Entries by Chris Anderson

Final patronage figures for the 2008/09 year were:

• Train -213.9 million (up 6.3 per cent); 


• Tram -178.1 million (up 12.5 per cent); 


• Bus - 99.5 million (up 9 per cent); and 


• Total - 491.5 million (up 9 per cent).

The Bushfire Royal Commission Interim Report is available now from:

www.royalcommission.vic.gov.au
www.premier.vic.gov.au
www.doj.vic.gov.au
www.dse.vic.gov.au
www.dpi.vic.gov.au

New Grants have been announced to strengthen the world game in our local communities

Grant information is available on this website

Australia’s budding stars for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup Finals could be nurtured by a new Brumby Labor Government program, Strengthening the World Game.

Soccer clubs, organisations and local councils can now apply to Strengthening the World Game for up to $100,000 to upgrade or build their club facilities.

Victoria has seen strong demand for soccer, and the Victorian Football Federation reports a growth in registrations for junior soccer in the order of 18.6 percent between 2007 and 2008.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to kick off even more participation in local soccer clubs,” the State Member for Brunswick, Carlo Carli, said.

“Improving club facilities will encourage community involvement in the sport – which will lead to an increase of active and healthy lives,“ Mr. Carli said.

“Local soccer clubs have had unprecedented growth and it’s placed great demand on
existing facilities. These grants will help those clubs keep their players on the field,” Mr. Carli said.

Jane Garrett is Labor’s candidate for the state seat of Brunswick at the 2010 election. Jane was born and raised in the inner suburbs of Melbourne.

Jane and her husband, James Higgins, are raising two children Molly (6) and Sasha (2).

Jane has strong connections to Brunswick.  Six generations of her family have lived in Brunswick. Up to the 1960s Jane's grandfather and great grandfather ran ‘Ralph Garrett & Son’ - a building business on Melville Road.

As a Councillor on the City of Yarra representing North Fitzroy Jane has secured increased funding for childcare, affordable housing and sustainable energy. She has been a key driver behind getting Collingwood back to Victoria Park and opening up the ground for local sporting clubs and the community.

Jane has fought for working families all her professional life as well. She is national union services manager for Slater and Gordon, working closely with unions to represent and advance workers rights across the country. As a Senior Legal and Policy Advisor for Steve Bracks she worked on a number of key reforms to justice in Victoria.

She has degrees from the Australian National University in Law and Arts and is currently on the Board for the Council of Adult Education.

Contact Jane via email jane@brunswicklabor.net

The State Government has announced a series of initiatives on Sydney Road.  These include:

• a 40km/h speed limit
  
• Removing the counter peak clearway in Coburg
  
• Linemarking parking bays
  
• Installing directional parking signs (to offstreet parking)
  
• Linemarking for bicycles
  
• Expanded clearway hours

For more details consult Keeping Melbourne Moving

A Brumby Government blitz on rooming houses to improve the living conditions of many of Victoria’s most vulnerable community members has been welcomed by local MP Carlo Carli

The Premier, John Brumby today announced that Consumer Affairs Victoria would employ 12 dedicated inspectors specifically trained and dedicated to rooming houses to step up enforcement efforts.

The Consumer Affairs Victoria inspectors will work with local council inspectors to:

• Undertake more inspections of rooming houses;


• Ensure rooming houses are properly registered; and


• Issue compliance notices to ensure rooming houses comply with minimum standards.

“The conditions of some rooming houses are a blight on our suburbs,” Mr. Carli said.

“I am very happy that the government is taking action on those predatory operators of intentionally sub-standard rooming houses who prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our community”

Mr Brumby also announced a new rooming house taskforce, which would meet for the first time this Friday and report back to Government within six weeks on a new set of minimum standards and enforcement of standards for rooming houses.

The taskforce includes representatives from peak groups such as the Victorian Council on Social Service, the Council for Homeless Persons, the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Real Estate Institute of Victoria, as well as housing providers.

Vichealth has introduced a new website, VictoriaWalks.

Encouraging walking is a great way to change your neighbourhood for the better. When you walk, you meet your neighbours, get healthy, save money and save the planet. We’ve found the best, most practical tools to help promote walking so take a stroll around the site and get inspired.  The website has an extensive array of resources and tools to assist people to work together to make their neighbourhoods better for walking (both socially and physically). 

Carlo Carli had a small article published in Crikey today, Cut the fees, cut the crap and save the ALP

When I first joined the ALP around 1980, it was a vibrant, energetic
and broad-based Party. Hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds
attended branch meetings and the local membership was taken seriously
by MPs, unions and the Party leadership. There was an abiding sense of
altruism and the greater good in the Party. There was also vigorous
debate and branches had a real say in the policy of the Party.

See more at Crikey

Melbourne’s public transport network has shown its support for World Environment Day today with the launch of Yarra Trams’ latest ‘greendepot’ at Brunswick.

Greendepots have already implemented at three other depots including East Preston, Malvern and Glenhuntly.

Incorporating water and energy saving systems, greendepots reduce environmental impacts and encourage sustainable practices

Member for Brunswick, Carlo Carli MP, said the existing depots save a combined 4.09 million litres of water each year, with the Brunswick Depot expected to harvest an additional 2.5 million litres of water annually.

The Brumby Labor Government has released a Climate Change Green Paper for community comment.

The Green Paper outlines in detail the risks facing our state and the likely impacts of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, and also proposes ways Victoria can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change and become a leading low carbon economy.

This release also starts a four month public consultation period, which will lead to the development of a Climate Change White Paper.

More information is available at www.climatechange.vic.gov.au

Victorians will be able to clean up with a $100 discount on the cost of energy and water efficient washing machines and dishwashers through a $1 million Brumby Labour Government initiative.

Starting on World Environment Day (June 5) and running until June 28, Victorian retailers participating in the Victorian Government Appliance Incentive initiative will provide $100 cash back on the purchase of washing machines and dishwashers with a minimum 3.5 star rating.

Sustainability Victoria also estimated that by upgrading an inefficient washing machine to a 3.5 star energy rating or 4 star water rating could save up to 7000 black balloons over the life of the appliance.

Retailers participating in the Victorian Government Appliance Incentive include: Myer, Warehouse Sales, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, Retravision, Clive Peeters, Camberwell Electrics, E & S Trading, Betta Electrical, David Jones, Clive Anthonys and Neco.

These ResourceSmart retailers can provide shoppers with additional information about purchasing energy and water efficient appliances.

For a full list of participating retailers see resourcesmart.vic.gov.au

- Brunswick women to benefit from better sporting facilities
- $60,000 from Victorian Government to help refurbish Sumner park pavilion

Brunswick women, girls and their familes will have more opportunities to get physically active thanks to $60,000 in Victorian Government funding to upgrade the Sumner Park pavilion in Brunswick East.

The Sumner Park pavilion, used by women and girls teams at the Brunswick Zebras, would be upgraded thanks to Moreland City Council receiving a grant through the Community Facility Funding Program – Minor Facilities Category.

Today Carlo Carli and Kelvin Thomson, Federal Member for Wills, announced $450,000 in works at 351 Barkly Street, Brunswick.  351 Barkly Street is a public housing high rise supporting older people.

The works are part of the Rudd Labor Government's Nation Builidng Economic Stimulus Plan designed to support jobs and provide much needed investment in social housing.

A full copy of the press release is after the jump.