Tag: transparency

Maroondah Leader: Push for Maroondah to go carbon neutral

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The Maroondah Sustainability Strategy has reached draft status and was endorsed for public exhibition at the last Council meeting. Public comments and submissions can be made about the strategy up to the 1st of December, whereby this feedback will be considered when the policy is finalised at a future council meeting.

The Maroondah Sustainability Strategy will guide the council’s approach to energy, water, transport and resource usage for the next four years and it is therefore critical that the document sets proactive environmental targets.

The Maroondah Leader has reported on the Draft Strategy, including its carbon neutral target of 2020:

Cr Alex Makin, who also voted to support the draft plan, said the council should set an interim target to ensure it reached its 2020 goal.

Currently there are no interim targets to measure council’s progress towards reaching carbon neutrality. While I personally believe that the target should potentially be brought forward to 2012, it is also imperative that interim goals are established to guide council budgets and to measure progress towards becoming carbon neutral.

Back in the year 2000 the then council set a target of reducing energy consumption by 20% by the year 2010. Unfortunately due to the lack of interim targets this was largely forgotten until public pressure along with myself, Jo-anne Taylor and Maureen forced the council to recommit to this goal.

It is therefore essential that any carbon neutral target includes appropriate interim goals to measure progress and keep council accountable for its performance in meeting this objective.

Maroondah Journal: Council 'fails' on climate

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Maroondah Council recently passed its Budget for the 2008 and 2009 financial year with a total of $860,000 allocated to reducing greenhouse emissions. While this provides a foundation for further action in regard to greenhouse emissions council must not rest on its laurels.

The Maroondah Journal has reported on Maroondah Council’s ongoing reluctance to meet its greenhouse reduction targets:

Cr Alex Makin asked the council to adopt a quarterly report in order to provide an update on its target of reducing carbon emissions by 20% by 2010.

Quarterly reporting will provide accountability transparency so that progress towards the greenhouse reduction targets can be monitored and allow for action to be taken before it is too late.

“The target has been set for quite a number of years and yet it seems there has been very little done to achieve it.”

Council committed itself to the 2010 target back in the year 2000. Maroondah Council and its Councillors have had eight years to meet its obligations and yet very little seems to have been achieved. The $850,000 announced in the council budget along with quarterly reporting will help correct this negligence.

Three of Maroondah’s current councillors were part of council in the year 2000. While Maureen Naylor has been a supporter in reducing greenhouse emissions, Councillors Les Wilmott and Peter Gurr must explain why so little progress has been made in achieving this target.

Furthermore all of Council must realise that the 20% target should be seen as merely an interim step towards further greenhouse emissions. Inaction must no longer be tolerated.

Council backflips – Response submission to be listed for Monday's council meeting

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This afternoon I received a telephone call advising that Maroondah’s response submission to the Victorian Electoral Commission’s representation review will now be listed on the agenda for Monday night’s council meeting.

It is encouraging that Maroondah has seen the need for this item to be listed in the open council chamber. This will ensure that the item will be debated and while I doubt that it will change the outcome, it will provide an opportunity to reinforce the fact that the community has requested substantial changes in the structure of wards and representation within Maroondah.

Response submission to the Victorian Electoral Commission close on the 22nd of April.

Maroondah's reponse to the VEC must not be made behind closed doors

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Maroondah Council is currently proposing not to formally endorse its response submission to the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) at Monday night’s council meeting.

The decision not to formally adopt council’s position is at odds with other municipalities which required both the preliminary submission and final response to be adopted by resolution at a formal council meeting.

The motion that was adopted in February 2008 (in a five versus two decision) reads as follows:

That Council adopts an electoral structure of seven councillors and single member wards reflecting Maroondah’s current communities of interest as the basis of its preliminary submission to be made to the VEC review panel by 4 March 2008.

It has been claimed that the wording of this resolution applies to the response submission due on the 22nd of April, as well as an advocacy campaign currently being undertaken by Council. It is clear that this is incorrect – the wording of the resolution refers exclusively to the preliminary submission.

This is yet another example of decisions that are being made behind closed doors at Maroondah City Council. It would appear that this is an attempt to stymie debate on the response submission, where the council is attempting to clutch to a modified version of the existing ward boundaries – despite the fact that they divide communities within Maroondah.

While it is necessary at times to tolerate the churlish behaviour of some of my colleagues I will not accept a denial of transparency and accountability. I am seeking independent advice as to whether Maroondah can prevent the response submission being listed on Monday night’s council agenda.

Eastern Transport Coalition meeting – calling for State and Federal investment in public transport

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Tonight’s meeting of the Eastern Transport Coalition included a presentation from John Stone, project officer at GAMUT, the Australian Centre for the Governance and Management of Urban Transport.

John spoke about the case for Federal funding of public transport and the need for the Commonwealth to provide such funding in return for operational reforms at a State level. In Victoria such reforms should include the creation of a holistic statutory authority that is responsible for both roads and public transport. This would end the imbalance that exists between VicRoads and the Public Transport Division in the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) by ensuring that all transport projects are assessed equally. Furthermore reforms should include operational measures such as ensuring that buses connect with rail services, so as to provide an integrated transport system that functions as one network.

Requiring such reforms in return for federal funding would ensure that the Commonwealth would receive maximum return for its investment and would prevent waste at a state level. The fact that states such as Western Australia and Queensland have been able to invest in new rail lines after undertaking departmental reform demonstrates that rail extensions can be provided efficiently and economically.

Issues such as congestion and greenhouse emissions, are a national issue and it therefore requires a nationwide response through federal investment in urban public transport infrastructure. Federal involvement would not shift blame from State to Federal Governments but would instead provide accountability and ensure that State Governments would honour their commitments.

The Eastern Transport Coalition will be preparing a discussion paper to advance the campaign for federal involvement in urban public transport.

Delegates' Report: Climate change, accessibility, support groups and events for seniors

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Thank you, I will be tabling my delegates’ report this evening, however before I do, there are several items I plan on discussing this evening:

From the 26th through to the 30th of November I attended the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly in Darwin. The Australian Local Government Association, is the peak body representing local councils across Australia. The national general assembly provides an opportunity for councils to debate motions of national significance with the aim of shaping the advocacy direction of ALGA. As will be detailed in the council agenda this evening, Maroondah proposed two motions, both of which were successful. Aside from the general assembly, there were also a number of speakers presenting at ALGA, including Dr. Tim Flannery who spoke about the looming environmental issues facing Australia and the world.

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stated that:

  • “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal.”
  • “Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.”

For reference, the IPCC defines ‘very likely’ as meaning a probability greater than 90%. It is therefore imperative that action is taken in regard to climate change. If there was a 90% chance of an adverse event occurring, most people would logically takes steps to prevent this, as such prevention is required to mitigate the effects of climate change.

I will be tabling a report on my attendance at AGLA , in line with council’s guidelines for accountability in regard to interstate events.

It is encouraging that as a council, Maroondah is acting on climate change and involving the community. On the 20th of November I attended Maroondah’s energy workshop, entitled ‘All About Climate Change’. This workshop provided an introduction to the issues involved around Climate Change and featured an Al Gore Ambassador who explained the concepts and the need for action. It was encouraging to see that the workshop was well attended and I would like to thank Council’s Sustainability Department for organising, planning and hosting the workshop. This will hopefully be the first of many steps that we undertake to demonstrate leadership in regard to climate change, one of the crucial issues that we will need to face as we enter the new year.

Over the past month, I attended several events hosted by Enjoying Planned Retirement (EPR), one of Maroondah’s largest and most active seniors organisations. On the 23rd of November I attended EPR’s Spotlighters Performance. Spotlighters, for those who may not be aware, is one of the 47 activities organised by EPR and consists of a musical theatre group who performed to packed out audiences over the three nights of their show. The singing, dancing and acting talents of its members provided a wonderful night of entertainment and I would like to congratulate EPR on hosting such a successful performance.

On the 4th of December I attended another one of EPR’s activities, the launch of their Bocce Season for 2008. While I suspect EPR allowed me to win at last year’s tournament, unfortunately this year I was not so lucky!

The launch provides an opportunity to showcase bocce to new EPR members and included an afternoon picnic at Norwood Hall providing a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The latest terminology in regard to seniors, appears to be the wording ‘healthy aging’, EPR typifies this concept, healthy aging with a lot of spirit. What else can you expect from a group of people that refer to themselves (and quoted directly from their recent newsletter) as ‘recycled teenagers, who want to chill-out, gross-out, max-out, space-out and have fun?’ It’s a shame I left my teenage years around a decade ago!

The Croydon Stroke Support Group, is another organisation that includes a lot of spirit and on the 6th of December I had the pleasure of attending their end of year Christmas function. The Croydon Stroke Support Group, provides an incredibly supportive atmosphere for people who had stroke and for the families that support them. The Croydon Stroke Support Group aims to restore the confidence of people who had stroke to demonstrate that that they can still participate in society. Many of its members volunteer their time not only to the organisation but also in nursing, care and other services to people outside the group. The work of the Croydon Stroke Support and its members is simply amazing.

Lastly, on the 7th of December I attended the final Scoot Wheel N Move meeting for 2007. Scoot Wheel N Move, a group I have discussed a number of times previously, aims to improve the accessibility of Maroondah and has organised a number of successful projects. I would like to congratulate Maroondah’s new MetroAccess worker in hosting a successful meeting and for discussing the future direction of the group. 2008 will be an exciting time for Scoot Wheel N Move and it is imperative that the group’s advocacy voice is as strong as possible, particularly to ensure that major projects such as Eastland are accessible and inclusive for an entire community.

Being the final meeting for 2007, I would like to thank the many groups who have invited me to functions over the past year and I am looking forward to attending further events in 2008.

Maroondah Mayoral Election for 2008

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This evening, the mayor for the 2008 year was elected at Maroondah’s Statutory Meeting. In previous years, the election of the mayor had been informally decided at a private meeting with councillors on the preceding Monday, with the statutory council meeting being nothing more than a mere formality to approve the decision.

This year however, Councillor’s Jo-anne Taylor, Maureen Naylor and myself were successful in abolishing the informal meeting, meaning that the process was conducted in the council chamber resulting in greater transparency and accountability over the election of mayor.

This year, as preempted by the Maroondah Journal, there were two nominations for the position of Mayor, myself and Cr. Tony Dib.

Cr. Natalie Thomas nominated Cr. Dib, with the nomination being seconded by Cr. Les Willmott. Cr. Maureen Naylor nominated me for the position, supported by Cr. Jo-anne Taylor.

With two nominations, Cr. Naylor requested that the nominees speak in support of their nominations. This was objected to by Cr. Wilmott who claimed that the mayoral election was a ‘procedural motion’ and did not require debate. This view was supported by Cr. Peter Gurr, the chair of the meeting, who ruled that debate was not allowed.

This is unfortunate, since it denies the community the opportunity to hear from the mayoral candidates and also prevents the candidates from outlining their vision for Maroondah over the coming year. It also brings into question the openness of the process with there being no opportunity to distinguish between candidates.

Maroondah’s meeting procedures are defined in local law 3 with the election of mayor and acting chairman being discussed in Part 2. While this part does not include a clause on debate, it does not explicitly exclude it as a possibility.

With debate being denied, the vote was conducted with Cr. Tony Dib being elected mayor with four votes (Cr. Dib, Cr. Gurr, Cr. Thomas and Cr. Wilmott) against three (Cr. Naylor, Cr. Thomas and Cr. Makin). It is unfortunate that despite improvements to the openness of council, that some decisions are still evidently being made behind closed doors.

I would like thank Cr. Maureen Naylor and Cr. Jo-anne Taylor for their support of my nomination this evening. When I was elected back in November 2005 it was fair to say that I was considered an outsider to Maroondah Council, given my background in community advocacy which at times meant I was critical of the council’s decisions. To be in a position where some of my colleagues have acknowledged the work I have devoted to council and the wider community is a testament to both Maureen and Jo-anne.

I would also like to thank the many members of the community who encouraged me to consider nominating for mayor. While my nomination was unsuccessful, it is great to know that many community members appreciate the work I have undertaken as a councillor for the City of Maroondah.

This work will continue as we enter the new year. In particular I plan to continue my focus on improving the accessibility and sustainability of Maroondah. Works are scheduled to progress on the Ringwood Transit City during 2008 and it is imperative that this is done correctly as this unfolds so as to avoid costly mistakes at a later stage.

Thank you once again to everyone that has appreciated my commitment as a councillor, I remain committed to Loughnan’s Hill Ward and the broader City of Maroondah.

Cr Alex Makin

Councillor for Loughnan’s Hill Ward
City of Maroondah

Delegates' Report: Improving our urban sustainability through the Eastern Transport Coalition

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There were a number of significant events that occurred over the past month and I would like to use this opportunity to brief both council and the wider community:

On the 20th of July the Eastern Transport Coalition, which consists of Melbourne’s seven eastern councils, organised a bus tour for Meredith Sussex the Coordinator-General of Infrastructure. Meredith is responsible for coordinating the areas of planning and transport on behalf of the State Government. Given the urban revitalisation and consolidation that is occurring in the eastern suburbs, it was imperative that Meredith saw the region firsthand to understand the issues facing the seven councils, including Maroondah.

As the Maroondah delegate on the Eastern Transport Coalition, I discussed the council’s vision for Maroondah, with a particular emphasis on the Ringwood Transit City and Croydon Activity Centre. We stressed the need for further bus improvements, particularly along main thoroughfares such as Maroondah Highway, Canterbury Road, Dorset and Wonga Roads to ensure that our community is provided with transport choice. We also highlighted the need for rail frequency improvements, where currently people must wait up to half an hour to catch a train between Ringwood and Croydon during a weekday, despite the fact that services are more frequent, with a twenty minute interval, on weekends.

We also discussed the need to upgrade Ringwood Station and for improvements along the pedestrian crossing at Maroondah Highway.

I will be tabling the factsheet compiled by Maroondah’s Sustainability Department, which explained Council’s direction and highlighted the issues requiring active involvement from the State Government.

The tour provided a welcomed opportunity to explore these issues firsthand and I would like to thank Meredith for her time.

On the 12th of August I attended a meeting organised by the Maroondah Climate Change Action Group and supported by Maroondah City Council. The meeting, which explored the issues surrounding climate change, was well attended and demonstrated the partnership that can exist between the community and council. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Maroondah’s Sustainability Department for providing logistical support for this function and hope that this will be the first of many instances of where we as a council support such groups in exploring environmental issues.

Lastly, on the 14th and 15th of August, as part of a delegation from the Eastern Transport Coalition, I flew to Canberra to discuss public transport issues with Federal Parliamentarians and to meet other stakeholder groups such as the Australasian Railways Association and the Australian Local Government Association.

Despite the dramas experienced at Melbourne Airport, where our 8.25 am flight did not depart until 11.10 am, the trip was extremely productive, once we finally arrived in Canberra.

Australia remains the only OECD nation, that is the only Westernised nation, where the Federal Government has no involvement in urban public transport. This is despite the recent Sustainable Cities Inquiry of 2005, which was based on a vision for Australian cities to be vibrant and healthy and concluded that a coordinated and concerted action plan, through leadership from the Federal Government, was currently missing in regard to our cities.

There is an economic, social and environmental case for Federal involvement in urban public transport and the ALGA motions brought forward in tonight’s agenda expand upon these elements.

In particular, however, is the issue of good governance and accountability and I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the stance of the Eastern Transport Coalition.

Cost-shifting from the State Government is a major source of frustration and increases costs to local government and our community. Since we experience this burden firsthand we are not about to try and shift State responsibilities to the Federal government. What we are calling for is Federal involvement to keep State Governments accountable. Federal involvement in urban public transport would help ensure that the State Government lives up to its pledge of improving public transport and finally delivers on previously made promises, such as the third track to Ringwood which was promised by the current State Labor Government since its election in 1999.

Federal leadership would further the infrastructure investment within our region and boost our the wellbeing of our community, the same way that the offer for matched federal funding for the then Scoresby Freeway ensured that it was on the State Government agenda.

The Eastern Transport Coalition is not about to shift costs and responsibilities to the Federal Government, what we are calling for is better governance and Federal leadership on this issue to ensure greater sustainability and the economic wellbeing of the eastern suburbs.

The trip to Canberra provided an opportunity to explore these issues with Parliamentarians and there is definite potential to explore suitable models for Federal leadership in creating Sustainable Cities. Federal leadership and involvement in such issues will ensure greater accountability and ensure that State Governments are not able to simply forget about their responsibilities for urban sustainability and public transport.

I will be tabling my written report that the trip to Canberra as well as the Eastern Transport Coalition’s report on the feasibility of federal funding for urban public transport.

Eastern Transport Coalition June 2007 meeting

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This evening’s Eastern Transport Coalition (ETC) meeting focused on the seven key focus areas including:

  1. Public transport interchanges;
  2. Bus services and bus priority;
  3. Train extension to Rowville and Doncaster;
  4. Rail improvements along the Ringwood line;
  5. Rail improvements along the Dandenong line, and
  6. Federal Funding of urban public transport infrastructure;

A series of factsheets are being prepared to highlight the importance of these priorities. The ETC will be utilising a number of opportunities, including the Melbourne 2030 audit, to demonstrate the importance between integrating land use planning and transport.

In regard to the federal funding campaign, the ETC will be sending a delegation to Canberrra to seek an audience with the Minister and Shadow Ministers for Transport. The Federal Parliament’s Sustainable Cities Inquiry highlighted the need for a national approach for urban transport to assist in mitigating rising congestion costs and greenhouse emissions.

While this may give the appearance of shifting responsibilities from the State to Federal Government, it in fact ensures a greater level of accountability. For example, if the Federal Government provided partial funding for the triplication of the rail line to Ringwood it would prevent the State Government from backing away from its 1999 promise to deliver the third track.

Australia remains the only OECD nation where the Federal Government does not provide funding for urban public transport infrastructure, with cities around the world investing heavily in public transport Australia runs the risk of being left behind reducing our international competitiveness.

The Age: Fare freeze gets cold reception

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The State Government has announced a freeze on Melbourne’s public transport fares to deflect rising criticism over the latest spate of cancellations on Melbourne’s rail network.

Premier Steve Bracks this morning announced the decision by the State Government to freeze the price increases, which were due on March 4.

The freeze in public transport fares provides little comfort for rail passengers who have had to tolerate yet another round of unreliable services and cancellations. Connex has failed to deliver reliable and frequent rail services and it is imperative that the State Government resolves this ongoing situation.

Meanwhile, lobby group Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called for Connex’s contract not to be renewed after it expires next year.

The PTUA is proposing a model similar to that used within cities such as Zurich, and the Australian example of Perth, where there is an independent public transport authority that retains control over scheduling, maintenance and coordination. Private operators would be charged with the responsibility of operating their services on a fee-for-service basis with terms determined by the relevant transport authority.

PTUA president Daniel Bowen said Connex had been aware of brake problems on its Siemens trains for more than two years but still went ahead with plans to scrap its older Hitachi trains.

The current arrangements simply allow for buck-passing between the State Government and operators such as Connex, so that no one appears to take any real responsibility for the decaying state of Melbourne’s rail system. Rail passengers have been rightfully concerned about ongoing cancellations, despite claims by Connex that the indefinite withdrawal of services would improve reliability:

Mr Makin said passengers were most concerned about ongoing cancellations. “Connex claimed that by withdrawing 37 services it would provide certainty and yet passengers are now facing another spate of quite random cancellations.”

Melbourne’s rail passengers and public transport users need to show that they expect action and resolution to the ongoing reliability issues plaguing Connex. The State Government knew about the braking issues back in 2004 and yet failed to act responsibly at the time.

“We urge rail passengers to express their frustration to local politicians and to the transport minister. It’s quite clear that action is required.”

The State Government must take responsibility and start implementing a structure that will lead to higher accountability and a higher level of service for Melbourne’s public trnasport users.