Doncaster Hill Green Civic Precinct

Located in the metropolitan suburbs of Victoria, the Doncaster Hill Green Civic Precinct project will develop a Sustainability Education Hub.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Manningham welfare agency Doncare records deficit

MANNINGHAM’S welfare agency Doncare says it will not have to cut any more programs despite recording a deficit for the second year in a row and running out of cash reserves.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Country music star Lee Kernaghan set to rock Doncaster

AUSTRALIAN country music star Lee Kernaghan has turned to the cyber realm to help him tap into the spirit of the bush.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Doncaster Lib critical of Labor promises for Manningham

THE Labor Government has come under fire after delivering on two of its 2006 election promises only weeks out from the next state poll.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Manningham residents caught up in $5m scam

AT LEAST 50 Manningham and Nillumbik residents have been conned in a Ponzi scheme that has so far netted more than $5 million.

- Kelvin Eldridge

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Doncaster MP nominates election priority

DESPITE recent bus service improvements public transport is still the number one issue in Manningham leading up to the November 27 state election, says Doncaster state Liberal MP Mary Wooldridge.

- Kelvin Eldridge

The Melbourne Urbanist

Planning and development issues with a particular focus on Melbourne, AustraliaA Doncaster rail line – is this really what the Greens stand for?

- Kelvin Eldridge

City apartment boom time

Typically older couples or individuals from places such as Doncaster or Templestowe, they would buy early into a master plan, intending to move in or retire there at a later date, renting out the apartment in the interim.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Doncaster breath-test court case dismissed

A DONCASTER case could set a precedent for scores of motorists seeking to escape breath testing-related charges because of badly-worded police charge sheets, a lawyer has warned.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Road funds to shift big trucks of 'little help'

Greens' upper house candidate Damian Magner said the party wanted train lines built to Doncaster and Rowville, the 75 tram route extended to Knox, and the 48 tram line continued to Doncaster hill.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Rare treasures donated to Doncaster rummage shop

A NEW batch of bric-a-brac donated to Doncaster’s Rotary Rummage Shop included some rare treasures dating as far back as the 1930s.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Membership Scheme Manager

Ambulance Victoria (AV) is currently seeking a Membership Scheme Manager to join our Commercial Services department based in Doncaster.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Manningham deputy mayor hospitalised

MANNINGHAM deputy mayor Fred Chuah was last week in Box Hill hospital after being admitted with suspected heart failure.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Move to end fireworks at Manningham Carols

MANNINGHAM’S Carols by Candlelight could go off without a bang this year if a Manningham councillor has her way.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Trucks banned from Eastern Freeway right lane

TRUCKS will be banned from the right lane of the Eastern Freeway from midnight.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Chuah accused over nursing home cash

Documents seen by Leader reveal Cr Chuah gets a $16,000 annual honorarium along with other benefits from CCSSC.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Manningham cheap housing subsidy sought

But Doncaster Hill Residents Group spokesman Warren Welsh condemned the proposal, saying “it would be hard to justify a rate concession windfall extended to a major development at the expense of Manningham residents”.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Thai Restaurant Bulleen - Instead of Chicken Tonight perhaps think about Thai Tonight

The aim of JustLocal is to encourage local businesses to promote themselves online so locals can more easily find and use their services. It is my belief every restaurant, tradesperson and in fact any small local business can help their potential customers by having a basic web presence.

When we have friends over and we’re thinking about grabbing some local takeaway, often the only menu we can find online is one of the big well known companies. There’s nothing wrong with that but I also like to also help the smaller businesses when I can.

I’ve recently sponsored and completed a menu for a new Thai restaurant in Bulleen, Tra-La Thai Restaurant, so now you can check out their menu online and enjoy some delicious Thai food. I’ve eaten there a number of times. Recently my daughter and a friend went there and we’ve all had a lovely experience.

Please feel free to check out the Tra-La Thai Restaurant’s menu at www.Tra-LaThaiRestaurant.com. You can also find Tra-La Thai Restaurant on the JustLocal 3105 page (www.JustLocal.com.au/3105).

 

Kelvin Eldridge

Council records whopping $47m surplus

MANNINGHAM Council has touted a successful year with a better than expected $47.24 million surplus in its draft 2009-10 annual report.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Manningham councillors' alliance denied

AN alleged alliance between five of Manningham’s councillors is causing controversy amid claims personal agendas are derailing the democratic process.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Horticulturalist Michelle Stratton at the Kevin Heinze Garden Centre

The Kevin Heinze Garden Centre Spring Fair is on Saturday, October 16, from 9am-3pm, at 39 Wetherby Rd, Doncaster.

- Kelvin Eldridge

TED: Ideas worth spreading

I’ve listened to a number of the talks from a site called TED. I find some of the ideas shared to be thought provoking and felt that perhaps others may wish to know about the site.

 

Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world

- Kelvin Eldridge

TRUCK LANE RESTRICTIONS ON EASTERN FREEWAY NEXT WEEK

Trucks travelling on the Eastern Freeway will be restricted from the right hand lane from next week, Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas announced today.

I found this article as a result of the discussion on this forum http://www.netrider.net.au/forums/showthread.php?t=116059. I hadn’t been aware these changes were coming about. Things just seem to happen in Victoria without any input by the people.

I was driving back from Geelong on Monday using the freeway and noticed some writing in the right lane indicating some form of restriction. There was three lanes. No one was in the right lane. I was in the left lane and a car was further back in the middle lane. I could see a truck approaching that was stuck behind the car in the middle lane. I had my cruise control on and my car was gradually moving further forward. The truck moved into the lane behind me. My cruise control was set to 100kph but I know because of the way most speedometers are set low and I’d just measured my 100kph speed using the speed check, that I was really doing 95kph. So here is a truck that can overtake in the right lane which had no traffic at all, now forced to be stuck behind slower cars in the middle and left lane. I moved into the centre lane enabling the truck to move on and then moved back to the left lane after the truck had moved ahead. The driver showed their appreciation.

I understand there will be reasons for the laws to be changed. But when I see a situation like this it reminds me the government seems to use a sledge hammer to crack a nut. Surely when there is a low volume of traffic and no one is in the right lane, trucks should be able to use the lane for a short period to pass slower moving traffic. I have to add I don’t know any of the specific reasons for the new legislation. It would be interesting to see a list of the reasons for the change in legislation, the options considered and why this was considered the best compromise.

- Kelvin Eldridge

New SmartBus Routes and DART Smartbus 901, 905, 906, 907, 908.

I found the references to Smartbus and then DART to be somewhat confusing. Are there now three bus services or something I thought. So I thought I’d simplify things. A bus is a bus. Just think of the Smartbus and DART as marketing, remove the terms and think of a bus service. Then it becomes simpler.

901 – This bus goes from Frankston to Melbourne Airport. Quite a few people have said to me who’d bother. But I reply, “think of the bus as a continuous route where you can get on and off where it suits you. If I just want to go from Templestowe to the Pines I can”. Just because a bus can go from Frankston to Melbourne Airport doesn’t mean we all have to use it that way. The 901 travels up Blackburn road to the Pines, along Reynolds Road, Fitzsimmons Lane, Main Road, Para Road, Greensborough Station. To me we now have a service which services Templestowe, Doncaster East, and can be used to go to Greensborough Plaza, The Pines and at a push, Ringwood shopping centre.

905 – City to The Pines. This bus travels from Lonsdale Street, Victoria Parade, Hoddle Street, Eastern Freeway, Thompsons Road, Parker Street, Porter Street, Blackburn Road, The Pines. It replaces the old 301 route and now makes the service a continuous service every fifteen minutes between 6:30am and 9Pm on weekdays and 30 minutes at other times. Previously the 301 stopped travelling to the city and a bus charge was required.

906 – City to Warrandyte. This bus travels from Lonsdale Street, Victoria Parade, Hoddle Street, Eastern Freeway, Blackburn Road, The Pines, Andersons Creek Road, Heidelberg Warrandyte Road, Warrandyte. The bus runs seven days a week every 7-10 minutes during peak times, every 15 minutes during weekdays and every 30 minutes at other times.

907 – City to Mitcham. This bus travels from Lonsdale Street, Victoria Parade, Hoddle Street, Eastern Freeway, Doncaster Road, Mitcham Road, Mitcham Station. The bus runs seven days a week every 7-10 minutes during peak times, every 15 minutes during weekdays and every 30 minutes at other times.

908 – City to The Pines. This bus travels from Lonsdale Street, Victoria Parade, Hoddle Street, Eastern Freeway, High Street, King Street, Blackburn Road, The Pines. The bus runs seven days a week every 7-10 minutes during peak times, every 15 minutes during weekdays and every 30 minutes at other times.

To me the really interesting route is the 901. Because this always stays in zone 2, it means only a zone 2 ticket is required and that can be more cost effective.

I still feel there are two aspects missing. A bus going from The Pines to Heidelberg station via Foote Street and Templestowe Road would help reduce one bus for locals travelling to La Trobe University and those taking the train from Heidelberg station. A second aspect is the cost of public transport discourages very short trips. It costs me the same to go from Frankston to the Airport as it does to go from my local bus stop to Templestowe Village shops or up to the local swimming pool. I noticed the same problem in the UK. Short trips aren’t encouraged and I think that is short-sighted. This encourages people to use their cars. The fuller buses are the better for the environment. When buses run around empty and via quite indirect paths, a fuel efficient car may be a better environmental choice and that shouldn’t be the case. A gold coin option for short trips on buses I feel should be part of our public transport options.

The update to the bus network in the Templestowe area is a welcome change. Will it encourage more people to use public transport. Only time will tell.

Kelvin Eldridge

 

 

Sods turned on Doncaster Hill hub

CONSTRUCTION of Manningham’s new multi-million dollar Doncaster Hill community hub has officially been kicked off with a ceremonial turning of the sod.

- Kelvin Eldridge

A grave injustice at Springvale Cemetery

Doncaster lawyer Hina Pasha said David and Margaret Chan were worried their descendants would suffer bad fortune if the situation was not resolved before they died.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Greenies fight Eastern Golf Club move

THE Eastern Golf Club has found itself in the rough with environmentalists who have appealed against its proposed new golf course.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Manningham actors star in Frankenstein play

Doncaster’s Lauren-Anne Kempster and Warrandyte’s Luke Lennox will explore their dark sides in Blood and Ice, the sordid tale of the Frankenstein novelist Mary Shelley.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Reduce the need for printed catalogues like Target's

I often think there is no need for printed catalogues from most of the major department stores and have a no junk mail sign on my letterbox. Unfortunately that doesn’t stop the department stores as they simply move their catalogues into the local papers and local papers ignore the no junk mail signs. If I want to check out a department store’s catalogue I just go to their site such as Target’s (http://target.dynamiccatalogue.com.au/portal?lsm) and select the area. Catalogues will keep coming because department stores make money from the catalogues as advertisers have to pay for product placement. If catalogues were a cost they’d probably stop tomorrow and that would save a lot of trees. Check out the online catalogues. You can often find out the information before your local paper arrives. When I’m looking to buy a commonly advertised item I’ve often checked for and found products using the online catalogues saving some money.

Kelvin Eldridge

Doncaster footballer off to South Africa

DONCASTER footballer Paul Florence is heading to South Africa to showcase Aussie rules football.

- Kelvin Eldridge

$1 deal on Doncaster land comes at a cost

EIGHT Doncaster residents who have been occupying a strip of council-owned land for years will have the option to buy it for $1.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Free passes to local gyms

I found this link (http://www.gymlink.com.au/Gym-Bulleen/VIC) and couldn’t help feel a free pass is a good way to test out each gym if you are thinking of joining a gym.

Kelvin Eldridge

Mobile speed camera locations (Bulleen, Doncaster, Doncaster East, Eltham, Lower Plenty, Montmorency, Templestowe, Templestowe Lower, Warrandyte)

Published mobile speed camera locations for October 2010.

Bulleen
Bulleen Road, between Thompsons Road and Manningham Road

Doncaster
King Street, between Williamsons Road and Veda Court
George Street, between Victoria Street and Williamsons Road
High Street, between Manningham Road and Doncaster Road
Wetherby Road, between Doncaster Road and Koonung Creek
Doncaster Road, between Rose Street and High Street

Doncaster East
Doncaster Road, between Blackburn Road and Wetherby Road
King Street, between Nedlands Court and Ashcroft Avenue
Blackburn Road, between Raintree Road and Johns Grove
Blackburn Road, between Beverley Street and Turnstone Street
Blackburn Road, between Reynolds Road and King Street

Eltham
Main Road, between Leane Drive and Kalbar Road

Montmorency
Sherbourne Road, between Porter Street and Karingal Drive

Templestowe
High Street, between Rosemary Street and Linton Avenue
Serpells Road, between Church Road and Killibury Court
Reynolds Road, between Hawtin Street and Smiths Road

Templestowe Lower
Manningham Road, between Ayr Street and High Street

North Warrandyte
Research-Warrandyte Road, between Camelot Close and San Angelo Road


Kelvin Eldridge

Public Open Space Strategy Review 2010-2011

Manningham City Council is undertaking a review of the Public Open Space Strategy to ensure the ongoing enjoyment of Manningham's green spaces and plan for the pressures that will be placed on these spaces by increasing population, and is seeking the involvement of the local community to plan our open space priorities for the future.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Doncaster Free Cricket Clinic

Metlink is hosting a cricket clinic for boys and girls ages 10-14. This is your chance to play with the Victorian Cricket players!

- Kelvin Eldridge

Debra Moore is collecting old eyeglasses for recycling.

That’s why the funeral home is taking part in the Recycle for Sight initiative, which has participants collect unused prescription glasses to be put to use in the world’s poorest countries.

- Kelvin Eldridge