sports Archives

Public meeting with the Ringwood Pool Action Group

Posted on 15 February 2011 by alex

The Ringwood Pool Action Group was formed this year amid concerns in regard to the future of the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

The facilities at Ringwood Aquatic Centre are ageing and faces escalating maintenance costs and declining patronage. In addition, the Centre lacks the wellbeing and gym facilities that compliment the aquatic activities.

Council’s plan for a regional level facility has been scaled back due to a lack of commitment from the State and Federal Governments and is therefore pursuing a district level facility.

While the final configuration of the Centre is yet to be determined, Council is committed to the future of the Ringwood Aquatic Centre and the Ringwood Pool Action Group will serve as an important conduit with the community as Council discusses options for the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

Media Release: Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure community expo

Posted on 13 October 2010 by alex

Maroondah City Council is hosting an information expo at Ringwood Aquatic Centre on Saturday October 23 to give the community a chance to find out more about the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said Council had received positive feedback from the previous two expos which have been held at Eastland.

“We decided to host another expo to give current users an opportunity to find out more about the proposal and what types of exciting aquatic and leisure activities the new centre would provide for them and their family,” Cr Makin said.

“There will be a variety of information, images and concept plans on display and an opportunity for people to provide feedback on their thoughts of the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.

“For those who want to discuss the proposal further there will be leisure experts, representatives from aquatic clubs and council staff on hand to answer all of your questions,” Cr Makin said.

“The proposed facility is accessible for all, and includes warm water pool; dedicated learn to swim pool; 50 metre pool; and extensive water play and large indoor water slides. It is also proposed to include an extensive gymnasium with multi-purpose exercise rooms and a wellness centre,” Cr Makin said.

“With all of this under the one roof the proposed facility will offer exciting aquatic and leisure activities for everyone,” Cr Makin said.

“The expo will also highlight the proposed state diving centre which is strongly supported by Diving Australia, Diving Victoria and Ringwood Diving Club. If we can secure state and/or federal government funding, the facility would also include unique dry driving training facilities and a FINA standard 10 metre diving tower and pool,” Cr Makin said.

“The expo is a valuable opportunity for the public to chat to the experts; meet representatives from swimming, diving and other aquatic sports; and provide feedback on the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.

A community information stall will also be available at the Maroondah Festival on November 7.

What: Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure information expo
When: Saturday October 23
Where: Ringwood Aquatic Centre, Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood.
When: 10am to noon

– ENDS –

Media Release: Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure community expo

Posted on 29 September 2010 by alex

The Maroondah community is invited to an information expo at Eastland on Wednesday October 15 to hear more about the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure facility.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said following the success of the first expo at Eastland in August Council would be hosting more throughout the municipality.

“The expos are an opportunity for people to see how the proposed new facility could provide exciting aquatic and leisure activities for them and their family,” Cr Makin said.

“There will be a variety of information, images and concept plans on display and and there will be an opportunity for people to provide feedback on their thoughts of the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.

“For those who want to discuss the proposal further there will be leisure experts, representatives from Ringwood Diving Club, Ringwood Swimming Club, Ringwood Triathlon Club and council staff on hand to answer all of your questions,” Cr Makin said.

“The proposed facility is accessible for all, and includes warm water pool; dedicated learn to swim pool; 50 metre pool; and extensive water play and large indoor water slides. It is also proposed to include an extensive gymnasium with multipurpose exercise rooms and a wellness centre,” Cr Makin said.

“With all of this under the one roof the proposed facility will offer exciting aquatic and leisure activities for everyone,” Cr Makin said.

“The expo will also highlight the proposed state diving centre which is strongly supported by Diving Australia, Diving Victoria and Ringwood Diving Club. If we can secure state or federal government funding, the facility would also include unique dry driving training facilities and a FINA standard 10 metre diving tower and pool,” Cr Makin said.

“The expo at Eastland is a valuable opportunity for the public to chat to the experts; meet representatives from swimming, diving and other aquatic sports; and provide feedback on the proposed facility,” Cr Makin said.

Two more Community expos have also been organised; from 10am to noon, October 23 at Ringwood Aquatic Centre and on November 7 during Maroondah Festival.

What: Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure information expo
When: Wednesday October 15
Where: Eastland Shopping Centre main stage area
When: 1pm to 8pm

– ENDS –

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

Posted on 22 September 2010 by alex

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.

– ENDS –

Delegates’ Report: Disability Services and Community Partnerships

Posted on 20 September 2010 by alex

On the 3rd of September I had the pleasure of attending the Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Evening, a football team for people with disabilities, which competes in the Football Integration Development Association (FIDA) league comprising of teams across Victoria.

The Trophy Presentation Evening provides an opportunity to reflect on the Spiders achievements throughout the year, including the formation of a second team and the continuation of their Junior Development Squad, which has seen new members over the past season. In addition, the Ringwood Spiders Cheerleader Squad continues to provide an opportunity for people unable to play football to still support and be a part of the team.

The Ringwood Spiders are eagerly awaiting the 2011 Football Season but have a range of activities planned over the summer months, including lawn bowls organised in partnership with the Ringwood Bowls Club. The Ringwood Bowls Club is one of the many organisations that have formed partnerships with the Ringwood Spiders and it was great to see the Trophy Presentation Evening held once again at the Bowls Club.

On the 9th of September I attended the Spring Formal of the Croydon Special Development School. The school specialises in education for people with disabilities while providing connections with the wider community. The Spring Formal demonstrated the strength of the school’s connections to the wider community, with several students from local high schools being partners to participants in the formal.

It was fantastic to see students from local high schools supporting students from the Croydon Special Development School and I commend each of them for their involvement in the Spring Formal.

On the 15th of September I attended the Eastern Volunteer Business Booster Breakfast, a new initiative of Eastern Volunteers designed to create mutually beneficial partnerships between the business and community sectors. The breakfast included the launch of Friends of EV, a new program which will create partnerships between Eastern Volunteers and the business community. It is worth noting that Eastern Volunteers is a stable organisation that has existed for 30 years, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable and positive outcomes for the community.

Lastly, on the 20th of September I participated in the filming of Monkami’s Drama Group, “Hey Hey It’s Monkami”, the fourth production from the Group. Hey Hey It’s Monkami, is the fourth performance of the group and will be performed on Thursday the 28th of September at the Karralyka Centre.

Ringwood Diving Club – 2010 Annual General Meeting

Posted on 19 September 2010 by alex

The Ringwood Diving Club is based at Ringwood Aquatic Centre in Jubilee Park, Ringwood and has over 100 members. The Club has a strong history within diving, including having four members who will be competing at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Today’s annual general meeting provided an opportunity to elect committee members for the upcoming year and to present trophies to competition winners. In addition I spoke about the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure Centre, which would provide new facilities for the community including vastly improved diving capabilities, as well as wellness and gym components which are currently lacking at the existing Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

The Ringwood Diving Club has undertaken extensive planning for the future, including expanding its coaching capacity, providing coaching for people with hearing impairments and forming alliances with the Whitehorse Diving Club. For further details please visit www.ringwooddivingclub.com.au

Eastern Football League – Division One 2010 Grand Finals

Posted on 18 September 2010 by alex

The Eastern Football League covers Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, includes 43 teams, of which 12 are in division one, stretching from Balwyn through to Noble Park in the south.

This afternoon I attended the EFL’s Division One Grand Final against Noble and Scoresby at Bayswater Oval in Knox. The game attracted close to 10,000 spectators and was the first time since 1987 that Vermont were not in the finals. While Scoresby had an early lead, Noble Park eventually secured victory with a lead of 42 points.

The Eastern Football League has a formed a number of community partnerships, including support for Blue Ribbon Day to recognise Police Officers killed in the line of duty. The EFL contributed financially to Blue Ribbon Day and it is fantastic to see the League supporting such a worthwhile cause.

The Footmen Club – Footy Luncheon with Peter Schwab

Posted on 9 September 2010 by alex

The Footmen Club is a service based club supported through the local Maroondah business community, which provides assistance to individuals and groups throughout the municipality.

This afternoon the Footmen Club held a Foot Luncheon, featuring AFL Victoria CEO and former Hawthorn Player, Peter Schwab. Peter spoke about his football career and his experiences as CEO of AFL Victoria. Peter discussed the challenges that were facing Hawthorn at the time and how his abilities in football complemented the team.

The Footmen Club holds regular luncheons through the year featuring a variety of guest speakers while also helping people in need. For further information please visit www.footmen.org.au

The 2010 Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Evening

Posted on 3 September 2010 by alex

The Ringwood Spiders is a football club for people with disabilities, competing within the Football Integration Development Association (FIDA) League.

The Ringwood Spiders has seen on-going success, including the formation of a second team and the continuation of its cheer squad and junior development squad. This evening I attended the Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Evening, which was held at the Ringwood Bowls Club.

Alex with Josh and Adam from the Ringwood Spiders

The Ringwood Spiders trophy presentation evening provides an opportunity to reflect on the past season and recognise the accomplishments of players. It is encouraging that there is ongoing support for the Ringwood Spiders from organisations like the Ringwood Redbacks, the Ringwood Bowls Club and businesses like Lakeside Cafe in Ringwood.

While the football season may be drawing to a close the Spiders will be undertaking a Summer events program, including lawn bowls at the Ringwood Bowls Club and a range of other activities.

For further information on the Ringwood Spiders please visit www.ringwoodspiders.com.