Tag: sustainable living festival

Attending the 2008 Maroondah Festival

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This afternoon, after my presentation at the Sustainable Living Festival, I attended the 2008 Maroondah Festival to visit the many community groups that were on display. Fortunately the weather was slightly cooler than last year’s 40 degree heat and community groups were located at the forefront of the festival.

The Youth Stage was also well patronised with acts such as The Living End keeping crowds entertained. The community groups and the many volunteers and staff that contributed to the festival must be congratulated for their efforts.

Activating Communities: Communities for Public Transport at the Sustainable Living Festival

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Melbourne’s Sustainable Living Festival, held at Federation Square, is Victoria’s premiere festival celebrating and promoting urban sustainability.

As part of the proceedings, I delivered a presentation on the aims of Communities for Public Transport and the need for grassroots advocacy for public transport improvements. Ultimately a lack of public transport affects local communities, through failure to deliver the necessary infrastructure to ensure urban sustainability.

The lack of public transport infrastructure within the growth areas of Melbourne, such as South Morang, Werribee, Cranbourne and Pakenham, is a major concern since until these areas are provided with the necessary public transport improvements, Mellbourne will always face a losing battle in regard to sustainability.

It is inexcusable for the State Govenrment to deprive growth areas of public transport, given the widely acknowledged costs of congestion, social isolation and greenhouse emissions. A lack of public transport ultimately affects all of Melbourne, with cars from the outer suburbs flooding inner city roads. As a result local communities right across Melbourne need to find their voice to ensure action from all levels of government.

Media Release: Launch of Communities for Public Transport

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Communities for Public Transport, a community focused transport lobby group, will be unveiled at the Sustainable Living Festival on Sunday the 17th of February at 10am.

“Communities for Public Transport marks a new direction for public transport advocacy. The group will work within local communities to ensure that local residents are empowered to advocate for public transport improvements” said Mr. Makin.

Communities for Public Transport has held a series of successful public meetings in Melbourne’s suburbs, with further meetings being planned for 2008. Alex Makin, a former Vice-President of the Public Transport Users Association, formed Communities for Public Transport when he realised that local community input was being ignored.

“Local communities are best placed to advocate for the improvements that affect them. Local residents know firsthand the pain experienced by overcrowded trains, infrequent buses and slow trams. With rising petrol prices and increasing financial pressure now is the time for local communities to become involved in public transport advocacy. This presentation at the Sustainable Living Festival will provide advice on advocacy to empower our local communities”, concluded Mr. Makin.

Details: 10am Sunday 17th of February, at the Design Tent Federation Square

About Communities for Public Transport:
Communities for Public Transport was founded in mid 2007 to empower local communities and provide advice in regard to public transport advocacy. The group works with local residents and community groups to assist in securing public transport improvements.

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES: ALEX MAKIN ON 0409 136 213

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Active Communities = Active Advocacy : Communities for Public Transport featured at the Sustainable Living Festival

Posted on by alex

Communities for Public Transport is unique in that it places communities first and foremost in its advocacy efforts.

Communities for Public Transport, the public transport advocacy group established to represent and empower local communities, will be featured at Melbourne’s Sustainable Living Festival on Sunday the 17th of February at 10am.

The Sustainable Living Festival, an annual event held at Federation Square, aims to showcase organisations that inspire and promote sustainable communities.

I have been invited to deliver a presentation on Communities for Public Transport with the aim of providing advice on community advocacy and to highlight the key issues facing the campaign for public transport improvements in Melbourne and Victoria.

The ongoing inaction over public transport is emerging as a key issue within metropolitan Melbourne and now is the time for local communities to speak up and demand much needed public transport improvements. Rising petrol prices are adding severe financial pressures to many households, particularly those living in the outer suburbs where public transport is not readily available.

Public transport is also required to ensure an equitable Melbourne, where people of all abilities are able to participate in society. The State Government must accelerate disability compliance works to ensure that it exceeds the required milestones established under the Federal Government’s Disability Discrimination Act of 1992

The State Government must demonstrate that it is serious about making public transport improvements a priority. Traffic congestion is creating a severe impost on the economy with severe inflationary pressures undermining Melbourne’s productivity. In addition, Victoria’s greenhouse emissions are continuing unabated due to heavy car dependence.

Local communities know the public transport improvements they require and are best placed to advocate for the public transport improvements that will provide for a sustainable future. It is time for local communities to demand action and to find their voice. Melbourne and its outer suburbs must no longer tolerate poor train reliability, infrequent buses, a lack of nearby stations, inaction over tram extensions and an ongoing list of broken promises over rail extensions.

I encourage you to attend the presentation Active Communities = Active Advocacy at 10am in the design tent at the Sustainable Living Festival, Federation Square.

The 2007 Sustainable Living Festival

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The Sustainable Living Festival, an annual event held at Federation Square, aims to showcase organisations that inspire and promote sustainable communities.

Given that transport, due to car dependence, is the highest household contributor of greenhouse emissions, it was fitting for the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) to hold a stall over the three day festival.

Alex Makin 2007 Sustainable Living Festival

I staffed the festival for Friday afternoon and it was encouraging to see the continued strong interest in sustainable transport from people all across metropolitan Melbourne. Sustainable transport through the provision of rail and tram extensions in growth areas interlinked by frequent and direct bus services is the only way to provide real transport choice to Metropolitan Melbourne and hence mitigate rising traffic congestion and reduce petrol dependence.

The Sustainable Transport Festival is being held from Friday the 16th of through to Sunday the 18th of February at Federation Square. For more information please visit www.slf.org.au.