Page 1 Monash Bulletin MARCH 2024 Live at Warrawee Sat 16 March Inside this issue: Suburban Rail Loop Early Years Infrastructure Community Satisfaction Survey Glen Waverley Sports Hub Page 2 Building new foundations: early years infrastructure We are making significant strides in several early years infrastructure projects as part of our commitment to ensuring Monash families have access to the best early childhood education. Construction is set to begin at Ward Avenue Kindergarten, Ashwood Memorial Kindergarten and Dorrington Child and Family Hub. We aim to have all centres operational in late 2024 and early 2025. We have opened the doors at the world-class Oakleigh South Child and Family Hub, with an official launch to be held soon. The facility creates a truly integrated experience for the community, housing two kindergarten rooms, Monash Maternal and Child Health service, and a multipurpose room which will be home to the Oakleigh South Girl Guides and other community groups. Works have also finished at the newly expanded two-room Mount Waverley Preschool. Council has committed to delivering four child and family hubs and three kindergarten projects with the support of the Victorian Government. This includes the award-winning facilities Wellington Child and Family Hub (completed 2022) and Pinewood Child and Family Hub (completed 2023). Visit shape.monash.vic.gov.au/early-years Work on Suburban Rail Loop to increase in 2024  Construction of the Victorian Government Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) project will ramp up in 2024, with works to intensify around the future Glen Waverley, Clayton and Monash SRL stations. While this transformational project has the broad support of Council, we have previously expressed reservations about the precinct planning process. In particular, the provision of planning powers to the Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA), the intensity of development and its impact on existing neighbourhoods. In late 2023, the SRLA released its Draft Precinct Visions for Burwood, Clayton, Glen Waverley, and Monash – Council is currently reviewing these draft visions, with our formal submission expected to be considered at the February Council meeting. While this is a Victorian Government project, Council regularly meets with the SRLA to ensure works are well-planned, minimise disruption and communicated to the community – these meetings will continue as the works build. Keep up to date at bigbuild.vic.gov.au Visit shape.monash.vic.gov.au/srl KINDERGARTEN OPEN NIGHT 2024 Kindergarten Open Night is back, on Thursday 21 March from 5pm to 7pm. The evening offers families a chance to visit participating local kindergartens, look at programs and speak to staff before finalising enrolment selections for 2025. Visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/kindergarten-open-night Page 3 Message from Mayor Cr Nicky Luo In this issue of the Bulletin, we share exciting news on the completion of the outstanding Glen Waverley Sports Hub at Jells Park and an update on the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) project, amongst other interesting items. The $26.7 million tennis facility is a significant project for Council and I am delighted that it will soon be open. The Victorian Government has contributed $21 million in funding for the project and Council $5.77 million in a successful joint partnership. I want to thank everyone who has worked on this project, it is a game-changer for Monash and will be of huge benefit to our community. You may have seen some recent stories in the media regarding the Victorian Government Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) Draft Precinct Visions. These draft visions outline plans for neighbourhoods around SRL stations, including at Burwood, Clayton, Glen Waverley, and Monash University. Council is currently reviewing the draft precinct plans for Burwood, Clayton and Glen Waverley and will be making comment to the government on these precinct plans but it is also important you have your say. Please take the time to contribute to this important project for Monash. Have your say at Visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au Next month our fantastic Live at Warrawee takes place at Warrawee Park in Oakleigh. This free music festival is always a highlight and this year promises to be a fantastic show with award-winning Australian group Darlinghurst the lead act. The show kicks off at 4pm – see you there! Our sensory playspace at Westfield Drive Notting Hill has won the Best Playspace in Australia (in the under $500,000 category) at the Parks and Leisure Australia 2023 National Awards of Excellence. The award recognises the dynamic array of play elements that engage children senses of sound, sight, touch and smell. The play equipment is complemented by a vibrant mural co-designed by Hayden Dewar and First Nations artist Ashleigh Pugh, with input from the local community. With the support of funding from the Victorian Government Pocket Parks Program, Council was able to provide additional open space to the site, working with the adjacent Notting Hill Neighbourhood House to increase the playspace footprint from approximately 250m2 to over 750m2. We are proud to be delivering improved facilities like this to our community. Please contact me anytime if you have any queries or feedback at Nicky.Luo@monash.vic.gov.au or call 0451 560 398. Big first serve: Monash tennis centre is ready for action The $26.7million Monash Tennis Centre and multisport pavilion in the Glen Waverley Sports Hub is ready to serve up the action, with the centre set for an official opening on 23 March. Three years in the making, the exciting new venue is the result of a partnership between Council and the Victorian Government, through the North East Link Program. The facility will feature a regional level tennis venue with 18 courts, including two show courts; a multisport pavilion for tennis and golf participants; golf practice facilities; public open space improvements; car parking; a café and supporting infrastructure. Participation in tennis continues to grow in Monash, and the new facility will be a massive addition to what is already a thriving sports and recreation precinct that includes the Glen Waverley Golf Course, the Waverley Netball Centre, and the Waverley Softball Association. Visit shape.monash.vic.gov.au/tennis Page 4 Repair Cafe a new lease on life Our Sustainable Monash team, in collaboration with Mount Street Neighbourhood House, will host a series of new Repair Café events in 2024. Repair Café provides a place for residents to have their valued items assessed and repaired by skilled community volunteers, while also learning how to repair items themselves, to extend their overall use and life. The first Repair Café will be held on: WHEN: Saturday 16 March LOCATION: Mount Street Neighbourhood House, 6 Mount Street, Glen Waverley To register your interest as a volunteer or to register for a repair: CONTACT: Connie Lambe on email connie.lambe@monash.vic.gov.au call 0468 557 156 visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/repair-cafe Annual Community Satisfaction Survey is underway A random sample of Monash residents, aged 18 and over, will be contacted in the next few weeks to provide feedback on Council is service and performance. We have authorised researchers to doorknock Monash households that are randomly assigned on a grid basis to ensure every area of the municipality is covered. We greatly value this feedback from our community and encourage you to have your say. Researchers will be doorknocking and interviewing until they have spoken to 800 residents. They will be wearing visible identification and must provide that identification to you prior to any discussion. If you have any concerns, please call our team on call 9518 3555 to check. Learn more about our annual survey at www.monash.vic.gov.au/satisfaction-survey Dignity Drive: fighting period poverty   Menstruating isn't a choice, but with the ongoing cost of living crisis more and more people are forced to choose between buying period products and food to eat. Period poverty can prevent participation in schooling, work and social activities and have a detrimental impact on health and wellbeing. This March, we are joining the fight to end period poverty as a registered participant in the Share the Dignity Drive. We are calling for the community to donate brand new and sealed sanitary and period products including pads, tampons, maternity pads, incontinence pads, reusable pads, period underwear, and menstrual cups. Donations can be made at one of 10 Monash Share the Dignity collection bins across five of our library branches, our three recreation centres, the Cabena Child and Family Centre, and Monash Youth Services. visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/share-the-dignity Page 5 Great PALS this autumn  The autumn PALS (Positive Ageing Lifestyle) program is out now, offering FREE and low-cost activities for older adults living, working or visiting Monash. The PALS program promotes healthy living and active ageing through social inclusion and offers interesting and fun activities as well as helpful information on health concerns. The autumn program recognises World Parkinson Day, Neighbourhood House Week and includes a range of activities including outings, come and try activities, movies, and health information sessions. Subscribe to PALS at www.monash.vic.gov.au/PALS If you cannot access the internet, our Customer Experience team can help with registration call 9518 3555. SAVE THE DATE: 2024 Live at Warrawee Live at Warrawee is our premier live music event held on Saturday 16 March from 4pm – 9pm at Warrawee Park, Oakleigh – just five minutes walk from Oakleigh Train Station. This is a free event featuring our incredible headline act Darlinghurst, Jade Gibson and support act Melbourne talents Wasteman, Doc Halibut and Wilma Sights. Offering chilled picnic vibes, the whole family can enjoy a range of musical genres, along with roving performers, face painting, local playground and our musical garden activity. There will also be plenty of great food available onsite, including local brewery Kaiju Beer & Pizza running a pop-up bar offering drinks and a nice place to sit and enjoy the show. Not to mention Oakleigh renowned Eaton Mall, located right next door! Live at Warrawee is part of Council major festivals and events program. visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/festivals Neighbourhood Watch – come join us   Neighbourhood Watch will be holding a general meeting for all Monash residents, covering different aspects of community safety. Guest speaker for the event will be Senior Constable Sara Coe, Crime Prevention Officer for Monash, who will give a talk on: * Home and motor vehicle safety and security * What you can do to prevent crime and theft * How to make a police report * How to recognise and report a suspected scam - Red Flags and things to look out for. The meeting is open to all residents and will give the community an opportunity to meet Sara and ask questions: Location: Mount Waverley Community Centre (Miller Crescent, Mount Waverley) Date: Wednesday 6 March Time: 7.30pm Page 6 HAVE YOUR SAY, Draft Monash Cricket Participation Plan    We are developing a Monash Cricket Participation Plan aimed at strategically addressing participation challenges for the sport, and we are keen to hear your thoughts. Following an extensive consultation period and engagement with local cricket clubs (cricket forum), a draft plan has been developed to guide and support an active and inclusive cricket community in Monash.  The draft plan focuses on increasing participation opportunities, providing accessible and fit-for-purpose cricket infrastructure, and building sustainable clubs for the benefit of the Monash community. Consultation closes on 13 March 2024 and your feedback will help inform the final Monash Cricket Participation Plan that will be presented to Council for adoption in mid-2024. Consultation is also open on the draft concept plan for a district-level playspace at Princes Highway Reserve in Oakleigh East. visit shape.monash.vic.gov.au/cricket-plan HAVE YOUR SAY, Extreme heat! We are seeking your feedback on how our community can better prepare for and cope with extreme heat. Council is working hard to reduce our impact through our Zero Net Carbon Plan, Environmental Sustainability Strategy and Monash Health and Wellbeing Plan. Using Polis, an interactive platform that enables large groups of people to discuss issues, your feedback will help to shape a new Climate Response Plan that looks to ensure the resilience of our community as we face more extreme heat events. This consultation is being conducted inpartnership with the University of Melbourne. Learn more and have your say at shape.monash.vic.gov.au/extreme-heat Court backs Council pool and spa safety stance   In 2019, the Victorian Government brought in sweeping changes that affected all swimming pool and spa owners. New laws required owners to register their pool/spa with Council as well as comply with safety barrier and fencing standards. We contacted known owners of pools and spas, notifying them of their responsibilities under the new requirements and most owners were quick to either register or decommission their pool/spa. Less than two per cent of owners failed to take action and were referred to Council appointed solicitors. At Ringwood Magistrates Court in December, four owners were fined $700 plus Council costs - averaging around $1400 instead of $79-$81 if they would registered in the first instance. We will continue to take a strong stance in this area. A non-compliant barrier could put the most vulnerable in our society - young children - in danger from drowning. visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/swimming-pool-and-spa-registration Page 7 Councillor news Cr Rebecca Paterson Studies done by Council showed that from 1992 to 2015 canopy tree cover dropped 4% to 22% and that the Vegetation Protection Overlay (VPO) covering 27% of Monash and designed to protect canopy was ineffective. This led us to establish a target of 30% tree cover – an amount experts say combats the effects of climate change - and develop the Street Tree Strategy. We also proposed the C125 amendment for private land with measures to produce better outcomes for canopy coverage. Ultimately however these elements were reduced or removed. We then proposed a Significant Landscape Overlay (SLO), a stronger planning control that could be applied city-wide. Our neighbours Whitehorse had successfully applied for this in 2018. In July 2019 we applied for an interim SLO while we developed a permanent amendment, just as Whitehorse had done. By October 2019, our application was refused by the Planning Minister. This was despite mapping produced by the Minister Department in 2018 showing Monash canopy tree cover at just 14.2%. Council pursued permanent controls instead and after much waiting, this was refused in June 2021. Whitehorse had its similar amendment approved in 2020. The Minister explained he was reviewing overlays and acting to implement Plan Melbourne Action 91 – a pilot program to cool and green Melbourne. His refusal letter said “Collectively, this work will establish a consistent, statewide approach to the application of planning tools for tree protection.” He encouraged Monash to participate in the pilot. Council has corresponded with the Department since June 2021 regarding the pilot and attended workshops and briefings. The most recent letter resulted in the Mayor, CEO and officers meeting with the Planning Minister in January. The result of the meeting? They are working on it. No timeframe. We have waited for this action that according to the last public update in 2021 was to be completed in 2021. And Plan Melbourne will now be revisited, transforming into Plan Victoria, but there is no timeframe for this. I feel as if we are further away from a solution than when we started. I feel despondent as I know many of you do. Each day more trees are felled. Even if we were granted protections today it would still make a tangible difference to our community future. In August 2023, an article discussing public concerns regarding state government protections against tree removal, quoted a government spokesman saying, “councils had the responsibility for protection of sensitive landscapes and a “suite” of controls to use to protect trees.” I urge the Government to let us use those controls and grant an interim SLO for Monash, while we wait for the pilot. Because in the meantime there is inadequate protection for our landscape. NEXT COUNCIL Meetings Tuesday 27 February and Tuesday 26 March, 7pm Monash Civic Centre, 293 Springvale Rd, Glen Waverley Access meeting agendas and watch in-person or online visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/meetings YOUR Councillors 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 You can contact Councillors via phone or email. Letters can be mailed to PO Box 1, Glen Waverley, VIC 3150 visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/Councillors Page 8 What is on in Monash MAPh X PHOTO 2024 MAPh is delighted to be a part of PHOTO 24, the photography festival coming to the streets and spaces of Melbourne in March. It explores how 'the future belongs to those who can see it'. We're bringing great contemporary artists to the festival, including Edward Burtynsky, Janet Laurence and Michael Najjar, among others! location MAPh, 860 Ferntree Gully Rd, Wheelers Hill visit www.maph.org.au/whats-on Smartphone Basics Thursday 29 Feb, 6.30pm-8.00pm Our facilitator, Tony is a retired professional telecoms engineer, who helped design the world first truly portable mobile phone in 1985. Tony will explain which phone will suit your needs and the different mobile phone plans available and how to back up photos and contacts to the Cloud. Location Clayton Library, 9 - 15 Cooke Street Visit www.trybooking.com/CNVTY Author Talks Leah Kaminsky Thursday 29 February, 7pm-8.30pm Physician and award-winning writer, Leah Kaminsky, will share insights about her new book Dolls Eye. It is 1933 and young German Anna Mueller, flees Munich. Her suitcase is stuffed with secrets and a collection of dolls. She ends up in a remote Australian outback town where she meets Yiddish poet Alter, who fled from Hitlers regime. Their worlds collide but he has his suspicions. What is Anna running from? Location Wheelers Hill Library, 860 Ferntree Gully Rd Visit www.trybooking.com/CNHNE Helen Signy Tuesday 26 March, 6.30pm-8.30pm Helen will discuss her novel Mayas Dance – a tragic and tender love story about Maya, a 17-year-old dancer and prisoner in a labour camp. Jan, a guard, falls in love with her and helps her escape, but they tragically lose contact. Fifty years later, Maya searches for Jan, hoping to reconnect. Location Wheelers Hill Library, 860 Ferntree Gully Rd Visit www.trybooking.com/CNYRV Contact us 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 Copyright © 2024 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 March Bulletin 2024 is current at the time of going to print on 5 Feb 2024. Snap Send Solve is a great app to report through to us what needs fixing visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/snap-send-solve