Social and Affordable Housing

 As your elected O'Shannassy Ward Councillor I will continue my strong advocacy for:

• The release of suitable government land in Yarra Ranges for social and affordable housing. 

• Provide investment to urgently increase the number of social housing dwellings, and crisis accommodation units in Yarra Ranges. 

• Increases to Commonwealth Rental Assistance to assist those struggling in private rentals. 

• Amend Victorian legislation to better enable the provision of social and affordable housing including: the introduction of ‘inclusionary zoning’, controls around underutilised properties, and controls to improve the safety and affordability of rooming houses. 

• the Warburton Cerini Centre Social and Affordable Housing project which is being led by the Warburton Advancement League to build social housing in the Upper Yarra Valley.

A big shout out to the Warburton Advancement League & ADRA Community Care Centre - Redwood/Warburton for being such strong advocates for the Cerini Centre Warburton – Affordable Social Housing Project.

https://cerinicentre.com/

Telecommunications Needs For Our Region - Getting Stuff Done

I will continue to strongly advocate for better Telecommunication Services to our Upper Yarra Region.

Thank you so much Aaron Violi MP and then Shadow Minister for Telecommunications Senator Sarah Henderson for meeting with myself and Council's Team and taking on board our concerns and asks for a more Resilient Telecommunications Network for businesses, visitors and residents of the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

What we’re asking for:

1. Improve mobile connectivity in 5 key areas with low or no mobile service quality: Dandenong Ranges, Hoddles Creek, East Warburton, Steels Creek, Fernshaw.— at Yarra Ranges Council.

2. Upgrade NBN broadband services from fixed wireless, satellite and FTTN to FTTP in key areas with slow broadband service.

3. Strengthen telecommunications network resilience during power outages and emergencies e.g. increased battery back-up at mobile towers, generator power for mobile towers and NBN nodes.

4. Establish telecommunications as an essential service.

This would enable a faster response when the system fails, ensure accurate reporting of network issues and require the development of contingency plans.

This could prove lifesaving through future disasters.

For more information about Council’s telecommunications study and updates on our advocacy, visit:

yarraranges.vic.gov.au/telecommunications

Australia Day

 I go to the Yarra Ranges Council October Elections with a commitment to support the retention of Australia Day 26th January as our National Day and reinstate the term Yarra Ranges Council Australia Day Awards.

I would like everyone to reflect on what Australia Day means to you. To me, it has always been a day to unite, celebrate, commemorate and forgive but above all to come together as one, to advance this wonderful country we're so very privileged to live in.

I strongly support Yarra Ranges Council continuing the celebration of Australia Day on the 26th of January. #ReflectRespectCelebrate.

Consider this, when the Nationality and Citizenship Act came into effect on the 26th of January, 1949, (the year before I was born) all of us - non-Indigenous and Indigenous - officially became Australian citizens.

Every 26th of January we continue to, and so we should, conduct Citizenship Ceremonies on behalf of the Federal Government to welcome our new Australian Citizens to our wonderful region and also we give thanks to our amazing Citizens with the presentation of Australia Day Awards, a term dropped this year.

Jim Child for O'Shannassy Ward Yarra Ranges Council - VOTE 1 in October