This morning North Ringwood Community House held its Annual General Meeting to elect committee members for the next two years. The community house appoints a two-year term for its committee members to provide continuity, while still providing flexibility for new members to get involved.

I have been re-elected onto the Committee of Management so that I can continue to provide advice in regard to advancing the aims of the new Community House for Ringwood North.

While changes to the Local Government Act may unnecessarily complicate a councillor’s involvement in community organisations, I believe that my inclusion on the committee assists the house in being able to achieve its goal of new premises. The relocation of North Ringwood Community House will allow for the expansion of its services and to meet the growing needs of an increasingly diverse Ringwood North and Ringwood community. In particular it would provide for an accessible community house within a location that can be accessed by people residing in both Ringwood and Ringwood North.

I was also the guest speaker at the AGM and discussed the transformation of Ringwood as a designated Central Activity District and the need for community facilities to be at the forefront of this project.

Recent improvements to Ringwood include the construction of footpaths throughout the residential precinct, including Nelson Street, Bourke Street, Bond Street, Browns Avenue, Churchill Street, Montgomery Street, Sherbrook Avenue and Burwood Avenue. These footpaths were constructed through development contributions and will assist in creating an accessible environment that encourages sustainable forms of transport, such as walking.

The redevelopment of Eastland and the creation of a new town square for Ringwood is expected to begin at the start of next year and will restore a civic heart to Ringwood through delivering new public open space and a new library and community complex.

The creation of a forecourt and bus interchange for Ringwood Station is expected through State Government funding of $39 million. This work is expected to begin either late this year or early next year.

While this funding will improve the appearance of Ringwood Station and make it easier for pedestrians to access the transport interchange, it will not improve the accessibility of the station itself, meaning that further work is required to ensure that the standards meets the needs of people with disabilities.

It is imperative that State Government funding is received for these further works to create an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange.

The major challenge facing both Ringwood and the North Ringwood Community House is the need to deliver new community services within Ringwood while still providing facilities for the Ringwood North community. In this regard a proposed location for the community house will need to retain its connection to Ringwood North while being accessible to the Ringwood community.

The feasibility study which is designed to identify potential sites will explore this criteria to ensure that the most suitable location is found.

I look forward to my continued involvement in the North Ringwood Community House as we advance the aims of providing a community focus for the Ringwood and Ringwood North communities.

For further information on North Ringwood Community House please visit www.nrchi.com.