At the Maroondah Council meeting on Monday 15 November Council resolved to make an order under the Domestic Animals Act which will take effect on 1 January 2011.
The new laws include the introduction of on-leash regulations for all dogs in public places and a Dusk to Dawn curfew for all cats.
Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said the plan was a result of extensive consultation with the community and animal management experts, following community concerns regarding the lack of specific animal controls in Maroondah.
“We need to ensure that the management of Maroondah’s 14,600 registered dogs and 5200 registered cats is in accordance with State Government legislation and expectations of the community,” Cr Makin said.
“Council believes it has reached a considered outcome that leaves no one group unfairly disadvantaged. The new laws are underpinned by principles of fairness and equity, consistency with contemporary practice and a balanced approach to the differing community views on the issues,” said Cr Makin.
“During the consultation process we listened to our residents and taking their views into consideration we made changes to some of the areas designated as on leash or off leash areas,” Cr Makin said.
“Under the new laws, dogs must be under effective control at all times while in public, which means that they must be on a leash or in a designated off-leash area,” Cr Makin said.
“To give people more peace of mind while out and about in Maroondah, dogs must also be on a leash within 15 metres of playgrounds, picnic areas, barbeques, organised sporting events, sporting matches or training sessions or when on a shared use path,” Cr Makin said.
“For those who want to exercise their dogs off leash there are numerous locations across the municipality where this can be done. Residents can still enjoy walking their dogs off leash in these areas, as long as the dog is still under effective control, ” Cr Makin said.
The new laws also identify areas of significant conservation or biodiversity, which means that dogs are not permitted in these areas.
Cr Makin said a dusk to dawn cat curfew will also take affect from 1 January 2011.
“Cats can cause significant damage to the environment and wildlife when left to roam free, especially at night when a lot of native animals are out and about.
Council will conduct an extensive community education campaign to inform residents about the changes.
Maps outlining the off-leash areas throughout Maroondah will soon be sent to all registered pet owners. This pocket-sized brochure will also have tips on responsible pet ownership.
Information and maps showing designated off leash areas will also be available on Council’s website and at Council’s Customer Service Centres.
On the 23rd of October I attended the Khaudo Festival, organised by Maroondah’s Zomi community. The Zomi are an ethnic group from Burma and Maroondah has one of the highest populations of refugees from Burma within Metropolitan Melbourne. The Khuado Festival is a celebration of the Zomi New Year and a welcome to the community.
Similarly on the 13th of November I attended a Sudanese Cultural Festival featuring music, food and dance from Maroondah’s growing Sudanese community. It is great to see our emerging communities sharing their culture with the wider Maroondah community through showcasing traditional dance, music and food.
On the 28th of October I attended Monkami’s production of ‘Hey Hey Its Monkami’. Monkami is a not-for-profit community based organisation that provides services and opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. The organisation has an emphasis on community development including theatre and the arts as well as community partnerships. The Ringwood Movie Makers have continued to work in partnership with Monkami and filmed a cameo performance as part of the script.
On the 7th of November I attended the Maroondah Festival and it was fantastic to see so many community groups and residents participating in the festival. For the first year in a while, we had pleasant weather and in addition it was fortunate the rain held off.
Also on the 11th I officiated the Maroondah Volunteer Recognition Function, where we recognised the valuable contribution of Maroondah’s volunteers. Many of these volunteers have been assisting Council in the delivery of services, including Meals on Wheels, as well as supporting our environment and social support services.
Lastly, the 11th also featured the opening night of the Mayoral Art Show, which supports the Croydon Branch of the Bone Marrow Donor Institute. All proceeds from the exhibition support cancer research and features 90 artists across a range of mediums and styles.
Donwood Community Aged Care is located at 1-5 Mt Dandenong Road in Croydon and is a not-for-profit community organisation, that provides a full range of aged care facilities, from low-care needs through to high care, as well as respite services and care for people with dementia.
This afternoon I attended a tour of Donwood Community Aged Care to view the facility and to meet staff and the community of management. Donwood was established in 1991 and is unique in being a community based aged care facility, focusing on the individual needs of its residents.
Donwood has a strong focus on staff development to ensure that the best possible service and has modern facilities for their clients. The facility is unique is providing a complete aged care service and has high occupancy rates due to its focus on individual needs.
Donwood’s facilities are impressive and it is encouraging to see the committee of management and staff continuing to focus on the needs of the community through its provision of aged care services.
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.
The Maroondah Swimming Bus provides transport for frail aged older adults to access Ringwood Aquatic Centre on a weekly basis each Monday. The program is provided by volunteer drivers who provide their time to deliver the members to and from the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.
The service has delivered not only improved health and wellbeing but social interaction and inclusion through the forming of friendships and support. This afternoon volunteers and participants celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the swimming bus program
The speech I delivered during the celebrations is available within this entry:
Good afternoon and welcome to the 10th anniversary of the Swimming Bus Program. I would like to welcome Cr Ann Fraser, as well as welcome past and present participants, volunteer drivers and aerobics instructors of the program from the past 10 years.
I’m very pleased to be here at the 10th anniversary of the swimming bus program which began on 9 October 2000. There has been approximately 43 residents participating in the program over the past 10 years.
Over 15 volunteer drivers have given their time enabling a large number of otherwise house bound older adults to access the Ringwood Aquatic Centre on a weekly basis for the Monday Swimming Program. This free service has played a vital role in both maintaining and improving health and providing an opportunity for socialisation. Many valuable long term friendships have been formed on these bus trips which has provided another support mechanism for these otherwise isolated residents.
Congratulations to everyone who has been involved in this program over the 10 years including the volunteers who provide the transport services, your dedication has improved the lives of many older Maroondah residents.
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 provides home and community care services to eligible residents that have a disability or are frail aged, as well as carers. These services, which include Meals on Wheelers, carer support, social support programs, domestic assistance, respite care and property maintenance, are provided to people in need of additional assistance.
The State Department of Health has recently developed a new approach to the delivery of home and community care services. This approach, known as the Active Service Model, has the aim of providing tailored services rather than the traditional one-size-fits all approach, resulting in higher confidence and wellbeing for participants.
Maroondah City Council has been implementing the Active Service Model which will be gradually rolled out to the 3000 home and community care clients that reside within the municipality. The Maroondah Weekly has reported on the improvements that will be delivered through this new approach:
Mayor Alex Man said the revamp would abolish the “one-size-fits-all” approach and instead focus on each client and their individual nutritional, social and cultural needs.
“It’s about providing services which promote capacity building and restorative care so that people can stay involved in everyday activities, maintain or rebuild their confidence and strengthen their capacity to adapt to changing life circumstances.”
Maroondah City Council was recently announced as a finalist in the LGPro Aged and Disability Services Awards, reflecting the Council’s commitment to delivering an approach to home and community care that improves the wellbeing of the recipient.
The Creek to Lake Project will connect the Mullum Creek shared path to Ringwood Lake, providing a connection between Ringwood’s major recreational reserve and the walking and cycling paths connecting Ringwood and the Mullum Trail.
The Creek to Lake Trail incorporates streetscaping works to Larissa Avenue, including water sensitive urban design and a continuation of the shared path. The Creek to Lake Trail will reinforce Ringwood Lake’s focus as a destination for local residents and includes improved lighting at the Lake to enhance its amenity.
This evening I attended a demonstration of lighting effects at Ringwood Lake, which will improve the amenity of the Lake and enhance several features, including the bridge and several trees within the park. The lighting upgrades will enhance Ringwood Lake and strengthen its role as a major recreational reserve within Ringwood and Maroondah.
The Eastern Regional Mayors and CEOs Forum, includes the Cities of Banyule, Boroondara, Dandenong, Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Nilumbik, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges, meets on a regular basis to advance priorities on behalf of the region.
Today’s meeting was hosted at the City of Maroondah and included sessions with MPs and Candidates from the Government, Opposition and The Greens to discuss six priorities facing the region:
Public transport;
early years;
street lighting;
school crossing supervision;
libraries;
and land use planning
The sessions included detailed presentations on each of these issues with the aim of ensuring that each attendee and Party was aware of the concerns held by the Councils in the region. It was encouraging to see strong representation from each of the parties, including Minsters and Shadow Ministers.
One of the key roles of local government is to advocate on behalf of the needs of its residents and communities and as such dialogue between Councils and Members of State Parliament is a necessity. Today’s forum, which was held at the Karralyka Centre, enabled this discussion to take place so that these members would be fully aware of the priorities and concerns of local government in the eastern region.
The Ringwood Croquet Club is located in Greenwood Avenue and forms part of the Jubilee Park Sporting Precinct in Ringwood. Like many other sporting clubs, the Ringwood Croquet Club has invested in upgrades to its grounds to reduce watering requirements.
This morning I was invited to launch the 2010 Croquet Season and participated in several rounds of croquet with the members. Maroondah is fortunate to be able to offer a range of sporting opportunities for our residents and it is great to see the ongoing interest and participation in croquet.
