COUNCILLOR FOR WYNNUM MANLY WARD
It does look a bit like 2021, but in reality, 2022 is warming up to be a good year.
We unfortunately had to cancel our annual Australia Day Community Breakfast. Many of our volunteers are elderly and were worried about Covid.
We are thankful to the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club and the Scope Club of Wynnum who made it possible to have the judging and winners of the WMLC sponsored Colouring in Competition.
I congratulate this year’s Scope Australia Day Award winner Mr Steve Rickertt. Steve has a community record that stretches back for many years.
Steve was heavily involved with the Bayside PCYC from his teenager years to becoming a life member. He won a PCYC state wide award in 2012.
Steve is very professional in running sound systems and often volunteers his services to groups such as the Manly Halloween Festival and Mercury Theatre. Steve has been involved for over 10 years with Mercury.
Steve also MCs events such as the Wondall Heights State School trivia nights and has been an active volunteer with Brisbane Bayside College for the last 5 years. He has done Parents and Citizens Association work his adult life.
Congratulations Steve Rickertt.
I would like to also acknowledge last year’s Wynnum Scope Australia Day Award winner Des Lawson, who this year received a 2022 Australia Day Honour. Des was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the General Division for service to community through a range of organisations and initiatives.
Des has volunteered in various organisations nationally, but in the Wynnum Manly District he has provided leadership, mentoring and dedication to seeing our community grow and host events.
Des has been part of Port of Brisbane Rotary for over 20 years. During this time he has been President and District Governor for Rotary International and their magazine group representative.
He has been and continues to be a member and strong advocate for health issues including mental health research by Australian Rotary Health and involved with the Australian Rotary Health Indigenous Health Scholarship program.
He is an inaugural member of the Australia Day Breakfast Committee, Kite Festival, and the Wakerley Christmas Carols. Each of these events are attended by thousands of people annually, when held.
These are just some of his achievements.
Congratulations Des Lawson.
Local Business
It continues to be important that we as consumers shop locally whenever we can. Locally we have seen more retailers, entertainment and services open in the Wynnum Manly Ward. Being able to walk to the shops or out for dinner, or drive a short distance is becoming part of the local culture.
I thank all the new businesses for taking the leap and opening in our community.
I ask all our residents to support these people for we wish them to stay and grow, which can only be done if we support them during the bad times.
Ed Davenport Park, Lota Skate Park Upgrade
Due to weather this project has been delayed.
Works are re-commencing this month with completion before the end of this financial year. Works will continue to be carried out from 6.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday and some Saturday works as required.
The completed project will include:
- Construction of a new skate park;
- Construction of a new basketball practice court; and
- Installation of a new boundary fence.
I have been in contact with Council staff and once the project is finalised I will be hosting an opening to celebrate another Council facility upgrade.
If you have any concerns about the works being carried out, you can contact the Council Call Centre on 3403 8888.
Kerbside Collection
It is BACK!
Active School Travel (ATS)
Congratulations to another two Wynnum Manly Ward schools; Wondall Heights State School and Manly State School who have taken up the offer from Council to conduct an Active School Travel (AST) program for their students.
This adds to the already established programs at Manly West State School and Lota State School.
The AST program is a successful avenue to help alleviate traffic congestion around local primary schools, at no cost.
The program encourages students, parents, carers and teachers to leave the car at home and actively travel to school. Since 2004, 166 schools and more than 121,000 students have participated in the Active School Travel (AST) program.
In 2020 our AST schools achieved the following results:
- 18,000 students from 37 schools engaged with the program
- 2 in 5 families left the car at home
- on average, 40% of students actively travelled, with some schools reporting up to 70% of their students actively travelling to school
- walking trips increased from 14% to 32%, which equates to almost 4500 more walking trips per week from students in the first year of the program.
If you would like to see your child’s school involved, please raise it at your monthly P&C or P&F meeting and then the school can contact me to put an application in for 2023.
