Casey Catch Up - Autumn 2022

AUTUMN 2022

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COUNCIL’S ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN FOR BETTER TRANSPORT, ROADS AND CONNECTION ACROSS CASEY

EXCLUSIVE - ARCHIBALD PRIZE 2022 COMES TO BUNJIL PLACE GALLERY

Guy Warren with Peter Wegner’s Portrait of Guy Warren at 100, winner of the Archibald Prize 2021, at the announcement. Photo © AGNSW, Mim Stirling

Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art award, the Archibald Prize, is coming to Casey in 2022.

The Bunjil Place Gallery has been named by the Art Gallery of New South Wales as the sole Victorian host venue for the Archibald Prize 2022 regional tour.

The Gallery will host the prestigious prize for portraiture, which has been running for over 100 years, from 3 September to 16 October, bringing tens of thousands of visitors to Narre Warren and surrounds.

The Archibald Prize 2022 exhibition will be supported by an immersive program of events, workshops, education events and experiences, including a series of activations in the stunning outdoor plaza space.

Recognised as Australia’s favourite and most significant art award, the annual Archibald Prize is eagerly anticipated by artists and audiences alike. Judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW, the prize is awarded to the best portrait painting.

Since 1921 it has highlighted figures from all walks of life, from famous faces to local heroes, reflecting back to us the stories of our times. This touring exhibition is an opportunity to see the finalists in the Archibald Prize 2022.

Finalists are displayed in an exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW before commencing a regional tour of Victoria and New South Wales. The first stop on the regional tour will be Bunjil Place Gallery, opening just six days after the initial display in Sydney.

Bunjil Place is one of Victoria’s newest cultural spaces and the City of Casey’s treasured entertainment precinct. The name and striking architectural design of the space is inspired by stories of Bunjil, the ‘creator’ from our First Nation’s People.

Bunjil Place is a meeting hub for the cultural community featuring a uniquely designed outdoor plaza, library, theatre and the stunning Gallery in which the Archibald Prize 2022 will be displayed.

To sign up for the waitlist and for further information visit bunjilplace.com.au The Archibald Prize 2022 is presented by the Art Gallery of NSW and represents Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art award to be shown exclusively in Victoria at Bunjil Place.

An Art Gallery of New South Wales Touring Exhibition.

Presented by ANZ.

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CONNECTING CASEY TO PEOPLE, PLACES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Launching the Connecting Casey campaign were Casey Administrator Cameron Boardman, Casey CEO Glenn Patterson, residents Maggie Ma and Ulfat Sifatullah, Casey’s Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM, Casey Administrator Miguel Belmar and resident Alfie Tilan.

The City of Casey is advocating for better road and rail infrastructure and improved digital connectivity for businesses and residents in the lead up to the Federal Election.

City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM said Council is seeking support and funding for a range of projects and initiatives that are based on community feedback and Council’s planning, to meet the needs of our growing city.

– Clyde Rail Link – we’re seeking a commitment to construct the much-needed duplicated metro rail extension from Cranbourne to Clyde, including new stations at Cranbourne, Cranbourne East, Casey Fields and Clyde.

“Our city’s big population needs big investment,” Ms Duff said.

– Thompsons Road upgrade and extension – we’re partnering with Cardinia Shire Council to call for the upgrade and extension of Thompsons Road from Berwick-Cranbourne Road in Clyde to Koo Wee Rup Road, Pakenham, to unlock thousands of potential jobs for the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire.

“As one of Australia’s fastest growing municipalities, we are home to more than 380,000 residents and this number is expected to grow to beyond 549,000 people by 2041 – which will see Casey’s population rival that of Canberra.

“That’s why it’s so important that we continue to advocate for critical projects and services that will benefit our community now, and well into the future.”

Ms Duff said that in the lead up to the Federal election, Council would be focused on raising the profile of the City of Casey and the projects and services our community needs to thrive.

“Through our advocacy, Council hopes to generate support from the Australian Government and Federal Opposition for our priorities which include improving the transport network, enhancing access to jobs, delivering critical infrastructure and supporting a vibrant and sustainable city.”

Key projects Council is seeking support for in the lead up to the Federal and State elections this year include: – Clyde Road Corridor Upgrade – we’re advocating for a safer and upgraded Clyde Road corridor, which is the most dangerous and congested north-south connection in Casey.

– Digital connectivity – a 100-gigabit fibre connection to commercial precincts and increased mobile towers and 5G deployment in new estates is necessary to improve digital connectivity for Casey residents and businesses.

– Continued investment in local community infrastructure, youth mental health support and more.

“Our Connecting Casey campaign is a voice for advocacy and change to help ensure our community can become more connected, bold and resilient,” Ms Duff said.

“Connecting Casey aims to respond to the challenges our residents face as well as the support they will need for security, prosperity and continued growth.”

For more information, visit www.casey.vic.gov.au/advocacy and follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ connectingcasey

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Welcoming the funding announcement at Myuna Farm were Sam and Fiona from Riding for the Disabled with Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams, Member for Narre Warren North Luke Donnellan, Minister Shaun Leane, Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM, Casey Administrator Miguel Belmar and Member for Narre Warren South Gary Maas.

FUNDING BOOST TO BENEFIT KEY CASEY PROJECTS Four key community projects have received a welcomed funding boost of more than $3.2 million as part of the Victorian Government’s 2021/22 Growing Suburbs Fund (GSF).

Projects at Myuna Farm, Ray Bastin Reserve, Tooradin Public Hall and Gwendoline Children’s Centre will each receive funding for much-needed upgrades that will provide great benefits to the local community for years to come.

Myuna Farm, Doveton, Pavilion improvements $351,105 (GSF grant) Myuna Farm’s pavilion will be upgraded to provide access for all abilities. This will allow all our community, including people living with disability, access to improved amenities, a spectator viewing area, and a meeting space.

Ray Bastin Reserve, Narre Warren, redevelopment $1.6 million (GSF grant), $1.495 million (Council) To meet the needs of Casey’s growing community, many aspects of the reserve are due to be replaced or revitalised.

The playground redevelopment focuses on adventure, sensory and nature play, and replacement of the liberty swing with alternate all-abilities play equipment.

Tooradin Public Hall upgrade $350,000 (GSF grant), $350,000 (Council) The Tooradin Public Hall will be upgraded to improve accessibility and ensure it meets the needs of the current and future community. The upgrade respects the heritage of the hall while providing amenities and access for everyone.

Gwendoline Children’s Centre, Berwick, upgrade $926,000 (GSF grant), $850,030 (Council) The Gwendoline Children’s Centre will be upgraded to better support the delivery of essential services including kindergarten, Maternal and Child Health and community meeting spaces.

Myuna Farm Pavilion’s construction will begin later this year, while construction at Ray Bastin Reserve will start January 2023.

Design work for Tooradin Public Hall upgrades will begin later this year and construction will start in 2023. Gwendoline Children’s Centre upgrade will commence by late 2022, with works expected to be completed by mid-2023.

ENDEAVOUR HILLS LIBRARY SET FOR $90,000 RENOVATION Major renovations of the Endeavour Hills Library are set to begin in June thanks to a $54,000 funding boost from the Victorian Government’s 2021/22 Living Libraries Infrastructure grants program.

With Council contributing $36,000, the $90,000 project will include modernising the service desk and self-check station to create an accessible entrance, a new dedicated meeting room and re-purposing the floor space.

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This will not only improve the customer experience for library users, allowing greater scope and flexibility with programming, but will also provide a valuable space for local community groups as well as a quiet study and workspace, meeting multi-generational needs.

Prior to COVID-19, the Endeavour Hills Library received around 123,500 visitors each year. Work on the redevelopment is expected to be completed by December 2022.

SUPPORTING CASEY’S COMMUNITY LEADERS Council’s Community Leadership Program is back for a second year providing free training for people in Casey who want to build their leadership skills and learn about community engagement and local government.

First launched in 2021, the annual program aims to support Casey residents aged 18 and over, who have a desire to make a difference and engage in community life. The program aims to represent Casey’s diversity and is inclusive of all genders, age groups, abilities, cultures, sexual orientation, education and employment status.

Following the success of the first Community Leadership Program, a new group of participants have been chosen from a strong field of applicants.

While the program delivers a range of personal benefits for participants, it also benefits the communities and groups they belong to and the wider community by strengthening networks and local democracy.

Running from May until September 2022 the workshops will cover: – Leadership styles, personal and community leadership

– Communication and presentation skills

– Building community capacity, working with volunteers and local resources, and networking

– Understanding how local government works and how to contribute to the democratic process – Good Governance, decision making, project planning and goal setting.

At the conclusion of the program, graduates will have the chance to participate in ongoing networking opportunities where they can gain practical experience in leading community and Council projects.

Here’s what some of last year’s graduates said about their experience: Misaka Peeris: “I felt so privileged to be part of the program and to be in the company of such amazingly inspirational and big-hearted people with such a broad spectrum of great strengths and unique community-minded qualities.”

Sifatullah Ulfat: “It’s a great opportunity to learn about Local Government and learn how the Council operates.”

Esther Keji: “The program is very interactive, and the sessions are very informative. For me as an individual, I learnt a lot. The trainer is very engaging and gives us the confidence and room to participate.”

HAVE YOUR SAY ON COUNCIL’S DRAFT BUDGET AND COUNCIL PLAN Each year, Council prepares its draft Budget, setting out the plan for how we will fund services, infrastructure and initiatives that are detailed in the Councill Plan.

At the time of going to print, the 2022/23 Draft Budget, Annual Action Plan, Council Plan Year 2 review, Financial Plan and Capital Works Plan were scheduled to go to the Council Meeting on Tuesday 19 April to seek endorsement to place them on public exhibition.

Our Vision and Council Plan were developed based on the feedback and insights we received via Council’s largest ever community consultation campaign, Shape Your City, which resulted in feedback from more than 6,000 participants.

From 20 April to 18 May, the community is invited to provide feedback on the current suite of documents.

For more information or to make a submission, please visit Council’s Casey Conversations page at conversations.casey.vic.gov.au

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QUICK RESPONSE GRANTS SUPPORTING CASEY THROUGH COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for the community sector who work hard to support Casey’s most vulnerable residents. During this time, Council provided significant support to community organisations through its Quick Response grants program.

This included funding distributed to community service organisations and emergency food relief providers, with grants of up to $5,000 to support COVID-19 related services, programs and initiatives.

More than $210,000 in COVID-19 Quick Response grants were awarded between 44 organisations in the grant round of September 2021 to February 2022. In recognition of pressing community needs, approvals were fast-tracked so that most applicants received their grant within seven to 10 days of submitting their application.

Read some of the success stories below to see how this funding supported the work of local organisations.

Relationships Australia Victoria

Relationships Australia Victoria representative, Jackie Blake said the grant helped them buy ipads to loan to participants in their Men’s Behaviour Change Program.

“Being able to continue to participate in groups during lockdown was important,” said Jackie.

“Phones were not easy to use with Zoom, and some of the men…didn’t have access to the technology needed to safely participate in our program. Receiving this grant really enabled these men to continue being connected and engaged with our programs, and also for us to maintain the safety of women and children who are accessing the program.”

Peninsula Community Legal Centre

Jackie Galloway of the Peninsula Community Legal Centre said that the grants helped them support residents in rooming houses with healthcare packages.

“Many of our rooming house residents have chronic health conditions and are regularly in financial hardship, often unable to afford the basic necessities,” said Jackie.

“With the assistance of the quick response grants, we were able to provide health packs to our residents including sheets, towels, grocery vouchers, and personal hygiene products.”

L’arte Central

Anthony Cheeseman from L’arte Central said their grant allowed them to give more NDIS participant hours to make and produce chef-prepared meals.

“We actually added five participants into our program to specifically do these meals. We Care Community Services located in Lynbrook distributed the meals to people that they know are challenged in this time,” said Anthony.

Mums Supporting Families In Need (MSFIN)

Donna Cartwright from MSFIN said the funding enabled them to support families in crisis throughout the pandemic.

“We were able to provide families in the City of Casey with food, clothing, toiletries, and everyday material aid—as well as Christmas presents. These families would otherwise have gone without, if we weren‘t able to support them.”

The full range of application types for the COVID-19 Quick Response Grants included emergency relied (food, meals, vouchers, and deliveries), hygiene and care packages, mental health support and education, case work and counselling hours, health and wellbeing programs, COVID-19 and vaccination awareness programs for CALD communities, COVIDSafe practise workshops, volunteer training, resources and support, technology and equipment to support programs.

CASEY SIGNS AGE FRIENDLY VICTORIA DECLARATION The City of Casey has taken another step towards its goal of becoming an age-friendly city, signing the Victorian Government and Municipal Association of Victoria’s Age-Friendly Victoria Declaration.

The Victorian approach to age-friendly communities, informed by the World Health Organisation’s Age-Friendly Cities framework, encourages councils to consider senior people’s needs and their voices in planning, policies and actions.

By signing the declaration, Council is cementing its commitment to ensuring the needs of aged residents, and people living with a disability, are considered across 6 CASEY.VIC.GOV.AU

all areas of Council planning, which might include improved access to transport, facility planning and social participation.

This approach goes beyond the traditional ways of delivering services, and will mean that all Council departments will work in partnership to ensure future planning benefits the greatest number of residents.

Official opening of the new pitch at Casey Fields.

NEW PITCH FOR FOOTBALL EXCELLENCE A new elite training pitch was recently opened at Casey Fields, marking another important milestone in the partnership between the City of Casey and Melbourne City Football Club (MCFC).

MCFC City announced in December 2020 that it was shifting the club’s entire operations to south-east Melbourne over the course of 2021. Since beginning the 2021/22 pre-season training last August, the team has been training on the existing turf pitch at the Casey Fields Football Centre of Excellence.

The opening of the 115m x 115m “training tablet” – designed in a way in which the placement of the pitch can be frequently changed so as to aid the longevity of the grass – marks the first new piece of infrastructure to be opened since the move.

City of Casey Administrator, Miguel Belmar said the pitch opening was an exciting milestone in the historic partnership between Council and MCFC that would benefit the community not only through the delivery of valuable sporting facilities, but also opening talent pathways for young people seeking to play football.

Melbourne City FC CEO Brad Rowse said the opening of the new pitch was a visual representation of all of the hard work that has been occurring behind the scenes to make the partnership a success.

“A special thanks to Casey Council who are a fantastic partner and have a real passion for turning Casey Fields into the destination for professional sport in the South East.

“We are building a facility that belongs to everyone who is passionate about football and we want to work closely to with the local football community to develop the game in the South East.

We would love to see the kids who come down after school and play on the pitches, one day running out for Melbourne City.”

Construction on the club’s two-storey training and administration building will commence this year.

For more information on what’s happening at Casey Fields, go to www.casey.vic.gov.au/casey-fields

REMEMBER TO REGISTER YOUR PET Pet owners are reminded that registration renewals for all dogs and cats in the City of Casey are now due for 2022.

Some of the services your registration fees help Council to provide include: – help to find your pet and return it to you if it’s lost – education programs

– investigating dog attacks and puppy farms and prosecuting offending owners

Cat owners are also reminded that Under the Domestic Animals Act 1994, all cats must be confined to your premise at all times.

This not only helps keep your cat safe from injury, but also protects our native wildlife and helps reduce problem behaviours for neighbours.

For more information, visit casey.vic.gov.au/pets-animals

– more pet-friendly parks.

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