Maroondah is home to a number of primary and secondary schools, including my former highschool of Luther College in Plymouth Road, Croydon.

The Lutheran Church of Australia holds a General Convention and Synod every three years to provide delegates the opportunity to vote on motions governing the Lutheran Church of Australia.

This morning I was invited, as a Councillor and past student, to welcome delegates to the City of Maroondah and discuss the attractions within the municipality.  It was encouraging to see the Civic section of the Convention open with a Welcome to Country delivered by a Wurunjderi Elder.

I began my proceedings with the City of Maroondah’s Acknowledgement of Country:

Maroondah City Council, in the spirit of reconciliation, acknowledges that we are meeting on the land for which the Wurundjeri people have been custodians for many centuries, and on land which the Indigenous Australians have performed age old ceremonies.

We accept, respect and have shared with the Wurundjeri people in their customs of welcome. The Wurundjeri people support the coming together of all people, respecting their individuality, to focus on a unified and cohesive nation.

I would like to welcome the delegates and participants to both my former highschool and the City of Maroondah. The theme of this year’s convention is Learning to Walk Again and this is a theme that echoes in the broader community, as we strive to create a cohesive and vibrant community within our municipality of Maroondah.

Maroondah is fortunate to have significant environmental bush reserves, including the Mullum Mullum Creek and Valley, which is particularly significant to the Wurundjeri. The Mullum Mullum is one of Metropolitan Melbourne’s most significant remnant bush corridors, connecting with the Yarra River in Melbourne’s north east.

Maroondah is a diverse municipality, with a population of approximately 101,000 residents, including the highest proportion of Burmese migrants within Metropolitan Melbourne.

The municipality is home to 21 primary and 13 secondary schools, of which I attended Luther College between 1993 and 1998. Last year we celebrated our 10th high school reunion at McAdam Square, the local shopping district almost directly across the road from the school.

The suburbs of Ringwood and Croydon are located within the City of Maroondah and both are experiencing substantial change. Ringwood in particular, has been earmarked as a Central Activity District, meaning that the centre of Ringwood will be experiencing significant change in future years.

While change brings challenges it also can deliver opportunities and it is therefore vital that we as a council ensure that there are ample community facilities and meeting spaces within Ringwood as we plan to transform the area into a vibrant urban centre.

I trust that you have a successful convention and extend my welcome to you as you experience the City of Maroondah over the coming days.