our environmental achievers recognised

Erin Burton - Young Environmental Achiever of the Year,
Cr Samantha Dunn and Vicki Boyle - Environmental
Achiever of the Year.

I was very proud to be able to present Yarra Ranges two Australia Day environment awards to locals from the Lyster Ward (Southern Dandenong Ranges) at today’s Australia Day Awards.

Erin Burton, a Year 9 student (in 2012) from the Belgrave Heights Christian School, took out the Ken McIntosh Memorial Award for Young Environmental Achiever of the Year, whilst Vicki Boyle, who wears many hats including Southern Dandenongs Landcare Group, took out the Yarra Ranges Environmental Achiever of the Year.

The Ken McIntosh Memorial Award for Young Environmental Achiever of the year honours the contribution of Ken McIntosh who was a driving force in environmental and conservation issues in the Yarra Ranges. For a young woman, Erin’s list of achievements is impressive. During her year 9 year, not only completing her school work, Erin was involved with Water Watch, volunteered for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition Conference, organised the Youth Decide Voting Event for renewable energy at her school and assisted the school’s Prep class with environmental education.

I was delighted to be joined by Mrs Beryl McIntosh,
representing Ken to present Erin Burton with the
Ken McIntosh Memorial Award for Young Environmental
Achiever of the Year.

Erin has worked with her peers constructing productive gardens throughout the school grounds and is a volunteer for the school’s Keen on Green community service project. She’s also been involved in tree planting along the Monbulk Creek, Clean Up Australia Day, marine studies at Queenscliffe, soil testing and a myriad of other environmental activities.

Erin’s contribution is heartening, it’s wonderful to see such passion and dedication for the environment. It is Erin’s generation that is going to have to confront climate change in a way that no other generation has and it gives me great confidence for the future knowing there are young people like Erin so committed to improving the environment and taking action on climate change.

Congratulations Erin, I’m very proud to be able to present you with your award on Australia Day.



It was a great privilege to be able to award
environmental dynamo, Vicki Boyle, with the
Yarra Ranges Environmental Achiever of
the Year Award.

Vicki Boyle is what I’d describe as a human dynamo, passionate and committed to the environment and seeing the Dandenongs return to a far healthier ecosystem. If there is any environmental activity in the Southern Dandenong Ranges you’re bound to find Vicki Boyle’s hand in there somewhere.

For the past 15 years Vicki has been weeding the land near the Trestle Bridge, originally starting alone, she soon attracted interest from others so started a Friends Group which has now become the Southern Dandenongs Landcare Group.

Vicki has worked around the Monbulk Creek region, throughout the Dandenong Ranges and in fire affected regions, assisting with revegetation work. Her positive attitude and gusto for the environment has seen others encouraged to start Friends of Groups along the Monbulk Creek.

In 2010 Vicki, nominated by her peers, was awarded the Individual Caring for Public Land award at the 2010 Port Phillip and Westernport Landcare Awards. She is also a member of the Friends of Monbulk Creek – Trestle Bridge, Friends of Monbulk Creek – Birdsland and Friends of Monbulk Creek – Belgrave Lake Park.

Vicki’s list of achievements is long and includes holding regular market stalls promoting Landcare, participating in the myriad of meetings to progress the fight on weeds, delivering a range of environmental courses and assisting residents to gain knowledge about weeds, indigenous plants and a healthier environment. She’s also been an instrumental part of Awesome Ornithorynkids Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the local platypus population and the Mini Beast Festival at Birdsland which focuses on our waterways and the importance of habitat for our wildlife.
I was absolutely delighted to award Vicki Yarra Ranges Environmental Achiever of the Year, she is a much deserved winner, congratulations Vicki, our environment is a far better place for your efforts.

Congratulations to all our other Australia Day Award winners:

Citizen of the Year – Denise Garratt, President and Coordinator of Help for Wildlife
Young Citizen of the Year – Breanna Andersen
Community Group of the Year – Melba Support Services
Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement Award – Dr William Hardy
Ian de la Rue Achievement Award for Community Leadership – Rodney Woods

australia day, citizenship and awards

Australia Day is always a big day in local government. At Yarra Ranges it's a day where we award community contribution with our Australia Day Awards and also hold a Citizenship Ceremony as part of the day.

It is always a delight to see a Lyster Ward resident take up citizenship at a Citizenship Ceremony.

I started my day at Burrinja, my official role at the Citizenship Ceremony was to do the "Welcome to New Citizens" speech on behalf of council. It's a privilege to be part of the proceedings.

"...As a Yarra Ranges Councillor I welcome, embrace and value the diversity of views and backgrounds of our citizens. You enrich the social fabric of our wonderful shire..."

Always a joyous occasion, it's great to be able to share the event with people from all walks of life, some who've only been here a short time, some who've been here a very long time.

Burrinja was also the venue for the Yarra Ranges Australia Day Awards. It was wonderful to be able to present the Ken McIntosh Memorial Award for Young Environmental Achiever of the Year, Jordan Crook.

Jordan Crook and Cr Samantha Dunn, Lyster Ward at the Yarra Ranges Australia Day Awards.

This award honours the contribution of Ken McIntosh who was a driving force in environmental and conservation issues in the Yarra Ranges.

Jordan is a passionate advocate on the environment and social justice. During his time as a student at Sherbrooke Community School, Jordan was committed to the education of fellow students as well as the broader school on a range of environmental issues.

Supporting the Sea Shepherd is one of Jordan's key passions and the issue of whaling got a mention in Jordan's acceptance speech as well as the issue of logging in the Toolangi forests.

He played a key leadership role at his school and led the charge in making the school more sustainable. He has continued his leadership role and is currently involved in the Belgrave Survival Day organising committee.

He is an inspirational example of a young person committed to protecting the environmental and cultural values of our region, now and into the future.

Winners for the day include:
Citizen of the Year - Andrew Fullagar
Young Citizen of the Year - Joshua Watson
Community Group of the Year - Millgrove Residents Action Group
Environmental Achiever of the Year - Irene Pearey
Ken McIntosh Memorial Award 2012 Young Environmental Achiever of the Year - Jordan Crook
Mayors Lifetime Achievement Award - Leslie Skate
Ian De la Rue Community Leadership Award - Margaret Brooks
Certificates of Recognition - Alice Keogh, Jillian Hess & Dorothy Barber.

Congratulations to all our winners, your contribution to the shire is exemplary and you make Yarra Ranges a great place to live.

nomination australia day awards 2012

Do you know some who has contributed in an outstanding way to the Yarra Ranges?

Then why not nominate them for the 2012 Australia Day Awards.

Nominations are now open in the categories of:
~ Citizen of the Year
~ Young Citizen of the Year
~ Environmental Achiever of the Year
~ Ken McIntosh Memorial Award for Young Environmental Achiever of the Year
~ Community Group of the Year

Two further awards are available at the judging panel’s discretion:
~ Ian De La Rue Community Lifetime Achievement Award
~ The Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement Award

I encourage residents to nominate someone in their community.There are many people in Yarra Ranges who do wonderful things to help our community, they make Yarra Ranges the great place it is to live.

The Australia Day Awards is an opportunity to recognise and encourage residents for their efforts.

Eligibility criteria and nomination forms are available on council’s website. Forms are also available from council’s Community Links or by calling 1300 368 333.

samantha in the press - australia day awards

Caring Carol
Mail Newspapers
by Casey Neill
1 Feb 2011

environment a key theme for lyster

It was wonderful to attend the Yarra Ranges Australia Day Awards held out at the historic homestead, Mont de Lancy, in Wandin.

This year three of my constituents (from the Lyster ward) received awards and I was honoured to be able to present the awards to them.

Pictured left to right: Cr Samantha Dunn, Betty Marsden, Robert Pergl and Carol Seeger, such dedicated volunteers, their passion and commitment to our region is inspiring.

It was terrific to award Robert Pergl with the Ken McIntosh Memorial Award for Young Environmental Achiever of the Year. Ken was a driving force in environmental and conservation isssues in Yarra Ranges. Robert has shown a keen interest in the environment from his very early years and is passionate about conserving the dimishing biodiversity of the Dandenong Ranges. He's currently involved with the Southern Dandenongs Community Nursery and is particularly interested in the rehabilitation of the Monbulk Creek corridor where he volunteers his time. His knowledge of our environment is impressive and Robert intends to obtain formal qualifications in relation to the flora and ecology of Victoria. It is wonderful to see such passion for our environment in a young person.

I then had the honour of awarding Carol Seeger with the Environmental Achiever of the Year Award. Carol dedicates her life towards the rehabilitation of wildlife at the shelter she and and her husband built in Kallista. Carol spends her days cleaning cages and paddocks, washing bedding and pouches, preparing formulas, fruit and meat for the animals, visits to the vet, dressing wounds and taking calls for new animals in need of rescue. Carol never says no to a rescue and her loungeroom is often filled with all manner of wild animals in need of rescue even when all the pens and cages outside are full. Carol has been running the Kallista Wildlife Shelter for over 20 years and does it without any external funding, such dedication to our native wildlife is inspiring.

Last, but by no means least, I had the great pleasure of awarding Betty Marsden OAM the Mayor's Lifetime Achievement Award. Betty has been a conservationist in the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley for more than 30 years. She continues to be involved and proactive with a diverse amount of groups across the region. She was a former councillor with the Shire of Sherbrooke at which time she gained an enormous knowledge of town planning. She is a dedicated environmentalist who is always keen to offer advice to residents on conservation, planning and environment issues. Betty also received an Order of Australia Medal as part of the Australia Day Honours, what a fitting recognition of a wonderful woman. She is a living legend of the hills and I am in awe of her ongoing passion and commitment for our region.

cleaning up in lyster

Yesterday was Clean Up Australia Day, I chose to go down to Monbulk Creek (Belgrave Lake Park to Belgrave Hallam Road) to help volunteers there and then went on to Long Pockitt Reserve, a stretch of Parks Victoria land in Selby, to pick up rubbish.

Community, Friends of Groups and Landcare members joined together to help clean up our environment. Without a doubt the most common rubbish found was beverage containers, this again reinforces the urgent need for container deposit legislation. I am certain that if a 10cent deposit refund was in place for our beverage containers we would find many less in our environment, as is the case in South Australia where a container deposit system has been in place for some time.

Alarmingly there were more tyres found this year, eleven in total. Home renovators had dumped wood refuse and roofing and the day’s collection also included the usual mix of cigarette butts, drink containers, paper/cardboard rubbish, styrene and plastic bags all in our environment threatening our water quality and Melbourne’s last viable platypus population.

In 2009 over 600,000 volunteers cleaned up just under 7,000 sites in 2009, and the result was over 8,300 tonnes of rubbish removed from the environment. On Sunday, the Selby CFA joined with over 20 community members to remove 5 bags of rubbish, 8 bags of recyclables, building waste and 11 tyres and our environment is much the better for it.

I continue to be appalled by people who think it is okay to litter our environment, particularly on the scale of car tyres and home renovation waste. It costs local government (our ratepayers) substantial amounts of money to deal with litter, whether it’s on our streets or illegally dumped rubbish.

To see a fundamental shift in the management of waste and landfill, the true costs of waste management should be met by those sectors that are responsible for creating it in the first place. This is the aim of Extended Producer Responsibility, which is a scheme that makes the producer of the packaging is responsible for it from cradle to cradle. The introduction of a mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility scheme will keep products and materials out of the waste stream and reduce their environmental impact. I look forward to the day when producers of the waste are responsible for the waste, perhaps we wont see hundreds having to come out and clean up litter and they can spend their valuable volunteer hours achieving even greater things for our community.

yarra ranges' young citizen of the year

It was a great privilege to award the Yarra Ranges Young Citizen of the Year award to Kallista resident, Fiona Bilton, at the awards ceremony at Mont De Lancy in Wandin.


























Fiona has a great passion to help children and young people who have a parent with a mental illness. She works tirelessly to create greater awareness of mental health issues for young people, parents and families.

She has contributed to a number of projects and activities specifically around mental health. Fiona has provided peer leadership to children and young people through a range of programs including
- mental health week activities
- Council’s Paying Attention to Self (PATS) Program
- the Vic Champs program with Eastern Health and
- the Looking Out for You program with the Austin Hospital.

But that’s not enough for Fiona, as well as her passion for this work she is a member of the Kallista-The Patch CFA Junior Brigade, attends dance classes once a week, works in a local café as a waitress and has just successfully completed year 9.

She is an inspiration, a wonderful volunteer and a great example of young people making a difference in our community, our future is looking bright. My congratulations to Fiona and her family.

a day of celebration

All over the country people were celebrating Australia Day in a whole range of different ways. I started the day at the Shire’s Citizenship Ceremony in Lilydale and then moved on to Survival Day in Belgrave.

Citizenship Ceremonies are always a wonderful celebration, but they are particularly special on Australia Day. I had the great privilege of welcoming our newest group of citizens to the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

It was wonderful to see Polly Ashburner, Librarian at the Belgrave Library taking up citizenship today.

“As a Shire of Yarra Ranges Councillor I can honestly say that we value and appreciate the diversity of views and backgrounds of our citizens. For it is only when we all truly understand diversity and difference that we can accept and embrace all people regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds……You have chosen a wonderful part of the world to live, rich in natural assets……they all provide a stunning backdrop for our community which is our greatest asset of all.”

It was the second running of Survival Day in Belgrave. The day is about raising awareness of indigenous issues and celebrating indigenous culture and heritage. It is an event I am very proud to support and we are fortunate that our community has committed and passionate people willing to put in the time and effort to organise Survival Day. Thank you, you all did a great job.

Me and Aunty Dot Peters at Survival Day. Aunty Dot, an Elder of the Healesville community, did the welcome ceremony for Survival Day. It was great to see her back again. She is renowned for her traditional method of basket weaving which she learnt from her grandmother, one of the last people to live at Healesville’s historical Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve (1863-1924).

..

.

.

.

.

.

.

... .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I had the honour of speaking at Survival Day, “Survival Day is a very appropriate phrase. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are a strong and proud people, it is that strength that has seen them survive some terrible and atrocious acts. It is that strength that continues to see the survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to this day and gives all of us the opportunity to celebrate indigenous culture in Belgrave today……Survival Day is a great way to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders locally. The sharing of knowledge, culture and history is important in understanding diversity and difference. It is through understanding that we can truly accept and embrace all cultures.”

Nigel Wilkes and the Healesville Indigenous Dance Troupe treated Survival Day participants to a fantastic performance of traditional dance.

.

While the day was upbeat with live music from Lee 'Sonnyboy' Morgan and Band there was a serious side when Uncle Henry Atkinson (a Yorta Yorta Elder now living in Knox) spoke about the history of indigenous people and their struggle to survive. Uncle Henry brought home the reality of living as an indigenous person in Australia and the struggle for true self determination.

,

It was great to see Oxfam at Survival Day. Kathy Tyler from the Dandenong Ranges Branch of Oxfam spoke about the close the gap campaign, which aims to reduce the 17 year gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non indigenous people.

.

The boys of the Healesville Indigenous Dance Troupe showing me a few moves. At one stage the Troupe had half the audience up in a group traditional dance, it was a great sight to see.