Doin' the biz in the Valley.

Monday 23 April.

Moonee Valley friendly place to do business.

Results from a survey of Moonee Valley businesses show respondents to be generally happy doing business in the City they consider friendly, safe, clean and diverse.

Mayor Cr Ben Opie said the survey, which was conducted to determine the business community’s satisfaction with Council’s services and facilities, also showed that respondents were pleased with some of its business-related programs.

“Results from that survey were recently released, and as reported previously by Council, respondents gave us a 6.76 out of 10 rating for our overall performance. This was one of the highest scores that the research company has ever seen in similar surveys they’ve performed for other metropolitan councils,” Cr Opie said.

Like residents in [the community] survey, businesses described Moonee Valley as friendly, clean and diverse with a strong sense of community and safety. (!!??)

Cr Opie said that businesses selected these words to describe the City.

“It was interesting that the businesses chose exactly the same words as residents in expressing how they felt about Moonee Valley,” Cr Opie said.

You'd have to reckon that former Australian cricketer turned developer Craig McDermott, his company Maxen Developments and his co-developers Phoenix Financial Group would be at the top of that survey list of happy campers doing business in Moonee Valley and would now be handing out lion and elephant stamps to the council. (See previous post.)

After all MVCC has sat on its collective "friendly, safe, clean and diverse" hands while the Brickmakers Arms has remained an unsafe blot on the landscape for years, (to quote Mayor Ben - Cr Opie said the owners had failed to safely maintain the building, which led to ‘’heavy vandalism’’ and squatters living inside ... they just ignored us ...) and by the look of things, for many more years to come.

Moonee Ponds Creek

A large part of the Moonee Ponds Creek remains a delightful meandering waterway which has managed to survive development to the starboard, to the port, to the fore and to the aft ...

Click on the photos for a larger version.

... and riding along the bikepath you come across some features of historical significance ...

... then there is the section of the creek that enlightened civil engineers transformed into a stunningly beautiful open concrete drain and part-time rubbish dump ...

Woodlands Park.

Woodlands Park is not quite as despoiled by graffiti as Napier Park but it does have its eyesores which again hang around for longer than should be necessary.

We repeat the advice below lest it was missed by the venerable members of MVCC who are (or should be) accountable to the voters and ratepayers who provide the wherewithal for their stipends.

"Rapid and continual removal of graffiti is the best way for individuals, councils, businesses and commercial property owners to protect the image of their local environment and preserve citizens and customers’ sense of security. Studies show that removal within 24 to 48 hours results in a nearly zero rate of reoccurrence."

How important does MVCC regard the issue of graffiti? What information does the MVCC website provide for concerned citizens and ratepayers? Enter the term "graffiti' into the MVCC website search facility and see what turns up.

We shall save you the trouble. Here's what you'll find.

Fees and charges

Moonee Valley City Council rates notices include an annual Environmental Charge on all rateable properties excluding vacant land. The Environmental Charge covers a range of waste management and environmental services including:

Garbage and recycling bins

Garbage collection and disposal

Recycling collection and disposal

Litter bins – provision, collection and disposal

Street cleaning

Footpath cleaning in shopping precincts

Leaf litter removal

Cleaning of constructed laneways

Graffiti removal

Environmental planning

Environmental initiatives

Hard and green waste pick up

Did you know?

In 2005 Council collected 41,636 tonnes of household waste; 42% of this waste was diverted from landfill by collecting recycling and garden bins.

In 2005 it cost Council $57.56 per household to collect and dispose of the landfill bin and $28.94 per household to collect and process the recycling bins.

The only ongoing additional fee is $36.30 per year for those who choose to take up the offer of the garden bin. This fee has been reduced to $25.30 for pensioners

This offer can be taken up mid-year and a pro-rata amount will appear on your next rates notice.

REALLY helpful eh?. The bylaws, the council policy, what you can do as a concerned ratepayer, who to contact. Yep, it's all there. "Build it and they will come ..." NOT!

NEXT UP - photos from a bike ride along the Moonee Ponds Creek. The Moonee Ponds Creek :- part delightful meandering natural waterway, part graffiti infested fetid open concrete drain.

IN THE MEANTIME perhaps you might like to have a look at what our MVCC councillors see as their role. Perhaps you might like to give them a call or drop them an email.

“I’m inspired by the Greens’ philosophy to ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’. Residents want a greater say in developments in their neighbourhood. Everyone in the community wants a fair go, whether their issue is childcare, aged care services or the environment.”
Cr Opie can be contacted on 0400 807 543 or bopie@mvcc.vic.gov.au

Cr Andricciola wants to instil good governance and does not hesitate to question or debate issues that would bring about changes to the way Council deals with the community.
Cr Andricciola can be contacted on 0412 738 470, 9331 1185 (phone/fax) or at vandricciola@mvcc.vic.gov.au

Cr Iser has no mission statement published online, however Cr Iser can be contacted on 0414 959 427 or via email at riser@mvcc.vic.gov.au

Cr Cusack has no mission statement published online, however Cr Cusack can be contacted on 0407 521 432 or via email at jcusack@mvcc.vic.gov.au

Cr Chantry has identified some urgent issues require immediate attention and action./ Cr Chantry also envisages many exciting opportunities for the City of Moonee Valley.
Cr Chantry can be contacted on 9370 7684 (phone/fax), 0411 704 625 or at jchantry@mvcc.vic.gov.au

“As a newly-elected councillor, I am in a better position to effect a positive change and I make a commitment to do so”.
Cr Sipek can be contacted on 9243 8848, 0423 776 740 or jsipek@mvcc.vic.gov.au

“I like to be part of a council working towards improving the quality of living for our community”
Cr Giuliano can be contacted on 0423 699 646 or skeppel@mvcc.vic.gov.au

The Taj Mahal of the West.

Click on photos for larger versions.

Some background to how this sorry state of affairs has come about and continued, with part of the footpath now fenced off from public use with a detour taking up part of Mt Alexander Road. One presumes MVCC is charging the developers for the additional real estate they now occupy.

The derelict building, described by the Moonee Valley Council as a ‘’bombsite’’, has been the subject of heated debate since 2002 when VCAT overruled a council decision and granted permission for 39 units and townhouses to be built on the site, with a section of the original facade retained.

The council endorsed the amended plans in 2003 and the hotel closed in 2004. It has become increasingly derelict ever since.

Mayor Ben Opie said the council had repeatedly called on the owner to secure and fix up the vandalised site.

When one of the four notices issued was ignored, the council dispatched its own graffiti cleaners and invoiced the owners, although this bill has yet to be paid.

‘’They wouldn’t do it, they just ignored us,’’ Cr Opie said.

Ben, Ben, Ben! Are you telling us that you don't have the legal power to pursue this matter or are you telling us that MVCC doesn't have the will or determination to enforce the law and recoup the ratepayers' money spent on removing the graffiti? Graffiti which incidently is back up on the wall bigger and better than ever.

Former Australian cricketer turned developer Craig McDermott, through his company Maxen Developments, is co-developer with owners the Phoenix Financial Group.

Cr Opie said the owners had failed to safely maintain the building, which led to ‘’heavy vandalism’’ and squatters living inside.

Ben "I'm inspired by the Greens' philosophy to 'Think Globally, Act Locally'" Opie, can you also tell us how long this ('local') footpath will be out of action, how long this ('local') section of Mt Alexander Rd will remain narrowed, how many more years will this ('local') blot on the ('local') landscape remain, or is it all too, too hard? Seems like Craig's 'Maxen Developments' is playing MVCC off a break.

A locally global answer would be welcome ... or even a globally local answer. Stuff it! Let's cut to the chase. ANY answer would be welcome.

To assist Ben and his fallow (sic) MVCC councillors in the consideration of this issue we post the following extract from Moonee Valley's own Environment Local Law 1999.

(CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW FOR LARGER VERSION)

Take another look at the photos above (even better wander down to the corner of Mt Alexander Rd. and Brewster St) and tell us which of the sections from 9.1.1 to 9.1.6 wouldn't apply to the current condition of The Brickmakers Arms.

MORE

A tour of the heritage graffiti of Strathmore.

Apparently the graffiti recorded in the following photos is of great historical interest and heritage value as some of the examples below have been in existence for well over a year with not a finger or a scrubbing brush has been raised in anger or disapproval by the Moonee Valley City Council.

TOUR ONE:- NAPIER PARK.
The sign providing information about Napier Park contains amusing ironies as well as plain and simple stuff-ups. (Throughout this site you can click on the images for larger versions.)

The City of Essendon? Think that disappeared back in the days of the Ark, but let's not dwell on that. As you approach and enter Napier Park is looks like a well tended and attractive park area ...

... but then one comes across examples of the use made of Napier Park by "individuals as a place for both passive and active recreation".

Today's gratuitous piece of "it's not rocket science" advice to those people we are required by law to vote for at council elections -

"Rapid and continual removal of graffiti is the best way for individuals, councils, businesses and commercial property owners to protect the image of their local environment and preserve citizens and customers’ sense of security. Studies show that removal within 24 to 48 hours results in a nearly zero rate of reoccurrence."

Tomorrow. TOUR TWO, a look at "a thing of beauty and a joy forever" (apologies to Jack Keats) the Taj Mahal of Essendon, the former Brickmakers Arms Hotel.