Tag: sustainable communities

Submission – Maroondah bus service reviews

Posted on by alex

The State Government is currently reviewing bus services across Maroondah, Knox and the Shire of Yarra Ranges and has called for submissions into the bus network within these municipalities.

The initial deadline for submissions was Friday the 27th of February but this has now been extended until Friday the 3rd of April, since several workshops within the Yarra Ranges have needed to be rescheduled due to the bushfires.

I have completed a submission in regard to bus services within Maroondah, focusing on the need to rectify gaps in coverage, as well as increased frequencies and operating spans.

The City of Maroondah, with a residential population of approximately 100,000 residents, is located in Melbourne’s outer east, 25 kilometres east of the Melbourne CBD.

The City of Maroondah includes the activity centres of Ringwood and Croydon, with Ringwood identified as a Transit City and Central Activity District. State Government planning and transport policies have acknowledged the need for public transport to underpin the designated Central Activity Districts.

Accessibility is of critical importance within Maroondah, since the municipality has one of the highest proportions of people with a disability. As such infrastructure, in the form of bus stops and vehicles need to be accessible so that they can be used by people with a range of mobility aids and disabilities.

Likewise service levels need to be of a standard that does not restrict the mobility of people that are reliant on public transport services and takes into account the urban revitalisation that is being encouraged within Ringwood and Croydon.

Specially, the submission calls for a new bus route along Canterbury Road from Ringwood to Box Hill, and a new route along Mount Dandenong Road providing a direct connection between Ringwood, the Karralyka Centre, Maroondah Hospital and the associated medical precinct.

In addition there is a need for localised services through Warranwood, where houses reside beyond reasonable walking distance to bus services.

The success of the Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus, where patronage has increased by up to 80% due to increased frequencies and service spans, demonstrates that public transport will be utilised if services are direct, frequent, readily available and accessible.

Bus services that travel along Maroondah’s main roads, should have a level of service comparable to the SmartBus network to deliver a comprehensive public transport system within Maroondah.

Lastly there is need for comprehensive bus route reform to ensure that Maroondah’s main thoroughfares are serviced by frequent public transport routes. Localised services could operate in residential areas and connect to these main routes. Such reform will provide efficiency savings on the bus network and will also lessen confusion over bus routes and minimise travel times.

To view the full report, please read my submission made to the bus services review for Maroondah.

Sustainable Living Space planning workshop

Posted on by alex

The Sustainable Living Space is a joint project between North Ringwood Community House, Eastern Volunteers, Park Orchards Learning Centre as well as Maroondah and Manningham Councils.

The project aims to explore the feasibility of a sustainable living space within Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and aims to strengthen community interest in sustainability and conservation.

Today’s meeting provided an opportunity to review the first twelve months of the project to evaluate its future direction. Surveys undertaken as part of the project identified strong interest in a sustainable space within the outer east which would help educate the community on water and energy conservation and minimising greenhouse emissions.

A number of activities have been undertaken to maintain community interest, including regular film nights focusing on environmental issues and tours of other sustainable projects, such as CERES in Brunswick East.

The second stage of this project will look at establishing an ongoing community reference group to encourage participation in this concept. In addition work will continue to identify community requirements and find a suitable location for the proposed centre.

Sustainable Living Space Working Group meeting

Posted on by alex

The Sustainable Living Space Working Group is a partnership between North Ringwood Community House, Park Orchards Learning Centre, Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre and Maroondah and Manningham Councils.

The project involves the assessment of support for a CERES type sustainability project within Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs. A project manager has been appointed by the working group to undertake extensive community consultation to ascertain support and involvement within the potential project.

The current aim of this working group is to measure the level of community support over the next twelve to eighteen months, prior to beginning any detailed assessments into the feasibility of the project.

For further information please visit sustainablelivingspace.org.au

Maroondah bus services review – community workshop

Posted on by alex

The Department of Transport has announced a review of bus services in the City of Knox, the City of Maroondah and the Shire of Yarra Ranges and will be holding a workshop on Thursday the 19th of February from 6:30 pm at the Ringwood RSL.

The review aims to prepare an improvement plan for local bus services that best meets the needs of local communities and will involve the evaluation of current bus services to identify potential improvements to the network.

This workshop provides an opportunity for the Maroondah community to voice its concerns about the lack of adequate public transport within the municipality. Interested community members are asked to register their attendance by calling 9221 1952.

Maroondah Council Inauguration

Posted on by alex

This evening the nine Councillors for Maroondah City Council were officially inaugurated to serve the community over the next four years.

As part of the proceedings each Councillor is invited to speak at their confirmation and outline their vision for the council term.

Alex speaking at the 2008 Maroondah City Council Inauguration

The following is a copy of the speech I delivered during the evening:

It is a great honour and privilege to have been returned as a Councillor for Maroondah, representing the businesses, ratepayers, residents and community groups of the Mullum Ward.

I would like to thank the people of Mullum Ward for their confidence in me, where I was returned with a clear mandate and the highest primary vote within Maroondah. I believe we should continually question the commitment, dedication and time that is for required public office but with such a clear result, whereby one in five voters directly supported me, it is evident that our community believes I am indeed making a difference.

I believe that the enemy of public office is complacency and while I cherish the clear mandate I received, I assure you that I will continue in making a difference to the community whereby we deliver a municipality that is accessible, sustainable and underpinned by good governance.

Alex speaking at the 2008 Maroondah City Council Inauguration

While we together look forward to the future, it would be amiss of me to not recognise the people that assisted me throughout the past three years during what was my first term on council. Thank you to the many people that supported me throughout this time, including my family and the many individuals and community groups I have met over that time. I look forward to us working together so we can continue making a difference.

In particular I would like to thank two people, former Councillors Jo-anne Taylor and Maureen Naylor, both who provided a major source of inspiration to me. When I was first elected Maureen gave me the advice of ‘stay true to yourself and to the people that elected you’, these are words of wisdom that I have never forgotten and I thank Maureen for her friendship and for taking the time to offer her assistance and support. I am truly fortunate to have been able to know someone with such integrity as Maureen.

Jo-anne Taylor was someone I came to know closely over the past three years, people would always remark how the two of us made quite a good team and I commend her for the support she offered me. While Jo-anne was not returned to council, I would like to publicly acknowledge the dedication she provided to the Mullum Ward over the past six years. Jo-anne would always speak her mind and stand up for what she believed in and she serves as a true inspiration to me.

I would also like to acknowledge another one of my former colleagues, Tony Dib. While Tony and I did not always agree with each other, there was mutual respect and appreciation. It is a shame that I was not given the opportunity to get to know Tony further during my time on council but I would like to thank him for his time over the past three years.

As we enter a new council term, I would like to extend the offer of support and friendship to all of my eight colleagues, old and new alike.

There is much we have to achieve over the next four years, including the relocation of North Ringwood Community House, upgrades to facilities such as Ringwood Aquatic Centre, providing footpaths, advocating for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and transforming Ringwood into a vibrant and thriving urban community. In addition we need to foster our community and find new homes for the many groups that are struggling for space within this municipality.

A stronger community leads to a more inclusive and accessible society, whereby more people can partake in economic and social opportunities within a sustainable environment.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being part of council has been serving as a conduit between community groups and individuals. Early in my last council term I met a person with a disability who was attempting to volunteer and participate in society, only to be continually presented with barriers limiting their involvement. Through the community groups, I knew I was able to organise opportunities for this person to demonstrate their skills and talents leading not only to volunteer work but ultimately onto paid employment.

Alex speaking at the 2008 Maroondah City Council Inauguration

This is the joy of being a Councillor, of being someone who can assist members of the community, whether it be to assist in better planning outcomes, delivering new initiatives, or being able to reconnect people with their broader community.

These are the joys and the challenges over the next four years, there will be highs and there will be lows but together we can continue making a difference. Thank you for your support.

Maroondah Leader: Ringwood station on fast track

Posted on by alex

The State Government has recently released an update to its Melbourne 2030 planning strategy in recognition of the need to prioritise investment in locations such as Ringwood.

The Maroondah Leader has reported on the potential benefit this would provide in enhancing the case for the redevelopment of Ringwood station.

Councillor Alex Makin, a member of the Eastern Transport Coalition, said the Government’s recognition of Ringwood’s importance was encouraging.

The planning strategy, which has was complemented through the launch of the Victorian Transport Plan, has identified Ringwood as a Central Activity District with the aim of facilitating infrastructure investment.

“What this does is underpin the need for the upgrading of Ringwood station,” Cr Makin said.  “What we need now is a commitment in the Government’s transport plan to build upon the one made earlier this year.”

While $39 million has been allocated as ‘stage one’ of the Ringwood Station redevelopment, the current funding excludes works to the station itself.  This means that the current funding will not improve the accessibility of Ringwood Station, which currently fails disability compliance standards.

In recognition of Ringwood’s importance to the State Government’s transport and planning strategies, it is imperative that further funding is announced so that Ringwood Station becomes an accessible and safe transport interchange.

Eastern Region Climate Forum

Posted on by alex

Mitigating climate change and improving our urban sustainability must be a priority for all levels of government. This evening, the Eastern Region Climate Network, comprising of individuals and groups within Knox, Maroondah, Whitehorse and the Yarra Ranges, organised the Eastern Region Climate Forum, to discuss climate change and the need for action.

The Forum was held in Ringwood and included presentations from Dr. David Spratt the author of Climate Code Red: the case for emergency action and Matthew Wright from Beyond Zero Emissions. Tim Forcey, a member of the Sandringham Climate Action Group served as MC for the evening.

The importance of climate change has been recognised by levels of our political system, with the Governor of Victoria Professor David de Kretser acknowleding that ‘There is no doubt in my mind that this is the greatest problem confronting mankind at this time…a state of emergency.’

Dr. Spratt spoke about the growing evidence that conclusively demonstrates that action of climate change is required now to prevent the melting of Arctic ice caps and the Himalayan glaciers, which provides 40% of Asia’s fresh water supplies. On a per capita basis, Australia is currently one of the world’s largest sources of greenhouse emissions reinforcing the need for leadership.

While Australia is now a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, it included a unique Australian clause, which allowed the reduction of land clearing to be factored into the emissions target. In reality Australia’s emissions are actually 8% above the 1990 Kyoto targets.

Matthew Wright discussed solutions to mitigating climate change with research finding that 25% of actions that would reduce emissions would in fact be cost positive. This would be due to increasing efficiencies, such as harnessing solar and wind power, as well as reducing dependence on oil, through improving public transport. The savings produced by these initiatives would then provide a funding source for further greenhouse reductions.

Local government clearly has a role in reducing greenhouse emissions to ensure environmental, social and economic sustainability. As an example, many of the actions within council’s energy fund will become cost positive within three years. This not only reduces greenhouse emissions but will also provide a saving for ratepayers.

Given the importance of climate change it was disappointing that there so few candidates at the forum. In the Mullum Ward, only Jo-anne Taylor, Peter Feeney, Adam Pepper and myself attended the entire evening. One does need to question the sincerity and genuineness of candidates who fail to attend a forum on such an important issue.

I am committed to reducing council’s greenhouse emissions and achieving a carbon neutral target. I am also in favour of interim targets to measure council’s progress towards this goal and to ensure that council is actually reducing emissions, rather than merely offsetting and shifting the burden.

All levels of government need to act in regard to climate change and we need a council that is committed to making a difference to our sustainability.

Victorian Transport Infrastructure Summit 2008

Posted on by alex

This afternoon I was invited to participate within a panel discussion for the 2008 Victorian Transport Infrastructure Summit. This year’s summit had an emphasis on sustainable transport and the need for a coordinated approach from all levels of government.

As the Deputy Chair of the Eastern Transport Coalition, I discussed our recent survey results which demonstrated that residents within the eastern suburbs overwhelmingly support the call for better public transport.

In addition over two-thirds of respondents believed that governments were not giving sufficient priority to the provision of public transport. In support of this view, the majority of people stated they would use public transport if it were adequately provided.

The message from Eastern Melbourne is clear – the one million residents of Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs want governments of all levels to work cooperatively to provide better public transport.

Ecosmart Solarsmart Workshop

Posted on by alex

This evening I attended Ecosmart’s Solarmart Workshop, an information session organised through Maroondah Council to discuss solar technology and reducing greenhouse emissions.

The workshop provided an overview of solar technology and the need for alternatives to coal electricity generation, which is a major contributor to greenhouse emissions. Standard coal-fired plants emit 915 g/kWh over their lifecycle and should carbon capture and storage ever become viable this will still produce 200 g/kWh in emissions.

While rebates are available for the purchase of solar panels, it is clear that this program needs to be extended so that it can be applied to more than just 1kW of renewable energy. Improvements to the rebate scheme would encourage households to purchase enough solar panels to cover their electricity needs, reducing dependence on coal and improving sustainability.

Council is currently committed to a 20% reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2010. I will be seeking further reductions so that council can demonstrate leadership in environmental sustainability and reduce its environmental impact.

Ringwood Bowls Club 2008/09 Season Launch

Posted on by alex

Tonight I attended the Ringwood Bowls Club 2008/09 season launch, held in the club function room at Loughnan Road in Ringwood.

The Ringwood Bowls Club has a long and proud history within Ringwood and was founded in 1929, originally at Miles Avenue in Ringwood. The club moved to its current site in 1997, which currently consists of a clubhouse, two grass greens and one artificial green.

The club is committed to a sustainable future and I assisted the club in applying for grants to Federal, State and local Government to assist in funding water tanks and retention systems to water the two grass greens.

The cooperation between Federal, State and Local governments has been encouraging and each application was approved. The club has commenced work on the installation of the water tanks and it will mean that the Ringwood Bowls Club will be able to utilise rainwater to maintain its greens.

The Ringwood Bowls Club must be congratulated for committing itself to a sustainable future and being the first lawn bowls club to retrofit water saving initiatives.

I wish the club the very best for the 2008/09 season. For further details on the Ringwood Bowls Club please visit www.ringwoodbowls.asn.au

or attend their next Try Bowls Day on Sunday the 26th of October.