex Makin confirmed the council was looking at ways to move cars from key roads in Maroondah.

Discussions are continuing with VicRoads to ensure that traffic lanes and speed limits can be reduced along Maroondah Highway, making it easier for people to cross this road and to connect the key transport interchange of Ringwood station to the residents and commercial businesses on the other side of the Highway.

“It’s our plan to look at Maroondah Highway – to reduce the road to four lanes with parking on both sides and reduce speed limits.”

The Ringwood Mobility and Wayfinding Strategy found that streets in Ringwood were largely pedestrian unfirendly and in excess of 500 people a day use the Maroondah Highway pedestrian crossing. This reports called for traffic calming along Maroondah Highway, including a reduction of lanes and speed limits, to return the street to the local community and to ensure a more vibrant shopping district.

“Maroondah streets should no longer be a thoroughfare for drivers, but instead we should return the centre of Ringwood back to the people. If you are not going to stop and shop and contribute to the community, then use the bypass.”

The toll-free Ringwood bypass will provide six lanes of traffic for people that wish to drive through Ringwood. A localised Maroondah Highway, with ample on-street parking, will allow for a more vibrant centre and boost local commerce.

He said the plan would enable shoppers to use the precinct safely. “I have difficulty crossing the highway on the pedestrian strip, but what about the people who use a mobility aid or walk a little slower?”

Reducing traffic along Maroondah Highway, through encouraging the use of the bypass, will make it easier for people with disabilities and mobility aids to shop within the centre of Ringwood.

“A vibrant suburban centre can only be achieved if we can provide a friendly, safe area for pedestrians.”

Pedestrians form the lifeblood of any vibrant district and it is imperative that changes are made to Maroondah Highway so that our streets can enhance the sense of community within Ringwood. VicRoads and the State Government must support and enact measures that reduce speed limits and the amount of traffic lanes along Maroondah Highway.