Tag: policy

Media Release: New tobacco laws introduced

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Maroondah City Council is reminding residents of new tobacco laws which came into effect on 1 January 2011.

Councillor Alex Makin said only State approved registered tobacconists can display tobacco products or packaging in their store. All other retailers must store tobacco products out of view.

“While outlets are still able to sell tobacco, the new regulations mean that no tobacco products can be visible from anywhere inside or outside the outlet,” Cr Makin said.

“Prior to the law changes tobacco was one of the most visible and widely accessible products on the market, which gives the impression that smoking is more popular than it actually is,” Cr Makin said.

“Reducing the visibility of the product will further protect young people from exposure to tobacco marketing and promotion, and hopefully lead to fewer people adopting the habit,” Cr Makin said.

“It is also hoped that removing the products from display will make it easier for those wanting to quit smoking,” Cr Makin said.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of illness and death in Victoria, claiming around 4000 lives, causing 80 per cent of lung cancer cases and costing Victorians around $5 billion every year.

Retailers are permitted to display an A4 sized prescribed sign which indicates that tobacco products are available, and one prescribed price board.

To become a certified specialist tobacconist, 80 per cent of the retailer’s gross turnover must be made from the sale of tobacco products.

This is not the first change the State Government has made to the tobacco-related laws. Since 1 January 2010 key changes in Victoria have included:

  • Banning smoking in cars carrying children under the age of 18 years;
  • Banning the sale of tobacco at temporary outlets and providing State Government powers to ban youth-orientated tobacco products and packaging; and
  • Implementing improved services to assist people to quit smoking, with an emphasis on supporting pregnant women and groups with high smoking rates.

Those wanting more information on the changes should contact the Tobacco Information Line on 1300 136 775, email tobacco.policy@health.vic.gov.au or visit www.health.vic.gov.au

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Policy Development and collaboration between Central Activities Districts

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This afternoon the City of Melbourne hosted a forum on policy development focusing on the Central Activities Districts of Ringwood, Dandenong, Frankston, Box Hill, Broadmeadows and Footscray. The forum, which was an outcome of the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Mayors of Maroondah, Greater Dandenong, Frankston, Whitehorse, Hume, Maribyrnong and the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne, aimed to strengthen collaboration and exchange knowledge on each of the Central Activities Districts.

Today’s session provided an overview on the changes experienced within the City of Melbourne, including strong residential growth and a strategy of differentiation to attract commercial tenancies to counteract competition from Australia’s other capital cities. Similarly, there is a need for each Central Activities District to identify unique strengths to deliver a diverse range of housing, employment and community opportunities.

Further work and collaboration will be undertaken by each Council to ensure a cohesive approach to Melbourne’s Central Activities Districts and to assist in providing a shared vision between Local, State and Federal Governments.

Media Release: The Lord Mayor joins forces with CAD Mayors to enhance city centres

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A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed between City of Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, and Mayors from the State Government’s six designated Central Activities Districts (CADs) – Frankston, Maroondah, Greater Dandenong, Hume, Maribyrnong and Whitehorse – on Monday 22 November at 9.30am in the Frankston City Council Chambers to officially cement their unanimous commitment to seek State Government support and funding to create the most productive, liveable and sustainable city centres. 

The MOU acknowledges that mutual benefit can be derived by these municipalities through measures of mutual support, collaboration and by providing a united voice and joint approach to lobbying.

Frankston City Council Mayor, Cr Christine Richards said these six metropolitan hubs have been selected to attract people, investment and jobs and it is pivotal they remain supported to achieve the objectives of the State Government’s Melbourne 2030 and Melbourne @ 5 million strategies.

“This is a historical political event – the joining of Mayors to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. The CAD municipalities are ready, willing and able to face the challenges ahead together to make our CADs thriving metropolises. However, we cannot do so without a whole-of-government commitment to CAD planning,” Cr Richards said.

Maroondah City Council Mayor, Cr Alex Makin, said despite the CADs individual differences, synergies do exist between the municipal city centres.

“This alliance means we can work co-operatively to provide a united voice with more weight that will give greater strength to plans and solutions to state-wide issues. We need a State Government supported implementation plan to ensure our city centres can achieve their designated potential,” said Cr Makin.

The Mayors’ will further discuss how to best achieve the objectives set out in the State Government’s Planning Policy Framework. The Mayors’ are unanimous that at a minimum CADs must:  

  • have a functioning transit interchange – to enable comfortable, quick and efficient journeys by buses and trains throughout each municipality – in some CADs substantial infrastructure funding is still required to make this vision a reality
  • create more local jobs – CADs need to expand their base of employers to create a greater range and number of local jobs available to local residents
  • create more affordable housing.

“This Memorandum of Understanding between the Central Activities District Mayors and the Mayor of the City of Melbourne will allow for increased co-operation between our municipalities and allow us to jointly advocate for our key priorities,” Cr Makin said.

“Our main priority at a state level is to secure a long term funding commitment for the CADs. With Melbourne quickly becoming a city of many cities, we want to ensure certainty for the respective CADs, as well as bolstering the opportunity for all levels of governments to provide more services across greater metropolitan Melbourne”, Cr. Makin concluded.

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Media Release: Council signs an Agreement of Mutual Support

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Maroondah City Council Mayor Alex Makin has joined five eastern council Mayors in signing an Agreement for Mutual Support in an effort to provide a stronger voice for the region.

Councillor Makin said the agreement would deliver a cohesive approach to issues facing the region.

“Having the support of our surrounding Councils will mean that Maroondah is better placed to tackle issues which affect our region, including public transport and community facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“Our aim is to ensure that all levels of government are well aware of the collective issues facing Councils and communities in the eastern suburbs. Maroondah Council has already been working cooperatively with our neighbouring councils and I look forward to this continuning into the future,” Cr Makin said.

The Mayors of the municipalities of Whitehorse, Knox, Manningham and Yarra Ranges also signed the agreement.
The agreement for mutual support commits the councils, where consistent and in accordance with each council’s adopted policy or position, to:

  • Lend support of the Council’s activities as considered appropriate in matters of common interest or mutual benefit
  • Be mindful of and take up opportunities to include other councils in activities that can provide economic, social and environmental benefit across the municipal boundaries
  • Work cooperatively and pro-actively to provide a collective voice for the region in matters where a collective voice will give greater weight to regional issues and solutions
  • Not replicate the activities of existing bodies, forums or like associations that already provide a collective voice for the councils covered by the agreement.

“This agreement will strengthen the partnerships that already exist between the five Councils and ensure that we work collectively to deliver outcomes for our communities,” Cr. Makin concluded.

The signing took place on Wednesday 22 September at the Art Space at Box Hill Town Hall, 1022 Whitehorse Road.

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Media Release: Draft Community Facilities Occupancy Policy and Pricing Policy on public display

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Maroondah City Council has endorsed the draft Community Facilities Occupancy Policy and the draft Community Facilities Pricing Policy for public display.

The policies were presented at the Council meeting on September 20.

Council currently owns or manages more than 100 sports fields, pavilions, halls, meeting rooms and other facilities on behalf of the community.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said the draft policies were developed concurrently and were directly aligned.

“The draft policies provide a comprehensive framework for the community use of Council owned or managed facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“The draft Community Facilities Occupancy Policy and the draft Community Facilities Pricing Policy will guide the process of determining appropriate occupancy agreements and pricing structures for all Council owned or managed facilities and ensure the agreements are consistent and transparent,” Cr Makin said.

“The draft policies aim to establish clear frameworks so the community groups know what they are paying for, why they are paying and that other users groups in similar situations are contributing in a consistent manner,” Cr Makin said.

“Under the draft Community Facilities Occupancy Policy community groups wishing to use Council owned or managed facilities will have to undergo an assessment to determine the suitability of the proposed arrangement and the length of tenure. Once this assessment has taken place Council will then discuss the rate of rental,” Cr Makin said.

“There are two existing policies relating to the occupancy and the pricing of community facilities, however these policies have not been updated for a number of years. During this time there has been changes to legislation, increased emphasis on risk management and occupational health and safety requirements and changes to the way the groups are using the facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“To meet these new needs Council has also reassessed the pricing structure associated with the use of Council facilities. The current pricing structure has been in place for the past 11 years and was established with the intention that Council could recover an estimated 30 per cent of facility maintenance costs,” Cr Makin said.

“In the past 11 years that margin has dropped significantly and Council is currently recovering on average 3 per cent of maintenance costs for the sporting grounds and 15 per cent for the pavilions,” Cr Makin said.

“Council believes the sporting grounds and community facilities are integral to the development of a strong community, which is why we subsidise and support the many groups which use them,” Cr Makin said.

“We need to have a system in place which allows for the reasonable, transparent and equitable use of these facilities,” Cr Makin said.

The policies cover most Council owned facilities or grounds including:

  • Council Owned Community Halls
  • Community Centres
  • Kindergartens
  • Senior Citizens Centres
  • Sporting Pavilions
  • Sports Grounds and sporting activity surfaces
  • Scout and Guide Halls
  • Facilities managed by Council Committees of Management
  • Maroondah Federation Estate

The draft policies will be on public display until October 26. Those wanting to make a submission must do so before this date. Following consideration of the submissions the policies will be amended where appropriate and Council endorsement will be sought.

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Media Release: Six key priorities for Eastern Region Councils

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The Mayors and CEOS of the Eastern Region Councils met the candidates of the major parties last week to discuss the key priorities for the coming State Election.

Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin, who chaired the meeting, said representatives from Yarra Ranges, Banyule, Boroondara, Greater Dandenong, Knox, Manningham, Nillumbik and Whitehorse councils all attended the event.

“The Eastern Region Councils represent more than 1.34 million people which is 25 per cent of Melbourne’s metropolitan population, so by joining forces we have more scope to ensure our concerns are addressed by the State Government,” Cr Makin said.

“Last week’s meeting was an opportunity to ensure the major party candidates in the upcoming election were fully briefed on the ERC priority issues and concerns,” Cr Makin said.

The Eastern Region Councils priorities are: public transport; early years; street lighting; school crossing supervision; libraries and land use planning

“We believe the residents living in the eastern region deserve an improved level of public transport services. The Eastern Region Councils are calling on the State Government to take the lead when it comes to developing a long term regional public transport strategy which addresses the needs of the eastern region,” Cr Makin said.

“Some of the major projects that were discussed were the triplication of the train line between Box Hill and Ringwood and the duplication of single tracks running to Lilydale and Belgrave,” Cr Makin said.

“We also discussed the need for high capacity public transport connecting Rowville and Doncaster to the city, and introducing a review of the public transport pricing arrangements,” Cr Makin said.

“These types of changes would go a long way to addressing the current and future needs of the growing population in the eastern region,” Cr Makin said.

Another major concern of the Eastern Region Councils is the development and implementation of the Early Years Reform.

“While the Eastern Region Councils are supportive of the Early Years Reform we believe it is imperative that the collective impacts of all the components of the reform are considered during the development of the implementation plan,”; Cr Makin said.

“Eastern Region Councils would like to see a consultative and partnership approach during the implementation of the reform and to ensure there is adequate funding and resources allocated to the reform,” Cr Makin said.

Street lighting is the third priority or the Eastern Region Councils and one that has been generating a lot of support via the MAV’s Give Our Streets the Green Light campaign.

“The Eastern Region Councils are calling on the State Government to make a funding commitment towards the capital costs of changing over the street lights to more energy efficient globes,” Cr Makin said.

The third priority is the increasing cost of school crossing supervisors due to cost-shifting from the State Government.

“The cost of implementing the program each year is increasing due to the amount of cost-shifting coming from the State Government,” Cr Makin.

“The funding gap just continues to grow, with councils now subsidising about 75 per cent of the school crossing program,” Cr Makin said.

“To address this issue the Eastern Region Councils are calling on a 50:50 type system to better share the costs between local and state governments,” Cr Makin said.

“The group is calling for a similar agreement to help cover the costs associated with running library services. The current models of State Government funding doesn’t take
into account inflation or population growth, so the funds are only covering about 20 per cent of operating the facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“The councils are seeking a long term funding agreement from the State Government which better recognises the growing costs of operating library services,” Cr Makin said.

“Planning and land use issues are also a high priority, with the Eastern Region Councils seeking a commitment from the State Government to amend sections of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 which would give more weight to local government planning scheme amendments which have reached the exhibition stage,” Cr Makin said.

“At the moment Eastern Region Councils don’t have enough confidence in the process because of the variations in which the planning policy is interpreted at VCAT level. By introducing clearer definitions in the policy, the Eastern Region Councils believe there would be greater certainty and less dissatisfaction among residents and developers,” Cr Makin said.

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Combined Meeting for Central Activities Districts

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The State Government’s Planning at 5 Million Policy envisaged a network of Central Activities Districts throughout Metropolitan Melbourne, with these centres offering a range of employment, housing and community facilities.

These Central Activities Districts include:

  • Box Hill,
  • Broadmeadows,
  • Dandenong,
  • Footscray,
  • Frankston
  • and Ringwood.

While Local Government has largely supported this direction through developing masterplans to create a vision for these areas, there is a need for a State Government to assist in the implementation. This afternoon I joined the Mayors of Melbourne’s five other Central Activities District to discuss our priorities and a common approach to advocacy.

These six Central Activities Districts are required to provide a sustainable population and employment base for Metropolitan Melbourne. The ongoing cooperation between the Mayors and Councils of each Central Activities District will assist in underlining the importance of these centres to future of Melbourne.

Discussing Federal Involvement within Central Activities Districts

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The Cities of Whitehorse and Frankston, like the City of Maroondah, each have an identified Central Activities District, namely Box Hill, Frankston and Ringwood respectively.

These locations, which are in close proximity to rail stations, have been identified as sites for urban revitalisation, including higher densities and mixed use development. The aim is to provide increased housing, employment and community opportunities within these localities and thus provide more facilities closer to people’s home.

While the policy direction is set by the State Government, local councils are often required to implement policies to support these aims, including structure plans and precinct plans that determine future vision for these centres. The role of the Federal Government in supporting our cities, is an area that is yet to be fully explored.

The Commonwealth Government established the Major Cities Unit to explore the role of our cities in a national context and this afternoon myself and the Mayors of Whitehorse and Frankston discussed the importance of the Central Activities Districts within this framework.

While the Major Cities Unit will be consulting local government, it is imperative that the Central Activities Districts are treated uniquely, given the additional need for infrastructure and investment within these centres.

It is encouraging that the Federal Government is exploring how it can help shape our cities to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits. It is imperative that this work continues given that Australia is among the few countries in the world that lacks a federal perspective on the role and function of our cities.

Media Release: Community satisfaction results are in

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The State Government’s 2010 Community Satisfaction Survey results have been announced and it’s great news for Maroondah.

The Survey is conducted by an independent research group for the Department of Planning and Community Development. This is the thirteenth annual Community Satisfaction Survey and results are used to measure how Victorian residents rate the performance of their local governments.

The random phone interview survey was conducted during February and March, with a minimum of 350 Maroondah residents asked to rate Council’s performance.

“Maroondah City Council’s overall results are excellent,” Mayor, Councillor Alex Makin said.

“The survey is an important measurement tool in gauging Council’s progress towards the goals stated in Maroondah 2025 and Council’s mission.

“It is one of many processes by which Council elicits important community feedback to ensure its activities are well targeted, performing efficiently and are relevant to the community,” Cr Makin said.

“Maroondah City Council was rated on par with the median result recorded for the group of “like” inner metropolitan Councils. In terms of overall performance, 84 percent of respondents rated Council’s performance as excellent, adequate or good with only four percent of respondents indicating Council’s performance needed a lot of improvement. Seventeen percent thought it had improved and 71 percent thought it had stayed the same,” said Cr Makin said.

“Community satisfaction with Council’s performance in eight of the specific performance areas remained unchanged, but we have seen a marked improvement in the scoring for recreational facilities,” Cr Makin said.

“We have also seen significant positive change in the delivery of health and human services,” Cr Makin said.

“The survey results for recreational facilities have reinforced what we in Maroondah have known for a long time – our municipality is home to a wealth of top class sporting and leisure opportunities,” Cr Makin said.

“Ninety-three per cent of residents scored Maroondah’s recreational facilities as excellent, good or adequate, with seven per cent indicating that Council’s performance in this area needed improvement,” Cr Makin said.

“The delivery of health and human services in Maroondah also received a solid response, with 88 per cent of respondents scoring Council’s performance as excellent, good or adequate,” Cr Makin said.

“And although there are areas where residents desire further improvement, Maroondah did relatively well compared to other councils in its group for traffic management and local roads and footpaths,” Cr Makin said.

  • Traffic Management and parking facilities were well above the respective median. (Maroondah scored 61 compared with the Group median of 57)
  • Customer Contact was slightly above the respective medium. (Maroondah scored 74 compared to the Group median of 73)
  • Town Planning Policy and Approvals were equal with the Group median of 57.
  • Local Roads and Footpaths and Advocacy Enforcement of Local Laws and Appearance of Public Areas were all just under the median.

Community Engagement and Waste Management were areas that the survey indicated had a need for improvement.

“This survey provides valuable feedback and assists Council to prioritise its resources. To ensure that continued improvement occurs, these areas will receive attention,” said Cr Makin said.

“However, I am very pleased with the ratings and believe this reflects our commitment to community partnership and is a reward for our efforts,” said Cr Makin.

– ENDS –

Media Release: Maroondah asks – Where is our transport policy?

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A sixty metre long petition demanding the Victorian Government revisit its transport policy was today presented to the Victorian Government.

Mayors and Councillors from Maroondah and six other Melbourne’s eastern suburban Councils – who represent about a quarter of Melbourne’s population – gathered on the Parliaments steps today to send a message to the Victorian Government that transport needs in the east are not being met.

Presenting the monster petition to the Minister for Transport, Martin Pakula, Eastern Transport Coalition Chairperson Cr Samantha Dunn said that Eastern suburbs residents have been neglected by Government for too long.

“It’s time this government looked seriously at providing sustainable transport options right across Melbourne rather than focussing on a few key electorates,” Cr Dunn said.

“The Eastern Transport Coalition represents seven councils in the East whose residents are crying out for more public transport. The petition we’re presenting today has over 13,000 signatures, each one of them a demand of Government to end the neglect,” she said.

Maroondah Mayor Cr Alex Makin said that the level of concern in Maroondah regarding public transport had been increasing for some time.

“Maroondah residents want public transport improvements. They are crying out for a solution and for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an integrated and accessible transit interchange. This is why The City of Maroondah signed up to the ETC in the first place,” Cr Makin said.

Cr Dunn said that the ETC petition called on Victorian Government to address the significant gaps in the provision of and planning for public transport in Greater Dandenong, Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Whitehorse, and Yarra Ranges.

The petition seeks commitments from the Government to modify the plan to include:

  1. A full and public feasibility study for a heavy rail line to Rowville,
  2. A full and public feasibility study for a heavy rail line to Doncaster
  3. A greater commitment to the extension of the Metro rail tunnel from Domain to Caulfield,
  4. A full and public feasibility study for an increase in capacity on the Belgrave/Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines,
  5. Improved facilities for passengers, particularly at interchanges located in central activity districts – Ringwood, Dandenong and Box Hill,
  6. Fully accessible public transport facilities and vehicles

Cr Dunn said that there was still time for this government to make a commitment to Melbourne’s east.

“This election year provides a perfect opportunity for this government to show that it is listening to the million or so residents east of Warrigal road who are forced to drive their cars to work because they have few viable alternatives,” Cr Dunn said.

Cr Dunn thanked the Minister for Transport for receiving the petition.

“We’re pleased that all sides of Parliament are interested in our issues. Now it’s important that today’s gesture from the Victorian Government results in action,” she said.

– ENDS –