Category Archives: community

Fawkner candidates meeting for Wills2016 Federal Election

Posted on June 8, 2016 by | 2 comments
Fawkner candidates meeting for Wills2016 at Fawkner Community House on Major Rd

Fawkner candidates meeting for Wills2016 at Fawkner Community House on Major Rd

The second meet the candidates forum for the inner northern Melbourne electorate of Wills was organised by the Fawkner community house. The main contest is between Labor and the Greens, but 10 candidates are standing. An apology was received from the Liberal candidate.

John Englart from Sustainable Fawkner asked the first question.
Question: It is World Environment Day today. How many of you have visited the Bababi Djininang grasslands at the end of Jukes Road in Fawkner? How many of you realise we have an endangered species in that grasslands area?

Response: Only Samantha Ratnam and Zane Alcorn had indicated they had visited or passed Bababi Djininang, and no one was aware we have endangered species right here in Fawkner.

The Matted Flax-lily (Dianella amoena) is a nationally endangered species found along the embankment of Merri Creek. Further up Merri Creek (outside of Wills) the endangered Golden Sun Moth and Growling grass frog can also be found.

Read an account here including questions and candidate responses:
https://storify.com/takvera/wills2016-candidates-meeting-fawkner-ausvotes

The ten Candidates in the order listed on the Wills ballot paper:

Kyung Moo (Kevin) HONG (Liberal Party of Australia) Facebook
Ashley BLACKWELL (Drug Law Reform Party) Facebook, Drug Law Reform website
Tristram CHELLEW (Australian Sex Party) Facebook
Samantha RATNAM (The Greens) website | Facebook
Dougal GILLMAN (Renewable Energy Party) Renewable Energy Party Facebook
William FULGENZI (Socialist Equality Party) SEP Facebook
Zane ALCORN (Socialist Alliance) Facebook
Camille SYDOW (Animal Justice Party) Facebook
Francesco TIMPANO (Independent) Facebook
Peter KHALIL (Australian Labor Party) website | Facebook

When you vote I urge you to take into account the environment and climate policies of the candidates, as well as their social and economic policies.

Scorecards:

See also the ABC Promise Tracker: How does the Coalition’s record stack up as the nation heads to a new election? and

Abbott/Turnbull Government record on environment and climate action

Don’t forget the Federal election sausage sizzle map:
not too late for schools to do some sizzling fund raising at polling booths.

Fawkner candidates meeting for Wills2016: Zane Alcorn, Samantha Ratnam and Peter Khalil

Fawkner candidates meeting for Wills2016: Zane Alcorn, Samantha Ratnam and Peter Khalil

2 Comments

Posted in community, events, news

Tagged , , ,

On Mother’s Day, help Mother Earth with Habitat Heros in Fawkner

Posted on April 28, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Tree planting August 2014

Tree planting August 2014


Merri Creek Management Committee and Friends of Merri Creek have another tree planting in Fawkner on Mother’s Day, Sunday 8 May, 2016

Everyone is invited to help out at this event:

On Mother’s Day, help Mother Earth by planting to add to the habitat along Merri Creek.

There’s also skin art for children and you can learn about local Aboriginal culture. Later, enjoy a free barbecue with vegetarian and Halal options.

When: Sunday, May 8 at 10 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: East end of Jukes Road, Fawkner (Melways Map 18 A2)

In the past these plantings of trees and native grasses have been enormously successful. Come along and meet your neighbours. Help restore the habitat and ensure wildlife diversity along the Merri Creek.

Leave a comment

Posted in community, events, Merri Creek

Tagged , , , ,

Some late August Fawkner events

Posted on August 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

It’s Craft Afternoon time again, this Saturday 22 August. Drop in any time between 12 and 3 and make some new crafty friends. Bring along something you are working on, an unfinished project, something you are stuck on, anything crafty! or make stars with us for the 1 Million Stars to End Violence project (we have lots of ribbon to share!)

Also this weekend, Merri Creek Management and Friends of Merri Creek are having a planting at the Creek near the Jukes Road end on Sunday 23 from 10.30 till 12. There will be a free BBQ (including Halal and vegetarian), walks, info about birds and plants. See attached flyer for more info.

And then on Sunday afternoon there is a celebration of the Tree of Faith project that artist Angela Stock has been doing with the community. It’s at the Fawkner Community House, 95 Major Road. Here is the info from her:

Just a reminder that we’re gathering to celebrate the completion of The Tree of Faith Project this Sunday 23 August. Please bring along some food to share and a cushion to sit on to watch the film (there will be chairs too).

So you can plan your afternoon, I’ll let you know that the festivities around the community art work will kick off from about 2.15pm including an appearance from the fabulous community choir “The Brunswick Rogues”.
The film screening of “Mary Meets Mohammad” will follow – running from 2.40pm – 4pm.

Leave a comment

Posted in community, events, Fawkner Community House, news

Planting event at end of Jukes Road

Posted on August 19, 2015 by | 1 comment

Tree planting August 2014

Tree planting August 2014


Merri Creek Management Committee and Friends of Merri Creek are holding a planting event at the end of Jukes Rd, near Merri Creek this weekend. Much of the creek vegetation has been assisted by regular plantings over the last 50 years to restore a semblance of native habitat along the creek corridor.

You are invited to join this ‘Habitat Heroes’ planting on Sunday 23rd August.

Planting, walks & free BBQ
including Vegetarian and Halal food
Sunday 23rd August,
10am-12.30pm
Eastern end of Jukes Rd Fawkner, (Melway 18 A2)

Featuring planting, Wurundjeri Elder Caring for Country presentation, guided bird watch, self-guided walks to learn about 10 top plants for providing habitat, and BBQ.

These planting events are a lot of fun to do together. Bring kids along to help too.

For enquiries phone Ray or Monica at MCMC on 9380 8199 or 0421 683 926 on the day.

The plantings are Funded by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and the State Government’s Communities for Nature. Supported by Moreland City Council.

Bababi Djinanang planting Aug 2015 poster

1 Comment

Posted in community, events, Friends of Merri Creek, Moreland City Council

Tagged

Bonwick street Fawkner was buzzing on Saturday

Posted on March 15, 2015 by | 1 comment

Fawkner-piazza-IMG_0181-watching-saxophone-800w
The second Saturday of the Fawkner piazza, a temporary pop-up park and town square a Con Temporary Place (Visit and Like on Facebook) in one of the alleys of the Jukes Rd and Bonwick street shopping precinct, drew shoppers and local residents together to chat and muse and listen to music, and let their kids play for a while. The alley was throbbing with talk, home grown veggies, activity and music on Saturday.

The smells of sausages sizzling wafted down the street tempting people to come and have a little look at this new community social space while they were doing their Saturday morning shopping.

The soaring sounds of a saxophone playing the saxophone solo from Gerry Rafferty’s song ‘Baker Street’:

This city desert makes you feel so cold
It’s got so many people but it’s got no soul
And it’s taken you so long to find out you were wrong
When you thought it held everything

Sweet musical sounds floating on the morning sunshine as cars arrive, search for parking, disgorge their occupants to do their shopping for a while, and then depart. Perhaps a few lingered a while longer curious about the music, the sausage sizzle, the alley filled with people.

And when you wake up it’s a new mornin’
The sun is shinin’, it’s a new mornin’
But you’re going, you’re going home

Interspersed with saxophone was the gentle sounds of an electronic piano. Other musical acts followed, including a community choir, a young boy who did some cool harmonica solos, a guitar duet with some sweet singing.

If you stayed until mid afternoon, you may have heard Meredith from the Community House on her button accordion jamming with Rachel, a violinist. But by that stage most of the shoppers had gone, traders had closed or were in the act of closing, and most of the young children had melted off home with their parents. Rachel is scheduled to perform this Wednesday afternoon.

The Foundling archive put together this compilation video:

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in community, Food Produce Swap, workshop

A temporary Fawkner piazza off Bonwick street takes shape

Posted on March 7, 2015 by | 2 comments

Fawkner-piazza-IMG_0157-800w
So, John, what did you do on Saturday? Oh I went to my local shopping precinct and helped make a piazza, a town square space, for the community. Arrived at 10am and ended up spending several hours there: helping to paint street furniture, moving tables and chairs, talking to people curious about what was happening.

Will there be coffee served there? No. Fawkner already has some great cake and coffee shops just a few doors away. Buy your coffee (and cake) from these established businesses that have mastered the art of extracting the best flavours from their coffee machines. And purchase their cakes and pastries too! then bring them to the piazza to sit, drink and eat.

Need to sit for a while after buying your groceries and vegetables? Sure, it’s a place a sit for a while, strike up a conversation.

Converting this laneway into a community space is a project of Fawkner residents, schools and businesses and is supported by Moreland City Council, Fawkner Community House and the Foundling Archive. A grant from Moreland Council was made for this community space utilising the laneway for two weeks in March.

Cr Lenka Thompson joined us and helped painting some recycled pallet bench seats

Cr Lenka Thompson joined us and helped painting some recycled pallet bench seats


Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in community, news

A town square for Fawkner?

Posted on March 7, 2015 by | Leave a comment

IMG_0010-600w
This Saturday, 7th March, for a couple of weeks a laneway off Bonwick Street will be transformed into a town Square.

This is an opportunity to meet other residents, socialise, sit down and have a coffee, listen to some music, buy some craft items from the suitcase popup market, and more.

But more than anything, the utility of the place is up to you to make it work as a social space.

See you at Fawkner’s own Con Temporary place.

More info see the Con Temporary Place Facebook page.

Leave a comment

Posted in community, news

Tagged

Healthscope launches campaign to bully residents and Moreland Council over John Fawkner Hospital re-development

Posted on March 5, 2015 by | 9 comments

20150305-johnfawknerhospital-anti-campaign-600w
This story is a little different from my usual fare. It is about a major Health company – Healthscope – launching a campaign against local residents and Moreland Council for the redevelopment of the John Fawkner private hospital.

If you live in Fawkner, or elsewhere in Moreland, you may have been surprised to see a letter sent to your address in your letterbox from John Fawkner Hospital yesterday or today.

So why would John Fawkner Hospital, located on Moreland Road in Coburg and bordering Brunswick be sending these letters out to distant parts of the municipality like Fawkner?

Perhaps they have done a mailing to every address in the municipality? I don’t know.

So this letter explains that they want to redevelop and expand the site including building a multi-level car park. But their development plans have gone to Moreland Council and twice been rejected. Something fishy is going on here.

The first time the plans were rejected by Council in July 2012 as inappropriate. John Fawkner Hospital appealed the decision to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) but lost. Strange, because usually VCAT decisions predominantly support development proposals.
Continue reading →

9 Comments

Posted in community, Moreland City Council, news

Tagged , ,

Sustainable Activities in February 2015 in Fawkner

Posted on February 4, 2015 by | Leave a comment
IMG_9531-900w-group-photo

Moreland Mayor Meghan Hopper and Wills MP Kelvin Thomson joined the Fawkner community in a planting mini-parade and celebration in December 2014

Welcome to 2015 and February launches with a busy schedule of community events which Sustainable Fawkner will be involved in.

BBQ Fundraiser
Firstly, the Fawkner Community House is having a Bunnings BBQ fundraiser on Saturday February 14th and is looking for helpers. Soon the Community House will be running two Community sites, when it takes over the old Fawkner Kinder site. Fundraising will help us run a diverse and accessible range of services and activities.

There are lots of jobs and shifts to choose from:
8 -11am
11am-1pm
1pm-4pm
We also need a ‘taxi driver’ to go get people and things as required on the day, help setting and packing up and help buying things beforehand. If you can help (and we really, really need as many people as possible!) please contact the Community House on 9357 4631 or reply to this email. Unfortunately, sausages and BBQ are not halal, but hopefully there is a suitable job for everyone! And please pass the word on to others.

North-East Ward residents’ meeting
Wednesday, February 4, 7-8:30pm
Fawkner Senior Citizens’ Centre, 77 Jukes Rd, Fawkner (near Fawkner Leisure Centre & Fawkner Library)
Meet your local councilor Cr Sue Bolton. What issues concern you?
· Council’s policy for dealing with extreme heat
· Tree cover in Moreland
· Traffic congestion
· Development issues
· Amenities in Fawkner, Coburg North & Coburg
· Food security & community gardens
· Other issues?

20150204-ward meeting

Open Table Lunch
First Open Table lunch for the year is Saturday 7 February from 1 pm – 3 pm. It’s  free halal vegetarian meal and everyone is welcome. It’s at the Senior Citizens Centre in CB Smith Reserve. Apologies, but this event has been cancelled.

Tree of Faith Project
Saturday 14 and 28 February from 2 till 5 at the Community House. Chat informally about faith while creating the Fawkner Tree of Faith –a lasting fabric artwork to be exhibited in the community. No art or craft experience necessary! See attached flyer for more details.

Women’s Morning Tea
Women of all ages and cultures are welcome to come along to our monthly morning tea for good conversation and delicious cakes. Meet your neighbours. Kids welcome. FREE.
Thursday 12 February 10.30 am – 12 noon

Sustainable Fawkner Food Swap
Saturday 14 February 10.30 – 12.30

Merri Creek bird survey at Bababi Djinanang in Fawkner
Sunday 15 February, from 8:45 to 10:30am.
Bababi Djinanang (Jukes Road grasslands), Fawkner: Meet on Merri Path at end of Jukes Road, Fawkner (Melway 18 A2). More information

Craft Afternoon
Saturday 28 February 12-3pm

Fawkner Lawn Bowls Market
Sunday 22 February 10am – 3pm
86 Lorne St, Charles Mutton Reserve
Sausage sizzle (halal), devonshire tea, Face painting and glitter, marmalade and pickles, Greek pastry and cakes, craft and collectibles, pot plants, books, jewellery and Bric-a-brac

Movies in the Park
Friday 13 February 2015 Bain Reserve Merlynston
Bend it like Beckham (PG-13) – free entertainment and film
8 pm onwards (film screening around 9 pm)

Friday 20 February 2015 CB Smith Reserve Fawkner
Ponyo (G) – free entertainment and film
8 pm onwards (film screening around 9 pm)
For more details:
http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/arts-and-festivals/community-festivals/movies-in-the-park.html

Leave a comment

Posted in bird survey, community, events, Fawkner Community House, Food Produce Swap, news

Tagged ,

Fawkner gives a grilling to Broadmeadows MP Frank Maguire

Posted on November 13, 2014 by | Leave a comment

Collen Jones from Fawkner Strengthening Committee opening the Forum

Collen Jones from Fawkner Strengthening Committee opening the Forum


Broadmeadows is one of the ALP’s safest seats in Victoria with over 20 per cent two party preferred margin to the Liberals. Because it is safe it gets largely ignored by the Liberals when in office, and to a lesser extent, also ignored by the Labor party who direct more funding for projects in their marginal seats.

The electorate is located in northern Melbourne stretching from the northern suburbs of Glenroy, Hadfield and Fawkner in the City of Moreland up to Dallas, Broadmeadows, Westmeadows, and Meadow Heights in the City of Hume. It is located across the Federal seats of Wills and Calwell.

Fawkner is a socially disadvantaged suburb in the southern part of the Broadmeadows electorate. Although historically the suburb was once part of Broadmeadows Council area along with Hadfield and Glenroy before the Kennett era council amalgamations, now it is part of the north eastern ward of Moreland Council.
Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in community, events, Fawkner Community House, news

Tagged , , ,