Community Energy – Training community volunteers to assess home energy efficiency Amanda Geshev, Yarra Valley Community Power Hub A course conducted by Yarra Valley Community Power Hub, in association with Box Hill Institute, during June and July 2022 at Box Hill Institute’s Lilydale Campus. Want to learn how to assess…
New law says sex workers deserve a fair go in the City of Boroondara Lisa Dallimore and Matthew Roberts The City of Boroondara’s engagement with the sex industry has been non-existent for decades, with the conservative council effectively outlawing all brothels and home-based sex work. But this will change with…
We have created several Speakers Corner posts to cover specific topics that the community is talking about and debating the merits or otherwise. These include: NE Link Planning matters (town and local, building regulations etc) Bicycle Strategy – Boroondara The pieces we publish in these posts reflect the views of…
Gateball Kew Croquet Club Gateball is a mallet sport similar to croquet. It is a fast-paced, non-contact, highly strategic team game, which can be played by anyone regardless of age or gender. Although relatively new in Australia, it is played by millions of people throughout Asia and South America. Kew…
The accountability of ministers to parliament has a gaping hole. Julian Gardner Both major parties decline to allow ministerial staff to be questioned by parliamentary committees. Who then holds these staffers to account? The Statement of Ministerial Standards states that ministers must accept responsibility for their staffers’ actions. But do…
The Faces of Greythorn Statues The history of Greythorn comes alive with the installation of six iconic statues which chronicle the development of this unique precinct nestled within North Balwyn. From the 1900s when the area was a highly productive citrus orchard, to being home to a violet farm, a…
Gardiners Creek (Kooyongkoot) Master Plan The City of Boroondara invites all residents to Have your say on its draft Gardiners Creek (Kooyongkoot) Master Plan. Gardiners Creek is over 30 km in length and originates in Blackburn. It flows through the suburbs of Ashburton, Glen Iris, Hawthorn East and into the Yarra…
Can we return the Platypus to Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot)? Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) is a significant tributary of the Yarra River that flows through a highly urbanised landscape. Various initiatives have recently been announced to restore environmental values along the creek. These include the formation of the KooyongKoot Alliance, in which…
Eley Road Retarding Basin…A lost opportunity? Graham Ross. Convenor KooyongKoot Alliance Something doesn’t smell quite right at Eley Road Retarding Basin. Not that members of the public could find out the source, because this patch of green space, is ringed by a 3-metre high chain link fence hung with signs…
Voters plead for integrity Ken Coghill Demands for integrity in government are emerging as a key concern in voters’ minds. Opinion polls and chats with friends and neighbours all confirm that Australians want public funds and political powers treated as entrusted for use in the public interest. Those we elect…
Have you discovered South Surrey Park yet? – Ursula Povey Since our COVID-19 restrictions began, lots of other people have discovered South Surrey Park, a linear park following Back Creek from Riversdale Road to Union Road. It has been a favourite spot for walking and exercising the dog and the…
