Cardinia Shire Council

This year, we partnered with The Salvation Army Australia, Follow Bless Collective, ADRA Australia, and the Cardinia Foundation to deliver the ‘Christmas Together’ program.   With over 600 registrations, the overwhelming response highlighted the significant demand for assistance this year.   During the two-week program, participants received essential food, gift hampers, and financial aid – bringing the spirit of Christmas to families and individuals in need.    A heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated time, resources, and gifts. Your support has made a meaningful difference in many lives. Wishing everyone a warm and joyful holiday season.   

At our recent Carols by Candlelight event in Pakenham, we collaborated with Green My Plate to connect with community members to help reduce waste at the event.     Together we educated the community at bin stations on correct waste disposal options which kept bin contamination low, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and increasing recycling and food waste recovery.     A special shout out to Kerby the bin mascot and recycling truck for making an appearance! 

Last week we held our annual Employee Excellence and Service Awards at the Cardinia Cultural Centre. The Excellence Awards highlight the outstanding achievements and values of our employees across our organisation over the past 12 months. Award categories are based on our organisational values of working together, working differently, and working for the future. A BIG congratulations to this year's recipients: • 'Together' Excellence Award winners: 'The Hills Clean-up Team', which was comprised of 15 members of our Operations Team, who acted promptly, showing impressive flexibility, resilience, and professionalism throughout the recent clean-up efforts in the Hills following a major storm event. • 'Different' Excellence Award winner: Megan Gill, for her work with the Department of Social Services where she focussed on Council's current position in relation to Emergency Relief for our community experiencing food insecurity. • 'Future' Excellence Award winner: Mandy Wade, for her work implementing a new online plan submission and payment system for Minor Developments on behalf of the Development Team. Our Service Awards acknowledge employees for their remarkable tenure and commitment to our organisation, with employees who have reached 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30-year milestones recognised. This year, 46 staff members were recognised for their service to Cardinia, equalling a total of 470 years of service! Congratulations to all award winners, nominees and service award recipients! Photos: Our 15 and 20-year award recipients with Cardinia Shire Council CEO Carol Jeffs.

We have officially opened Officer’s new regional park to our community! This landmark 10-hectare adventure and nature park boasts many firsts for the region and is a testament to what can be achieved when government and the community work together. The project has progressed through several stages, with construction beginning in early 2023 and Stage 1 now complete. Congratulations to our Parks Planning and Open Space Projects teams for delivering this amazing park, and thank you to everyone who has contributed to the project along the way. Park highlights include: • An adventure playground for children of all ages. • Parkour zone incorporating a mixture of obstacles of different heights, angles and shapes. • Fitness facilities including fitness stairs for running and exercise, a 1-kilometre loop track and exercise equipment stations.  • Scenic lookout offering breathtaking views over the southern part of the shire and out to Western Port. • Dog off-leash area. • Picnic areas, walking and cycling paths. Find out more at https://lnkd.in/g2A46KRZ Photos: Cr Liz Roberts, Cardinia Shire Council CEO Carol Jeffs, Deputy Mayor Cr Alanna Pomeroy, Mayor Cr Jack Kowarzik, the Hon Sonya Kilkenny (Minister for Planning and Minister for Suburbs), Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP (Federal Member for Higgins), Emma Vulin (State Member for Pakenham), Cr Casey Thomsen, Cr Samantha-Jane Potter and Cr Brett Owen at the official opening of Officer District Park on Tuesday.

It's our 30th anniversary! Cardinia Shire was formed on December 15, 1994. It was created as the result of a statewide local government reform, which merged the Shire of Pakenham with parts of the Shire of Sherbrooke and the City of Cranbourne. A translation of the name ‘Cardinia’ from the language of the shire’s traditional owners, the Boonwurrung, Bunurong and Wurundjeri people, means ‘look to the rising sun’. That's why our logo includes the design element of a rising sun. The other part of our logo, the bird, pays homage to a rare bird that once inhabited the Koo Wee Rup swamp—the ‘bittern’ bird. Cardinia Shire has come a long way in the past three decades, with some of our major highlights as a Council being:  • the development of our premier community arts and entertainment hub, Cardinia Cultural Centre in 2003.   • transforming award-winning recreation reserves and multiple sporting facilities to meet the growing demand for grassroots sports in our community.   • continuing to expand and adapt our vital services that support families, youth and seniors throughout the Shire.   Thank you to everyone who has helped us build and make Cardinia Shire a great place to live, work and play. Here’s to the next 30 years of progress, partnership and community spirit!  

We recently installed an innovative Poolpod and completed accessible bathroom upgrades at Koo Wee Rup outdoor pool as part of our Disability Access Upgrade Program 2024–25. These upgrades enable users to use pool facilities, including getting in and out of the water with assistance or independently, more easily, comfortably and safely. We're committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive and accessible community, as outlined in our Access and Inclusion Disability Strategy and Action Plan 2021-26. Some other ways that we support inclusion in our shire include: • Our new access keys: We’ve been updating the ‘Access Key’ accessible facility guides and communication boards for three of Council’s premier venues in Pakenham, now available on our website. • Community PowerUp Sites: There are 21 community sites for recharging electronic mobility chairs and scooters and assistance is available to local businesses to adopt the program themselves. • Cardinia’s Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee: Volunteer representatives from our local disability community, disability sector and Cardinia Shire Councillors meet bi-monthly throughout the year to tackle issues and collaborate on projects to make Cardinia Shire a more welcoming, accessible and inclusive community for all. Find out more about these programs and services at https://lnkd.in/gkmY7xUf. Or, get connected with local disability services and programs online at www.cardiniasupport.com.au.

As part of Respect Victoria’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Cardinia Shire community has proudly united to raise awareness, increase access to vital support services, and engage in meaningful conversations around respect and equality. Through the local 'Together We Can' network, our partnerships educate, change attitudes, and ensure support for those affected by gender-based and domestic violence. A heartfelt thank you to all our partners and everyone who joined us at the local events and initiatives, with special mentions to: • Respect Victoria and Safe and Equal for generously providing us with funding and support to bring the 16 Days of Activism campaign to our local community. • Staff from Council, Aligned Leisure, Outlook Australia (Pakenham) and Anglicare Victoria who participated in our internal White Ribbon Australia event. • Keynote speaker Brett Phillips of Jesuit Social Services who presented the findings of the 2024 Man Box Survey, which shed light on attitudes towards masculinity and its impact on violence and wellbeing. • Women's Health in the South East (WHISE) and Myli for partnering with us to host a special Author Talk, featuring the inspiring Rosie Batty AO and emceed by Kit McMahon, CEO of WHISE. • Our Smalltalk Supported Playgroups facilitators who helped raise awareness and encourage donations for the DV Safe Phone initiative. • DV Safe Phone and local community facilities who hosted the smartphone recycling initiative, providing a lifeline to those in need. • Anglicare for their impactful Clothesline Project encouraging reflection on gender-based violence and displaying artworks at Pakenham Hall during the 16 days. • All our staff, Councillors and community who attended the 16th annual Walk Against Family Violence in the Melbourne on Friday 22 November. If you, or someone you know, is in an emergency, please call 000 for urgent police assistance. For support or advice, please contact 1800 RESPECT or get help from a local support service, listed online (with a Quick Exit button) on Cardinia Support at https://lnkd.in/ghAVYZgW Learn more about gender-based violence and how we can all make a difference, visit Respect Victoria’s website at https://lnkd.in/gPMB-bWW Find out more about the The Man Box 2024 survey and results at https://lnkd.in/g6AM89Nx

A huge congratulations to our staff for their tireless work in bringing to life the 2024 Pakenham Carols by Candlelight! Hundreds of community members joined us on Saturday evening at Toomuc Recreation Reserve for the event - and what an incredible night we had celebrating the spirit of Christmas together! We would also like to thank our amazing performers and volunteers; your dedication and hard work truly shone through. Here's to spreading joy and goodwill this holiday season. Merry Christmas everyone!

The striking new Pakenham and East Pakenham train stations are now open as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project. We would like to extend our thanks to the Victorian Government for its investment, and to our Council staff and teams for their work to improve Pakenham’s vibrancy, connectivity and accessibility.   The new stations have improved safety, reduced traffic congestion and provided more liveable and open spaces for our community. Improved access at the Pakenham Station means residents can now easily walk, scoot or cycle from Henty Street through to the thriving Pakenham town centre.   We're looking forward to the next chapter of this transformative project and connecting with more residents and traders on the journey. For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/gUhRYPC8.

Last Thursday, Council, through its support of Together We Can and in partnership with MyLi Libraries, hosted a free Author Talk with Rosie Batty AO at Pakenham Hall. Nearly 200 community members attended this impactful event, as part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign. As a family violence survivor and advocate, Rosie shared her journey of hope and resilience, inspiring us all to work together to raise awareness, educate, and change attitudes towards gender-based violence. The event also featured the ‘Clothesline Project’ by Anglicare Victoria and was emceed by Kit McMahon, CEO of Women's Health in the South East. In 2024, Respect Victoria and Safe and Equal have worked together to support local community engagement with the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. Cardinia Shire Council was funded under Respect Victoria’s 16 Days of Activism grassroots initiative to facilitate local events and initiatives under the campaign. A very special thanks to Rosie Batty for her presence and participation, as well as to everyone who worked behind the scenes to get this event and Respect Victoria’s 16 Days of Activism campaign off the ground in Cardinia Shire in 2024. And a big thank you to the local community members who came along to the event to learn, connect, share, and act to prevent gender-based violence in our community. Together, we can build a safer, more respectful and supportive place to live, work and play. • If you, or someone you know, is in an emergency situation, please call 000 for urgent police assistance. • For support or advice, please contact 1800 RESPECT or get help from one of our local support services listed online (with a Quick Exit button) on Cardinia Support at https://lnkd.in/ghAVYZgW • Learn more about gender-based violence and how we can all make a difference, visit Respect Victoria’s website at https://lnkd.in/gPMB-bWW