Kingston Your City - August/September 2019

Official Journal of the City of Kingston • August / September 2019

KingstonYourCity Kingston Your City

available online

kingston.vic.gov.au/kyc

CELEBRATING OUR LOCAL parks Greening our City Page 3

Your guide to green and hard waste Page 8

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AMNESTY

Kingston NEWS

Contact us kingston.vic.gov.au cityofkingston kingstoncc kingstoncouncil

kingstoncitycouncil info@kingston.vic.gov.au PO Box 1000, Mentone, 3194 CUSTOMER CARE 1300 653 356 COUNCIL MEETINGS Everyone is welcome to attend our Council Meetings, which are held at the Cheltenham office at 1230 Nepean Highway. The next Ordinary Council Meeting will be held on Monday 26 August. The next Planning Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday 21 August at 7pm.

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AMNESTY

Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep 2019

Kingston libraries wipe FINE outstanding fines AMNESTY

Do you have an overdue library fine or lost a library book years ago? The good news is you can come back to your local library and have a fresh start.

No Fines, no fees, no questions asked.

Kingston Libraries is waiving all outstanding and new library fines for customers until 30 September. The Fine Amnesty is about encouraging people to come back into their local library to see what’s new, and what’s changed, since their last visit.

If you still have an overdue book, DVD, CD or magazine, Kingston Libraries would love it back so others in the community can access it. But if it has slipped behind the fridge, been left in the holiday house or on the train, Kingston’s Library staff understands that life happens.

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AMNESTY

If you’d like to hear more about what’s on at Kingston Libraries you can sign up to the mailing list at your local library or on the Kingston Libraries website. Or download the new ‘Kingston Libraries’ app to keep up-toAMNESTY AMNESTY date with free library events, browse the library catalogue or borrow, renew and put library items on hold.

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Watch live Council Meetings Go to kingston.vic.gov.au to watch live or view previous meetings.

KINGSTON YOUR CITY EDITOR editor@kingston.vic.gov.au Kingston encourages you to reprint articles and photographs from this publication but permission must first be sought from the Editor.

Acknowledgment of the source must be provided.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Council acknowledges the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which the municipality is a part and pays its respects to the Elders past and present. Council is a member of the Inter Council Aboriginal Consultative Committee (ICACC).

COVER PHOTO Community members Zak, Aimee, Rex and Koen enjoying the Chelsea skate park at Bicentennial Park.

Nominate a local champion Every year, the City of Kingston celebrates Australia Day with an annual Australia Day Celebration including a Citizenship Ceremony and awarding of Kingston’s Australia Day Citizen of the Year and Community Group of the Year Awards.

Nominations are now open for the 2020 Australia Day Awards and close Friday 1 November. If you know an individual or group who deserve to be recognised, please put them forward for this prestigious award.

The annual Australia Day Awards recognise and honour the outstanding achievements of citizens and community groups who have made a significant contribution to the local community.

Award winners are officially announced at the Australia Day Celebration on 26 January each year.

In 2019 we were delighted to recognise long-standing volunteer Beverley Fitzharris as our Citizen of the Year and the Save Kingswood Group Inc, for our Community Group of the Year.

To nominate a local legend, or find out more, please visit kingston.vic.gov.au/australiaday

As part of the City’s Council Plan 20172021, Kingston Council is committed to engage the community in decision-making processes.

Some of the issues we have recently consulted about include: • The Draft Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Character Study • The Kingston Library Strategy • Developing a Plan for Chelsea • Sporting upgrades at Aspendale Gardens Reserve (Kerr Crescent).

Upcoming issues we’ll be consulting about include, but are not limited to: • The Draft Planning Scheme Amendment – about Housing and Neighbourhood Character • The Draft Policy for Footpath Activities

KINGSTON’S LANGUAGE LINE People of all languages can now contact Kingston’s Language Line on one number 131 450

• Kingston City Hall redevelopment • Landscaping on Nepean Highway

Per contattare il Comune, chiamateci al numero 131 450

• The Draft Integrated Transport Strategy

Чтобы связаться с Городским Советом, звоните нам по телефону 131 450 Για να επικοινωνήσετε με το Δήμο, καλέστε μας στο 131 450 Để liên hệ với Hội đồng, gọi chúng tôi theo số 131 450 要聯絡市政府，請給我們打電話 131 450 如要联系市议会，请致电131 450

Mayor Georgina Oxley and former Junior Mayor Alice Roberts, with this years’ Citizen of the Year and community group of the year.

Keep an eye on the your kingstonyoursay.com.au website to stay up to date and provide feedback about local issues.

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Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep 2019

Kingston NEWS

On the path to the end of landfill Over the last few months, Council’s long-term plan to see the end of landfill in Kingston has moved a few steps closer, with closures at the Victory Road green waste transfer station in Clayton and the Enviromix green waste facility in Dingley Village.

The closure of the Enviromix green waste facility is also welcome news, with Council receiving many complaints from the community over the years about odours generated at the site.

In the lead up to the 2018 state election, the Victorian Government committed $25 million to the Chain of Parks project, which will provide a pathway, linking parks through the Green Wedge from Karkarook Park to Braeside Park and will include a number of open spaces.

Victory Road is currently undergoing landfill rehabilitation works to transform it into a 31ha park which will be a key link in the City’s Sandbelt Open Space Chain of Parks project.

There is a major transformation underway in the Green Wedge with Kingston finally seeing the end of the waste industry in our community, with former landfills now being turned into parklands and open space.

The east and west sides of Victory Road have been rehabilitated and works are now underway to transform the rest of the site into usable parkland.

The area was once home to over 30 active landfill sites, which are thankfully almost all gone. In recent years we’re proud to have opened more than 30ha to community at Spring Road Reserve, Dingley Village and are undertaking rehabilitation works at the former Elder Street South, Clarinda landfill site, which will create a new 4ha open space for the community to enjoy.

Rehabilitation works are being undertaken in stages and will see the site appropriately capped and rehabilitated before it will be ready for grass to be planted, pathways created, and seating introduced.

In February, Kingston Council bought two key adjoining properties to ensure they are kept for the community to enjoy for decades to come. These two properties were purchased at 52 and 60 Victory Road, Clarinda for a combined price of $2.6 million.

To read more about Council’s plan for the transformation of Kingston’s Green Wedge, visit kingston.vic.gov.au/greenwedge

They connect to the Victory Road Park and give us options for the future.

Looking forward to sunny days in Kingston The installation of solar panels on Council buildings is a key initiative aimed at helping Council achieve a 30% reduction in corporate emissions by 2020.

Washington Drive Preschool is the latest council building to be fitted out with a solar energy system, which is estimated to save the centre around $2,000 a year on electricity fees.

As part of a major upgrade of the Washington Drive Preschool, an 8.5kW system with Enphase microinverters has been installed to supplement energy efficiency measures. The high usage of the facility during the day means most of the power will be used onsite (behind the meter) reducing the need for the preschool to buy electricity from the grid.

Solar systems have already been installed at the Parkdale Family and Children’s Centre, Westall Hub, Clarinda Community Centre & Library and Gerry Green Sports Pavilion. Combined with systems at Mentone Pavilion, Dingley Library and Edithvale Life Saving Club, over 150kW of generated energy will have been installed. The solar system at Parkdale Family and Children’s Centre has saved Council over $18,000 since it was installed in November 2017.

And it won’t stop there.

Just recently, Council approved contracts to install solar PV systems

on land set aside for the new n waste facility was located ction of the new road is set The former Enviromix gree e its operations with constru clos to had It . way Free loc Mordial to begin.

at Edithvale and Carrum Family and Children’s Centres, Patterson Lakes Community Centre and the Cheltenham Library & Children’s Centre which will generate over 150kW of energy.

Did you know?

Local business operators looking to upgrade their site’s environmental sustainability – through energy, water, waste or another type of work – are now able to access easy finance, assisted by Kingston Council.

Environmental Upgrade Agreement Financing can be used to support a broad range of works to improve the environmental sustainability of Kingston businesses, with repayments incorporated into their quarterly rates.

Find out more at kingston.vic.gov.au/KingstonBusiness/Sustainability

On the road to sustainability Plastic bags, recycled glass and printer toner are being used in the resurfacing of six roads in Kingston, thanks to an innovative new product from Downer, Reconophalt.

This initiative is saving approximately 1.12 million plastic bags, 25,200 printer cartridges and 352,800 glass bottles from being diverted to landfill.

This sustainable, cost competitive road surface makes roads last longer and allows them to better handle heavy vehicle traffic. Kingston is currently investigating using Reconophalt in additional road resurfacing works over the next year.

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As part of the City of Kingston’s focus on sustainability, Council has budgeted to plant an additional 3,000 trees across the City in the next 12 months, is including free native tree vouchers in rates notices and is trialling an innovative, chemical free system that turns tap water into a powerful cleaner and sanitiser at its Cheltenham office.

Visualisations

10 Site Perspective Figure 4 Overall

Landscape Master

Plan Victory Road

Parkland & Lookout

Tersano, an accredited alternative to traditional cleaning products, is stronger than bleach and acts as an antibacterial agent for 99.9% of germs, minus the negative impact on human health and the environment.

(Option 2)

Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley joins Councillors Steve Staikos and George Hua in surveying plans to transform the former Victory Road landfill site into a 31ha park of regional significance.

The process of turning tap water into a powerful cleaner and sanitiser (stabilised aqueous ozone) has been used commercially for decades. Aqueous ozone is produced by using electricity to add an extra oxygen molecule to O2, creating O3.

Council will look to roll-out chemical free cleaning across all sites and community buildings, pending the results of the trial.

Kingston NEWS

Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep 2019

Your rates at In the 2019-2020 Budget, Council allocated $81.6 million to capital works projects.

work

This includes projects aimed at supporting an active and healthy community through major investments in accessible open spaces and sporting facilities, including: • The Soppett Pavilion at Mentone Reserve ($5.2 million) • Roy Dore Pavilion ($4.4 million) • Multiuse sports field facilities at Kerr Crescent ($3.5 million) • The Dales Park Pavilion ($2.5 million) • Park development at the Elder Street Landfill ($1.1 million) Through this year’s Capital Works program, Council will make a significant investment towards future-proofing the City’s arts, culture and retail precincts, with funding allocated to restore Masonic Hall, revitalise the Dingley Village Neighbourhood House precinct, improve our much-loved libraries, enhance the Parkdale local shopping centre and create a Kingston City Hall Masterplan. We have also committed more than $10 million to ensure that we continue to maintain our assets and infrastructure to a high standard, with money allocated towards the improvement and of roads, drainage and footpath renewal works.

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News in brief Keeping you informed of important news, information and events

Individual Development Grant recipient success Council is proud to support local residents who aim to achieve great things by making Individual Development Grants available.

One of the recipients is local scooter competitor Dylan Morrison, who recently received a bronze medal for his performance, in a very close competition at the World Championships in Barcelona.

Council accepts year-round applications for Individual Development Grants of between $150 and $500, for people who meet the selection criteria. Phone 9581 4676 or email community@kingston.vic.gov.au

Share the dignity

Central ward councillors Cr Rosemary West OAM, Cr Geoff Gledhill and Cr Ron Brownlees OAM at the redeveloped Cliff Sambell Pavilion.

South ward councillors Cr David Eden, Cr Georgina Oxley and Cr Tamsin Bearsley at the newly developed Bonbeach Netball courts.

Recently completed works

Netball

• New sporting amenities

Recent works have included:

In July, Council was delighted to officially open the newly transformed Cliff Sambell Pavilion at Gerry Green Reserve in Parkdale. The $2.8 million works included: • 4 unisex change rooms • New compliant public toilets • A new 170m2 social/training room for use by the club and the local community.

The redeveloped Acacia Avenue and Washington Drive preschools provide best-practice purpose-built early childhood education facilities. They include: • Contemporary indoor learning spaces • Large natural outdoor learning environment, and • Environmentally Sustainable Design features.

Netball remains a popular sport for thousands of players of all ages and Council is pleased to have provided a range of new and upgraded facilities.

• 2 new courts built at Bonbeach Recreation Reserve.

The new courts opened in April and have helped meet strong demand in Kingston’s south ward • 1 new court at Chelsea Recreation Reserve completed last year • New, improved playing surfaces installed at the eight courts at Dales Park in Oakleigh • Upgraded four netball courts at Le Page Park for the Kingston District Netball Association Two new courts are currently being constructed at Regents Park in Aspendale, with play set to begin later this year.

Council has recently consulted the community on plans to add two netball courts at Mordialloc’s Ben Kavanagh Reserve. And Construction of the $2.5 million pavilion at the Dales Park Netball centre will commence later this year.

Thanks to this strong investment, Kingston will soon be home to 40+ netball courts to help serve our active netball vcommunity.

Disc golf is coming to Clarinda!

Kingston Council is continually investing in our local parks to ensure they provide a broad range of recreation opportunities.

Following community consultation which showed very strong support from locals and park users, Council has been busy working on disc golf course at Bald Hill Park in Clarinda.

Council has installed a permanent 18-hole, dual-tee disc golf course at Bald Hill Park. The course includes 9 x disc golf ‘baskets’, 18 x tee pads plus tee and informational signage. The course will not impact on other park uses and will not require any vegetation removal as the ‘baskets’ will be located among existing trees and terrain.

Works continue…

Works on the new $4.9 million Edithvale Life Saving Club are now well underway and due for completion by the end of the year. A new state-of-the-art facility has been designed to ensure the club can continue to provide this vital community service to the more than 22,000 visitors who visit Edithvale Beach each summer.

The new Edithvale Life Saving Club has been funded in partnership by Kingston Council ($3.4m) and the Victorian Government ($1.5m). Council agreed to seek additional funding from the Victorian Government.

The facility will also feature new public toilet facilities.

To see how projects are progressing in Kingston, visit kingston.vic.gov.au/works

On any given night in Australia, 1 in 200 people are homeless. Throughout August, we will have approximately 50 collection boxes set up throughout Kingston, where community members are encouraged to drop off any unopened and unused sanitary pads and tampons for distribution to homeless women. When you donate sanitary products to Share The Dignity, you’re donating much more than pads and tampons. You’re giving a woman experiencing homelessness or financial crisis the essentials, so she doesn’t need to choose between food and dignity. For more information, visit sharethedignity.com.au

Edithvale Hub, pedestrian operated signals Last year Council consulted with residents about community safety concerns regarding access to the Edithvale Recreation Reserve and Edithvale Family and Children’s Centre.

To improve safety and help pedestrians to safely cross Edithvale Road to access the reserve and Children’s Centre, Council has installed a pedestrian operated signal to the east of the Recreation Reserve car park. As part of the works, Council has also put in ‘No Stop Signs’ within 10m of the approach and 3m after the crossing as required by Victorian Road Rules. This should help to create more gaps in the traffic flow for the safety of drivers entering and exiting the hub, from adjacent properties and side streets.

Adult exercise equipment donation The City of Kingston welcomes a generous $30,000 donation from the Bentleigh Moorabbin Central Rotary Club Rotary Club, to install four pieces of free outdoor exercise equipment at Moorabbin Reserve.

This equipment will available for free community use and will create additional passive recreational opportunities, which contribute to the health and wellbeing of community members.

Patterson Lakes Jetty Community Committee Council officers met with Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria representatives in relation to the establishment of a community-based committee to oversee the long-term operation, maintenance and management of the Patterson Lakes Jetty The membership of the committee will include Parks Victoria and Melbourne Water, community representatives and Council staff. The first official meeting is to be held in September 2019. If interested contact Council at Infrastructure.Administration@ kingston.vic.gov.au

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Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep 2019

Kingston NEWS

YOUR RATES EXPLAINED

Providing vital services and capital works projects costs more than the total rates we collect, with further funding provided through government grants plus other fees collected.

RATE CAP The rates we collect are capped each year by the Minister for Local Government.

Under the Victorian Government’s rate capping laws, local Councils can only increase the average amount of rates collected by 2.5% year on year.

It is important to note that the rate cap does not mean that rates for each individual property will increase by 2.5%, the cap applies to the average rates bill - not individual properties.

To get this figure, we add up all the rates collected, divide it by the number of properties in Kingston to come up with the average rates bill. The rate cap is then applied to this figure.

HOW ARE MY RATES CALCULATED? Your property value determines your share of the total rates bill. Properties right across Kingston are now valued every year by the Victorian Government’s Valuer-General.

Higher value properties pay a greater share, while lower valued properties pay a smaller share.

The key issue in determining your share is how your property value has moved in comparison to the average movement of properties in Kingston.

`

RESIDENT 1 - KATE

Kate’s rates notice has increased. This is because her property value has remained the same, while on average other properties in Kingston have dropped in value. Kate’s property has a higher value than the average in Kingston, therefore her share of the rates bill increases.

RESIDENT 2 - BOB

Bob’s rates notice has decreased. This is because Bob’s property valuation has decreased by more than the average in Kingston, therefore his share of the rates bill dropped.

For more information on rates please visit kingston.vic.gov.au/rates to watch our short explainer video and download our rates guide.

Proposed new housing and planning rules for Kingston The Victorian Government estimates Melbourne will grow to 7.9 million people by 2051 and has set out how all local Councils must accommodate growth.

The Victorian Planning Minister made it clear in 2017 that Councils had three years to comply with new building height requirements.

Kingston currently has strong building height rules, so to avoid the State Government determining what’s best for Kingston, Council in consultation with the community, developed a draft Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Character Study.

The draft strategy proposes the implementation of six neighbourhood

character types and the use of three residential zones across four change areas. The change areas are designed to reflect the proposed rate of housing change and growth for Kingston.

Council opened consultation on the draft strategy in May 2019 and extended the consultation period until Friday 2 August to make sure everyone has had a chance to respond.

Services in Kingston In the 2019-2020 Council Budget, Kingston has made a $221 million commitment towards providing more than 100 vital services for the city’s 163,400 residents.

Some of our many services include:

4.89 million bins collected per year through our Weekly Waste Collection

1.03 million annual library loans

Supporting almost 900,000 visitors to our Leisure Centres

Operating 72 school crossings across Kingston

Visit yourkingstonyoursay.com.au/ HSNCS to read more OR: • Submit your feedback • View the full draft Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Character Study • Access a short guide outlining the changes

Providing more than 15,000 immunisations annually

• Watch a two-minute explainer video • Download the proposed change area and character type maps.

What’s next?

Supporting the delivery of almost 40,000 meals a year, through our Meals on Wheels service

Following consultation on the draft strategy, Council and will consider all submissions received and prepare the final strategy for Council to formally adopt.

A formal Planning Scheme Amendment process will follow. Public consultation will occur on these draft planning controls and all residents and owners will receive a letter at this stage.

An Independent Planning Panel will consider submissions received and make recommendations. Council will then finalise the Planning Scheme Amendment and submit it to the Planning Minister for approval.

Maintenance of 367 parks, 60 sports grounds and 114 playgrounds.

Kingston NEWS

Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep 2019

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Action in Kingston’s retail precincts The City of Kingston is home to around 1200 retailers spread over 10 major shopping villages. Council invests to ensure they remain appealing and vibrant places to visit, shop and enjoy.

Chelsea

Mentone

Council has been consulting with the community to develop a vision for Chelsea, which helps us to develop a 20-year Structure Plan for the precinct.

With works on the long-awaited Mentone Renaissance Project reaching completion, it’s time to take a wander and explore Mentone.

We thank the hundreds of people who have contributed, letting us know about how they would like to see the station, shops, parks and beach all connect to complement each other.

And other important aspects to take into account, like transport access, parking and safety inclusions such as lighting.

Enjoy the new community piazza created at the historical Triangle site.

The piazza will become a space for community activities, a meeting place, and a place to celebrate or to unwind and relax at the end of the day.

There are also a number of artworks to explore in the precinct as part of the Mentone Public Art Project.

Support local businesses

Keep an eye on yourkingstonyoursay. com.au to make comment on the draft Structure Plan when it is released later this year.

Over the last few months, students at Kilbreda College worked with by international artist Paola Ibarra Llano in collaboration with the Kingston Arts Team, and got to work painting graphic designs onto electricity poles and a large-scale mural in Mentone.

With LXRP works set to ramp up, Council understands that these disruptions may affect some local businesses. We encourage everyone to continue supporting local businesses and shop local.

Carrum LXRP works in Carrum are well underway with carparks closed and the station shut down until early 2020, to make way for the new Carrum Train Station. By August, the new pedestrian level crossing will be open to allow for access across the line.

Council has been regularly meeting with Carrum, Mentone and Cheltenham traders to keep them up to date and recently hosted Traders’ Information Sessions, where the LXRP attended to present information about their upcoming works. At these Information Sessions we provided a business mentor who discussed strategies for businesses to minimise disruption and capitalise on the opportunities that will come from the upcoming LXRP works.

Mentone traffic Council is currently reviewing traffic movements in the area noting the concerns that have been raised by the community.

Calling for greater construction quality Council has joined with the community to call for stronger regulation of the building industry to protect consumers from sub-standard construction, particularly on apartment buildings.

International artist Paola Ibarra Llano led the electricity pole and mural paintings undertaken by Kilbreda students in Mentone.

In recent years issues concerning poor construction practices and materials – most notably the use of combustible cladding materials – have been raised and calls for greater consumer protection are rising to better avoid and rectify problems. Kingston Council will advocate on behalf of the community, seeking stronger consumer protections and stronger

state/federal regulations.

made.

The national Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF), which oversees policy and regulatory issues affecting Australia’s building and construction industries, has recently commissioned an expert assessment of the effectiveness of compliance and enforcement systems for the building and construction industry.

Council will write to the BMF and the Victorian Planning Minister calling for the report to be accepted and an implementation plan for the recommendations to be developed.

That assessment, completed last year, makes a range of recommendations to improve industry practice and standards and Council strongly advocates that these changes are

Council can also play a role in providing important information to the community and has launched a new web page to point people in the right direction for help including the Victorian Building Authority and Consumer Affairs Victoria.

See kingston.vic.gov.au/advocacy for further details.

Working towards the best outcomes for Kingston Kingston Council and the Victorian Government have worked together to deliver much-needed new open space at Mentone and Cheltenham as part of the Level Crossing removal Projects.

The Victorian Government and Kingston Council have worked in partnership to fund the extension of decks over the planned rail trenches at Cheltenham and Mentone and expand the size of the planned multi-storey carpark at Cheltenham.

Council was proud to partner with the LXRP to deliver a greater community outcome above and beyond removing the level crossings and was prepared to contribute to the project.

Kingston Council agreed to contribute an extra $2.9 million to the $536 million project, to ensure that open spaces including expanded decking, and extra carparks, are included as a part of the

Cheltenham and Mentone Level Crossing Removal Projects.

Up to $900,000 of this commitment will be used to help create 36 additional parking spaces at the multi-storey carpark at Cheltenham Station, which our community has been crying out for.

The Level Crossing Removal Projects are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape these key retail precincts, and this result will ensure these new areas are more attractive, pedestrian-friendly and have improved links to the surrounding retail areas.

Council’s investment will help deliver: • Decking across the rail line at Mentone to extend the Mentone Station Gardens and create muchneeded open space in the area • An expanded decking area at Cheltenham to improve pedestrian access and connection between the shopping precinct, the station and neighbouring Cheltenham Park • 36 carparks at the planned multistorey carpark at Cheltenham Station.

To stay up to date about any disruptions or to find out more about consultations around these projects, please visit levelcrossings.vic.gov.au

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Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep 2019

Kingston NEWS

CELEBRATING OUR LOCAL parks

With the turn of the season, now is a great time to put on some sneakers and get some fresh air. This edition, we want you to join us in celebrating our local parks and open spaces by letting us know about your favourite place to unwind - or get active - in Kingston.

Council manages 367 parks, 75 playing fields and 114 playgrounds which cover a total area of 616 hectares (the size of 308 MCG’s).

Kingston is also home to significant areas of natural grassland and bushland reserves, a variety of wetlands and a stunning 13 kilometres of coastline along Port Phillip, which is Crown Land, maintained by the City of Kingston. Our playgrounds cater to children of all ages and abilities.

Diversity is a fundamental principle of play and we aim to provide a broad range of options for activities and settings, spaces and play opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of our younger community members and their carers.

Kingston’s open spaces provide facilities for community members to stay active, with free outdoor exercise equipment. They are also home to recreational clubs and community groups. Some feature evidence of our city’s history, with relics from our past Aboriginal inhabitants and postsettlement features. And Council’s parks also provide welcoming spaces for affordable community gettogethers, with a variety of undercover seating areas, barbecues and toilet facilities available for everyone to use.

Some popular spots include:

Karkarook Park Heatherton A former sand quarry which has been transformed into a stunning space with a man-made lake where community members are welcome to fish.

Bald Hill Park Clarinda This undulating parkland has been chosen for Melbourne’s second Disc Golf course, which essentially merges frisbee throwing with the rules of golf.

The Grange Reserve Clayton South The children’s playground features a UFO with red slides and warp control, paying homage to the 1966 Westall UFO incident.

Namatjira Park Clayton With a pond, ducks and a miniwetland this picturesque open space is complemented by large gum trees and a wooden playground.

Kingston Heath Reserve Cheltenham Kingston Heath Reserve is one of the most popular parks in Kingston. It has a range of amenities including several sports fields, a dog off-lead area and the Kingston Botanic Gardens. The Reserve also contains a priceless remnant Swamp Scrub.

Your chance to win!

North Ward Councillors Tamara Barth and Steve Staikos enjoy a swing at Namatjira Park in Clayton.

Peter Scullin Reserve Mordialloc Located next to the beach and Mordialloc Pier, the park features a large ship-themed playground which is shaded. With lots of picnic tables, barbecues and play activities, this is a great place to enjoy the park and the beach.

Bicentennial Park Chelsea Bicentennial Park features a regional play space, kilometres of walking trails with links to the Long Beach Trail and the Chelsea Netball Centre.

Share your tips about which local spot is a hidden gem that others really need to check out! This August, submit any photos you’re happy to share, and up to 50-words describing your favourite park in Kingston, to kingston.vic.gov.au/ parks and you’ll go in the running to win 10 double passes to Kingston Active, where you can swim, workout or relax in the sauna, to your heart’s delight. We’ll be posting all eligible entries to a gallery on Council’s facebook page at the start of September and will give the community a chance to choose their winner.

It also features an outdoor exercise area, skate park and youth plaza area featuring a multi-court area, timber climbing poles and a DJ table.

Bicentennial Park also features an allabilities playground and Council has recently opened the City’s first public Changing Places toilet facility at the site. (MLAK keys are required).

Maintenance Council manages the 616 hectares of Kingston’s open spaces and undergoes maintenance work so that they can be accessed by everyone.

INFORMATION SPOTLIGHT:

KINGSTON’S WAR ON WASTE Every year, Australians generate millions of tonnes of waste in food, fashion, packaging and more.

GARDEN WASTE

The amount of waste we produce is growing.

In the past 20 years Australia’s population has grown 28 per cent – yet the amount of waste we produce has increased by a staggering 170 per cent.

The average Australian produces many hundreds of kilograms of waste each year, with most of this sent to landfill which is costly, takes up valuable land space and has significant negative impacts on our environment.

Tackling our waste problem will take a major combined effort from federal, state and local governments; from businesses and from every single community member.

In an ongoing series in KYC throughout 2019, we’ll look at Kingston’s waste challenges including rubbish, recycling, garden waste, e-waste, dumped rubbish and more.

We’ll outline what action Kingston Council will be taking and provide practical tips on how we can all play a part to reduce, re-use and recycle.

The following items ARE accepted in your garden waste bin:

Kingston offers a garden waste recycling service in addition to the redlid rubbish bins and the yellow-lid recycling bins.

The green-lid garden waste bins accept a range of garden waste.

Kingston residents had 14,000 tonnes of garden waste collected in the 2018/19 financial year.

Kingston’s garden waste is now sent to a new state-of-the-art treatment plant that processes the waste into high-quality compost material for re-use.

The facility is used by eight south-east Melbourne metropolitan councils and produces up to 50,000 tonnes of quality compost per annum.

It reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill and the reduces the emission of greenhouse gasses such as methan.

The following items are NOT accepted in your garden waste bin: • garden waste in plastic bags • soil or potting mix • plant pots • rubbish • plastic bags, wrap, packaging or polystyrene • nappies • timber, bricks or rubble • recyclables, syringes or medical waste

Leaves

FOOD & GARDEN WASTE COLLECTION IS COMING! Kingston will introduce a Food and Garden Waste collection service next year!

From early 2020 you will be able to put food organic waste into your green-lid garden waste bin. Instead of sending food waste to landfill, you will instead be able to put all your food waste into your garden waste bin – so it can be transformed into high-quality compost for re-use.

Council is finalising details of the new Food and Garden Waste Service and will share all the details in coming months, so the community is wellinformed and prepared for the launch next year.

Grass

Garden prunings

Weeds & flowers

Small branches up to 100mm in diameter

PART 4 OF 5 2.

1.

A LOAD OF RUBBISH

3.

SPOTLIGHT: GENERAL WASTE

FREE ANNUAL HARD WASTE COLLECTION

Renovation/building materials, rubble, soil, bricks, concrete, unwrapped or broken glass Plasterboard, cement sheeting, Asbestos sheeting or asbestos products Fences no timber longer than 1.5m

SPOTLIGHT: RECYCLING

SPOTLIGHT: GREEN WASTE

Dangerous goods, liquid waste, chemicals, paint, oil Tree prunings, tree stumps or roots, garden waste in plastic bags

WILL yes WHAT BE COLLECTED Hard Waste items must be neatly placed on your nature strip in two stacks.

STACK 1 - GENERAL ITEMS Household furniture, toys, plants, pots, crockery, small electrical appliances, mattresses & bed bases than 1.5m, neatly stacked

Carpet up to 3 rolls BBQs, bikes, small car parts, lawn mowers, tools Scrap metal up to 1.5m long Mirrors/windows securely wrapped in cardboard marked ‘glass’

Domestic rubbish Items over 1.5m in length or over 55kg (items must be able to be lifted to

SPOTLIGHT: DUMPED RUBBISH

You can also book an extra hard waste collection (no more than 2 cubic meters), at a time that suits you throughout the year for $60.

Kingston Council offers a free collection of tree branches. You can book to have up to 20 bundles of branches (measuring no more than 1.5m long) collection.

There are a number of landfills, recycling services and transfer stations across Melbourne’s southern suburbs to dispose of a range of other items.

See kingston.vic.gov.au/waste for details or phone 1300 653 356

Timber up to 12 pieces, no longer Tyres, batteries, coil springs, car bodies, gas bottles

5.

DID YOU KNOW?

Council’s annual free hard waste collection is coming soon – so now is the perfect time for your annual clean-up around the house.

Each household can put out for collection: • a range of household items, electronics and metal • up to 4 x cubic metres of waste.

The annual collection will run in September and October. It starts in Kingston’s northern suburbs and each week progresses further south.

To find out when your collection will take place see Kingston.vic.gov.au/hardwaste Hard waste must be stacked by 6am on your collection date. Late items will not be collected. Keep your street tidy by putting items out as close to your collection date as possible.

WON’T no WHAT BE COLLECTED

4.

Empty paint tins (lids off) Hot water services

shoulder height by two persons)

STACK 2 - LARGE ELECTRICAL Televisions Electrical appliances must be able to be lifted to shoulder height by two persons

Computers, monitors Fridges, freezers doors removed

Ward COLUMNS

Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep 2019

Which Ward do you live in?

Your Councillors’ individual views on the various issues and events in your community.

OAKLEIGH SOUTH

0417 870 350

There are hundreds of parks and playgrounds and more than 60 sports grounds throughout Kingston. Our City is home to significant areas of natural grassland and bushland reserves and features a variety of wetlands and a stunning 13 kilometres of coastline along Port Phillip Bay. As a member of Council and mother of three, I’m always keen to hear feedback about our open spaces – and love hearing suggestions about where I should take my children to get some fresh air.

In the North Ward, my family and I have a few favourite spots to visit, including Namatjira Park which features a great playground and plenty of beautiful walking tracks. I personally love the story behind the Grange UFO Park: around 11am on 6 April 1966 more than 200 students and teachers at two Victorian

tamara.barth@kingston.vic.gov.au

state schools allegedly witnessed an unexplained flying object which descended into a nearby open wild grass field and stayed there for approximately 20 minutes before departing.

The legend of this incident lives on at the Grange UFO Park, where the children’s playground features a UFO with red slides, and it is a fun story to share with my kids.

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my favourite outdoor spots to visit in Kingston, and I’m sure that many other residents feel the same. If so, I encourage you to share your photos and stories about your favourite park in Kingston.

Throughout August, submit any photos you’re happy to share, and up to 50-words describing your favourite park in Kingston, and you’ll go in the running to win 10 double passes to Kingston Active. To find out more, or submit your pics and tips, go to kingston.vic.gov.au/parks

Cr Steve Staikos - North Ward

North Ward

CLAYTON SOUTH

HEATHERTON

HIGHETT

CLARINDA

Congratulations to outgoing CEO John Nevins on 15 years of outstanding contribution to the City of Kingston. Whilst we are sad to see you finish up in the role, we wish you and your family well for your future endeavours.

CHELTENHAM

Chain of Parks Update Once home to over 30 active landfill sites, Kingston is getting closer to seeing many transformed into open space.

DINGLEY VILLAGE

MOORABBIN AIRPORT MENTONE PARKDALE

Page 10

Cr Tamara Barth - North Ward

0447 896 643 MOORABBIN

|

In the last few months, the Victory Road green waste transfer station in Clayton and the Enviromix green waste facility in Dingley Village have both closed down.

Central Ward BRAESIDE

I am particularly proud that in my time on council, we have opened the 30-hectare Spring Road Park in Dingley Village, and will open a new 4-hectare park at Elder St South, Clarinda.

MORDIALLOC

WATERWAYS

ASPENDALE

ASPENDALE GARDENS

steve.staikos@kingston.vic.gov.au

The Victory Road site is currently undergoing rehabilitation works to transform it into a 31-hectare park which will be a key link in our Sandbelt Open Space Chain of Parks project.

Works are being undertaken in stages and will see the site appropriately capped and rehabilitated before it will be ready for grass to be planted, pathways created, and seating being introduced.

The closure of the Enviromix green waste facility in Dingley Village is also welcome news and will put a stop to years of odours generated at the site.

In the lead up to the 2018 state election, the Victorian Government committed $25 million to the Sandbelt Open Space Chain of Parks project and Council continues to advocate for investment into transforming our open spaces.

Read more at kingston.vic.gov.au/ greenwedge

Cr George Hua - North Ward 0429 171 449

george.hua@kingston.vic.gov.au

South Ward NORTH WARD Suburbs: Moorabbin, Highett, Oakleigh South, Heatherton, Clarinda, Clayton South, Dingley Village.

CENTRAL WARD

EDITHVALE CHELSEA HEIGHTS

CHELSEA

BONBEACH

Suburbs: Cheltenham, Mentone, Parkdale, Moorabbin Airport, Mordialloc, Braeside.

PATTERSON LAKES CARRUM

SOUTH WARD Suburbs: Aspendale, Aspendale Gardens, Waterways, Edithvale, Chelsea Heights, Chelsea, Bonbeach, Carrum, Patterson Lakes.

As you may be aware, the draft Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Character Study has been open for consultation over the last few months.

This consultation has been necessary, with the Victorian Government estimating that the population of Greater Melbourne will grow to 7.9 million people by 2051. It has been made clear that all councils must take their share of this growth, so we have been extensively consulting to make sure that we get it right.

To meet demand, Kingston Council has been looking at centring growth around key activity centres, close to public transport, shops and services – which will allow us to protect the neighbourhood character and amenity of our quieter residential streets.

I have heard claims this draft Housing Strategy will result in drastic changes in the North Ward’s Dingley Village, but this is not the case:

• In this draft plan, 93% of residential land within Dingley village has been designated as ‘Limited change’ and is proposed to be included in the Neighbourhood Residential Zone with a mandatory 2 storey height limit.

• Only seven percent of Dingley Village has been proposed to be designated for ‘incremental change’ allowing for a maximum height limit of 3-storeys, around the local shopping centre, parks and bus routes.

This consultation was the second of a three step process and nothing is set in stone. We will take your feedback on board through our official consultation process, which will be used to inform the preparation of a Planning Scheme Amendment – which we will again consult with the community about.

Visit yourkingstonyoursay.com.au for details.

Page 11

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Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep= 2019

Ward COLUMNS

Cr Ron Brownlees OAM - Central Ward 0418 172 725

ron.brownlees@kingston.vic.gov.au

Cr Tamsin Bearsley - South Ward 0430 170 210

tamsin.bearsley@kingston.vic.gov.au

help manage and plan for the future of our children and grandchildren.

As you are aware council is currently consulting the community on a new Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Character Study. I hope many of you took the opportunity to attend one of our public forums or make a submission on the options put forward. Unfortunately there was some independently distributed information that was incorrect and not published by council and mislead or confused some residents. I hope that those of you who were able to attend our Ward meeting, supported by all three Ward Councillors, were provided with a better understanding of the rationale behind the proposals and a way forward.

I believe that population growth and its’ dependence on transport, jobs, education, health , infrastructure services, and HOUSING, is one the major reasons for the dramatic changes in our community, and as a council we have a responsibility to recognise these impacts and try to

I recently attended a luncheon to celebrate and thank the work of the volunteers from the Moorabbin Delivered Meals Kitchen . The Centre will be relocated to provide for the redevelopment of the Rowans Road facility and it was great to be able to recognise the fantastic work of these wonderful people over such a long period of time. Their valuable contribution to the City and the recipients of their service has been greatly appreciated.

At this difficult time of the year It is also appropriate to recognise the wonderful work of some of our other fantastic community volunteers in the CFA, SES, St.Johns Ambulance, and our Life Saving Clubs - who often have to endure horrendous and life threatening conditions as they support the health, safety, and wellbeing of our community.

THANK YOU.

Cr Geoff Gledhill - Central Ward 0427 102 926

geoff.gledhill@kingston.vic.gov.au

tamsinbearsley.org crtamsinbearsley tamsinbearsley

This month we launched our City’s first public Changing Places toilet facility at Bicentennial Park. Changing Places are public toilets with full sized change tables and hoists to meet the needs of people with severe disabilities. Theses toilets are vital for people living with severe disabilities to be included in our community and to be able to enjoy our parks, foreshore and other community facilities. Our next planned locations for Changing Places toilets will be Carrum foreshore and Mordialloc foreshore. If you know of other suitable locations I’d love to hear from you.

I am excited that our libraries will soon be getting a much-needed upgrade to RFID (radio-frequency identification) which will make it really quick and easy to borrow and return books. We have nine libraries spread throughout Kingston with lots of resources, activities and friendly, helpful

staff. If you haven’t been to a library for a while please drop in for a visit. We are currently doing review of our libraries so if you have any ideas on how we can improve them - we’d love your feedback.

Thank you to Captain Graham Fountain and Edithvale CFA for the warm welcome at their mid-year dinner and congratulations to all the recipients of the service awards. It is pretty amazing that we have so many wonderful volunteers in our local area who are committed to keeping our community safe. Thank you to all our emergency services volunteers for everything you do for our local community.

We are very grateful.

Cr David Eden - South Ward 0422 557 917

david.eden@kingston.vic.gov.au davideden.org

authority came to us asking to contribute ratepayers’ funds to the projects. There will be more to come on this.

Some important work has been undertaken throughout Central Ward recently, including the Mentone Shopping Centre redevelopment. Council is well aware that the new traffic conditions have not worked as expected and are in the process of reviewing them with a view to reinstating several aspects that were removed.

VicRoads have told Council they can’t plant Coastal Banksia trees along Beach Road and have further said that prior to any works being undertaken, proper community consultation should occur, I hope the majority of Councillors heed that advice.

Kingston’s Housing Strategy review has been in full swing since May, with important feedback pouring in from residents. It’s to be regretted that some misinformation has been distributed throughout the ward which has caused great distress for some residents. I will ensure you that Council continue to share fact rather than fiction and proactively develop a plan that has the support and endorsement of the entire community.

The Level Crossing Authority are progressing with their plans for the removal of the crossings at Cheltenham and Mentone. Unfortunately we have hit something of a snag with the news that there will be a significant reduction of parking at both sites. The authority has said this will be made up with extra parking made available in surrounding streets, however I don’t consider that to be a suitable solution. Particularly as residents have not been consulted and it is not what Council agreed to when the

Cr Rosemary West OAM - Central Ward 0418 554 799

rosemary.west@kingston.vic.gov.au

Congratulations to our First Nations citizens for the World Heritage listing of the Budj Bim stone houses and fish traps, which I had the privilege of visiting as a journalist. And to our local Derrimut Weelam Gathering Place for raising the Aboriginal and Australian flags to celebrate NAIDOC week.

Housing plans - what you should know Central Ward residents should have received copies of a map of Kingston showing the current and proposed zones.

From this you will be able to see whether the draft Kingston Housing Strategy proposes to rezone your area from General Residential Zone 3 (GRZ3) (with a 9m height limit) to the new GRZ with an 11m, three storey limit. Or from GRZ2 (with an 11m limit) to Residential Growth Zone (14m, four storeys).

Even if you keep your 9m, two storey limit in the new Neighbourhood Residential Zone, the strategy proposes to phase out two important Council policies to protect your amenity by discouraging developments with two storeys in the backyard and by allowing only two units on an average sized lot, proportionally more on larger lots (in Clause 22.11, to be revised.)

State Government requires Council to adopt new residential zones associated with neighbourhood character, but they have not told us how much extra development we need to achieve, as this is properly Council’s decision. Council’s demographic consultants have advised that Kingston is well placed to meet our demographic targets at our existing rate of growth (2063 extra residents annually since 2006).

davideden2012 DEden2012

As part of our commitment to advocate on behalf of our community, Council is call for stronger regulation of the building industry to protect consumers from substandard construction, particularly on apartment buildings.

In recent years issues concerning poor construction practices and materials – most notably the use of combustible cladding materials – have been raised.

There is a growing need for greater consumer protection to avoid and rectify problems.

Kingston Council has committed to lobby for stronger consumer protections and improved state/federal regulations.

The national Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF), which oversees policy and regulatory issues affecting Australia’s building and construction industries, has recently commissioned an expert assessment of the effectiveness of

compliance and enforcement systems for the building and construction industry.

Their assessment makes a range of recommendations to improve industry practice and standards and Council strongly advocates that these changes are made.

Council can also play a role in providing important information to the community and has launched a new web page to point people in the right direction for help including the Victorian Building Authority and Consumer Affairs Victoria.

See kingston.vic.gov.au/advocacy for further details.

Mayor, Cr Georgina Oxley - South Ward 9581 4706, 0429 222 504

georgina.oxley@kingston.vic.gov.au georginaoxley.com goxley2014

Farewell John Nevins Kingston have been incredibly lucky to have had the passion and professionalism of our CEO Mr John Nevins. John has served the Kingston community for almost 15 years and has contributed to our city enormously over those years with immense passion and pride. John will be missed, and he certainly has left a legacy at Kingston that certainly won’t be forgotten – and some very big shoes to fill.

On behalf of our entire community and Kingston staff -Thank you John!

Female Friendly Sports Facilities One of the commitments I made at the start of my Mayoral term was to continue the roll-out of upgraded female-friendly sporting facilities across Kingston.

Recent works have included the construction of two new courts built at Bonbeach Recreation Reserve. The new courts opened in April and have helped

meet strong demand in Kingston’s South Ward.

There has also been works done to construct a new court at Chelsea Recreation Reserve last year, eight courts have been resurfaced at Dales Park in Oakleigh and the Kingston District Netball Association has upgraded four netball courts at Le Page Park.

Two new courts are currently being constructed at Regents Park in Aspendale and are expected to be ready for use by the end of the year. And there are many more projects on the way to be excited about.

Thanks to this strong investment, Kingston will soon be home to more than 40 netball courts to help serve our active netball community.

2019 Communications Survey

Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep 2019

|

Page 12

WHAT WE HEARD Thank you to the 173 respondents who completed our recent Communications Survey.

Informed and satisfied

Hearing about activities

Most people feel they’re somewhat informed about Council’s activities.

But 22 per cent of you said that you don’t feel informed, so there’s room for improvement.

Around 43 per cent of people feel satisfied about the information they receive from Council. A further 40 per cent feel neither satisfied or dissatisfied..

not informed

Kingston YourCity

22%

78% 40%

70%

43%

active on social media

neither

58%

Community engagement HAVE YOUR SAY

It is important that we actively seek your feedback on a range of important issues across the municipality. Community engagement is therefore a key component of Council’s role.

Just over half of people surveyed (66 per cent) feel like they have the opportunity to provide comment on Council’s plans and strategies, and a majority (69 per cent) haven’t been involved in a consultation during the last year.

We want you to feel like you have a voice and encourage you to subscribe to our e-newsletters, submit feedback about consultations on Your Kingston Your Say and to attend Council Meetings, where you are welcome to submit questions.

Where to next?

e-news

Most people (68 per cent) said that they’re active on social media, and that Facebook and Instagram are the services they use most.

More than half of you (58 per cent) don’t recall seeing Council’s regular advertisement (Your Kingston Update) in the local Leader newspapers. In response, we’re looking at ways to improve both the visibility and relevancy of the information Council provides in Your Kingston Update so that you’re better informed.

Quite a few people aren’t receiving or aware that Council provides a range of e-newsletters for a range of Kingston services and initiatives.

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, we’d love to hear from you!

Contact Council’s Communications & Events team on 1300 653 356 or comms@kingston.vic.gov.au

Using the valuable feedback you provided, we have developed a proactive plan to improve the way Council communicates with you.

% making it easier for you to know what’s happening in your area through the introduction of suburb based e-newsletters

Over the coming months, we will be:

% explaining the planning and population challenges facing our City and how Council intends to manage these challenges

Bay Trail Bay Trail

Most residents receive KYC in their letterboxes.

Social media was also up there.

satisfied

somewhat informed

You told us that the most common ways you hear about Council’s activities are through the local newspapers (Kingston Moorabbin Leader and Mordialloc Chelsea Leader), Facebook, and Council’s very own bi-monthly publication, Kingston Your City (KYC).

% providing better promotion of the important decisions made at our Council Meetings % reinforcing our commitment to community engagement by making it easier to provide for the community to provide feedback

Works on the long-awaited Bay Trail shared Works on thepedestrian/cycling long-awaited Bay path will commence in the Trail shared pedestrian/cycling next few months. path will commence in the Once complete, the Bay Trail path will

next few months. provide a safe off-road alternative for

Once complete, the Bay Trail path will recreational cyclists. provide a safe off-road alternative for To make room for the new path recreational cyclists. some parts of the road will be used To make room for the new path and permission has been granted to some parts of the road will be used remove some protected foreshore and permission has been granted to vegetation. remove some protected foreshore The design balances the needs of vegetation. cyclists, pedestrians, motorists and The design balances the needs of our fragile coastal environment. cyclists, pedestrians, motorists and The fragile end result willenvironment. swill meet all our coastal VicRoads and Australian safety The end result will swill meet all standards, retain four lanes on Beach VicRoads and Australian safety Road and has been supported by

% better promotion of the important decisions made at our Council Meetings % letting you know how we’re lobbying on your behalf % reviewing our communication channels to make sure you’re hearing us loud and clear.

Bicycle Network.

Council hasretain appointed CDN on Beach standards, four lanes Constructors Ltdsupported to complete Road and hasPty been by the section of the Bay Trail between Bicycle Network.

Mentone and Rennison Street.

Council has appointed CDN Works are expected in Constructors Pty Ltdto tobegin complete September/October and will take the section of the Bay Trail between around 5-6 months to complete, Mentone and Rennison Street. weather permitting.

Works are expected to begin in The remaining section, Rennison September/October andfrom will take Street to Mordialloc, will be built around 5-6 months to complete, as a separate stage once all planning weather permitting. approvals are gained.

The remaining section, from Rennison For further details please watch Street to Mordialloc, will be builtour as video or read more at a separate stage once all planning kingston.vic.gov.au/baytrail approvals are gained.

For further details please watch our video or read more at kingston.vic. gov.au/baytrail

Page 13

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Kingston Your City - Aug / Sep 2019

Kingston NEWS

Celebrating As it was Kingston’s rich history With the support of our local historical societies, historian Graeme Whitehead and a gallery of images supplied from The Leader, Kingston has recently launched the Kingston Local History website, which celebrates the City’s culture and heritage. This can be found at localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au This website features a huge number of interesting articles and images, which give us an insight into what life was like in Kingston, before the internet, mobile phones and Uber. (And in some cases, before the advent of television)! These includes stories on:

The airport controversy In November 1946, then Prime Minister Ben Chifley made an announcement to the people of Mordialloc that the Australian Government was about to acquire a large piece of land to establish an airport. However, no detail about the location was disclosed. The announcement created a local controversy which raged over the next few years.

Mentone Station: site of crime Mentone Station was established in 1881. The suburb was named after Menton in France and initially gained the reputation of being Victoria’s equivalent of the French Riviera. However, there was a dark side to the glamorous seaside suburb: thieves were starting to strike passengers (and the station master’s office) at the Mentone Station. By 1894 thieves were using gunpowder to break into the office and using drills to attempt to break into the safe.

The Fairy House: Cheltenham Between the 1940s and the 1960s, the Fairy House at 1331 Nepean Highway Cheltenham became a tourist destination. It featured a collection of ornaments that were created by its owner after a few garden ornaments were stolen from the front garden, to the disappointment of the children who lived there.

Creator Stella Hawkes then began making her own collection of fairytaleinspired ornaments and created a rockery fence where visitors were welcome to sit and admire the collection.

As part of the City of Kingston’s commitment to celebrate local history, we will be consulting with the community about what we should feature along the Cultural Heritage Path, planned for Beach Road as part of the Bay Trail shared user path project.

To stay up to date and let us know what you’d like to see featured as part of this path, visit yourkingstonyoursay.com.au

Railway crossing at Balcombe Road Mentone showing signal box and boom gates. Courtesy: Paul Lemmon from the Kingston Collection, City of kingston.

The image is of the Parkdale Beach c1930. In the background are the fifty concrete bathing boxes constructed opposite Antibes Street by the Mordialloc Council and opened in 1932. In the 1970s they were removed and the cliff face reconstituted.

There is an article on the Kingston Historical Website which tells their story: Innovation: Concrete Bathing Boxes at Parkdale.

Courtesy: The image is from the collection of the Mordialloc & District Historical Society.

Homelessness Week 2019

Sunday 4 August marks the start of Homelessness Week and this year’s theme is Housing Ends Homelessness.

Across the state, around 25,000 people are sleeping rough on any given night.

In four years the number of homeless has jumped close to 15 percent.

Kingston is not immune to the homelessness crisis and Launch Housing, the local housing support agency, works with about 3000 Kingston residents each year who are in housing crisis, stress or homeless.

housing policy for Kingston.

Access Care, City of Kingston Community Connections Program (CCP) funded by the Victorian Government, provides assistance to people with complex needs who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, or live in low cost accommodation in the municipalities of Kingston and Bayside. To find out more, visit accesscare.org.au

What can you do?

You can help by putting

your hand up to volunteer in support of the homeless.

Launch Housing are looking for volunteers to: • Mentor young people

In Victoria alone, there are currently 35 000 people on the waitlist for public housing and a shortfall of 750 thousand affordable homes across Victoria. This is a complex problem and one that requires cooperation across local, state and federal government to make any real difference.

• Provide assistance with their campaigns

According to Kingston’s Community Connections Program (CCP), there has been a significant rise in homelessness across the spectrum: from couch surfers, to families in crisis, rough sleepers and people in significant housing stress.

items, coats and blankets

Council is committed to work in partnership to support those affected by homelessness in our community and recently appointed a new housing officer to roll out an affordable

• Administration support • Get involved with educational and recreational activities, and • Assist with breakfast programs for school aged children.

Donate non-perishable food to a local food pantry, including:

• Pantry 5000, Longbeach Anglican Parish, phone 9772 1251 • Your Pantry, Chelsea Community Church of Christ/Careworks Programs, 3-5 Blantyre Avenue, Chelsea, phone 042337

What’s On August Thursday 1 Conversation Circle at Westall Community Hub. Every Thursday, 10am–12.30pm.

Computer Practise at Sundowner Community Centre. Every Thursday, 10.30am–12.30pm.

Friday 2 Spin Group at Sundowner Community Centre. Every Friday, 11am–2pm.

Get between the pages - Book group Chelsea Activity Hub. First Friday of every month, 1–3pm.

Saturday 3

Wednesday 7

Monday 26

Connect Group at Westall Community Hub. Every Wednesday, 10am–12pm.

= Ordinary Council Metting

Thursday 8 Cheltenham Library 2.30pm - 3.30pm Have questions about the NBN and how it affects you?

Come to this free information session by staff from the National Broadband Network Co. Bookings required, c 1300 135 668.

Saturday 10 Three Birds One Cock workshop - Kingston Arts Centre, from 10am. Details, kingstonarts.com.au

Monday 19

no bookings required

Eco Living - Inspiration & tips followed by a practical session making beeswax wraps, facilitated by CERES. Register at ourplace@ kingston.vic.gov.au or phone Deb Wilson on 9581 4713.

Mentone Library - 11am An Author for all Seasons with Alison Knight, free, bookings required, c 9583 8494.

September

Movie Monday at Sundowner Community Centre. Every Monday, 11.30am–1.30pm.

Community Kitchen at Westall Community Hub, every Monday 10am–12.30pm.

Bookings required, phone Central Bayside Community Health Services on 9782 7633.

Tuesday 6 Eco Living - Inspiration & tips followed by a practical session making beeswax wraps, facilitated by CERES. Register at ourplace@ kingston.vic.gov.au or by phoning Deb Wilson on 9581 4713.

Power Bar Class at Westall Community Hub, every Wednesday, 10am–12pm.

Mentone Library 10.30am - 12pm Page turners with Elise Johnstone & Paul Karp. More details, c 1300 135 668.

Sustainable Art Practice An exhibition of wearable art and sculptural pieces created by artists and workshop participants. Kingston Arts Centre, Wed 21 Aug - Sat 21 Sep - 10am. Details, kingstonarts.com.au

Thursday 22 Chelsea Library - 4pm George Ivanoff is the author of over 80 books for young people and is best known for his You Choose books. Ideal for 8-12 year olds but open to everyone. Bookings required. c 1300 135 668.

Thur 5

Craftivism for Kids - Image credit: Caroline Phillips, Save Our Reef, Mixed Media, Six Moments in Kingston Banner

Parkdale

10-11am

Sat 3

Sat 7

1-2pm

Tue 13

Tue 10

Monday 16

Dingley Village

10-11am

Wed 14

Wed 11

Chelsea

5-6pm

Thur 8

Thur 12

Clarinda

10-11am

Sat 10

Sat 14

1-2pm

Tue 20

Tue 17

10-11am

Wed 21

Wed 18

Parkdale

5-6pm

Thur 15

Thur 19

Parkdale

10-11am

Sat 17

Sat 21

Chelsea

10-11am

Wed 28

Wed 25

Westall

5-6pm

Thur 22

Thur 26

= Week 2 of hard rubbish

collections - More information at kingston.vic.gov.au/waste

Wednesday 18

starts in Oakleigh South see opposite page for details.

Saturday 21 Kingston Sea Shanties with Fred Smith & KSS Choir Kingston Arts Centre, 7.30pm Renowned Australian singersongwriter Fred Smith brings his unique talent to Kingston, backed by the 80-strong Kingston Sea Shanties Choir and his four-piece band.

Details, kingstonarts.com.au

Monday 9

= Week 1 of hard rubbish

collections - More information at kingston.vic.gov.au/waste

Saturday 14 Craftivism for Kids Kingston Arts Centre, 1pm - 2pm & 3pm - 4pm Two one-hour craft & activism workshops as part of the public program accompanying the ‘Crafting Resistance: Six Moments In Kingston’ exhibition. Suited to children aged 8-15 years.

Environment Friends Groups Across Kingston, teams of dedicated volunteers help to protect and preserve Kingston’s beautiful natural environment.

Join in at a park near you for an enjoyable day out in the great outdoors meeting people in your community while helping make a positive difference to the environment.

Thur 1

= Street tree pruning

Wednesday 21

Here are just a few: Friends of Kingston Heath Reserve New members are welcome, working bees are held on Sundays from 10am – 12pm. Phone Ruth, 9583 5959.

Friends of Mordialloc Catchment New members are welcome to help conserve valuable local native bush.

Phone Nina Earl, 9587 9448.

Friends of Rowan Woodland Volunteer with this group to maintain and improve the Rowan Woodland.

Meet at the reserve entrance for a Saturday morning in the outdoors.

Phone Bev, 9551 4578.

SEP

5-6pm

Thursday 19

Gentle Exercise at Carrum Activity Hub, every Monday, 10–11am.

AUG

Mentone

Mentone Library 10.30am - 12pm Page turners with Elise Johnstone & Paul Karp. More details, c 1300 135 668.

Saturday 7

in Clarinda see opposite page for details

Monday 5

KINGSTON VENUES

Saturday 31

= Street tree pruning starts

Eco Living - Inspiration & tips followed by a practical session making beeswax wraps, facilitated by CERES. Register at ourplace@ kingston.vic.gov.au or phone Deb Wilson on 9581 4713.

AUG / SEP immunisation schedule

7pm, 1230 Nepean Hwy, Cheltenham or stream online at kingston.vic.gov.au

Mentone Library - 11am An author for all seasons with Natalie Vujovich. Bookings required, c 1300 135 668.

Monday 23

= Ordinary Council Metting

7pm, 1230 Nepean Hwy, Cheltenham or stream online at kingston.vic.gov.au

= Week 3 of hard rubbish

collections - More information at kingston.vic.gov.au/waste

Cheltenham

Edithvale Moorabbin

kingston.vic.gov.au/immunisation

LIST youR EVENT HERE! Community groups are invited to promote their events, workshops, markets and training sessions here!

Jump online and add your event to our calendar at kingston.vic.gov.au/KYCcalendar Listing allocations are at the discretion of the City of Kingston Communications Team. No display ads permitted.

Wednesday 25 Kaput A multi-awardwinning family show that has melted hearts around the world with its glorious brand of slapstick, acrobatics and total silliness. Shirley Burke Theatre, 2pm.

free ADVERtiSE

HERE!

Monday 30

= Week 4 of hard rubbish

collections - More information at kingston.vic.gov.au/waste

Friends of Aspendale Foreshore Volunteer on the Foreshore at Aspendale for two hours on the first Saturday of each month except mid-summer. Phone Peter & Margie, 0407508924 Friends of the Grange The ‘Friends’ group meets every second Saturday of the month 9am -12noon (between February and November). Phone Berry, 0437 118 391 Friends of Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands An active group that work to educate the community about wetlands and have a range of volunteer opportunities available. Phone Margaret, 9587 0786.

My Community Life provides locals with a ‘one stop shop’ for all groups, activities, events and volunteer opportunities within the municipality. For more information and events go to mycommunitylife.com.au

Kingston Libraries

Street Street tree tree pruning pruning notification

read, live, learn, collaborate, experience! library.kingston.vic.gov.au

kingstonlibraries.net

1300 135 668

We will undertake street tree pruning in your area in the coming weeks* The City of Kingston undertakes a two-year cyclic pruning program to maintain Kingston’s street trees to manage tree health and reduce risks associated with street trees.

NBN Information Session

Street tree pruning aims to: • provide clear access along footpaths, nature strips and roadways • retain the shape and character of street trees and streetscape • maintain sight lines for pedestrians and motorists including visibility of street signs, street lights, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings • remove dead, dying and dangerous or safety hazardous trees • maintain a clearance space around power and service lines as specified in the Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Regulations 2015.

Have questions about the NBN and how it affects you? Come to this free information session by staff from the National Broadband Network Co, who will answer queries about the rollout of the NBN network, how it will connect to your property, and what to expect. Bookings required

When pruning occurs we will arrange for all prunings to be collected.

For information see kingston.vic.gov.au/streettree or call 1300 653 356.

Cheltenham Library Thursday 8 August 2.30pm - 3.30pm

If you don’t have any trees on your nature strip you can request Council to plant new street tree/s. For more information and to book see kingston.vic.gov.au/request or call 1300 653 356.

Tree branch and pruning collection

If you wish to undertake pruning of trees on your property Council offers a free pick-up service for tree branches and prunings. For more information and to book see kingston.vic.gov.au/request or call 1300 653 356.

Free Reservations

George Ivanoff is the author of over 80 books for young people and is best known for his You Choose books, a series of interactive books where the reader gets to make key decisions about how the story progresses. Ideal for 8-12 year olds.

Bookings required.

Chelsea Library Thursday 22 August 4pm

Other services to consider Tree planting requests

Meet Author: George Ivanoff

All reservations, or holds, for items at Kingston Libraries are now free!

Whether you are placing a hold on an item over the phone, in person, or online; whether its currently out to someone or sitting on a shelf at one of Kingston’s branches – there is no charge to place an item on hold. You can easily look up the library catalogue at kingston.vic. gov.au/library to check an item and place a hold, using your library card number and pin number.

Bookings essential for all events Check out our other activities listed in the calendar (left).

Further information at library.kingston.vic.gov.au or 1300 135 668

Kingston Libraries Chelsea: 1 Chelsea Rd Clarinda: 58A Viney St Highett: 310 Highett Rd Parkdale: 96 Parkers Rd Westall: 35 Fairbank Rd

Cheltenham: 12 Stanley Ave Dingley Village Neighbourhood House: 31B Marcus Rd Moorabbin: Shop 5, 1 Taylor St Patterson Lakes: 54 Thompson Rd

1300 653 356

Refugee Week 2019 131 450 kingston.vic.gov.au

Kingston’s Language Line

CityOfKingston KingstonCC

TIS National

This June, the City of Kingston, OurPlace, Westall Secondary College andin your Westall School joined * We will undertake street tree pruning area at least Primary 14 days, but no more than 60 days, prior to the planned day that pruning or removal is to occur. together with the Westall Connect group in the celebration of the Refugee Week Event.

Approximately 250 students and families attended the event at the Westall Hub to listen to the heartfelt speech and performance from our resilient speaker Fablice Manirakiza who has made an incredible impact since his arrival in Australia in 2007.

Fablice was a child soldier in war-torn Burundi who escaped and survived refugee camps in Tanzania (Lukole), then came to Australia as a refugee.

Fablice completed his secondary education at Westall Secondary College before going on to further study. He is an exceptional leader, speaker and a musician who raps.

Culture that captures the imagination

Theatre, Music, Film, Visual Arts, Public Programs, Creative Development

Fablice inspired the students by engaging them to sing and dance with him using his story through songs and storytelling.

The event included afternoon tea supplied by Leanne Reid Hospitality Coordinator and her Hospitality students.

Kingston City Council is committed to supporting migrants and refugees to have a positive settlement experience in our municipality.

In December 2018, Kingston Council voted to support and lobby the Australian Government for an expanded and improved Community Sponsorship Program.

My Brilliant Divorce

Craftivism for Kids

OptiKA 2019

Tuesday 22 October, 1pm & 8pm

Saturday 14 September

Tickets Full $45 | Conc. / Seniors $35 |

1pm–2pm & 3pm-4pm

Entries now open and close Tuesday 15 October Exhibition 5 December 2019 – 4 January 2020

Tickets - free

Group 6+ $40

Tickets $25 Full | $15 Conc.

A huge hit when it first opened in the West End in London, My Brilliant Divorce has been lauded as a cathartic look at one of the most emotionally fraught experiences anyone endures. It has now been produced in 28 countries, a testament to its brave, truthful and yet humorous angle on something that happens in Australia 132 times every day.

Bookings

Around the globe, young activists are calling on world leaders to respond to the issue of climate change. Join the fight! Artist, activist and curator, Tal Fitzpatrick will host two one-hour craft + activism workshops as part of the public program accompanying the ‘Crafting Resistance: Six Moments In Kingston’ exhibition.

Suited to children aged 8-15 years, workshops will see participants create mini protest banners about the climate crisis using new and reclaimed paper and craft items.

Image credit: Caroline Phillips, Save Our Reef, Mixed Media, Six Moments in Kingston Banner

9556 4440

Building on the success of last year’s award, OptiKA invites photographers and video makers to capture images of Kingston that respond to the creative theme of ‘time’. Please visit kingstonarts. com.au for full entry details and the announcement of this year’s curatorial committee. In celebration of OptiKA’s 10-year anniversary, the award has evolved with its audience and participants and, for the first time, will feature a video entry category.

kingstonarts.com.au

Kingston Arts Centre (G1 and G2) 979 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin Shirley Burke Theatre (G3) 64 Parkers Rd, Parkdale Kingston City Hall 985 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin

ed Council was delight u yo k an to put on a th on als event for Me Wheels volunteers in June, with an acknowledgement of ice some of the long-serv rs, tee provided by volun , including Bev Smith for red tee lun who has vo 52 years.

lic art exhibition which In May, Kingston Arts ran a pub down memory lane, took attendees on a literal trip ’s memorable historical with a bus tour of six of the City moments.

On Saturday 6 July, Kingston Councillors were delighted to attend the Derrimut Weelam Gathering Place flag-raising ceremony for NAIDOC Week 2019 – an important annual event to celebrate Traditional Owners.

were delighted to In June, the Kingston Active team tion Victoria Industry attend the Aquatics and Recrea nominated under Awards. The City of Kingston was r. the category of Facility of the Yea

The Kingston Charitable Fund has donated almost $60,000 in grants to community projects in 2019.