Page 1 Monash Bulletin June 2023 START BORROWING, Get Planting Monash Seed Librarys successful crop is taking off We are encouraging budding market gardeners out in the community to grow their own vegetables, fruits, and herbs in their own garden - regardless of how big or small that garden might be – with the launch of the Monash Seed Library. Every season, seed library members can take their pick of up to three packets of seeds from the library collection. This Autumn, members had the chance to grow lettuce, bok choy, radish, silverbeet, parsley and snow peas. As well as growing fresh produce at home, members are encouraged to make sure at least one plant is used for collecting seeds that can be returned to the library to go back into the seed library program for other members to grow. To get started, you can register online or complete a form at Glen Waverley Library. You can also collect a starter kit at the seed library stand, which includes a handy six-page booklet with tips on planting and sowing seeds, and hints on how to harvest seeds before returning them to the library. The booklet also features QR codes that will link you to the Monash Public Library Service catalogue, for information on seeds and growing food; general gardening; sustainability and gardening for children. We are also encouraging community members to donate seeds to the program (these can be any seeds) and donated seeds can be dropped off at the library. Just complete a donation form and give it to staff. To register and find out more visit www.monlib.vic.gov.au/seed-library Page 2 Monash Contact details Monash Civic Centre, 293 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley 8.30am-5pm, Monday to Friday Oakleigh Service Centre, 3 Atherton Road, Oakleigh 8.30am-5pm, Monday to Friday Call 9518 3555, Email mail@monash.vic.gov.au, visit www.monash.vic.gov.au National Relay Service (for the hearing and speech impaired) phone 1800 555 660 We welcome your feedback at media@monash.vic.gov.au Snap Send Solve is a great app to report through to us what needs fixing visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/snap-send-solve Copyright © 2023 Monash City Council. All Rights Reserved; reproduction in any form will require Council written approval. Monash Council acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land that makes up Monash, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong People, and recognises their continuing connection to the land and waterways. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging and extend this to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Information in the June Bulletin is current at the time of going to print on 1 May 2023. FINAL STAGES of Bogong car park planning We are in the final stages of planning for the extension to the existing multi-level car park in Bogong Avenue, Glen Waverley - which will deliver four additional floors and approximately 522 new car parking spaces for the Glen Waverley Activity Centre – with construction likely to start in the coming months. We will need to close the car park while these works are underway, which will result in disruption to parking in and around the Activity Centre, and we will need to make changes in surrounding streets to accommodate for this for the duration of the build and encourage visitors to park in our car park nearby on Euneva Avenue. Keep an eye on www.monash.vic.gov.au and the July issue of the Monash Bulletin, where we will be providing information for residents, traders and the broader community about the parking changes. We will also write directly to businesses in the Glen Waverley Activity Centre and residents nearby. GET READY for more dog off-leash areas  If you are a dog owner, make sure you have 1 July marked in your calendar. That is when canines will be able to run off-leash at 14 new areas in the City of Monash. From 1 July, the number of off-leash areas increases from 31 to 45, with some existing areas also being either expanded or reduced. For the sites and latest details, visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/dogs-off-leash-areas Animal registration reminder  The deadline for animal registration renewal is 10 April each year. All dogs and cats in Monash, aged over three months, must be microchipped and registered. If you have not registered or renewed registration for your pets, now is the time to do it. If you do not register a pet, you may be subject to a fine. Read more and register online at: www.monash.vic.gov.au/animal-registration Page 3 MESSAGE FROM Mayor Cr Tina Samardzija It was a privilege to attend commemoration services on ANZAC Day with several fellow councillors to honour the ANZACs and acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice they made for us all. This is a day of important meaning and tradition, and it is always moving to see the large attendance from the Monash community who pay their respect at these services. Lest we Forget. One of my priorities since becoming elected to Council has been improving local amenity, in particular, combating graffiti. Council has trialled a new way to deal with this scourge that is finally paying dividends, which you can read about on the next page. As always, let us know if you spot any graffiti so we can work to remove it quickly. I recently visited the Monash Tennis Centre at the Glen Waverley Sports Hub at Jells Park with councillors and the Member for Glen Waverley John Mullahy to check progress on this outstanding facility. There has been an impressive amount of work done already to lay the foundations for the $26.7 million centre, featuring 18 courts, a shared use pavilion for tennis and golf members including a café and improved social space. We have already delivered traffic upgrades to this area with a new intersection and lights at the corner of Jells and Waverley roads. It was great to see the new facility coming together and we appreciate the $21 million in funding towards this project from the Victorian Government. I cannot wait to see it opened early next year. I am also pleased to share that Monash has established an additional collection point for our leading soft plastics recycling service, which you can read about below. I am honoured to be one of 13 mayors, and the first ever Monash mayor, appointed to the Victorian Government Local Government Advisory Panel for 2023. The Panel provides an important opportunity to elevate your concerns directly to the Victorian Government and work on solutions. When all three tiers of government work together there is much to gain. You can read more here at www.monash.vic.gov.au/Monash-Mayor-appointed-to-Victorian-Government-Advisory-Panel Please contact me anytime if you have any queries or feedback, by email Tina.Samardzija@monash.vic.gov.au or call 0435 011 927. MONASH ESTABLISHES second soft plastics drop-off point   A second soft plastics drop-off point is now available to Monash residents who want to continue recycling their soft plastics following the suspension of the RedCycle recycling program at Coles and Woolworths. The drop-off point, at the Monash Civic Centre (293 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley), is for Monash residents ONLY and is open Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5pm. There is a limit of one bag of household soft plastics per visit. For larger quantities, please visit the Monash Recycling and Waste Centre at 380 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill. Please note that the centre is currently undergoing some essential works and delays are expected at the site. Some of the soft plastics you can drop off include plastic bags, plastic film, plastic wrap, chip wrappers, cereal liners, bread bags, lolly wrappers and frozen food bags. They should be free from food or other materials to avoid contaminating the rest of the collected items. Soft plastics will be taken to the Monash Recycling and Waste Centre, where they will be collected by APR Plastics who will then recycle them. Read more about our soft plastics recycling option at: www.monash.vic.gov.au/soft-plastics-drop-off Page 4 WASTE COLLECTION calendar coming Look out for the 2023/24 waste collection calendar with your copy of the Monash Bulletin next month! This years waste collection calendar will be inserted into the July Monash Bulletin, delivered to all households in Monash, and not mailed out separately. It will also be accessible online and made available in several key translated languages. Please email sustainability@monash.vic.gov.au if you have any questions about the waste collection calendar. More info visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/bin-collection Zero tolerance for graffiti Council is introducing a new strategy to tackle graffiti across several sites in Monash, with a rapid response/zero tolerance approach to unsightly graffiti. Graffiti vandalism affects how safe people feel and undermines the amenity of Monash. We will be targeting all major and local activity centres and hot spots and will also remove graffiti from some assets owned by third parties, such as Australia Post and Telstra, to clean up these areas. Sites will be monitored, and any new graffiti removed immediately. The new strategy follows a successful trial earlier this year in Wheelers Hill, Clayton, Mulgrave, Glen Waverley and Mount Waverley. We are pleased that graffiti removed during the trial has not returned. More info visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/graffiti WINTER SERIES FREE SHOWS IN JUNE SING & SWING with Brooks & Baker Friday 2 June | 7pm Oakleigh Hall PIANO POP with Drew Downing & Band Friday 9 June | 7pm The Count’s – Monash Uni BABY LOVE by Women Of Soul Sunday 18 June | 10am & 12pm Clayton Community Centre COMMUNITY CHOIR with Jen & Tez Sunday 25 June | 2pm Mt Waverley Community Centre BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL For more information visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/festivals Page 5 MONASH PRECINCT home of innovation We were thrilled that Clayton, home to the Monash National Employment and Innovation Cluster, was recently featured in The Age series on alternative CBDs in Melbourne. Clayton is home to some of Australias most exciting and important health and technology organisations, including the Melbourne Centre for Nano Fabrication, Australian Synchrotron (pictured above), Monash health and medical research precinct, Australias first and only specialised Heart Hospital, the CSIRO, and the main campus of Monash University. All of this has sparked interest and attracted investment from smart businesses with strong futures. Council has, and continues to, advocate for investment and support for precincts right across Monash. Our land use and planning policies have laid the groundwork to ensure the area can thrive as a hub providing jobs for our residents and beyond. Jobs in this region are, on average, more highly skilled and highly paid. Growth businesses have attracted a strong supply chain of smaller businesses and, together, they support trades and retailers and grow our local Monash economy. Businesses in Monash currently provide more than 150,000 jobs, making us the largest employer of any municipality outside the Melbourne CBD. Read more about Clayton Monash National Employment and Innovation Cluster at www.monash.vic.gov.au We have a dedicated Economic Development team that works to support businesses in Monash and plans for the businesses of the future. Find out more at www.monash.vic.gov.au/business SURVEY GIVES Monash a tick for satisfaction  Monash has recorded a strong result in the annual Community Satisfaction Survey, which gauges community satisfaction with council performance across Victoria. With a welcome return to face-to-face interviews, we recorded an overall satisfaction score of 7.18 - an improvement from the 2022 result of 7.07. While a small number of councils are yet to report on their results, this result places Monash higher than the metropolitan council average (6.98). Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey, your input also identified several areas for improvement. More information and to read our results in detail visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/satisfaction-survey Page 6 COUNCILLOR NEWS Cr Shane McCluskey Monash has long been renowned for its ‘garden character’, both in terms of the many beautiful home gardens it has, and the variety of open and green spaces. Much of that open space enjoys a multi-use element, encompassing passive and active recreation - including organised sport. Which of course brings with it the added advantage of bringing community together. The latest example of this is the establishment of the Glen Waverley Sports Hub that, once completed, will house the existing Glen Waverley Golf Club as well as a newly established 18-court tennis centre. Incorporated in the construction, which is now underway (pictured below), will be a brand new state-of-the-art multi-level facility that will form the new home of the golf club and the relocated Glenvale Tennis Club. Scheduled for an early-2024 completion, the design includes reclaimed stone and masonry from the former building in the finished product. This $26 million project is made up of a state government contribution of $21 million with a further injection of $5 million from Council. The tennis offering is designed as a community-use facility with Glenvale as the tenant club. Adjacent to the Womens Sport Precinct, just across the road in Jells Park, it promises to entrench Monash as an active community with facilities to match. Late-May will see the national recognition of volunteers through National Volunteer Week (May 15 to May 21). Volunteers play a pivotal role in delivering the necessary services and opportunities across Monash. Whether it is through our established programs, community groups and clubs, or sporting organisations, the positive contribution to the fabric of our community should be celebrated. If you know of someone who volunteers their time, reach out and acknowledge their efforts. Why not think about getting involved yourself? It is as important as it is rewarding. You can contact me at Shane.McCluskey@monash.vic.gov.au or call 0466 345 406. YOUR Councillors You can contact Councillors via phone or email. Letters can be mailed to: PO Box 1, Glen Waverley 3150 Glen Waverley Ward Cr Geoff Lake, call 0411 645 281, email Geoff.Lake@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Nicky Luo, call 0451 560 398, email Nicky.Luo@monash.vic.gov.au Mount Waverley Ward Cr Anjalee de Silva, call 0424 679 096, email Anjalee.deSilva@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Brian Little, Mayor, call 9518 3524 or 0407 878 033, Email Brian.Little@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Rebecca Paterson, call 0437 959 163, email Rebecca.Paterson@monash.vic.gov.au Mulgrave Ward Cr Paul Klisaris, call 0412 516 026, email Paul.Klisaris@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Shane McCluskey, Deputy Mayor, call 0466 345 406, email Shane.McCluskey@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Tina Samardzija, call 0435 011 927, email Tina.Samardzija@monash.vic.gov.au Oakleigh Ward Cr Josh Fergeus, call 0466 465 421, email Josh.Fergeus@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Stuart James, call 0413 184 250, email Stuart.James@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Theo Zographos, call 0430 316 911, email Theo.Zographos@monash.vic.gov.au NEXT COUNCIL Meeting Tuesday 27 June, 7pm Monash Civic Centre 293 Springvale Rd, Glen Waverley Attend the meeting in-person or watch it live on webcast.monash.vic.gov.au Meeting agenda and most up-to-date info visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/meetings Page 7 WordFest 2023: Things That Matter WordFest is the annual literature festival proudly presented by Monash Public Library Service. Each year the festival brings readers and writers together for a series of author talks, writing workshops and the Monash Short Story Writing Competition. The festival creates safe and vibrant spaces to enjoy the sharing of ideas and engagement in public discussion. All lectures and authors talks are FREE, however, bookings are essential. See below for more details. Launch with Jon Faine Thursday 22 June | 7pm | Museum of Australian Photography (Previously MGA) Known for his provocative and probing debate, quick wit, and ability to ask the stickiest of questions during his more than 20 years on ABC Radio Melbourne, Jon Faine investigated the issues and stories affecting Melbourne with energy and vigour - all without taking life too seriously. He is now a weekly columnist with The Sunday Age as well as a Vice Chancellor Fellow at the University of Melbourne Law School. Our festival audience will be treated to a ‘round the dinner table’ style presentation that, like any animated conversation amongst friends, can and does lead anywhere. Jon will share insights about his new book Apollo & Thelma which spans 40 years of his life and wanders from the law to the media, introducing readers to ‘The Mighty Apollo’ a circus strongman and his sister Thelma, the publican of Australias most remote outback pub. Other WordFest talks Vikki Petraitis Saturday 24 June | 2pm Wheelers Hill Library and Thursday 29 June | 7pm Wheelers Hill Library Samuel Johnson Tuesday 27 June | 7pm Clayton Community Theatre Cath Moore Saturday 1 July | 2pm Wheelers Hill Library Rob Mills Tuesday 4 July | 7pm Clayton Community Theatre Rachael Johns Thursday 6 July | 7pm Wheelers Hill Library Kate Cuthbert Saturday 8 July | 2pm Wheelers Hill Library Toni Jordan Tuesday 11 July | 7pm Oakleigh Main Hall Sir John Monash Lecture with Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert Uncaged Sky – Surviving 804 Days in an Iranian Prison Thursday 13 July | 7pm Museum of Australian Photography (Previously MGA) Short Story Competition The 2023 WordFest Short Story Competition opens Monday 19 June and closes Sunday 30 July. There are three categories you can enter your story in: *Category A: 12-14 years *Category B: 15-17 years *Category C: 18+ For the WordFest program: See online at www.monlib.vic.gov.au/wordfest or visit your local Monash Public Library branch. Page 8 GET COMPOSTING this winter We are offering Monash residents a double rebate on a range of already discounted compost bins, worm farms and Bokashi bins through Compost Community. From 1 - 30 June, residents can receive a rebate* of up to $80 to get started on their composting journey. Composting your food scraps and garden waste is one easy way to reduce landfill and protect the environment. Plus, you will get to enjoy the benefits of using your compost, and your garden will thank you for it! *One rebate available per household, per annum. More info visit www.compostcommunity.com.au/monash.html Hangtime Basketball Community Each Tuesday and Thursday in May Keen to shoot some hoops? Hangtime is an all-inclusive local basketball community that plays social basketball games in the South-Eastern suburbs. We bring basketballers together by organising and playing self-refereed, social, full-court games that does not require commitment to a team or full season. We cater to all skill levels and abilities. All games are fun, inclusive, and purely social focused. Waverley Basketball Stadium, 31A Batesford Road, Chadstone Cost: $10 per person (currently cash only) To register email justinhangtime@gmail.com  Join the group online at https://rb.gy/wbpymu Italian Social Group Friday 2 June, 11am to 12pm Join library staff Lisa and Antonella to mark ‘la Festa della Repubblica’ (Italian National Day) with a morning of social conversation (all in Italian), trivia, music, food and more! Meet and engage with other Italian speakers in the community and learn about some of the library resources and services available in Monash. This event is aimed at adult Italian speakers who have limited opportunities to converse in Italian. Clayton Library, 9-15 Cooke Street To register call 9541 3120. Repair Café Sunday 4 June, 10am-2pm Do you have small items that could be fixed? Do not throw them away, bring them to the Repair Café. Rather than replacing or disposing items that can otherwise be fixed, Monash residents can give their items a new lease on life by visiting the Repair Café. A gold coin donation is requested for simple repairs made on the spot or leave a deposit for repairs requiring further work. We are also looking for volunteers who have expertise repairing sewing and textiles, small electrical items, toys, and crockery.   Waverley Woodworkers Club and Glen Waverley Gem Club, Central Reserve, Glen Waverley. Located rear of the Grandstand. Register your repair or to volunteer contact Connie Lambe on 0468 557 156, email connie.lambe@monash.vic.gov.au or visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/repair-cafe The Repair Café is a collaboration between Monash Council, Waverley Woodworkers, and the Glen Waverley Gem Club.