Ardeer, Albion, Sunshine community forum - Tuesday 23rd March

The forum was well attended last night with about 80 residents having an opportunity to voice their real concerns about councils priorities for our area. It was clear from the discussion that our community want the priorities reviewed. We want parks not roads which is what I had been advocating for in council during my term - to deaf ears!

Community members present raised issues about the need for more and better green spaces, better quality shopping precincts, the future of the sunvale site, the need for support for community groups and meeting spaces that are affordable and high quality, leadership and governance development, access to sporting facilities that are currently leased to just one group, services and spaces for our young people and much much more...

While Brimbank's administrators and the Brumby government might want everything in Sunshine to go quiet before the state election, it is clear the issues in our area have not gone away.

Road Threatens Homes

The state government have today called for tenders for a new road to link the Maribyrnong Tunnel with the Western Ring Road. While they have refused to say what the preferred alignment is, it is clear they have one and it is clear it will head down Sunshine Road and Wright St. It is also clear that this is an enormous road that is several lanes wide on each side and will take up a huge amount of land that currently has homes on it.

This disastrous road was planned as part of the Eddington Tunnel and now the Victorian Transport Plan and will destroy quiet West Sunshine, quite possibly destroy parts of Buckingham reserve and consume massive amounts of fossil fuels in its production. It will also shift the truck problem from Yarraville to Sunshine.

The Brimbank Transport Action Group together with other concerned residents including the Greens, will campaign to stop this road.

If you would like to help in this campaign, please call Debbi Woods on 04389185

Sunvale PS - a small victory
Council voted last night to support part of my motion for the immediate consultation with the Sunshine Community!

Council has recently decided it will work with the Sunshine community via a new online petition and the post card campaign and I am very concerned that this campaign is not genuine.

While the petition and postcards are calling for Sunvale to be kept for community use, Council's position has not altered. Council's position remains that it supports affordable/social housing and 0.8 hectare for open space. While genuine affordable housing (ie public housing) might be important for our commuity, 'affordable housing' usually means a sell off to developers for cheap and nasty housing.

I think my definition of 'community use' is probably like most people's . When I think of community use I think of parks, playgrounds and community facilities.... I don't think of a sell off to developers.

The Sunshine community deserves to have a say on what it wants for this site. When the issue first arose, the community was promised discussion and consultation and yet Council have yet to ask our community what they want for Sunvale.

In light of this Council campaign, I again put forward a motion that Council resolves to:
1. advocate for the Sunvale PS site to remain 100% in public hands
2. begin immediate consultation with the Sunshine community about the its wishes for the development for the site

And Council voted last night to support the immediate consultation with the Sunshine Community
While they would not support the call to keep the site 100% in public hands, I have no doubt that this is what the Sunshine community will call for during the consultation.

At last, Council is prepared to listen to the views of the community! Lets hope they keep listening...

Click on picture to enlarge view

Sunvale Primary School Site - future development
All of a sudden postcards have appeared on the Council internet home page (http://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/) and now an online petition! (see screen shot above)

If Council wishes to support the community on this issue, that is great, however it needs to learn to how to consult its community properly. Council launches into such a campaign and has yet to notify councillors of the design, rationale or evaluative processes. Where did this overnight campaign come from? What should the signatories of the online petition expect from signing on?

Council, the organisation, is clearly unable to see the need to build community trust, nor invite open consultation with the community. I want to see every community consultation from Council be an active-listening and trust-building exercise. It's the least we need to build good governance and good community outcomes, and attract the most active and community-minded people to contribute (to join and balance out the valuable contributions of the loud, angry ones).

I will again put forward a motion I have put forward previously calling for immediate consultation with the Sunshine community on this issue so that Council can form a genuine partnership in its approach to this campaign.

We will not be successful in this campaign if we cannot work together and genuinely listen to the needs of our community.

Sunshine Principal Activity Centre - Draft Plan
Council has approved the draft plan for Sunshine Principal Activity Centre and will now go through a process of community consultation and discussion until the end of the year.

The Plan is important for a future Sunshine Activity Centre that is a true “town centre” and seeks to rezone areas in line with land uses the community have identified that will make Sunshine a better place to live and work.

In particular it will be exciting to see the future redevelopment of the Albion Triangle and associated rehabilitation of Stony Creek.

Notice: Local Area Forum - Sunshine
Remember to come along and have your say on local Sunshine issues and hear about the progress of the community plan.
All Welcome.
30th July at 7pm
Glengala Community Centre.

Park one step closer

I enjoyed hearing about the revised plans for Tom O’Brien Park/Matthews Hill Reserve. Officers have really listened to the community and it shows in the new design which has a thoughtful use of space and creative solutions to the multiple uses this park has.

Community Planting at McKay Gardens
About 15 volunteers turned out in the icy cold to plant, and clean up sections of the McKay Gardens.


The Council's conservation team put on a program of community plantings annually. It's a great way to learn about and explore Brimbank's biodiversity significant sites and meet other locals.

Container Deposit Meeting

We had a successful local meeting in Sunshine attended by members of local sports clubs, girl guides groups and interested community members. 10cent deposit on all drink bottles, cans & cartons would save councils $15.2 million, by shifting the cost away from councils towards those who create the litter.

A remarkable 94% of Victorians are in favour of container deposit legislation. The scheme proposed by Greens upper house MP Colleen Hartland would be self funding with potential for tremendous economic benefit to taxpayers and local community groups, as well as the obvious environmental benefit.

Brimbank Council would reap countless benefits
• We will end up saving on tip fees because of a lower volume
• We get a guaranteed 10c for every can, bottle or container
• We will got more for our paper that is collected through kerbside because it will not be contaminated by broken glass
• Less litter in our parks and waterways
• There will be an increased value of the recyclate
• Community groups will make money on bottles, cans and cartons and keep our streets clean
• We wont have to pay for expensive public place recycling
• There will be water and greenhouse gas emissions savings
• And we could even make money out of operating Reverse Vending Machines, hubs and depots

Ms Hartland released her report "Turning Rubbish into Community Money: The benefits of a 10c deposit on drink containers in Victoria" on 31 March 2009.