The Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of Council’s Community Wellbeing Plan. The Committee includes Council representatives, as well as well as a number of agencies and community based organisations, including Eastern Volunteers, the Migrant Information Centre, Wesley Mission and Eastern Access Community Health.
Today’s meeting discussed the use of portfolios to assist in identifying the areas of interest held by each member and to strengthen dialogue with the relevant areas of Council. Portfolios will enable monitoring and oversight of individual areas within the Community Wellbeing Plan.
I also provided an update on Council’s advocacy campaign for the upgrade of Ringwood Station, which is critical to improving the safety, accessibility and sustainability of Ringwood.
One of the common issues shared by the Maroondah community is the lack of safety at Ringwood Station and this is an issue that has been raised in the context of the Federal election.
The Maroondah Leader has reported on commitments from both Mike Symon, the Federal Labor Member and Phil Barresi, the Liberal Candidate for Deakin, towards security cameras at Ringwood Station, which will be interlinked with the Ringwood Police.
Similar cameras have successfully reduced crime around Lilydale and Croydon Stations, with Police able to respond quickly to any incidents that may occur. While these cameras have been successful it is clear that a similar solution is required for Ringwood.
Council has this week granted conditional approval for the construction of a permanent fence along the length of the Mullum Mullum Road frontage of Mullum Mullum Reserve in North Ringwood.
The application by Norwood Football Club to construct the fence was approved during Monday night’s (24 May) Council meeting.
The club cited a number of factors in support of their application, including the additional safety a fence would provide for park users – particularly small children – and their ability to collect gate fees during home games.
Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said there had been much community interest in the fence proposal and the conditions imposed aimed to address the most common concerns identified.
“In making this decision Council has taken into account the feedback received during several consultation periods and is confident that the conditions imposed will lead to a satisfactory outcome,” Cr Makin said.
“The fence will be 1.2 metres in height and designed to blend into the Mullum Mullum Reserve surrounds. It will be made of black PVC coated chain mesh and will be more aesthetic than the current yellow temporary fence used during Norwood Football Club home games,” Cr Makin said.
Among conditions attached to the planning approval is that Norwood Football Club bear the cost of fence construction, that match day entry fees be voluntary, and that a gate management plan be developed.
Council will work in conjunction with the football club to determine the exact location of the fence.
Maroondah Council formally adopted its Community Wellbeing Plan in December 2009, which outlines the initiatives that improve the health, safety and wellbeing of the municipality.
Councils are required to adopt a municipal health plan, which is aligned with the term of the council. These plans are developed in partnership with the community and the Maroondah’s Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee will be overseeing the implementation of Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan.
Alex launching Maroondah's Community Wellbeing Plan
This morning I officially launched Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan, in an event that included the many organisations and community members that assisted Council in developing the strategy.
The speech delivered during the launch is included below:
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.
The Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Plan was developed in partnership with the Maroondah community, local organisations and State Government.
The development and implementation of the Plan is a legislative requirement under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
The Plan aims to improve the health and wellbeing for the Maroondah community, by addressing issues that impact Maroondah’s community.
Maroondah undertook extensive consultation in developing the plan, including a survey of households through the Maroondah Focus, as well as discussions at Eastland, community organisations and the Council’s know your parks program.
Part of this consultation included the involvement of Primary School students who provided drawings of what they like in Maroondah. Several of these drawings are available in the plan, as well as on display today.
Six priority areas were identified during this extensive consultation:
Healthy Minds Healthy Choices
Engaged Resilient Communities
Accessible Safe Communities
Lifestyle Opportunities to Support Health and Wellbeing
Targeting Equity and Social Inclusion
Healthy Sustainable Environments.
Each of these six priority areas have action plans involving specific objectives, strategies, and timeframes, which will be monitored by the Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee.
Some of the action plans have already been implemented, including the forming of Maroondah’s new Partners in Safety Committee, which is a partnership between Council and agencies dedicated to improving safety within our municipality.
The development of the plan was made possible through the many organisations that provided input, including the members of Maroondah’s former Partners in Safety, Health and Wellbeing Committee and many of these participants are here today.
The implementation of Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan will only be possible through partnership with community organisations. It gives me great pleasure to officially launch the plan and Council looks forward to working with the many members of our community to ensure how we can improve the health, safety and wellbeing of Maroondah.
The Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee meets on a quarterly basis to oversee the implementation of Maroondah’s Community Wellbeing Plan. The plan aims to improve the wellbeing of the Maroondah community through working in partnership with other organisations, many of which are represented on the committee.
Priority areas in the plan include:
Promoting healthy minds and healthy choices
Developing engaged and resilient communities
Creating accessible and safe communities
Promoting lifestyle opportunities that support health and wellbeing
Targeting equity and social inclusion
Achieving healthy and sustainable environments
Cr Ann Fraser and myself are the two Councillor representatives on the the Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee and there is a newly formed Safety Committee which is represented by Cr Rob Steane. These two committees provide a collaborative approach to the health, safety and wellbeing of our community.
The Lighthouse Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to end youth homelessness through its model of integrated model of care, which provides an holistic approach through health, education and development.
This morning I opened the Lighthouse Foundation’s Home for Mums and Bubs, a house that will provide support for homeless young mothers. The program provides an early intervention strategy that aims to break the cycle of homelessness, violence and abuse through providing shelter, support, counselling and education programs.
The house will cater for two mums and their babies at any one time, and also provides respite accommodation for emergency situations. The opening of the House will assist in providing opportunities for some of the most vulnerable members of our community and I congratulate the Lighthouse Foundation and the many organisations and individuals involved in this initiative.
The State Government’s 2008 Indicators of Community Strength at the Local Government Area Level results have been announced and it’s great news for the City of Maroondah.
The Survey is conducted by an independent research group for the Department of Health, as part of the inaugural Local Government Area level Victorian Population Health Survey with results to be used to assist with community planning.
“The results for the Maroondah area are very pleasing,” Mayor, Councillor Alex Makin said. “The survey is an important tool in gauging the community’s perceptions of local area amenity, ability to get help when needed, community participation, and community attitudes.”
“It is one of many processes by which Council and other community and service organisations elicit important community feedback to ensure activities are well targeted, performing efficiently and are relevant to the community,” said Cr Makin.
“The information is intended to help communities and all levels of government to better understand local areas and plan more effective initiatives in response to local needs,” said Cr Makin.
“It is important to remember that while Maroondah has received excellent scores the indicators are not a report card. What the indicators are reporting is a result of the combined action of business, government and the community itself. Responsibility for improvements in the indicators, into the future, does not lie with any one organisation alone,” said Cr Makin.
“The indicators will not only be used by Council for future planning, but will inform the work of the Department of Planning and Community Development, Victoria Police and other community and service organisations involved in community planning,” said Cr Makin.
The Indicators of Community Strength at the Local Government Area Level in Victoria 2008 provides the results of a survey of 450 residents in each of Victoria’s 79 Local Government Areas and was undertaken in late 2008. It examines four indicators:
Amenity describes the “pleasantness” of an area. It encompasses physical aspects as well as psychological and social components. Amenity is important for strong communities as it underpins community wellbeing.
Ability to get help when needed seeks to determine the level of social isolation and economic disadvantage.
Community participation focuses on involvement in general community activities such a sport, volunteering, schools and local community events.
Community attitudes look at safety, multiculturalism, opportunities to have a say and how respondents feel valued by society.
The 2008 indicators are not comparable to those previously released by the Department of Victorian Communities in 2004 and 2006 due to different survey methodology and calculation.
Safer Internet Day 2010 is held on Tuesday the 9th of February and is supported by the Australian Communications and Media Authority through its cybersafety education program.
The Maroondah Journal has reported on Maroondah City Council’s involvement in the event:
Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said this year’s theme, ‘Think before you post’, was an important message for people when using the Internet and mobile phones.
The theme reflects the growing popularity of services such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter and calls on community to think twice before submitting personal information through these services.
“Taking the simple step to stop and think before sending or posting information may help reduce negative experiences online. What you send or post is placed in the public domain so it pays to be careful.”
While the Internet is certainly a useful communications platform it is imperative that people are mindful of their safety when using online services.
Safer Internet Day 2010 is almost upon us and it’s set to highlight the need to be safe and responsible when using online technologies.
Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, encouraged the community to learn more about safer surfing during Safer Internet Day on Tuesday 9 February.
“The day aims to help children, parents and library staff to manage online risks so the online experience of children is safe and positive,” Cr Makin said.
“Safer Internet Day 2010 is an international event supported by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) under its Cybersmart national cybersafety education program,” Cr Makin said.
“The theme for 2010 is Think before you post. This theme is an important message for children and all people in our community – both for their internet and their mobile phone use,” Cr Makin said.
“Taking the simple step to stop and think about the consequences before sending or posting information may help to reduce negative experiences online,” Cr Makin said.
“What you send or post is placed in the public domain so it pays to be careful of what you put out there,” Cr Makin said.
A range of information on safe and responsible use of online technology is available by phoning the Cybersafety Contact Centre on 1800 880 176, emailing cybersafety@acma.gov.au or visiting www.cybersmart.gov.au.
The Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee, meets on a bi-monthly basis to discuss initiatives that improve the health, safety and wellbeing of municipality and its residents. This year’s priority has been the development of the Maroondah Community Wellbeing Plan.
This plan, otherwise known as a Municipal Public Health Plan, is a statutory requirement and is a high-level strategic document that guides the Council in terms of health, safety and wellbeing initiatives and partnerships with other key agencies.
The Community Wellbeing Plan will be formally considered by Council in December, after extensive engagement with service providers and the wider community, through stalls, surveys and interviewing. In addition, the Marooondah Partners will be aligned with the new Community Wellbeing Plan, and hence will be known as the Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee.
Nominations through expressions of interest will be sought from service providers and community members. This will empower the committee so that it is able to monitor the implementation of the Wellbeing Plan and suggest recommendations as required.
The Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing has been one of the committees I have enjoyed the most and the adoption of the Plan will provide a renewed focus and direction for the group.
