Council is proud to release the Disability Action Plan 2023.

The plan guides Council’s work as it continues to build an inclusive, accessible and equitable community.

It was developed in consultation with the community in 2022 and its actions reflect the feedback we received.

There are four key actions out of the plan:

▪ Access to The Built Environment.

▪ Access to Employment Education and Training.

▪ Access to Services and Programs.

▪ Access to Information.

Read it online at www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/ whitehorse-news whitehorse-disability-action-plan

Council is working to ensure all community members have equitable access to the services and resources available in the community.

Artspace celebrates 25 years of bringing noteworthy art to the people of Whitehorse

Artspace Gallery is proud to present Twenty Five, a retrospective of the finest pieces from its substantial Art Collection. The April-May 2023 exhibition features carefully curated pieces to celebrate 25 years of noteworthy artworks made accessible to the public.

Box Hill has a significant place in Australian art history: before Heidelberg, there was Box Hill. In the 1880s artists including Streeton, Roberts and McCubbin – among early Melbourne’s most well-known painters – set up camp in Box Hill, igniting what is now recognised as the birthplace of Australian impressionism. They chased the light at Blackburn Lake and absorbed the bush at Houston’s farm, capturing the essence of this place on canvas. Many years on, major galleries have since collected their works, but they’re not the only ones. At Artspace you can find artworks by these significant artists – and many others – acquired over decades, on behalf of its community.

Open until the end of May, the exhibition contains historically important pieces and notable contemporary works. Highlights include paintings from well-known Australian and international artists, such as Frederick McCubbin’s Box Hill Railway Station, Louis Buvelot’s The Big Tree, Gardiners Creek, and The Harvest Field by Emanuel Phillips Fox. There are many more remarkable pieces to absorb in this intimate gallery space – you’ll see works from Clara Southern, Tom Roberts, Norah Gurdon, Lenton Parr and Arthur Streeton, among others.

Curator Jacquie Nichols-Reeves knows the stories of these acquisitions. She shares the fascinating background of McCubbin’s Box Hill Railway Station: “A small, sketchy oil, this work was possibly painted in less than an hour while McCubbin waited to catch the train at Box Hill. It was gifted to the former City of Box Hill around 1950 by McCubbin’s son, Louis McCubbin –[himself] a painter and gallery owner.” There are many stories behind the Artspace collection, and you can hear them at the gallery’s free curator talks on Thursday afternoons for the duration of the exhibition.

Mayor of Whitehorse City Council Cr Mark Lane says he is “proud of our commitment to making art accessible to the community. This exhibition highlights the rich history of Whitehorse and creative spirit that has always existed in the area.

“Twenty Five provides a chance to see a real piece of Whitehorse art history. Take advantage of this incredible opportunity and see the exhibition before it closes on Saturday 27 May.”

Visit the gallery during open hours to view this exceptional collection.

What: TWENTY FIVE exhibition

Where: Artspace Gallery, Box Hill Town Hall

Dates: Open now until Saturday 27 May

Email: artspace@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Phone: 9262 6250

Find out more at www.boxhilltownhall.com.au/ twenty-five-first-25-years-artspace

Book your next performance or event at The Round

Council is proud to announce the new performing arts centre, The Round, is now open for expressions of interest for theatre and functions bookings.

This landmark development has been a highly anticipated project for our community and the announcement is a major milestone in its journey. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and facilities, The Round promises to deliver high-quality and inspiring performances for our community. The venue has been designed to support the performing arts and provide a vibrant cultural hub for the City of Whitehorse and broader Melbourne community.

“We are passionate about supporting the arts, particularly after a difficult few years. The Round will create opportunities for a whole range of new creatives to showcase their work” said Shayne Price, Manager Arts & Cultural Services for Whitehorse City Council. “We cannot wait to see the vibrant productions coming to The Round and the positive impact this will have on the community and local creatives.”

The Round promises to be a unique venue for functions and performances. Its stunning architectural and accessible design combined with world leading technology will provide an intimate and immersive experience. The venue is flexible, offering seating configurations and spaces for crowds both large and small.

The Round is now accepting expressions of interest for bookings. If you or someone you know is interested in booking a show or function, visit www.theround.com.au/venue-hire or call 9262 6555

Our opening hours are changing

From Monday 1 May we're changing the opening hours of our Customer Service Centres.

Have your say

Council affirms its commitment to maintaining full service at the Nunawading Civic Centre from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. This includes expert advice on planning permits and compliance.

Getting service from Counciltell us what’s important to you.

We’re reducing the opening hours at two of our service centres. This reflects very low utilisation and declining numbers of visitors. We’re seeing increases in customers engaging with us digitally at times that are convenient to our community.

What do you value when you interact with Council?

We want to know what’s important to you so that we can plan our future services. Have your say at yoursay.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/customerservice-centres or visit us in person to fill out a paper copy.

Big projects proposed for East Burwood Reserve

We invite the community to have their say on the East Burwood Reserve Draft Masterplan.

The proposed plan will guide the future use of the reserve for the next 15 years to meet the needs of our changing and growing community. Many major projects are proposed in the Draft Masterplan. This is an aspirational plan that will rely on partnerships to deliver.

Some highlights include:

▪ developing a 2.5m wide shared pedestrian and bike path circuit

▪ building a municipal level play and communal space including BBQs, shelters and public toilets at the north-western corner of the reserve

▪ creating a new youth area including pump (bike) track, multipurpose courts and skating elements at the south-western part of the reserve

▪ installing a fenced dog park at the south-western part of the reserve

▪ progressively renewing and upgrading sports pavilions.

Shared-use facilities will be explored to increase the use and benefits of the pavilions.

Share your ideas and provide feedback on issues and projects that matter to you!

Register as a user on Your Say Whitehorse to receive notifications of new consultations.

To sign up to Your Say Whitehorse, visit yoursay.whitehorse. vic.gov.au

We want to hear from you –have your say today!

We encourage you to go online to read the full list of proposed projects.

Your input will help us to refine the Draft Masterplan to further improve the reserve for the community now and into the future. The consultation will open soon. To receive a notification when it opens register at yoursay.whitehorse.vic.gov.au

If you need help to access documents or provide feedback, contact Council’s Leisure and Recreation Services team on

Proposed Budget 2023/24 and Council Plan

Thank you for your feedback on the Council Plan and 2023/24 Budget last year.

We conducted an extensive community engagement process including:

▪ An online survey from 5 September to 25 October 2022;

▪ Vox pops in each of the Councillor Wards and at the Spring Festival;

▪ Two drop-in sessions; and

▪ A prioritising workshop with the Shaping Whitehorse Panel. More than 500 pieces of feedback were received. This feedback has contributed to the review of the Council Plan and informed the development of the Proposed Budget 2023/24. Early engagement meant Council could identify important themes and make informed decisions as the budget development progressed.

The top themes to emerge from the community feedback on the Council Plan and Budget were:

Priorities for the Council Plan for next 12 months

▪ New Infrastructure/ Asset Management

▪ Natural Environment

▪ Health and Wellbeing

▪ Programs and Services

▪ Transport and Roads

Project timeline

Council Plan & Budget Broad Community Engagement

5 September & 25 October 2022

Shaping Whitehorse Community Panel Workshop

22 October 2022

Engagement Findings

Reported to Council December 2022

Councillor Budget Briefings March 2023

Closing the Loop with the Community May 2023

Invitation

Council invites the community information sessions where the will be on display.

Council officers will be available discuss the budget.

When: Wednesday 17 May, 6:30pm

Where: Box Hill Town Hall or

When: Thursday 18 May, 6:30pm

Where: Civic Centre Nunawading,

Projects or priority actions for consideration in the Proposed Budget 2023/24

▪ Community Infrastructure

▪ Hardcourts

▪ Open Space Amenity

▪ Ovals / Reserves

▪ Paths and Trails

In devising the Proposed Budget 2023/24 Council has been responsive to our community’s feedback.

For detailed feedback on how we responded to each theme, please refer to the relevant Your Say page.

The Council Plan has been updated to clearly link Council activities with our strategic directions and alignment with the Community Vision 2040. Actions have been more clearly defined and measurable. Both documents will be available for display from Wednesday 10 May and will be formally considered by Council for adoption on Monday 26 June.

To read the Proposed Budget 2023/24 and the Council Plan please check our Your Say Page from Wednesday 10 May at yoursay.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/council-plan-budget

Revised Council Plan and Proposed Budget 2023/24 on display

10 May - 24 May 2023

Information Session 1 Box Hill Town Hall

17 May 2023

Information Session 2 Willis Room, Nunawading

18 May 2023

Council considers Council Plan, Budget 2023/24 and Revenue and Rating Plan for Adoption

26 June 2023

How the Budget

Council’s annual budget determines on what and when, inculding services be rolled out by Council.

It’s strongly informed by the:

▪ Whitehorse Community Vision 2040;

▪ Council Plan 2021-25

Along the way, we also engage the activities to have their say and provide programs and initiatives they want This helps Council to understand and aspirations and themes to make informed is being developed.

Feeding off the Council Plan, this year’s five themes the community told us engagement activities in October last

▪ Community infrastructure

▪ Hardcourts

▪ Open Space Amenity

▪ Ovals / Reserves

▪ Paths and Trails.

Thanks for being involved and Council these important services to the Whitehorse community to join us for one of two the Proposed Budget 2023/24 to answer questions and 6:30pm to 8:30pm 6:30pm to 8:30pm Nunawading, Willis Room

Council is updating the Revenue and Rating Plan 2021-25.

The plan is a requirement under the Local Government Act 2020. It includes Council’s approach to pricing, discussion of rating principles and provides a transparent justification for rating and revenue decisions by Council.

Budget

Is Shaped

determines how much is spent services and programs to 2040; and the community through various provide feedback about what services, to see more of. and identify community priorities, informed decisions as the Budget year’s Proposed Budget includes were important from our last year. They include:

Because we’re separating out the costs of waste from general rates, we are updating our Rating and Revenue Plan to reflect this. The plan will explain the new approach, that Kerbside Waste Services, Public Waste Services will be charged as separate items, and removed from the general rates charge. The draft plan is expected to be available on our Your Say page from Wednesday 10 May, with Council to consider formal adoption of the updated plan on Monday 26 June.

Waste Service Charge

From 2023/24, Council will separate the costs of waste and recycling from the general rates. Different waste and recycling services will be itemised on the Annual Rate Notice.

Until now, the cost of waste and recycling services was embedded in the general rates. Separating out the cost of waste services from general rates will be fairer, more transparent and encourage sustainability.

The cost of waste will be separated into three components:

1. Kerbside Waste Service Charge

This charge recovers the full cost of providing Council’s kerbside waste and recycling collection services and is charged to all properties eligible for Council’s kerbside bin services. The Kerbside Waste Charge covers one 80 litre garbage bin collected weekly and one recycling bin collected fortnightly. Properties not eligible for kerbside collections will not be charged for this service.

2. Public Waste Service Charge

A Public Waste Service Charge is charged to all rateable properties in Whitehorse. It includes the cost of waste services that benefit all residents like hard waste collection, public litter bins and street sweeping.

3. Supplementary Bin Charge

This charge is for additional bins or larger bins that are not part of the Kerbside Waste Service Charge. These are charged on a user-pays basis. This was previously invoiced separately in September each year and will now appear on the Annual Rate Notice.

The Waste Service Charge is not an additional fee. Ratepayers won’t pay twice for their waste.

All properties in Whitehorse will be charged the same amount for the same services.

Council looks forward to delivering Whitehorse community.

L More Information: www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/ waste-service-charge

The views expressed are those of individual Councillors and do not necessarily reflect Council policy or the views of Council as a whole.

Whitehorse City Council is divided into 11 single-councillor wards.

Our Councillors have been elected to serve until October 2024.

Cootamundra Ward

Andrew Munroe 0429 138 140 andrew.munroe@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

When former Senior Victorian Representative Rugby player Peter Selby was diagnosed with Leukaemia, he was unable to find a compatible bone marrow donor and passed away.

Peter was of Maori heritage and was not able to find a match on the donor register as Pacific Islanders are poorly represented. Power House Rugby Union club set in motion the initiative to get its players on the register to help address the imbalance. Today blood samples are no longer required, with Tackling Leukaemia carrying out the swabbing and funding the testing so they can be added to the register.

Lake Ward

Denise Massoud – Deputy Mayor 0409 230 499 denise.massoud@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Eley Ward

Trudy Skilbeck 0435 188 822 trudy.skilbeck@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Standing on the shoulders of centurions.

At the end of March, two Eley Ward residents were honoured with a joint 100th birthday party at Barrina Gardens Village in Blackburn South. It was a deep delight to attend, and to consider the incredible contribution to family, community and country represented by these long lives being so well lived. Isaac Newton reportedly once said that we see further by standing on the shoulders of giants. Collectively, we in Whitehorse have a wonderful view because we stand on the shoulders of centurions like Jim and Trudy (yes, another Trudy).

Mahoneys Ward Mark Lane – Mayor 0435 387 526 mark.lane@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Elgar Ward Blair Barker 0459 857 280 blair.barker@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

It is great to see the excitement of kids playing their first game of footy for the season.

At a recent event at Sparks Reserve in Box Hill, the Box Hill Rugby Union Football Club hosted a swab and register event, with a target of 150 players being registered. I offered to register but quickly realised I wasn’t going to make the 35 or under age limit!

Council recently engaged the community on changes around dogs being off-lead in the municipality and received a significant number of responses. Council is proposing that some of our more significant sporting fields have dogs banned all together, others to move from on-lead to off-lead and others to stay as they are. I have already received some direct feedback on the suitability or otherwise of Kalang Oval becoming off-lead. This will come before Council shortly and I am happy for residents to contact me directly on this matter to share opinions.

Jim is a life-long Melbournian, married to his wife Beryl for 72 years and counting. He was a radio signaller in WWII, and played a significant role in the Pacific theatre. Jim lost two older brothers in the conflict, and remembered them still at his 100th. Jim addressed his birthday party in word and song, and there were few dry eyes. The oldest of 13 siblings, Trudy lost her dairy farm home in The Netherlands during WWII and migrated to Australia after the war. She lost her husband John to cancer, and did much of her parenting as a single mum. Trudy wrote two books after turning 70 and keeps a twinkle in her eye that none can miss.

Each of Trudy and Jim have had four children, more grandchildren and even more great grandchildren.

Whilst the challenges of later life are prevalent, I am reminded that there is resilience, humour and good will abounding. A huge call out to the Barrina Gardens community who sustain these in great measure.

Above the fitness and physical health benefits, sport offers people of all ages to come together and feel a sense of belonging, an important aspect of good mental health. Council has been managing challenges with our hard rubbish bookings, late collections, untidy streets and distant booking windows. As a Councillor, I do not manage waste contracts, however as your elected representative I am accountable. Please accept my apologies for this, it is not good enough. I have listened to your fair comments and acted. Be assured remediation of the matter is now being managed at the highest levels and I expect things to improve rapidly and hopefully be resolved soon.

There has been significant media coverage concerning Australian councils squandering ratepayers money on “Carbon credits” that actually contributed to deforestation in Papua New Guinea. Whitehorse Council did not buy these credits, rather we opted to review the Federal Government investigation prior to making a decision. Climate action matters, but that will never excuse squandering money on disproportionate or ineffective action. Cost effective action like Food and Garden Organics, LED Sporting Field lights and solar park lights are all working to reduce carbon emissions and costs to ratepayers.

I am ambitious enough to see Councils collaborating to reforest degraded grazing lands in Victoria that could double as wonderful camping areas. Good for people and good for the environment. That is what drives me.

Sparks Ward

Cr Tina Liu 0418 121 357 tina.liu@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Kingsley Ward

Cr Amanda McNeill 0435 158 360 amanda.mcneill@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

With winter fast approaching the On Demand Lighting is back on at Mont Albert Reserve.

The lights are linked to sunrise and sunset so will come on as needed. I’m seeing lots of people rugging up and walking which is great, plus lacrosse season is starting up soon, so there are plenty of good reasons to get to the park over the colder months. The Mont Albert Road and Union Road LXRP is roughly half way through the Big Dig, with LXRP announcing a station re-opening date of Monday 22 May. The new Union Station is taking shape and plans are well under way for the new plaza deck in Mont Albert.

The MASH Rotary Market has gone into temporary recess and will return once the 1G Hamilton Street car park returns to Council control. It will return bigger and better!

With short days ahead I would be interested to hear residents views on street lighting. I’d like to know whether it is adequate at night, particularly around footpaths and drains. Please email me if you have thoughts. If you’d like to report an incident like an overflowing drain, cracked footpath or overflowing bins you can send a Snap Send Solve (SSS) from your phone using the app. It’s a great way to get things fixed fast. Download the app on Google Play or the App Store, just search ‘Snap Send Solve’.

Wattle Ward

Cr Andrew Davenport 0407 652 145 andrew.davenport@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Walker Ward

Cr Ben Stennett 0448 375 937 ben.stennett@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Anzac Day at Halliday Park

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations and the contribution and suffering of all those who have served.

I was pleased to join others at Halliday Park in Mitcham for the Anzac Day service, with thanks to the Mitcham Rotary Club and a number of children from our local schools that make regular attendance such as St Johns Primary School Mitcham, Mitcham Primary School and Mullauna College. I was honoured to place a wreath on behalf of Council with other Councillors who attended.

We have a youth parliament team!

It was my great pleasure to move a motion at Council last month to “acknowledge the work of the Whitehorse YMCA Youth Parliament team and their initial plans in regard to their Bill to be debated in Victorian Parliament later this year”. The Victorian Youth Parliament has been offered for the last 30+ years with 20 teams participating each year deriving from local government, community organisations and schools. During this time, 30 pieces of state legislation have originated in the Youth Parliament. Each year applications are submitted to have a team participate in the program. I personally participated in the YMCA Youth Parliament program (some years ago!) and made the suggestion to our Youth team that we could incorporate into the program. I am delighted that we were able to enter a team this year.

Terrara Ward

Cr Raylene Carr 0400 886 889 raylene.carr@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Simpson Ward

Cr Prue Cutts 0409 867 540 prue.cutts@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

I was honoured to officially open the Whitehorse Historical Society’s ‘From Then Until Now: Exploring the Stories of the Whitehorse Area’ exhibition recently.

The event is part of the National Trust’s 2023 Heritage Festival which runs until Thursday 18 May. I encourage you to visit this wonderful 12 panel installation made possible through a Whitehorse Community Grant. Accompanying take-home brochures are available.

I was also thrilled to attend, along with many others, the opening of the new Heatherdale Reserve Pavilion, home to the Heatherdale Cricket Club and Heathmont Jets Juniors. This $5.1 million project had the financial support of all levels of government and was a wonderful collaboration of Council, State Government and Federal Government.

In great news for Vermont Cricket and Football Clubs, $80,000 was brought forward to this year’s Budget to create a concept design for upgraded change rooms. With two senior women’s football teams and seven women’s netball teams, up from three last year, it’s more important than ever that we are providing gender equitable facilities to our community.

As part of a major Statutory Planning Service review, Councillors recently voted to move to in-house arborist services rather than use contractors. With 1,500+ planning applications received annually, many involving trees, this change will ease pressure on our planners, increase efficiency and reduce time taken for planning permit decisions, as well as improve responsiveness to reported tree removals.

Learner drivers under instruction in Simpson Ward continue to cause concern, particularly out-of-area driving school instructors using test routes. I continue to work with VicRoads and our officers for better solutions.

Spotlight on Simpson Ward with Cr Prue Cutts

Simpson Ward is one of the most picturesque parts of Whitehorse, and includes Mitcham and Vermont.

It is the most easterly section of the municipality, bordering Knox and Maroondah City Councils. To the south, it borders the former Healesville Freeway Reserve, which will soon be transformed by Parks Victoria into a linear park from Boronia Road Vermont to Springvale Road in Forest Hill. Largely residential and well serviced by public transport and excellent schools, Simpson Ward is a great area to live, work and play. Sporting clubs in the area are hugely popular with Heatherdale Reserve home to the Heatherdale Jets Juniors as well as Bowls, Cricket and Tennis Clubs, and the Vermont Recreation Reserve home to Vermont Cricket and Football Clubs.

Simpson Ward is renowned for its magnificent parks and open spaces, including Abbey Walk / Campbell’s Croft and Bellbird Dell in Vermont, and Buckanbe Park and Heatherdale Reserve in Mitcham. Environment and sustainability rate highly with locals. We are incredibly lucky to have dedicated volunteers at all these 4 parkland areas who make up the Parkland Advisory Committees (PACs). They help maintain our parklands by running working bees to weed, mulch and plant as well as coordinate Clean Up Australia and National Tree Day events. Four out of thirteen of all PACs in Whitehorse are located in Simpson Ward! Why don’t you take a stroll in one of our beautiful parks?

Fun Fact: Simpson Ward has the highest dog and cat ownership of the 11 wards with 1,413 dogs and 681 cats!

Owning a cat and a dog myself and being a former Chair of the Heatherdale Creek Parkland Advisory Committee makes me feel right at home in beautiful Simpson Ward. I am so honoured to represent such a wonderful, connected, informed, inclusive and diverse community.

Easy Ride Routes

Tell us what you think about our new Easy Ride Routes.

Last month we launched a network of low-stress local street and off-road cycle paths to help make cycling to work or the shops safe and comfortable. Riding a bike is a simple and easy form of transport. We are keen to bust the myth that you must be a certain age or fitness level to use a bike to get around.

We encourage you to pick a local trip you regularly do and try it out by bike using the Easy Ride Route network!

We’d also love to know what you think about our Easy Ride Routes and if you have any suggestions for improvement.

Please fill out our survey at yoursay.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/ easy-ride-routes

Feeback is open until 31 May.

1.5 tonnes of good quality items donated through the HomeCycle service

Over January and February, Whitehorse residents booked 184 collections with Council’s HomeCycle program. This resulted in 1,542 kilograms of reusable clothing and household items being rehomed in communities that need them most.

Until June 2023, Whitehorse residents can donate their unwanted items in good condition to charity without leaving home as part of Council’s free HomeCycle collection service. Simply place items outside your front door in a bag or box and let us do the rest! This is one of the many ways Council is working to divert waste from landfill, while supporting our local community.

L Visit www.homecycle.com.au/whitehorse to book your collection or to find out more.

5-Star Food Safe Program

Little Things Cafe is Council’s 5-Star Food Safe business for May for achieving outstanding results in Council’s food safety assessment. Little Things Cafe are a social enterprise with profits supporting World Vision Australia.

Find out about other local businesses that achieved excellent star ratings by visiting www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/ ehealth-portal

Little Things Cafe

Address: 78 Railway Road, Blackburn

Trading hours:

Monday - Friday: 7.30am - 3pm

Saturday: 8am - 2pm

Sunday: closed

Website: www.littlethingscafe.com.au

Reducing waste at Harmony Day with Green My Plate initiative

We’re working towards reducing our single-use plastics and waste at Council events, in support of the Victorian Government single-use plastics ban.

We partnered with Green My Plate for Harmony Day to trial a reusable system for vendors to serve their food and beverages using reusable plates, bowls, cutlery, cups and mugs.

The results of the trial were:

▪ 149 single-use plates and bowls were diverted from landfill

▪ 37 single-use cups were diverted from landfill

▪ 79 single-use coffee cups were diverted from landfill

▪ 16 single-use spoons were diverted from landfill.

A great result and we thank everyone who was involved for participating and creating dishes, not waste.

Nursery open day

Greenlink Nursery is hosting a community open day on Saturday 20 May.

Greenlink is a community-based nursery specialising in plants indigenous to the Whitehorse area. Autumn is a great time to plant native flora in your garden whilst the soil is still warm and moist.

Bring the voucher from the back of the 2023 Whitehorse Calendar to buy 5 plants get 5 free.

Plants range in price from $2 to $2.50.

Time: 9am to 1pm

Where: Greenlink Nursery, 41 Wimmera Street, Box Hill North

Contact: 0479 121 653

Caring for the Community

Whitehorse City Council team members Garry Younger and Nicholas Dickinson took part in the World’s Greatest Shave at the end of March.

Everyone at Whitehorse rallied to raise funds for families facing blood cancer. The Leukaemia Foundation provide much needed emotional and practical support with donations helping fund vital research to help more people survive blood cancers, while improving their quality of life. Garry has been involved in The Greatest Shave three times now, as a way to honour his older brother who passed away 10 years ago. Garry has raised roughly $20k over the three shaves. Garry says, “it’s great when a workplace is so supportive of individual fundraising efforts. I’m stoked my colleagues were able to help me raise over six thousand dollars.”

“It’s not about me, it’s just nice to do something good for others. I feel that this is a meaningful way to mark the passing of my brother. Thank you to everyone for helping me do that.”

A grand total of $6,548 was raised. Well done Garry and Nick!

Join us for National Sorry Day event

Whitehorse City Council acknowledges National Sorry Day and will show its support for Reconciliation with a flag-raising ceremony on Friday 26 May 2023.

Whitehorse City Councillor Mayor, Cr Mark Lane and a Wurundjeri Elder will raise the Aboriginal flag at Nangnak Garden at Council offices, Nunawading, where the Wurundjeri Elder will perform a Welcome to Country.

National Sorry Day is an event held annually on 26 May to recognise and acknowledge the mistreatment and impact of Australian historical policies, practices and attitudes on First National peoples.

Cr Lane says, “As part of the continuing process of reconciliation, National Sorry Day provides an opportunity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to come together to acknowledge past injustices to the Stolen Generation and their lasting impacts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

National Sorry Day marks the beginning of Reconciliation Week, which runs annually from 27 May to 3 June. The theme this year is ‘Be a Voice for Generations’. This year’s National Sorry Day ceremony will be open to the public. Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to register their attendance at yoursay.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/sorry-day-registration

When: Friday 26 May, 1.30pm – 2.30pm

Where: Nangnak Gardens at the Nunawading Civic Centre

Calling all muralists!

We are currently on the search for an experienced mural artist to paint six low-level murals on garden bed retaining walls in Box Hill.

We are inviting artists who have a strong cultural connection to the Whitehorse area and community who can represent this in their work.

L Register and view artist brief at www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/ activate