Tag: transport interchange

Media Release: Safety a key priority in Ringwood Station upgrade

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Safety has become a key factor in Maroondah City Council’s push to secure a commitment to upgrade Ringwood Station within the next term of government.

Maroondah Councillor and Community Safety Reference Group representative Rob Steane said everyone deserved access to safe, accessible public transport.

“Media reports earlier this year highlighted Ringwood as having one of the highest levels of crimes across the metropolitan railway network. Regardless of whether or not these reports are a true reflection of Ringwood Station, they have resulted in a public perception that Ringwood Station is unsafe,” Cr Steane said.

“People have a right to feel safe when they are using public transport, and at the moment many people are scared to use Ringwood Station,” Cr Steane said.

“An upgrade to Ringwood Station would not only improve the amenities of the Station but it would also go a long way to improving public perceptions of safety,” Cr Steane said.

“The current layout of the station means there are many areas that are not visible from Maroondah Highway and Station Street, especially the ramps linking the platforms,” Cr Steane said.

Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said he had spoken to many people in the course of the campaign with most commenting on safety concerns.

“Most people have commented on their insecurity when using the station at night. Many choosing to continue onto another station rather than have the worry of being at the station alone,” Cr Makin said.
– MORE –

“The proposed upgrade to the station would open the whole area up to scrutiny and therefore act as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour,” Cr Makin said.

“It will also provide a better link to the central retail and business district making the area a safer, more visually attractive and user-friendly public place,” Cr Makin said.

“Securing this funding for an upgrade is an important start to improving Ringwood’s transport interchange and town centre. We will continue to lobby the state political parties on behalf of the Maroondah community for a funding commitment,” Cr Makin concluded.

– ENDS –

Signing the Ringwood Station Petition

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The ongoing need for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station is a major priority for the Maroondah community and Council will be advocating very strongly to secure funding through the State Election in November.

The steep ramps at Ringwood Station do not meet disability compliance standards and the station itself does not provide the amenities required to encourage public transport usage.

It is critical that Council secures a commitment so that Ringwood Station is transformed into an accessible, integrated and safe transport interchange.

The Maroondah community has waited for far too long for a safe, accessible transit interchange. The current layout of the station fails disability compliance standards – meaning it is difficult to access for people with a disability, the elderly and parents with prams.

Alex Makin adding the first signature to Maroondah City Council's petition for the redevelopment and upgrade of Ringwood Station.
Alex Makin adding the first signature to Maroondah City Council's petition for the redevelopment and upgrade of Ringwood Station.

This morning Council launched a petition calling on all political parties to commit to the redevelopment and upgrade of Ringwood Station. As the Mayor of Maroondah, I had the honour of being the first to sign the petition and I look forward joining with the community as we advocate for a safe, integrated and accessible transit interchange.

Please visit www.maroondah.vic.gov.au/StationAdvocacy.aspx to complete the online petition, or visit Council’s Customer Services at Braeside Avenue, Ringwood Eastland or the Croydon Civic Centre.

Media Release: Mayor leads by example in station advocacy campaign

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“Today marks the start of our campaign to secure a commitment from all major state political parties to commit to an upgrade of Ringwood Station within the term of the next government,” Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said.

“I am proud to be the first signatory on the petition which we hope will see Ringwood Station transformed into an integrated public transport interchange. I urge others to show their support for our campaign by also signing the petition,” Cr Makin said.

“The Maroondah community has waited for far too long for a new station so by creating a united voice in the form of a petition we can show the political parties that our concerns are justified and should not be ignored any longer,” Cr Makin said.

“Council shares the community’s concerns and recognises that we need a station which is compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act and addresses safety concerns,” Cr Makin said.

“The current layout of the station fails disability compliance standards meaning it is difficult to access for people with a disability, the elderly and parents with prams,” Cr Makin said.

The prayer of the petition is as follows:
We, the undersigned, are greatly concerned with the continued lack of commitment to complete the redevelopment of Ringwood Station.
The redevelopment of the Ringwood Station into an accessible, integrated and safe public transport interchange is critical to the needs to the Maroondah community and to the success of Ringwood’s transition into a sustainable, accessible and vibrant Central Activities District.

We seek a commitment from all state political parties, in the lead up to the State Election, to fund the upgrade of Ringwood Station within the next term of government.

To sign the petition or find out more about the campaign:

Visit one of Council’s service centres:
City Offices Service Centre
Braeside Avenue, Ringwood

Eastland Service Centre
Level 2, Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood

Croydon Service Centre
Civic Square, Croydon

Visit one of Council’s facilities:

Arrabri Community Centre
Allambanan Drive, Bayswater North.

Croydon Library
Civic Square, Mount Dandenong Road, Croydon.

Glen Park Community Centre
30 Glen Park Road, Bayswater North.

Karralyka Centre
Mines Road, Ringwood.

Maroondah Federation Estate
Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood.

Ringwood Library
4 Ringwood Street Mall, Ringwood
(Adjacent to Eastland Shopping Centre).

Wyreena Community Arts Centre
13-23 Hull Road, Croydon.

Go online to complete an online submission or download a copy of the petition:

Maroondah Council website – www.maroondah.vic.gov.au
Maroondah Youth Services website www.maroondahyouthservices.com.au

– ENDS –

Media Release: Council launches petition to upgrade Ringwood Station

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Maroondah City Council is calling on all state political parties to commit to delivering a safe, accessible and integrated Ringwood Station within the term of the next State Government.

On September 1, Council will launch a petition as the first stage of a community based campaign calling for the Station redevelopment.

Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said Council shares the community’s concern about the station.

“The Maroondah community has waited for far too long for a safe, accessible transit interchange. The current layout of the station fails disability compliance standards meaning it is difficult to access for people with a disability, the elderly and parents with prams,” Cr Makin said.

“The Disability Discrimination Act is about treating people equally and giving people the same opportunities as everyone else as to access public transport. The continued lack of commitment towards the upgrade makes a mockery of delivering sustainable and accessible transport options,” Cr Makin said.

“The Tudor-style brick building which houses the ticket office was built in 1889 and the footbridge linking the platforms was upgraded in the 1960s. Despite the substantial population growth in the region and the importance of public transport, there has been no significant upgrade to the station in more than 50 years,” Cr Makin said.

“Following years of lobbying by Council the State Government undertook initial urban design works in 2004,” Cr Makin said.

“In 2007 the State Government spent $4.5million on design works to integrate the public transport interchange with the Eastland redevelopment. In September 2008 the State Government announced $39million for the Bus Interchange and Maroondah Highway Station Plaza project. While this is a positive step, we are still waiting for a funding commitment to upgrade the most important aspect of the Central Activities District – Ringwood Station,” Cr Makin said.

“Council will continue to work in partnership with State Government, and meet with department representatives and ministers to stress the importance of upgrading Ringwood Station to be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act and for safety reasons,” Cr Makin said.

“We will also continue to meet with local members of parliament who are supportive of Council’s campaign and are willing to advocate of our behalf for a funding commitment to this essential project,” Cr Makin said.

“The redevelopment of the Ringwood Station into an accessible, integrated and safe transit interchange is critical to the success of our transition into a sustainable and accessible Central Activities District,” Cr Makin said.

“Council has a critical role in advocating on behalf of our community. The petition is an important way for Council and the community to get that message to the State Government,” Cr Makin said.

“The best way we can do this is generating as much support as possible, so we encourage everyone to sign the petition which will be available online, at Council’s service centres and Ringwood and Croydon libraries,” Cr Makin said.

“The more community support we gain, the stronger our voice in demanding that the funding commitment is made. I urge the community to join this campaign and to get involved” Cr Makin concluded.

To sign the petition and to join the campaign you can:

Go online:
Maroondah Council website – www.maroondah.vic.gov.au
Maroondah Youth Services website www.maroondahyouthservices.com.au
Maroondah Youth Services MySpace page – www.myspace.com/maroondahyouthservices

Visit one of Council’s service centres:
City Offices Service Centre
Braeside Avenue, Ringwood

Eastland Service Centre
Level 2, Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood

Croydon Service Centre
Civic Square, Croydon

Visit one of Maroondah’s libraries:

Ringwood Library
4 Ringwood Street Mall, Ringwood
(Adjacent to Eastland Shopping Centre).

Croydon Library
Civic Square, Mount Dandenong Road, Croydon.

– ENDS –

Public meeting with Common Equity Housing Limited

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Common Equity Housing Limited (CEHL) are the managers of the affordable housing development at 4-10 Larissa Avenue in Ringwood. The organisation has held a series of public meetings with prospective members of the 80 unit development and tonight’s session discussed the vision for Ringwood as a Central Activities District.

The presentation covered the plans for the transformation of Ringwood into a vibrant and accessible urban centre and also highlighted the pedestrian and cycling improvements, such as footpaths within Ringwood and the new Creek to Lake trail, which will connect Ringwood Lake with the Mullum Creek trail.

As part of the presentation I discussed the importance of public transport in providing an alternative to car dependence and to deliver sustainable forms of transport. In particular, I highlighted the need for ongoing advocacy to secure a State Government commitment for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange.

While the State Government will shortly begin works to create a new station forecourt and bus interchange, there is a need to redevelop the station itself, given that the ramps fail disability compliance standards and the platforms lack modern passenger amenities.

Maroondah Council will be undertaking a community based advocacy campaign calling on all political parties to commit to the creation of safe, integrated and accessible transport interchange for Ringwood. It was encouraging to this vision shared by the participants at the meeting and I look forward to them joining us in Ringwood.

Maroondah Journal: Have card, will travel: mayor

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One of the first acts I undertook as Mayor was to give up the mayoral car and instead promote sustainable forms of transport, including public transport and walking.

My metcard expired in July and as a result I purchased a myki to undertake my travels as Mayor for the remainder of the year. The Maroondah Journal has reported on the use of myki in my capacity as Mayor of Maroondah:

Following his election as mayor last December, Cr Makin decided to take up a more environmentally friendly travel option.

He now relies on public transport or good walking weather to attend most of his council appointments.

Cr Makin said the validation of the myki card for trams and buses reinforced the public transport vision the council had for Ringwood’s central activities district (CAD).

“While there is room for improvement, we are very fortunate in Maroondah to have good access to rail and bus transport, making it a viable form of travel within the municipality.”

The provision of public transport is critical to providing an alternative to car dependence and thus mitigate traffic congestion and greenhouse emissions. Further improvements are required within Maroondah, including more frequent off-peak rail services and bus improvements.

Cr Makin said the state government had identified Ringwood as a vital public transport hub.

“While the imminent upgrade of the bus interchange at Ringwood will see improved public transport infrastructure, we still require a commitment to the upgrading of Ringwood station to deliver a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange.

“It is critical that the state government works in partnership with Maroondah Council to achieve the vision of the Ringwood CAD – a commitment to the redevelopment of Ringwood station is essential in achieving this vision.”

Maroondah City Council will be undertaking a campaign later this year calling on the State Government to deliver a safe, integrated and accessible transport interchange for Ringwood. The vision for Ringwood as Ringwood as a Central Activities District (CAD) will only be achieved if public transport services are improved.

Media Release: Mayor makes the switch to myki

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Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin is moving with the times, this week upgrading to the new myki ticketing system.

In December last year when Cr Makin was elected Mayor he decided not to drive the Mayoral vehicle, and generally relies on public transport or walking to attend Council appointments.

“Normally the Maroondah Mayor would have the use of a Mayoral car but I wanted to highlight the importance of sustainable transport within Maroondah and to demonstrate that is possible to utilise public transport to undertake commitments as Mayor,” Cr Makin said.

“While there is room for improvement, we are very fortunate in Maroondah to have good access to rail and bus transport making it a viable form of travel within the municipality,” Cr Makin said.

“As someone living in the heart of the Ringwood Central Activities District I know how important public transport is to ensuring a vibrant, accessible and sustainable municipality,” Cr Makin said.

“As a Central Activities District, Ringwood has been identified by the State Government as a vital public transport hub. While the imminent upgrade of the bus interchange at Ringwood will see improved public transport infrastructure, we urgently require a commitment to the upgrading of Ringwood Station to deliver a safe, accessible and integrated transport interchange.”

“It is critical that the State Government works in partnership with Council to achieve the vision of the Ringwood Central Activities District. A commitment to the redevelopment of Ringwood Station is essential in achieving this vision,” Cr. Makin concluded.

– ENDS –

Maroondah Leader: Most like Council

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Each year the State Government undertakes a survey measuring community satisfaction levels across each local government within Victoria. The survey, which was distributed through the State Government in February and March, asks 350 residents their thoughts on their relevant council.

The surveys measure community satisfaction across a number of different Council areas and were tabled at the July Council meeting. Council will use this information to assist in identifying areas of improvement, such as advocacy, which is an area Council needs to enhance.

One of Maroondah’s strengths is its recreational facilities, as well as health and human services, where Maroondah has consecutively scored highly as reflected through these results. The proposed new Maroondah Leisure and Aquatic Centre will further enhance the municipality’s performance in this area.

The Maroondah Leader has reported on the outcomes of the community satisfaction survey:

Mayor Alex Makin said the results for recreational facilities showed the city had a “wealth of top-class sporting and leisure opportunities”. He said he was pleased with the ratings, which generally remained unchanged, but that the council would use the feedback to prioritise resources.

One of the areas requiring improvement is advocacy and Council will be embarking on a significant campaign seeking a commitment towards the complete redevelopment of Ringwood Station in a safe, integrated and accessible transport interchange.

Delegates’ Report: Presenting the Monster Petition, NAIDOC week and support for our community

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On the 24th of June I was part of a delegation through the Eastern Transport Coalition, that presented a petition of 13,000 signatures to the Parliament of Victoria.

The petition, which was accepted by Martin Pakula, the Minister for Public Transport, as well as Terry Mulder, the Shadow Minister for Transport and Greg Barber, the Greens Spokesperson on Transport, requested public transport improvements for Melbourne’s outer east including:

  • A full and public feasibility study for a heavy rail line to Rowville,
  • A full and public feasibility study for a heavy rail line to Doncaster
  • A greater commitment to the extension of the Metro rail tunnel from Domain to Caulfield,
  • A full and public feasibility study for an increase in capacity on the Belgrave/Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines,
  • Improved facilities for passengers, particularly at interchanges located in central activity districts – Ringwood, Dandenong and Box Hill,
  • Fully accessible public transport facilities and vehicles

It is great that the eastern region recognises the importance of the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange. As the City of Maroondah and as part of the eastern region, we can only hope that the State Government and all political parties act on requests within this petition.

On the 8th of July I had the pleasure of launching the Maroondah Photographic Competition and announcing the winners amongst this year’s entrants. The competition has now been running for 14 years and it is great to see that it has sustained interest from both sponsors and the community. There were 121 entries this year and the judging decision was definitely a difficult one.
The diverse of photographic talents is to be commended and in particular it is great to see our schools supporting the arts and encouraging students to participate, with the two winners in the Intermediate category both being students from Norwood Secondary College

On the 9th of July I attended the Outer Eastern NAIDOC Ball, which was held at the conclusion of NAIDOC week. The ball recognises the many individuals and organisations that are involved with Indigenous communities and provides an opportunity to celebrate Indigenous culture and achievements.

On the 10th I attended the opening of the redeveloped Glen Park Community Centre, which had extensive works to improve the accessible and inclusiveness of its facilities. One of the real accomplishments with Glen Park has been the partnerships that have formed with various organisations, as well as all levels of government working together to provide better facilities for our community.

On the 13th of July I had the pleasure of welcoming James Merlino as the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs at EVs Youth Centre in Croydon. The State Government has provided a $10,000 grant, which will be used for the purchase of new music equipment through the Youth Centre and also announced that EVs will be one of the venues for the state wide FReeZA Central Music program. This is a great achievement and would like to commend our Youth Services Team for raising the profile of EVs and the talents of our young people.

In addition, on the 14th of July I had the pleasure of receiving a grant for $8,800 from the State Government through the Victorian Multicultural Grants Commission to further the work of the Maroondah Interfaith Network. The funding will be used to strengthen the capacity of the group and to further encourage Maroondah’s faith based communities to become involved the Network. I would like to commend the Community Development Staff and the Maroondah Interfaith for their work in establishing the group and for achieving this great result for our community. The Maroondah Interfaith Network was formed in November last year and it is fantastic to see that its efforts have been recognised by both Council and the State Government.

I’ll be tabling the rest of my report.

Speaking to the Ringwood Heritage Seniors

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The Ringwood Heritage Seniors are based at Maroodah Federation Estate and meet on a regular basis, providing a range of activities and speakers.

This afternoon I spoke with the Ringwood Heritage Seniors and discussed Council’s plans for the revitalisation of Ringwood, including the proposed redevelopment of the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

There is a need for new community facilities to meet the needs of residents within Maroondah. As an example, the Aquatic Centre has reached the end of its functional life and is clearly not meeting the needs of the community, as evidenced by declining patronage.

Modern Aquatic Centres are multi-purpose facilities, with the gym and wellness centre components complementing the water facilities. In addition, the facilities will enhance the sporting precinct in Jubilee Park and offer a range of facilities for the Maroondah community.

Several of the members are frequent users of the existing Ringwood Aquatic Centre and are looking forward to the improvements.

In addition, the members cited concerns over the lack of a State Government commitment towards accessibility improvements at Ringwood Station. The vision for the revitalisation of Ringwood requires cooperation between all levels of government and it is imperative that the State Government supports this shared future through a commitment to fully redevelop Ringwood Station into an accessible, integrated and safe transport interchange.