Casey Catch Up Winter 2022

WINTER 2022

INSIDE:

TIME CAPSULE OPENING AT WILSON BOTANIC PARK BERWICK SIGN UP TO THE MONTHLY DIGITAL EDITION VISIT COUNCIL’S WEBSITE AND SEARCH CASEY CATCH UP

TIME CAPSULE OPENING CAPS 30TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

The area surrounding the lake at Wilson Botanic Park Berwick is a popular picnic spot.

In July this year, Wilson Botanic Park Berwick celebrated its 30th birthday with a month of special events to mark the occasion and the opening of a historic time capsule.

The event was an opportunity for past and present members of the Friends of Wilson Botanic Park group, Council staff and the local community to come together to look over the history of the park and celebrate the many great features that attract visitors to the park today.

The time capsule, which had been buried at the site 25 years ago, revealed newspaper clippings about the park, a visitors book, videos, a calendar, and a packet of Acacia melanoxylon seeds.

The 39-hectare park was a former Basalt Quarry (also known as bluestone) that was founded by William Wilson in 1859 and became renowned for producing some of the highest quality basalt in the Melbourne region.

In 1973, George and Fay Wilson donated 17 hectares of land (the northern part of the park) to be retained in perpetuity as a public park and in 1985, the southern section of the park (13.34 hectares) was purchased by the City of Casey, after which planning for the park began.

Wilson Botanic Park Berwick, named in memory of the Wilson family and the area’s early pioneers, official opened in 1992 and today has more than 1,000 different plant species, with both natives and exotics and is home to more than 80 different species of birds as well as turtles, frogs, lizards and snakes.

The park annually attracts around 600,000 visitors who come to enjoy the walking tracks, picnic areas

and barbecue facilities, the birdhide on the edge of the basalt lake, playground, plus regular activities and special events held throughout the year.

Wilson Botanic Park Berwick is located at 668 Princes Highway, Berwick.

Council’s Janet Reid opens the time capsule with the park’s first superintendent, Lex Nieboer.

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CASEY CATCH UP

Need timely updates on all things City of Casey? Good news!

You can get 'Casey Catch Up', our monthly email newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Subscribe now and: – Get all the latest on local events, sport and entertainment – Find out about Council-run programs and services To subscribe, visit casey.vic.gov.au/catchup

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CASEY SAFETY VILLAGE REOPENS TO THE COMMUNITY

The revitalised Casey Safety Village.

The Casey Safety Village in Cranbourne East has been transformed into a welcoming and accessible open space for the community to enjoy, complete with a miniature road circuit for children to play on their bikes, scooters or skates.

Previously run as an education centre for school children and groups, the facility closed in 2020 during the pandemic.

With the assistance of a Victorian Government grant, the site has been reinvigorated and is now permanently open for the wider community.

The works included:

– removal of the existing buildings – lowering of the perimeter fence

– landscape works, including new grass, trees, shrubs and concrete surfaces – the installation of new seating.

The existing miniature road circuit has been retained, providing a unique experience for children and there are also barbecue facilities for families to enjoy when visiting the site.

Located in the Casey Complex and adjacent to the Casey Stadium, Casey RACE and The Shed, there is plenty of parking for families nearby.

The project was allocated $70,720 in Council’s 2020/21 Budget and received $70,720 through the Park Revitalisation Program, which is administered by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning on behalf of the State Government.

WALK AND RIDE AROUND CASEY Calling all ramblers and riders!

We’ve created an interactive map to make it even easier to find the things you need when getting around Casey on foot or by bike.

The “Walk and Ride” interactive paths and trails map makes it easy to discover useful things like playgrounds, dog parks, public toilets, equestrian trails, barbecues, drinking taps and more.

Delivering on our Walk & Ride in Casey Strategy, this easy-to-use map creates an opportunity for improved health, wellbeing and liveability for our residents and visitors by providing a navigation tool to connect you to the entire path network.

Explore the map now on the Casey website.

The miniature road circuit is a great feature for young riders, scooters and skaters.

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2022/23 COUNCIL BUDGET The City of Casey has adopted its Annual Action Plan 2022/23 and Budget 2022/23 as part of a suite of strategic documents that outline how Council will invest in the city’s future while connecting its communities.

This year’s budget totals $558.64 million, with a $433.19 million operational budget and a $125.45 million Capital Works Program. This includes a major focus on the allocation of funds towards completing a significant number of in-flight capital works projects, in line with existing planning arrangements.

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS $42 million

towards child, youth and family services

$51 million

towards waste management

$22 million

towards community connections and health and wellbeing

$19 million

towards road maintenance

2022/23 BUDGET COMMUNITY PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS: NEW PROJECTS

BERWICK $1.8M

Gwendoline Children’s Centre renewal

DOVETON $207,000

$12 million

$12 million

$15 million

$11 million

towards sports and leisure

towards arts and culture

towards parks and open spaces

towards building and planning

ONGOING PROJECTS

CLYDE NORTH $2.4M

Clyde Road and Hardys Road intersection upgrade

CLYDE NORTH $4.7M

Development of Clyde North Family and Community Centre

CLYDE $3.5M

Playground renewal

Development of Clyde Family and Community Centre

CRANBOURNE EAST

CRANBOURNE EAST

$3.3M

Casey Fields ovals 4 and 5 pavilion upgrade

$5.7M

Casey Fields regional soccer development Stage 2

CRANBOURNE WEST

CRANBOURNE EAST

Lochaven Sports and Recreational Reserve development

Ballarto Road and South Gippsland Highway intersection upgrade

$2M

$2.4M

PEARCEDALE

TOORADIN

Building renewal of Pearcedale Sports and Recreational Reserve pavilion

Tooradin Public Hall building renewal

$2.1M

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$497,000

This year’s Community Leadership Program participants with Council staff.

SUPPORTING CASEY’S CURRENT AND FUTURE LEADERS Council’s Community Leadership Program is back for a second year.

The program is providing free training for 30 new, emerging and existing community leaders in Casey who want to build their leadership skills and learn about community engagement and local government.

– Understanding how local government works and how to contribute to the democratic process

First launched in 2021, the annual program aims to support Casey residents aged 18 and over of all ages, genders, cultures, linguistic backgrounds, education and employment status, who have a desire to make a difference and engage in community life.

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

From May until September, participants are taking part in both online and face-to-face workshops, with topics covering: – Leadership styles, personal and community leadership – Communication and presentation skills

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

– Good Governance, decision making, project planning and goal setting.

This was the case for last year’s graduates, who came together recently to hear from guest speakers George Halkias from the Melbourne City Football Club, who spoke about the importance of sport, community, connections and his work with the Homeless World Cup, and Angela Bonus, a young woman with a disability, who spoke about her advocacy for people with a disability, inclusion and the NDIS. That was the second of three events this group is taking part in this year. The 2022 participants will join them in similar networking opportunities following their graduation.

NEW HOME FOR THE BALLA BALLA COMMUNITY CENTRE The Balla Balla Community Centre (BBCC) will relocate to the existing Selandra Community Hub in Clyde North from January 2023 as works commence on the new Cranbourne community hospital, to be located at the current home of the BBCC. Since the announcement in 2021 that the Casey Complex was the preferred site for the hospital, which is due to start construction later this year, Council has been working in partnership with BBCC to identify their future home.

By merging the long-established BBCC with a new and establishing community such as Selandra, it is hoped that each will be able to learn from the other so both communities can thrive.

Both centres will be working together to design a smooth transition and amalgamate the two organisations for the community, hirers and members.

Programs and services will continue to operate as normal for both centres for the remainder of 2022.

Following the merge, the Selandra Community Hub will be renamed to Balla Balla Community Centre.

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION TO BETTER CONNECT CASEY We know our community wants to see improvements to infrastructure and services across the city.

Casey residents are invited to join Council in calling for a commitment to the projects and services you need and deserve in the lead up to the State election this November.

Our Connecting Casey advocacy campaign is asking the Victorian Government to invest in key projects our residents need, including: – Clyde Road Corridor Upgrade – Clyde Rail Link – Thompsons Road Upgrade and Extension – Digital connectivity improvements and more.

Join the conversation and share your experiences with us, and together we can raise the profile of what our community needs.

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/connectingcasey Learn more: www.casey.vic.gov.au/advocacy

YOUR VOICE SHAPES CASEY’S FUTURE Did you know the City of Casey has an online hub where our community can have their say on the projects, initiatives and matters that are important to them?

Casey Conversations is our dedicated consultation space which invites feedback, ideas and expressions of interest on a range of topics to ensure our community has input into the programs, projects and services we deliver.

We know the importance of putting our community at the heart of everything we do and ensuring our residents have an opportunity to be heard.

Using the Casey Conversations platform, we undertake community engagement on everything from the types of programs residents want to see at our new family and community centres to finding out the priorities and ideas 6 CASEY.VIC.GOV.AU

of our community when preparing strategic documents.

Some of the projects we’ve engaged on recently include the Doveton Pool in the Park master plan, the Circular Economy Living Lab, playground refurbishments, changes to governance rules and the boundary realignment between Cranbourne East and Clyde.

Thousands of people every year join in the conversations that matter them, and you can too.

To get involved, register at conversations.casey.vic.gov.au

IN BRIEF LIGHTING AND SAFETY UPGRADES IN DOVETON Doveton’s Linden Place and Aboriginal Gathering Place have received improved lighting, safety railings, an upgraded basketball space and two murals featuring artwork by Ian Harrison, which Council was able to undertake thanks to a $87,000 grant from the Victorian Government’s Public Safety Infrastructure Fund.

This follows on from works completed by Council in the 2019/20 financial year, which saw $180,000 allocated to revitalise the shopping strip with improved lighting, street furniture, resurfacing and widening of the footpath, improving the carpark at Linden Place and installation of a toilet.

NEW ACCESSIBLE PATH AT 1001 STEPS Construction has begun on a new accessible path at the popular 1001 steps in Bayview Park, Narre Warren North, made possible thanks to $1.2 million funding from the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program.

The path, from the carpark area through to the top main viewing point, will be fully accessible to users of all ages and physical abilities, with handrails where required and rest points with seating at regular intervals.

VOLUNTEER WITH CASEY If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to help Casey residents maintain their independence and connect them with the wider community, then why not apply to become a volunteer with our community care team.

We currently have vacancies in the following programs: – Volunteer transport – Meals service

– Community transport Training will be provided, however volunteers must be willing to commit for a minimum of six months.

More details on Council’s website.

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