Working for Whitehorse

Meet David Williams, one of Council’s Infrastructure Cleansing Officers. He’s been keeping Whitehorse clean for more than a decade and sometimes does the dirty tasks that many people wouldn’t enjoy.

“The work I do greatly impacts the aesthetics of the municipality as it involves removing illegally dumped rubbish, repairing damaged nature strips and picking up dead animals,” he said.

“It’s not the most glamorous of roles but residents are mostly very appreciative of the work we (the Cleansing team) undertake.

“We make a huge impact on the cleanliness and hygiene of the municipality to make it a more pleasant place for all to live, and enjoy the great outdoor areas we are well known for.”

David previously worked as a bricklayer and a graffiti removalist before he joined Council.

He said he was attracted to the diversity of work on offer, working a nine-day fortnight, and getting to work outdoors, which he has done for most of his career.

David also said he was “incredibly grateful to be surrounded by a great team of people” in Council’s Cleansing team.

“My workmates have become friends more than work colleagues, and they, along with my bosses make working here incredibly enjoyable,” he said.

Local youngster secures new bin at Charlesworth Park

A rubbish bin has been installed at Vermont South’s Charlesworth Park after a young resident contacted Council with concerns about litter piling up.

Grade 6 student Harriet Doig emailed Council’s City Services team asking for a bin as part of a project at her school, St Luke the Evangelist, in Blackburn South.

Harriet lives near the park and told officers that on one occasion, she took it upon herself to clean up rubbish with her brother and sister “because it got so bad.”

Council Officers visited the park on several occasions to monitor the situation. They then determined Harriet’s request was warranted given its proximity to nearby Livingstone Primary School and local shops.

A bin was then installed near the park’s playground in late June, much to Harriet’s delight.

“When we were coming here, there was a lot of rubbish on the picnic table and around the park,” she said. “It’s really good we’ve got a bin in this park now, and hopefully it will be a lot cleaner.”

Council’s Cleansing Coordinator, Mark Worsey congratulated Harriet on her initiative and for bringing the situation to his team’s attention.

“We communicated back to Harriet’s school and kept her informed,” Mark said. “Something my team does well is we take concerns from all members of the community seriously, including young people, and we endeavour to reply back and update them on the status of their request.”

Help us expand our Positive Ageing program

We’re expanding our Positive Ageing program and want your feedback to help us tailor the service to the needs of our community.

Our Positive Ageing program will ensure Council provides services and facilities developed with the priorities, interests and needs of older residents in mind. You can help by filling in a confidential survey with your opinions and suggestions for this service. The survey is primarily designed for residents aged 55+ years to tell us how we can help make our community a positive place to age. We also want to hear from those aged 45-54 years, whose insights and ideas could contribute to improving our services for when it’s their turn to use them. The survey is detailed and may take 20-40 minutes to complete. So, relax, make a cuppa and please help shape Whitehorse to be an 'age friendly’ place to live.

Feedback closes on 31 October.

To fill in our survey online please visit yoursay.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/ positive-ageing

We’re here to help

▪ We can help you complete the survey on the phone

▪ We can post a paper survey to you with a reply-paid envelope

▪ Phone interpreters available on request

▪ Let us know if you have any questions

We encourage you to contact our Positive Ageing team for help on 9262 6110 or PositiveAgeing@ whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Exploring a Rates Value Averaging Tool

Local Government Victoria has opened public consultation on the possibility of a Valuation Averaging Mechanism.

This follows a recommendation made in a 2020 report for the State Government to explore the merits of developing the tool to reduce the impact of large changes in valuations on rates.

Property valuations differ for each household and are undertaken annually by the Victorian Valuer-General. Valuations are used in part to calculate rates after a council has determined the amount of revenue it needs to raise through rates payments.

This process includes measuring a valuation against all rateable properties and determining a ‘rate in the dollar’. Councils then multiply your valuation against this ‘rate in the dollar’ to determine your individual rates payment.

Local Government Victoria will evaluate the public feedback received in the 'participate’ section of the consultation and present the findings to the Minister for Local Government, Melissa Horne MP, to consider later this year. You can have your say until August 31 by accessing the consultation at engage.vic.gov.au/local-government-rates-valuationaveraging-mechanism