At the Maroondah Council meeting on Monday 15 November Council resolved to make an order under the Domestic Animals Act which will take effect on 1 January 2011.
The new laws include the introduction of on-leash regulations for all dogs in public places and a Dusk to Dawn curfew for all cats.
Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said the plan was a result of extensive consultation with the community and animal management experts, following community concerns regarding the lack of specific animal controls in Maroondah.
“We need to ensure that the management of Maroondah’s 14,600 registered dogs and 5200 registered cats is in accordance with State Government legislation and expectations of the community,” Cr Makin said.
“Council believes it has reached a considered outcome that leaves no one group unfairly disadvantaged. The new laws are underpinned by principles of fairness and equity, consistency with contemporary practice and a balanced approach to the differing community views on the issues,” said Cr Makin.
“During the consultation process we listened to our residents and taking their views into consideration we made changes to some of the areas designated as on leash or off leash areas,” Cr Makin said.
“Under the new laws, dogs must be under effective control at all times while in public, which means that they must be on a leash or in a designated off-leash area,” Cr Makin said.
“To give people more peace of mind while out and about in Maroondah, dogs must also be on a leash within 15 metres of playgrounds, picnic areas, barbeques, organised sporting events, sporting matches or training sessions or when on a shared use path,” Cr Makin said.
“For those who want to exercise their dogs off leash there are numerous locations across the municipality where this can be done. Residents can still enjoy walking their dogs off leash in these areas, as long as the dog is still under effective control, ” Cr Makin said.
The new laws also identify areas of significant conservation or biodiversity, which means that dogs are not permitted in these areas.
Cr Makin said a dusk to dawn cat curfew will also take affect from 1 January 2011.
“Cats can cause significant damage to the environment and wildlife when left to roam free, especially at night when a lot of native animals are out and about.
Council will conduct an extensive community education campaign to inform residents about the changes.
Maps outlining the off-leash areas throughout Maroondah will soon be sent to all registered pet owners. This pocket-sized brochure will also have tips on responsible pet ownership.
Information and maps showing designated off leash areas will also be available on Council’s website and at Council’s Customer Service Centres.
Maroondah City Council has launched the Ringwood – The Missing Piece campaign seeking a funding commitment from all state political parties for the upgrade of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated interchange.
Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin, who launched the campaign, said a safe, vibrant and integrated station was the missing piece of the Ringwood Activities District.
“Council has created a Ringwood Central Activities District jigsaw which highlights the residential, commercial, commercial development in Ringwood and how they are all linked in with the station,” Cr Makin said.
The jigsaw highlights the substantial residential developments, the commercial investment and the significant community facilities, which are available within the Ringwood Central Activities District.
“For example, under construction is a new soccer ground and multi-purpose pavilion and Council is awaiting funding for the proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure planned for the Jubilee Park precinct,’’ Cr Makin said. “All of these venues are within walking distance and on bus routes from Ringwood Station and the Central Activities District.”
“The community clearly sees Ringwood Station as a priority with over 2000 signatures calling for the upgrade and over 500 visitations on Council’s social media campaign. It is time for each state political party to commit to delivering the missing piece and to fund an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange for Ringwood,” Cr Makin concluded.
Ringwood Station fails to meet disability compliance standards and is perceived to be unsafe due to the poor station design, including narrow and steep ramps. The community has continually called for the full redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated interchange that will meet the needs of Ringwood as a vibrant urban centre.
While public transport is a State Government responsibility, Council must advocate on behalf of its community and it is clear that Maroondah is seeking a commitment for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station.
Council has been circulating a petition for the past month which has now attracted over 2000 signatures with approximately 1000 visitations through social media tools, including Facebook and Youtube. This evening Council officially launched the Missing Piece campaign with a direct call to action for all political parities to commit to the station upgrade.
Alex with Margaret launching Maroondah's Missing Piece campaign calling for the upgrade of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange
Ringwood Station is the Missing Piece in a vision for Ringwood, since a lack of commitment diminishes the residential, commercial and community investment that is taking place. Margaret Stevens, a renowned accessibility advocate who spent a week at Eastland collecting signatures for the petition, joined me in launching the campaign and calling on all political parties to commit to Ringwood’s future.
Council’s video highlighting the condition of Ringwood Station was displayed throughout the launch reinforcing the accessibility difficulties that exist.
The speech provided during the launch is available within this post:
In the spirit of Reconciliation, we acknowledge that we are meeting on land for which the Wurundjeri people have been custodians for many centuries, and on land which the Indigenous Australians have performed age old ceremonies.
We, Maroondah City Council, accept, respect and have shared with the Wurundjeri people in their customs of welcome.
The Wurundjeri people support the coming together of all people, respecting their individuality to focus on a unified and cohesive nation.
As you have gathered here this evening, you will have seen the video playing overhead showing the difficulty people in our community, and particularly those with a disability, have accessing Ringwood Station and the 50 year old ramps leading to the station platforms.
This video has been an important element of an advocacy campaign Council has been running over the past six weeks.
The campaign is seeking a funding commitment from all state political parties in the lead up to the State election for the upgrade of Ringwood Station within the next term of government.
The campaign has been running for six weeks with significant support and media coverage from Maroondah’s two local papers, editorial has appeared each week for the past 6 weeks.
Community support has been extremely strong, and to date we have over 2000 signatures to the petition, from individuals and community groups.
One of these individuals is here with us tonight, and I would like to acknowledge Margaret Stevens for her dedication to the cause in securing over 600 signatures from the Maroondah community and beyond during a week at Eastland. In addition, several members of the community, including Dawn Oliffe spent time at Ringwood Station securing signatures for the petition.
Margaret is one of many voices demanding action for Ringwood Station. I have spoken with many people during the course of this campaign and the message from the community is clear, Maroondah residents are tired of waiting, they want a safe, integrated, accessible and vibrant Ringwood Station, and they want it in the term of the next government.
Tonight, Council is launching “The Missing Piece – Ringwood Station” in the lead up to this evening’s Eastern Transport Coalition Forum.
Alex with Margaret launching Maroondah's Missing Piece campaign calling for the upgrade of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange.
Significant investment and development continues in Ringwood, with support from the State Government and private enterprise, however the commitment to fund the redevelopment of Ringwood Station remains the missing piece of the vision for the Ringwood Central Activities District.
As you can see within the Ringwood Central Activities District jigsaw, we have EastLink providing an important road transport corridor from Mitcham to Frankston, an area responsible for 40 percent of Victoria’s manufacturing output and over 1.3 million people living in the area and providing more than 350,000 jobs.
The sporting, recreational and leisure facilities that either currently exist (Maroondah Federation Estate/Maroondah Art Gallery, tennis, croquet, football and cricket), are under construction (Soccer), or awaiting funding (proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure) in the Jubilee Park precinct are within walking distance from Ringwood Station and the Central Activities District.
New businesses and services are moving to Ringwood, bringing increased employment and spending, as evidenced by the Connect East building perched over EastLink.
Ringwood Lake Park is an icon of Ringwood, providing enormous leisure and recreational pleasure all year round for people of all ages and abilities.
The $39million bus interchange is poised to change the face of Maroondah Highway, however, it does not provide an interface with the existing Ringwood Station.
Residential housing development is showing consistent growth within the Central Activities District with private building developers showing their support for the vision of Ringwood. The new 10 story co-operative housing development will soon be home to over 100 people early next year.
Eastland and the Ringwood Market site are expected to see construction and expansion of retail, community and business floorspace, changing the face of Ringwood significantly.
The Lake to Creek project will see pedestrian and cycling links between the Mullum Mullum Creek and Ringwood Lake, adding another vital layer to the accessibility of our city.
It is time to add the missing piece to the Ringwood Central Activities District jigsaw, a new Ringwood Station.
It is time for each state political party to not only acknowledge the need for an upgrade to Ringwood Station, but to actually stand up and commit to fund this important piece of public transport infrastructure that remains the missing piece of the vision for the State Government’s own Ringwood Central Activities District.
Maroondah City Council’s petition calling on all state political parties to commit to a redevelopment of Ringwood Station in the next term of government has received generous support from the community.
Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said to date more than 150 people had signed the petition, some choosing to leave comments on Council’s website.
“It has been great to hear how strongly the community feel about the need for an upgrade to the station. Last week Council released a video on our website which highlights the difficulties people who rely on a mobility device have in accessing the station,” Cr Makin said.
“The amount of community support our campaign has received to date speaks for itself. People are fed up with the current state of the station and are willing to speak out to campaign for change,” Cr Makin said.
“I urge those who haven’t already signed the petition to visit one of Council’s service centres or website and support our campaign. The more community support we can generate the greater the impact it will have when we present the petition to the political parties,” Cr Makin said.
Some of the comments posted on Council’s online petition:
“Every time I walk up or down this station I wonder how people with disabilities, pregnant women or mums with prams get up and down the walkway to go over the tracks. It’s a big worry, and I feel unsafe walking there and nothing is even wrong with me.” Georgia, Mount Evelyn
“Ringwood Station needs to be more user friendly for all Maroondah residents. More and more residents are relying on Ringwood Station than ever before. It is time to invest.” Emily, Ringwood.
“This is discrimination, clear and simple.” Aidan, Bayswater North
“I use Ringwood Station daily for commuting to work in the city and the Ringwood Station is a joke….. The ramps are quite steep and falling over on icy conditions is not uncommon, I have done it a couple of times. We need action fast.” Sandy, Ringwood.
“The sooner the better, waited too long,” Ringwood East couple
“I have a 19-year-old intellectually and physically disabled daughter. It is IMPOSSIBLE for us to use Ringwood Station due to the appalling lack of disabled facilities. Is it not part of the State Disability Plan to ensure ALL Government sites have disabled access? Surely the Department of Transport is remiss in its responsibility to ensure that Ringwood Station (as a major transport hub) is accessible for all people, not just the able bodied. Karen, Ringwood East.
“It is appalling that people who use public transport should be subjected to an unsafe and intimidating environment at their local station. Ringwood Station is an anachronism that the Government should be ashamed of, and improve if it has any sense of social conscious.” Nick
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.
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 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.
The Transport Integration Act aims to provide an integrated framework to assist in the planning and delivery of Victoria’s transport networks. The Act took effect on the 1st of July and aims to ensure that all decisions affecting the transport system support the same consistent objectives.
This morning I attended a presentation on the Act jointly convened by Tim Pallas, the Minister for Roads and Jim Betts, Secretary for the Department of Transport. The presentation covered the objectives of the Act and the framework in which the transport system will be operating within.
While the Legislation is certainly an improvement, it is still too early to be able to assess its impact on Victoria’s transport system. The framework should in theory elevate the importance of transport projects, like the redevelopment of Ringwood Station, which would deliver an integrated transport network through public transport, walking and cycling.
Ultimately the effectiveness of Legislation rests in its implementation and it is imperative that the State Government and its respective agencies support a sustainable and integrated transport network within Melbourne and Victoria.
VicRoads is a designed statutory authority, which as part of its response manages maintenance and construction. While VicRoads is ultimately responsible to the State Government, it does need to work closely with local government, as many of its decisions can have repercussions for Councils.
This afternoon I attended a regional forum hosted by VicRoads for the Mayors and CEOs of Council’s within the eastern region, to discuss road and transport issues across the eastern municipalities.
The discussion addressed the strategic direction of VicRoads and the increasingly integrated approach that is being utilised for all modes of transport. It is encouraging to see both VicRoads and the Department of Transport recognising the need for integration across roads, public transport, walking and cycling.
Transition Towns is a community based movement that aims to empower communities to respond to the challenges of peak oil and climate change.
Transition Towns aims to promote thinking globally and acting locally, through localised groups. Maroondah has a transition towns organisation that has established several working groups exploring strategies in developing a future that is resilient to climate change and peak oil.
This morning I met with the transport working group of Transition Towns Maroondah to discuss how council and the group can work together in promoting sustainable forms of transport.
Transport is Australia’s fastest growing source of greenhouse emissions and improvements to sustainable forms of transport, such as walking, cycling and public transport, are required to reduce car dependence and costs associated with the rising cost of petrol.
Transition Towns Maroondah aims to work collaboratively with Council and other community organisations to raise awareness and mitigate the challenges of climate change and peak oil.
One of the first initiatives I implemented as Mayor was to return the Mayoral car, meaning I would continue to utilise sustainable transport, such as buses, trains and walking when undertaking Council commitments.
The Maroondah Journal has reported on my usage of sustainable forms of transport within my Mayoral term:
Maroondah mayor Alex Makin has put his money where his mouth is, returning his mayoral vehicle to use public transport to get to council appointments. The long-time public transport advocate, gave up the car when he became mayor in December, putting the money back into the budget to benefit ratepayers.
Traditionally the Mayor of Maroondah has been provided with a car, which is traded in every two years. As Mayor I gave in the car providing a saving to Council and reinforcing the importance of sustainable transport within Maroondah.
Cr Makin said he had decided to give up the mayoral car because he wanted to lead by example.
“I live within the Ringwood central activities district, an area where the council is encouraging sustainable forms of transport, such as public transport and walking. It would be hypocritical for the mayor to use the car when living in an area where we are encouraging sustainable transport.”
Cr Makin said he planned his travel in advance to arrive at his appointments on time, but the lack of links between bus and train services could cause difficulties at times.
However, he said time spent travelling was sometimes a bonus.
“I tend to do a lot of council work on the move, whether it be phone calls or emails, while using public transport, so this time is quite efficiently used in terms of catching up with work.
“Certainly there is a benefit in terms of fitness and seeing Maroondah first-hand on a street-by-street basis.
“Public transport and walking also provides a great opportunity to speak to residents and community members and helps convey the role of being mayor and a councillor,” he said.
Cr Makin said he hoped future mayors of Maroondah would follow in his footsteps by using public transport where they could.
The mayoral car was traded in and replaced with a travel allowance, which Cr Makin said had provided a saving.
“It also demonstrates that councils should consider flexibility when providing travel, rather than following the standard formula of providing a car for the mayor.”
The transformation of Ringwood depends on public transport improvements to encourage sustainable forms of transport. As a Mayor that lives within the Ringwood Central Activities District I believe it is important to lead by example and demonstrate that public transport can be a viable form of transport.
While frequency and operating span improvements are required, particularly for bus services and off-peak rail travel, Maroondah does have the foundations of an integrated and functional public transport system. Complemented by Maroondah’s walking trails, sustainable forms of transport should be encouraged within the municipality.
