Tag: sustainable communities

Ringwood Lake Lighting Demonstration

Posted on by alex

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.

Maroondah Leader: Energy savings tipped for city

Posted on by alex

The Maroondah Leader has reported on the installation of a new co-generation system at Ringwood Aquatic Centre. The system will provide $80,000 of electricity savings and reduce emissions by 917 tonnes per annum.

Mayor Alex Makin said the gas-fired co-generation system, delivered to the centre last Thursday, converted heat produced by two gas-fired engines into usable energy to warm pool water and generate electricity for the facility.

“This project will lead to significant energy savings and a large reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at the centre and is part of council’s efforts to reach carbon neutrality by 2020,” Cr Makin said.

The $376,000 co-generation plant was co-funded between Maroondah City Council and the Federal Government and will begin to provide financial and greenhouse emission savings to Council and the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

Media Release: Living clean and green

Posted on by alex

The first in a series of educational workshops on sustainable living will be held at Council’s Braeside Avenue Offices in Ringwood on Thursday 11 February.

Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said the workshops formed part of the Sustainable Living Space (SLS) Project, a community learning initiative involving Council, the City of Manningham, North Ringwood Community House and the Eastern Volunteer Resource Centre.

The first SLS community meeting will address draught-proofing the home.

“Presenter Maurice Beinat will discuss draughts and heat leakage and how these are a major source of inefficiency in home heating and cooling,” Cr Makin said.

“By sealing the sites of the draughts, comfort can be improved and money saved by reducing heating and cooling costs,” Cr Makin said.

“Maurice will discuss a range of products available to eliminate draughts and there will be plenty of time for questions,” Cr Makin said.

The second SLS community meeting will be held on Thursday 11 March, addressing lighting and insulation. The meeting will discuss options for residents interested in power efficient lighting and insulation alternatives.

Both sessions run from 7.30 to 9.30pm with a gold coin donation.

To book or find out more, phone SLS Project Worker Christine Easdown or Sue McDermott on 9876 3421, or email project@sustainablelivingspace.org.au

Media Release: Boost for sustainability at Ringwood Aquatic Centre

Posted on by alex

Council expects to deliver more than $60,000 in electricity savings and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 917 tonnes a year through the operation of a
new energy production system at Ringwood Aquatic Centre (RAC).

The gas fired cogeneration system, delivered to the centre last Thursday, converts heat produced by two gas fired engines into usable energy to warm pool water and generate electricity for the facility.

Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said the system was great news for the environment.

“This initiative is part of Council’s ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint toward the goal of carbon neutrality by 2020,” Cr Makin said.

“The $376,000 project is co-funded by the Federal Government through its Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program ($250,000) and Council ($126,000),” Cr Makin said.

“This project will lead to significant energy savings and a large reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at RAC,” Cr Makin said.

“Once it’s up and running this February, the system will join the range of Council’s sustainability initiatives in place throughout the municipality,” Cr Makin said.

“An example of two of the larger sustainability projects completed last year was the installation of an innovative filtration system at Croydon Memorial Pool and a backwash water recycling system at Croydon Leisure and Aquatic Centre, which is expected to save a combined seven million litres of water per annum,” Cr Makin said.

“Council will continue to implement environmentally sustainable initiatives at its facilities in a bid to cut resource use and reduce greenhouse emissions,” Cr Makin said.

Media Release: Recycle right this summer

Posted on by alex

There’s a lot to like about Christmas, but sleigh loads of festive season rubbish aren’t among them.

Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said tonnes of plastic wrappers, cardboard boxes, wrapping paper and disposable plates ended up in landfill each year rather than in recycling centres.

“Christmas is traditionally a time for giving and a by-product of this is mountains of recyclable waste in the form of wrapping paper, boxes and other packaging materials,” Cr Makin said.

“Sometimes this waste ends up in landfill rather than a recycling centre, which is not only a great waste of resources, it also means our transfer stations fill up more rapidly,” Cr Makin said.

“Recycling is one of the simplest things we can do to reduce our impact on the environment. So if you’re planning on a post-festive season clean-out, please make an effort to recycle all appropriate material,” Cr Makin said.

“Now is also a good time to start or build on your compost supply with those post-Christmas left-overs,” Cr Makin said.

“Fruit and vegetable peelings, newspapers, tea leaves, coffee grounds and egg shells are all great fuel for your home compost project,” Cr Makin said.

Tips for recycling right this summer

  • Never dispose of plastic bags in your recycling bin as they can jam machinery used in the recycling process.
  • Remove food scraps and/or give containers a light wash before placing in your recycling bin.
  • Remove tops and lids from all bottles and jars. This makes them easier to compact in your bin and assists in the separation process at recycling centres.
  • You can recycle food scraps at home by using a compost bin or worm farm.

For more information on recycling right, visit www.recyclingnearyou.com.au

EV's Young Leaders Program – discussing being a Councillor

Posted on by alex

The Young Leader’s program, is a week-long course designed for selected Year 10 school students that attend schools within Maroondah.

Teachers are invited to select students that have leadership potential, with the program designed to improve confidence, listening and teambuilding skills

This year the program is being extended to provide an ongoing program designed to allow the participants to put their skills to practical use within the community.

As one of the younger Councillors elected onto Maroondah City Council, I was invited to speak to the course participants and discuss what the role entails and my involvement within the community.

I spoke about the challenges facing council and the need to improve environmental sustainability, as well as my involvement in public transport advocacy.

The need for public transport improvements was widely recognised by the students, with many of them keen to become involved in a project that works towards achieving improvements towards public transport within Maroondah.

At the conclusion of the program, the participants will be invited to attend a follow-up session which aims to create positive social change through a project chosen by the students.

Eastern Transport Coalition – Action Plan for Public Transport

Posted on by alex

Tonight’s Eastern Transport Coalition meeting developed an action plan to achieve the objectives identified at previous meetings.

As Australia and Melbourne enters a climate of economic uncertainty coupled with the ongoing need to reduce rising greenhouse emissions, an expanded State Government commitment to public transport infrastructure would not only stimulate economic activity but provide alternatives to car dependence as well as enhancing social inclusion and environmental sustainability.

The Eastern Transport Coalition, comprising of one million residents as a collective of Melbourne’s seven outer eastern councils, is well positioned to advocate for these public transport improvements.

The State and Federal Budgets are both due in early May and it is imperative that there is a substantial commitment to public transport infrastructure.

Ringwood Precinct Open House

Posted on by alex

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

Posted on by alex

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.

Delegates' Report: advocacy, fundraising and annual general meetings

Posted on by alex

Firstly, I would like to report that the Maroondah Partners in Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee has been reconvened for this year and held its first meeting on the 17th of February.

The primary objective for this year is to oversee the development of Council’s new Wellbeing Plan, which will guide Maroondah’s approach to health, safety and wellbeing initiatives within the municipality. The committee involves a broad cross section of organisations and is well positioned to provide this input.

On the 19th of February I attended a forum on bus services, convened as part of the State Government’s review into bus routes across Metropolitan Melbourne. It is encouraging that the Government is investigating bus routes within Maroondah as there is a need for more frequent bus services and better connectivity across the network. The government has called for public submissions and has extended the deadline for submissions until the 3rd of April. A second workshop will be scheduled for later this year.

I attended two annual general meetings over the past month, including Maroondah Homebiz on the 3rd of March where it is encouraging to see the organisation continuing to strongly represent the growing numbers of small and homebusiness owners within Maroondah. I also attended the Croydon Conservation’s Society AGM on the 12th of March. The organisation is enthusiastically entering its 45th year and maintained a budget surplus over the past twelve months.

Lastly, I participated in a fundraiser for the bushfire appeal through the Rotary Club of Ringwood on the 20th of February, collecting coin donations at the Maroondah Highway and Mount Dandenong Road intersection. I am pleased to say that Rotary raised in excess of $10,000 and would like to thank our community for giving so generously.