Page 1 Monash Bulletin May 2024 OPEN FOR PLAY Dawn of a new era for tennis in Monash Inside this issue: Oakleigh Family Hub Pool Works Update Neighbourhood House Week National Volunteers Week Page 2 Oakleigh South Child and Family Hub officially opened There was a hub of excitement in Oakleigh South on Wednesday 27 March, as Victorian Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn MP joined Monash Mayor Cr Nicky Luo to officially open the Oakleigh South Child and Family Hub. Visitors toured the stylish new facility at 1228 North Road, taking in the naturally lit interiors, including two kindergarten rooms, three Maternal and Child Health rooms and a multipurpose room for community programs, such as playgroups, first time parent groups and the Oakleigh South Girl Guides. The Victorian Government supported this build with $3.7 million, with Council contributing $2.3 million. It is the third child and family hub in the City of Monash, with a fourth underway in Mount Waverley. Investing in these award-winning and world-class facilities forms part of Council commitment to meeting the needs of children and their families in Monash. Visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/oakleigh-south-hub BIG FIRST SERVE: tennis centre is open for action The $26.7 million Monash Tennis Centre and multisport pavilion in the Glen Waverley Sports Hub is ready for play, with the centre officially opened on Saturday 23 March. Monash Mayor Cr Nicky Luo and John Mullahy, Member for Glen Waverley, cut the ribbon to formally open this game-changing sporting venue adjacent to Glen Waverley Jells Park. With early drizzle lifting and the formalities completed, a festival-like atmosphere ensued as a large crowd enjoyed a free barbecue before taking a tour of the new facility. It was a morning of action with Hot Shots tennis for the children, fastest serve and hit the target activities, come and try pickleball, face painting and golf activities including target golf for kids, porta-putt mini-golf and a virtual hole in one. The new facility features a regional level tennis venue with 18 courts, including two show courts; a multisport pavilion for tennis and golf participants; 18-hole golf course; practice facilities; fully stocked pro-shop; car parking; a café and supporting infrastructure. Glenvale Tennis Club will join Glen Waverley Golf Club as co-users of the pavilion and upgraded facilities, and excitement is quickly building with Glenvale signing no fewer than 100 members on the Saturday. Email glenwaverleysportshub.com.au or call 9560 7806 Page 3 Message from Mayor Cr Nicky Luo I was delighted to recently cut the ribbon and officially open the Monash Tennis Centre in the Glen Waverley Sports Hub precinct near Jells Park with Member for Glen Waverley John Mullahy. This is an extraordinary facility, offering 18 synthetic tennis courts and fantastic club rooms for both tennis and golf in a beautiful setting. The work on this project has spanned several years and I thank previous Mayors Brian Little, Stuart James and Tina Samardzija and Council hardworking team who helped to deliver this outstanding project. I also acknowledge the Victorian Government through the North-East Link Project for its $21 million contribution towards this $26.7 million project, with Council contributing $5.7 million. If you have not visited the tennis centre, I encourage you to do so. It is a facility to be very proud of. This month our draft Community Safety and Amenity Local Law is out for consultation. You can read more about it in this Bulletin. This Local Law covers a number of areas including overhanging vegetation and the protection of Council assets. We are keen to hear from you by 12 May. We know how important trees are for our community, and we think that its time that the Victorian Government also heard directly from our residents on this issue. Tree loss has a negative impact on our neighbourhoods and our community health and wellbeing, and we want to increase our tree canopy cover to 30% by 2040 – but we need agreement from the Victorian Government and Minister for Planning to do this. We have done a lot of work and spoken with the Victorian Government as to why these controls are so important. They will maintain our liveability, and hopefully increase our canopy cover to 30% by 2040. We hope that the government agrees to change the planning rules for us to further protect trees and we look forward to working further with the government. You will be able to read more in a Monash Bulletin in the near future. The garden city character of Monash is highly valued by the community and is something we should champion. We will be providing information on how you can help in this campaign. Your support is critical so keep an eye out for information on how you can help keep your neighbourhood green and liveable. Please contact me anytime if you have any queries or feedback at Nicky.Luo@monash.vic.gov.au or call 0451 560 398. Keeping a lid on overflowing waste Council is hoping to make unsightly full or overflowing public space bins a thing of the past. Sensors are being installed in public space bins throughout the City of Monash in locations ranging from the shopping district of Mount Waverley to playgrounds and reserves in Glen Waverley and Clayton. Some 88 sensors have been installed to date with a further 62 devices set to be installed during April. The sensors send messages to a device management software platform which then analyses the data and determines the level of waste in each bin. If any bin is full, or approaching full, council officers can be dispatched immediately to empty it before there is any waste spillage. Capturing this data will allow our waste ecosystem to operate more efficiently by: * Only collecting bins when they are over a certain threshold and optimising collection routes between bins * Positively contributing to public satisfaction by reducing the number of overflowing bins across Monash * Optimising the placement and quantity of bins throughout our parks and public spaces * Accurately calculating waste data, including carbon emissions and savings. Some sensors in larger bins can even detect the degree to which the lid may have been left open, allowing council officers to attend the bin and close the lid before there is any spillage of waste. Learn more about our various Smart City projects: www.monash.vic.gov.au/smart-cities-transition Page 4 Team Up For Change:Love the Game, Not the Odds We are teaming up with the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation to present a free webinar on their Love the Game program. This webinar is for anyone and everyone involved in a local sports club. It supports the work Council is already doing to reduce harms caused by gambling and to reduce young people exposure to sports betting, pokie machines and gambling advertisement and promotions. Whether you are a parent, coach, teacher, team captain or a team member, you are a role model for young people and can help show them that sports and betting do not have to go together! Bookings at: www.trybooking.com/CPDXN Ask. Listen. Believe. Event We are joining forces with the Maroondah and Knox Councils to organise a community event to promote the Are You Safe At Home? campaign - a national initiative designed to break down the fear and stigma associated with talking about family violence. DATE:9 May 2024 TIME:7.30pm-8.30pm Location:Online The event will be opened by Tania Farha (CEO, Safe and Equal) while the keynote speaker will be journalist, author and educator, Jess Hill. The focus of the session will be on unpacking coercive control, as a form of family violence. The session is free of charge. Find out more and book your ticket at https://tinyurl.com/m-ask-listen-believe Support is available: 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732, National Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Counselling Service Footy movie to mark IDAHOBIT Every year, Council acknowledges and celebrates International Day Against LGBTIQA+ Discrimination (IDAHOBIT), which takes place on 17 May and marks the anniversary of when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases in 1990. This year we are inviting Monash residents to enjoy a free film screening of the inspiring documentary Equal the Contest at Clayton Community Theatre on Wed 22 May, 6.15pm-8.30pm. The film follows the Mount Alexander Falcons Football Club, a new community AFL club created in 2021 in Victoria by – and for – women and gender diverse people. It explores the team members personal stories, the barriers that still exist for women and gender diverse people in sport, and the broader movement for gender equity and LGBTIQA+ acceptance in sport. Get your free tickets at: www.trybooking.com/CQEZD Pool Works Update As part of our maintenance of facilities, some of the pools at Monash Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Glen Waverley will be closed over the coming months. 50m outdoor pool will be closed until early June. Just 10 mins away, the Oakleigh Recreation Centre pool will remain open during this time. Wave and toddler pools will be closed until late June. Please note, the 25m and Learn to Swim pools are open. For other swim options, the Clayton Aquatic and Health Club is a 15 min drive away. We apologise for any inconvenience. Visit www.activemonash.vic.gov.au/pool-works Page 5 Celebrating our neighbourhood connections Connections matter. It is well known that people who are more connected to others have better mental and physical health. Monash 10 Neighbourhood Houses welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to come together. Neighbourhood Houses offer a space to make new friends, develop new skills, become involved in community events, volunteer and find out about other services or activities in the area. These activities are free or low-cost social, educational, recreational and support activities, such as yoga, language classes, technology, cooking and craft classes. Neighbourhood House Week (13-19 May) celebrates Neighbourhood Houses and their important role in our community. Get involved and find out what exciting programs and events lie behind the door atyour local neighbourhood house visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/nhw-2024 What is your Jan (back in 2024) Get involved in environmental volunteering! What is Your Jam? is back in 2024 to showcase the many environmental volunteering opportunities on offer through our community organisations and friends groups. Last year we had an overwhelming response with residents getting involved in one of several clean up, recycling, planting or similar events while connecting with others who share a passion for the environment. For more on what is happening this year go to our What is Your Jam? Event Calendar visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/whats-your-jam An evening with Uncle Bart Willoughby You are invited to this very special Reconciliation Week event on Wednesday 29 May with Indigenous musician Uncle Bart Willoughby. Held at Mount Waverley Community Centre from 6.30pm-8pm, experience this unique and powerful performer known for his fusion of reggae with traditional influences. As a member of the Stolen Generation, Uncle Bart music is incredibly moving and deeply rooted in personal and cultural heritage. National Reconciliation Week runs from 27 May – 3 June and encourages all of us to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives. Light refreshments provided. FREE event. Bookings at www.trybooking.com/1203682 Page 6 HAVE YOUR SAY... shape.monash.vic.gov.au ...on the Community Safety and Amenity Local Law Council Community Amenity Local Law No 3. is due to expire in February 2025, with the Monash Community Safety and Amenity Local Law set to replace it. You are invited to provide feedback on the proposed Local Law. This Local Law aims to ensure safety and amenity for all people who live, work and play in Monash. It regulates things like overhanging vegetation, footpath trading and the protection of Council assets. The new Local Law, among other changes, includes enhanced controls around waste management, behaviour on Council land and in Council buildings, and neighbourhood amenity. You can see Council proposed Local Law and provide feedback visit shape.monash.vic.gov.au/local-law-review Your feedback will be used to implement the proposed Monash Community Safety and Amenity Local Law, which will be presented to Council for adoption once consultation has closed. You can have your say by Sun 12 May 2024. ...Refreshing Monash community vision Consultation with our community is central to what we do at Monash. This can include asking locals what they want to see in an upgraded playground, working with residents to make sure Council projects are complementary to their neighbourhood, and asking people about the future use of our open space sites In the second half of the year, we will be working with our community to check in on our Imagine Monash in 2040 – Community Vision that was prepared in 2021. Our Community Vision shapes decision-making by informing key strategic documents like our Council Plan, Asset Plan, and Financial Plan. A huge amount of community work and input went into our first Community Vision, and we are keen to make sure it still reflects what is important for you to have in Monash by 2040. This will include engagement activities in the second half of 2024 and early 2025, including bringing together a panel of people that is representative of our community to review the Community Vision and provide insight into how it might be updated. If you would like to be part of this panel, complete an expression of interest at shape.monash.vic.gov.au/vision. Participants will be compensated for their time and input, and we expect the panel to meet three or four times across August and September - with a mix of online and in-person sessions. More information about the process for the refreshed Community Vision will be available soon and promoted to the community via the Monash Bulletin and our social media channels. More information about our engagement process for the refreshed Community Vision will also be available soon. Page 7 Councillor news Cr Shane McCluskey Since the last edition of the Monash Bulletin we have seen a number of projects come to fruition across the city. One I have been closely involved in and keenly following its progress is the Glen Waverley Sports Hub. I was thrilled to be part of the recent opening day. This amazing community space will provide state of the art facilities for golfers, tennis players and community members and groups. The necessary relocation of the tennis facility in Boroondara, to make way for the North East Link Project, gave rise to the opportunity for Monash to become the regional home to tennis and a much needed redevelopment of the golfing headquarters of Monash. A state government contribution of $21 million coupled with a $5.77 million injection from Council has produced the most fantastic result. Whilst it is not every day we can say this, I am delighted the project was delivered on time and on budget. Pop down and check it out and maybe even have a coffee and bite to eat at the café and take in what is a stunning outlook. Kudos to all involved in the project with special mentions to Brendan Mahon (President - Glenvale Tennis Club) and Mark Williams (President - Glen Waverley Golf Club) and their respective committees and members for their collective vision, passion and enthusiasm and nearby residents for their continued input and guidance. The Glen Waverley Sports Hub sits as an integral part of the Glen Waverley Sporting Precinct and enhances the reputation of Monash as an active and passive recreation leader. The current Council term is rapidly drawing to a close with Council elections to be held this October. It is been great to look back at initiatives and projects that I have championed and delivered in order to continuously improve the amenity of the Mulgrave Ward for residents and ratepayers as well as the broader Monash community. If you or anyone you know has an interest in joining Council, I would heartily encourage nominating for election. NEXT COUNCIL Meetings Tuesday 30 April, 7pm and Tuesday 28 May, 7pm     Monash Civic Centre, 293 Springvale Rd, Glen Waverley Access meeting agendas and watch in-person or online visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/meetings YOUR Councillors Glen Waverley Ward Cr Geoff Lake, call 0411 645 281, email Geoff.Lake@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Nicky Luo, call 0451 560 398, email Nicky.Luo@monash.vic.gov.au Mount Waverley Ward Cr Anjalee de Silva, call 0424 679 096, email Anjalee.deSilva@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Brian Little, Mayor, call 9518 3524 or 0407 878 033, email Brian.Little@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Rebecca Paterson, call 0437 959 163, email Rebecca.Paterson@monash.vic.gov.au Mulgrave Ward Cr Paul Klisaris, call 0412 516 026, email Paul.Klisaris@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Shane McCluskey, Deputy Mayor, call 0466 345 406, email Shane.McCluskey@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Tina Samardzija, call 0435 011 927, email Tina.Samardzija@monash.vic.gov.au Oakleigh Ward Cr Josh Fergeus, call 0466 465 421, email Josh.Fergeus@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Stuart James, call 0413 184 250, email Stuart.James@monash.vic.gov.au Cr Theo Zographos, call 0430 316 911, email Theo.Zographos@monash.vic.gov.au You can contact Councillors via phone or email. Letters can be mailed to PO Box 1, Glen Waverley, VIC 3150 visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/Councillors Page 8 What is on in Monash Dive into being a Swim Teacher Our aim is to help students learn essential swimming and water safety skills and gain knowledge in a fun-filled environment. Join the Active Monash team and help teach others an essential life skill! To apply email activemonash@monash.vic.gov.au or visit www.activemonash.vic.gov.au/swim-teachers The Man Who Invented Vegemite Monday 29 April, 11am-12pm Hear the true story of Cyril Callister, the man who invented what would become Australia's most beloved consumer product, along with the story of its rocky road to acceptance. Presented by Cyril grandson, Jamie Callister.Held online via Zoom. Bookings at www.trybooking.com/CMAUH LEST WE FORGET   Reflect and pay your respects to Australians who served and died in war and operational service. Services to commemorate Anzac Day will be held at Glen Waverley, Clayton and Oakleigh, and are organised by local Returned Services League (RSL) branches. Visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/anzac-day Tuning in to kids  Tuning in to Kids is a 6-session program for parents of children aged 4-10 years old, and shows you how to help your child develop emotional intelligence. When: Thursdays, 2 May - 6 June (10am-12pm) Address is Wellington Hub Child and Family Centre, 55 Shaftsbury Drive, Mulgrave To register email FamilyServices@monash.vic.gov.au Visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/tuning-in-to-kids Contact us Monash Civic Centre, 293 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley 8.30am-5pm, Monday to Friday Oakleigh Service Centre, 3 Atherton Road, Oakleigh 8.30am-5pm, Monday to Friday Call 9518 3555, email mail@monash.vic.gov.au, visit www.monash.vic.gov.au National Relay Service (for the hearing and speech impaired) phone 1800 555 660 We welcome your feedback at media@monash.vic.gov.au Copyright © 2024 Monash City Council. All Rights Reserved; reproduction in any form will require Council written approval. Monash Council acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land that makes up Monash, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong People, and recognises their continuing connection to the land and waterways. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging and extend this to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Information in the May Bulletin 2024 is current at the time of going to print on 8 April 2024. Snap Send Solve is a great app to report through to us what needs fixing visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/snap-send-solve