March 2022
Hills Edition : 43
YR LOCAL
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Commitment to community awarded
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Help us Shape Yarra Ranges
A word from the Mayor I’d like to start this first column for the year by saying Happy New Year to each and every one of you. 2021 threw many, many challenges at all of us, but our community got through the year as we always have – together. Of course, the new year doesn’t mean an end to those challenges – recovery is continuing for our areas and community members devastated by the June storms, and will continue for quite some time. The pandemic, as we all know, is still difficult to navigate. Thankfully, an extremely high number of people in our community have received their vaccinations, to reduce the chance of the worst-case scenario. I strongly encourage everyone reading this to check when they can receive their booster, book in as soon as possible, and continue to get tested if they are showing symptoms. There is a significant amount of fatigue across the community as the pandemic approaches its third year. Despite this, it’s been really heartening to see the ways that our community has come together – lending a hand to one another, supporting local businesses and cherishing the small moments of connection we can have during the uncertainty of the last few years. It’s easy to despair when seeing the rising case numbers and long waits for tests, and it’s understandable to feel uncertain about the year ahead. But the connections we have across our community – to our neighbours, to our volunteers and groups and businesses – will get us through, no matter what new challenges 2022 brings our way. At Council, we’ll be here to listen and support, to raise local issues with our State and Federal counterparts, and to continue delivering more than 120 services to you, the residents of the Yarra Ranges. It’ll be a busy year ahead. The Ridges and Rivers Initiatives – RidgeWalk, the Yarra Valley Trail and Warburton Mountain Bike Destinations – all have significant stages coming up this year. We’ll also be working on countless local projects – from playgrounds to policies, sports grounds and strategies - and seeking your input and feedback along the way. If you’d like to stay up to date, and be notified about new community engagements, I’d encourage you to sign up at shaping.yarraranges. vic.gov.au. In the meantime, please stay safe and remember the messages of the last two years – it’s never been more important to be kind, to support local businesses and to lend a hand to others wherever you can.
Cr Jim Child, Mayor of Yarra Ranges
A word from our Youth Ambassadors I am Patience Ntim-Duodu, a Ghanaian-Australian who has always been described as one word; passionate. That is exactly why I am so fortunate to be one of the Youth Ambassadors at Yarra Ranges Council. In this life, I believe we should all choose two things for ourselves; to inspire and to be inspired. Being a Youth Ambassador has helped me achieve that. I have been inspired by the many young people I have interviewed for our Youth Spotlight. Through this project, I have learned that there are countless young people in our community with an unwavering passion to learn, help, care, and teach despite the difficult year we have all endured. I am motivated to inspire through representing young people just like me who have also felt unrepresented in the past. As a Youth Ambassador, I have been able to use my voice to present to our CEO and Executive Leadership Team about the pressing issues young people are facing today, such as Mental Health, Employment, and Youth Voice. I believe this will create action and more opportunities for young people in the future. For me, it’s about changing the narrative about young people and people of colour in our communities. Often our ideas feel insignificant or irrelevant, however, I believe that Yarra Ranges can lead the change into creating more inclusive communities and I am excited to see what that will look like. To stay in the loop about upcoming opportunities for young people in the Yarra Ranges, or to read more about the Youth Spotlight series, head to the Yarra Ranges Youth website at yarraranges.vic. gov.au/youth
Patience Ntim-Duodu, Yarra Ranges Youth Ambassador
VCAT upholds Council’s permit refusal for Belgrave Motors site Council’s refusal of planning application YR-2017/30 for 2-14 Monbulk Road, Belgrave on October 2 2020 has been upheld by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The planning application was refused by Council on a number of grounds, including overall design and built form concerns, traffic issues and vegetation loss. It is Council’s view that the application would present an overdevelopment of the site; would impact the Puffing Billy interface which is protected; and does not meet the requirements of many of the policies contained within the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme.
The applicant lodged an appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against Council’s decision to refuse the application. Council has presented a strong position at the Tribunal, calling a number of expert witnesses in traffic management, planning policy and urban design to support its case. Council’s position on the application was further strengthened by a group of passionate community advocates including the Emerald Tourist Railway Board and Save the Dandenongs League Inc.
determined to uphold Council’s original decision to refuse a permit. Yarra Ranges Council is pleased with the outcome of the hearings and we believe that this is the best result for the township of Belgrave. Council would encourage any future application for the site to consider all of the matters raised in the VCAT decision and to speak with the Planning Department about future outcomes for the Belgrave Motors site.
After 16 days of hearings, the Tribunal
Council Meetings 2021 Tuesday, 9 March at 7pm Tuesday, 23 March at 7pm Council meetings are beng livestreamed via teleconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit yarraranges.vic.gov.au/meetings for more information about meetings, including how to watch.
Deputy Mayor Cr Johanna Skelton Lyster Ward Councillor 0437 938 075 | CrJohannaSkelton@yarraranges.vic.gov.au
Cr David Eastham Chandler Ward Councillor 0437 962 053 | CrDavidEastham@yarraranges.vic.gov.au
Cr. Len Cox OAM Walling Ward Councillor 03 9761 9356 | CrLenCox@yarraranges.vic.gov.au
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Young Citizen of the Year: Harry Bruce– Tennant At the age of 14, Harry Bruce-Tennant has already shown thoughtfulness, care and compassion for his community. The storms of 9 June, 2021, felled more than 25,000 trees across the region, damaging more than 130 properties and destroying 74.
Commitment to Community Awarded Empathy and efforts to help the community has caught the attention of others, prompting Australia Day Award nominations for community leaders, volunteers and those willing to lend a hand. Council’s annual awards were handed out in a COVIDSafe, remote ceremony on Wednesday, 26 January, following an online ceremony for 40 community members receiving their Australian Citizenship. Yarra Ranges Mayor, Jim Child, said this year’s recipients have all worked hard to improve the region and lend their skills to others in the community. “Between the pandemic, its flow-on impacts to businesses, residents and the tourism industry, then the June 2021 storms, we’ve had our fair share of
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adversity over the last few years,” Cr Child said. “But difficult times so often bring out the best in humanity – we see community members jump into action and sharing their skills, their time and their compassion to help others make it through.
“These efforts mean the world to those on the receiving end, and we as a community are stronger for having such compassionate, empathetic, dedicated people among us. Our community, our environment and our sense of togetherness all flourish as a result of people like this.
“The pandemic has worn so many of us thin, and the June storms was another devastating blow for a community already reeling, but it has been so heartening, so reassuring to see community spirit blossoming through people stepping up for others in all facets of daily life.
“Congratulations to this year’s award winners – all wonderful and worthy recipients, who we’re proud to celebrate here at Council.”
“This year’s awards celebrates those people. People who in the short term and the long term have shown so much care for others and the world around them – who have helped without a thought of recognition or reward.
To watch the ceremony, visit facebook. com/YRLife.tv
The 26 January Australia Day Awards were livestreamed on Yarra Ranges Life TV.
To read the full award citations, and find the full list of Certificate of Recognition recipients, visit yarraranges.vic.gov.au
One of these homes, in Olinda, belonged to Harry and his family. The morning after the storm, a neighbour showed compassion and generosity, opening their heart and home to the family. This compassion inspired Harry to develop the idea for Hope Bracelets – gemstone bracelets to be shared with community members, as a reminder of the community spirit and the hope that carries people
through some of their hardest days. After receiving funding through Council, Harry found a wholesale supplier for bracelets, established a website for people to tell their stories and distributed bracelets at emergency relief centres in the Dandenongs.
a Regional Arts Victoria Creative Recovery Grant. Council’s Youth Team have shared Harry’s story with the community on social media, and Harry has been a wonderful and positive presence at Storm Recovery Information Sessions, sharing bracelets.
Over five months, Harry has shared more than 500 bracelets to people, who all now carry a reminder of this hope around their wrist.
Harry’s Hope Bracelets are a symbol of giving hope, providing optimism and a sense of community, helping people feel stronger with a sense of togetherness.
This work has been recognised by the wider community – in August, 2021, Harry was chosen as a finalist in the Edstart Achievement Awards for Social Impact, receiving a grant, and was successful for
Council is pleased to award Harry the Young Citizen of the Year Award for 2022, and to thank him for his spectacular work during one of our community’s darkest years.
Ken Mclntosh Memorial Award for young environmental achievers: Gang Green (The Patch Primary School) Gang Green – a group for students in years 5 and 6 at The Patch Primary School – is still building environmental awareness 24 years after its inception. Created in 1998, the group formed to help students understand the environment and the actions everyone can take to value and protect it. Every Tuesday afternoon, the group meets under the supervision and guidance of STEM educator, Nina DeVreeze, and school gardener, Ken Colley. The work of students coming through Gang Green has shaped a multi-awardwinning landscape at the school, providing outdoor classrooms for all facets of the school curriculum. Students have designed and created Indigenous wildlife corridors, edible and ornamental gardens, plantings for biodiversity, fern gullies and wetland environments which also mitigate
stormwater impacts at the school – incredible projects for students to put their hands to before starting high school. This has provided numerous benefits to the local community – from providing habitat for local animals, building environmental awareness and skills in young children that they will take into their adult lives and sharing that awareness with others at conferences and expos. Despite the interruptions of COVID-19, Gang Green have met wherever possible to improve the outdoor environment at their school: planting flowerbeds, collecting and planting seeds from garden edibles and harvesting the produce, creating outdoor seating areas and even working with Yarra Valley Water to plant around the newly-established sewerage pumping station. This work will continue over 2022, and shows a fantastic perseverance
despite the circumstances of the last couple years. No matter the year, Gang Green is comprised of students who are naturally curious, deeply connected to their school and keen to make a difference in the world. Their hardworking attitudes, enthusiasm, positivity and persistence are all remarkable attributes for young people in the community, and it’s heartening to see a school like The Patch Primary weave their curriculum around care and nurture for our precious natural environment. Congratulations to Gang Green - our Young Environmental Achievers.
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Help us shape Yarra Ranges There are some big things happening in Yarra Ranges this year that we need your input on, because after all, nobody knows their community like you. In 2021, we launched our Shaping Yarra Ranges platform – a website where our community members can leave feedback, fill in surveys and make comments about upcoming Council projects. All kinds of feedback left on Shaping Yarra Ranges are considered before these projects move along, giving community members the chance to directly influence decision making and improve ideas for policies, strategies and community infrastructure projects. In the last year, 119 projects have been listed on Shaping Yarra Ranges, with
Construction begins on RidgeWalk
feedback used to shape playground designs, street art projects and even the future of waste services in the municipality during the State Government’s new bin rollout. Some of the projects we have coming up in coming months are: • Domestic animal management and dog off leash areas throughout Yarra Ranges • Our Biodiversity Strategy – how we’ll help protect and enhance biodiversity through the region • Housing Strategy – how we can help improve housing options in the region, making living in the Yarra Ranges more accessible and improving our neighbourhoods
The best way to be notified of these, and many more upcoming projects to provide input on is to register at shaping. yarraranges.vic.gov.au For the latest news and updates from Council, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/yrcouncil, Twitter at twitter.com/yrcouncil and Instagram at instagram.com/yrcouncil
In fact, the demand for staff is high across all industries, and there are more training and pathways into skills-shortage industries than ever before.
Our region is home to a range of diverse and interesting businesses, from hospitality to advanced manufacturing, agriculture to health care through to retail and horticulture.
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Pandemic restrictions have had an immense impact on many of our industries. With the indicators from the Government being that wide-spread lockdowns are a thing of the past, there is growing employment security in some of our hardest-hit industries. Our iconic hospitality industry, for example, is struggling to find staff. However, the industry can offer career progression, flexible hours and versatile, vibrant work environments. One of Yarra Ranges strongest growth
Cr Child said the RidgeWalk project would showcase the histories and cultures of the region through art installation, signage and spaces for exhibitions and performances.
• Our Public Toilet Management Plan • Our upcoming Aquatics Strategy, covering outdoor and indoor pools across Yarra Ranges • And many more localised projects in your area
industries is construction and trades. As well as new roles offering you career progression, there are also regular opportunities to get your start in this industry with traineeships and apprenticeships listed on the JobLink site.
This Council initiative is designed to support our local businesses find the staff they need, and facilitate employment opportunities for our residents.
Federal Member for Casey, Tony Smith MP, joined State Member for Monbulk, James Merlino MP, Yarra Ranges Mayor, Jim Child and Deputy Mayor Johanna Skelton to turn the sod for the RidgeWalk project on Friday, 4 February. The sod turning marks the official beginning of the project’s construction, with 16km of new and upgraded trails to be established, alongside 23km of existing trails throughout the hills.
A link to local jobs
If you’re looking to start the new year with a new career, Yarra Ranges JobLink is the one-stop employment portal for local jobs, for local people.
Works to construct 39km of walking paths connecting the Dandenong Ranges is officially underway, as part of Yarra Ranges Council’s RidgeWalk project.
Council works closely with our partners Box Hill Institute Lilydale and Cire Training Services to make sure that their students and graduates are connected into JobLink in an effort to build a pool of skilled job seekers using the site. There are so many reasons to work and employ locally: from ease and convenience, interesting variety and the rewarding opportunity to be a part of the Yarra Ranges growing economy. You can find out more at joblink.yarraranges.vic.gov.au
This survey will help Council to plan and deliver continued storm and pandemic assistance where needed. Yarra Ranges Council Mayor, Jim Child, said the first survey helped provide a clearer picture of the economic, mental, and physical impact of the storm and pandemic on residents in our community. “The ongoing pandemic and storms are having a huge effect on our region and we want to know how you have been impacted and what support you need.” The first-round survey, which was released in September 2021, received 789 responses and helped inform Council’s Municipal Recovery Plan and multiple recovery programs. Of the respondents, 22 per cent did not feel socially connected at all during the COVID-19 pandemic and 21 per cent of
The RidgeWalk will be a key tourism drawcard, provide an immersive experience for community members learning more about their backyard and connect towns across the hilltop. I look forward to this project being completed next year.” “I’d like to acknowledge the significant funding contribution to this project from both the Federal and State Government, with $5.8 million from the Federal Government, $2 million from the State Government and $2 million from Council dedicated to bringing this idea to life.” RidgeWalk is one of our Ridges and Rivers projects, along with the Yarra Valley Trail and Warburton Mountain Bike Destination.
“This project will have permanent and temporary components, turning it into a living, breathing part of the Dandenongs,” he said.
Together, these major trail projects are expected to bring an extra 757,000 annual visitors to the region, adding $80.8m to the local economy and generating 535 jobs.
“Much of the signage and spaces will be an acknowledgement of the inspiration artists have found in the Dandenongs, with the region featuring heavily in Aboriginal
To find out more about the project, visit yarraranges.vic.gov.au/RidgeWalk
Surveys to shape pandemic response Yarra Ranges Council has recently conducted its second Storm and Pandemic survey to collect the views and experiences of community members and understand what impact the COVID-19 pandemic and June storm event is having on the community.
and non-Aboriginal artworks over the years.
respondents said that the pandemic had a major impact on their mental health. According to the results, hardship arising from the pandemic impacted 32 per cent of the community and 27 per cent reported that their financial situation was worse compared with before the pandemic. The June storm also had a huge effect on the Yarra Ranges region with 88 per cent of the community reported being impacted by the 9 June storm event in some way. The survey results showed that a significant proportion of the Yarra Ranges community was directly impacted by the storm for up to seven days with 52 per cent affected by power outages, 53 per cent by internet outages and 57 per cent by mobile connectivity outages. Longer term storm impacts were also experienced by the community with 38 per cent still affected by fallen trees and branches on roads seven days after the event. 15 per cent had damage to their home and 3 per cent had flooding on their property.
with 11 per cent of people reporting that they had experienced financial hardship as a result of the storm and a further 35 per cent had experienced mental health trauma. As of September 2021, a significant proportion of the Yarra Ranges community reported ongoing impacts from the June storm event including power outages (5 per cent), internet outages (13 per cent), trees down in streets (24 per cent), dangerous trees on property (35 per cent), large volumes of green waste (37 per cent), living in temporary accommodation (6 per cent) and continuing to experience trauma or anxiety (32 per cent). Yarra Ranges Council Mayor, Jim Child said the first-round survey has helped provide a clearer picture of the economic, mental, and physical impact of the storm and pandemic on residents in our community. “We know from the last survey that the pandemic has taken a toll on our residents’ mental and physical well-being,” Cr Child said. “The last survey also helped us identify how we could assist our community and led to Council’s endorsement of the Municipal Recovery plan.” “We hope these surveys give our community a great sense of confidence that Council is listening and wants to know how we can do better.” For more information, and to see the results of the second survey when processed, visit yarraranges.vic.gov.au/ recovery
The impacts were more than just physical,
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Test your home to reduce your energy and water waste
Energy and water saving kits are now available for you to borrow from your local library.
There are three kits available which can be borrowed through the Your Library network. The loan period is for one week.
Yarra Ranges has partnered with Knox and Maroondah Council to make these kits available for residents to use free of charge. These kits will allow you to measure the energy, water use, and waste output of your home, community building or business.
Each kit contains:
The tests and equipment included in the kits can help you check for water leaks, high energy items, costly behaviours and other building design flaws that could be contributed to your water and energy bills.
CSIRO Home Energy Saving Handbook
Using these kits will help you to take actions that could save you money and reduce your emissions.
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Thermal Imaging Camera Power Meter Stopwatch Thermometer Instruction Guide Find out more – including how to book, and an instructional video, at yarraranges.vic.gov.au/homekit
1300 368 333