News
ACF Boroondara: We Need Stronger Environmental Laws For Nature
February 4, 2021 - News
The law created to protect the Australian environment is known as the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act – quite a mouthful. It is usually referred to as the EPBC Act, and has just been reviewed for the second time since its passage twenty years...
Making Renting Fairer For All Victorians
February 4, 2021 - News
The Andrews Labor Government is taking another step towards making renting fairer for all Victorians, with new rules to ensure every rental property meets basic standards. With more than one in four people renting in Victoria, it’s crucial that basic amenities such as hot and...
Honouring Hawthorn’s Citizen Of The Year
February 4, 2021 - News, Parliament
It was my pleasure on Thursday the 4th of February 2021, to take a moment in Parliament to honour Yvonne Giltinan, a Hawthorn constituent who was recognised by the City of Boroondara on the 26th of January as both Citizen of the Year, and Outstanding...
Faster, Easier Myki Readers For Glenferrie
January 26, 2021 - News
Passengers will be able to get on and off trains at Glenferrie station quicker and easier, thanks to upgraded readers on myki gates. Member for Hawthorn John Kennedy said upgrading the myki readers to the faster, next generation model will allow for a quicker entry...
Dealing With Waste And Protecting The Environment
January 25, 2021 - News
By the Australian Convservation Foundation (ACF), Boroondara Chapter To prevent our waste from harming the environment, we need to understand the difference between biodegradable items, and compostable items. A car is biodegradable. It will corrode, degrade, and break down into its components. The process is...
Hawthorn Shoppers Some Of The Most Generous In The State
January 25, 2021 - News
Shoppers in the Coles Community in Hawthorn were some of Australia’s most generous this Christmas, with customers at the Camberwell supermarket donating $7,815 to Coles’ Christmas Appeal, placing ninth among Coles Stores in Victoria. The team at Coles passed on to the Hawthorn Electorate Office...
Last Chance To Nominate For The Victorian Honour Roll Of Women
January 25, 2021 - News
Do you know a trailblazer, a local champion, a change agent, an emerging leader, or someone who has led the way through our disaster response?#HonourHer with a nomination for the 2021 Victorian Honour Roll of Women. Each year, the Honour Roll recognises women who have demonstrated leadership and...
Empowering Students To Stop Violence
January 25, 2021 - News
Victorian school students will learn about the impact of violence and coward punches through a series of Be Wise Education presentations, supported by the Andrews Labor Government. Minister for Education James Merlino yesterday announced a $150,000 investment to support the Pat Cronin Foundation to expand...
“Busman’s Holiday”!
January 11, 2021 - News
This has been a great time to continue enjoying the local traders and their splendid services. To name just a few: Sunday breakfast at Axil Coffee Roasters, after church at Immaculate Conception. Popping in for coffee and delicious food at Saint Helen Café at 173 Riversdale...
Youth Crime Prevention Over Summer
January 8, 2021 - News
For Hawthorn young people, a key program still running over Summer in Metropolitan Melbourne is: Youth Justice Community Support Service (YJCSS) & the YJCSS After-Hours Service The Youth Justice Community Support Service (YJCSS) provides intensive support for young people aged 10-21 engaged with the youth...
Going Solar Tips From ACF Boroondara
January 8, 2021 - News
Happy New Year! It’s a beautiful sunny morning in Melbourne, and the temperature will reach 26 degrees. This summer is certainly more agreeable than that of 2020, when I recall the temperature reaching 43 degrees on 31st January, and much of our continent was in the grip of...
Supporting Multicultural Events
January 8, 2021 - News
The Andrews Government’s newly announced Multicultural Festivals and Events Program recognises the important role of community connection and celebration and will support events held either in person or in a digital format. Any in-person event must adhere to the COVIDSafe Public Events Framework. With the...
Congratulations, Class of 2020!
January 8, 2021 - News
On the 30th of December, more than 64,800 Victorian students received their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) results after an unprecedented year for students. I am so proud of Hawthorn students and the way that they, along with...
Building Inclusive Schools In Hawthorn
January 8, 2021 - News
I am pleased to announce that a builder has been appointed as part of a $200k upgrade to make Hawthorn West Primary School more inclusive with the development of an accessible playground. The Inclusive Schools Fund builds on the unprecedented investment of nearly $1.6 billion...
The End Of 2020.
December 27, 2020 - News
New Year’s Eve is nearly upon us! Bronwyn and I sat down on Christmas Day with son Patrick, daughter Fionnuala and husband Dominic together with the“star of the show”, 14-month-old granddaughter Elsie! We hope your time with loved ones is also extra special this year especially...
More Locals In Boroondara Get Back To Work
December 21, 2020 - News
Locals who have lost work due to the coronavirus pandemic will have the chance to fill new positions that provide significant community benefits through the Victorian Government’s Working for Victoria initiative. The Boroondara Council is one of 16 new councils to sign up to the Andrews Labor...
Building And Upgrading Kinders Across Hawthorn
December 17, 2020 - News
The Andrews Labor Government will build and upgrade kindergartens across Victoria – creating thousands of new kinder places and hundreds of jobs as Victoria rolls out funded universal Three-Year-Old Kindergarten. 127 kinders across Victoria will share in $46.9 million through the Building Blocks programs –...
It Has Been A Momentous Fortnight!
December 14, 2020 - News
Two Fridays ago, the 4th of December, marked the second anniversary of the declaration that I had won the seat of Hawthorn, following election on the 24th of November 2018. Reflecting on this surprising and exciting time, I recall initial shock which soon turned into joy at this...
Handling Heatwaves: Tips From The Australian Conservation Foundation
December 11, 2020 - News
Heatwaves are a common occurrence in hot Aussie summers. Lots of us are familiar with the exhaustion that comes from feeling awfully sticky and sweaty for the third or fourth day in a row. But besides being uncomfortable, heatwaves are actually really bad news for...
On Behalf Of Hawthorn: Budget Reply
December 11, 2020 - News, Parliament
It was an honour on Wednesday to make my final speech in Parliament for the year of 2020, and in doing so, to reply to the fantastic Budget that the Andrews Government delivered last fortnight. When Governments hand down budgets, they reveal two important things;...
Commending State Schools Relief For Their Support In Hawthorn
December 7, 2020 - News
It’s a global reality that education hung in the balance this year while the world navigated (and continues to navigate) a public health crisis. Education is one of Victoria’s biggest assets, and one we worked hard to protect through 2020, though it wasn’t easy. It...
Standing Up In The Windfarm Debate
November 30, 2020 - News, Parliament
It was brought to my attention, from a member of the opposition, that apparently people in Hawthorn are not interested in effective action on climate and transitioning to renewable energy. This has not been my experience. Since becoming the Member for Hawthorn, and well before...
Welcome New And Re-Elected Boroondara Councillors
November 30, 2020 - News, Parliament
The recent local council elections are bringing forth exciting times in Boroondara. In Parliament last week, I expressed my congratulations and best wishes to the six women and five men who will have the privilege of serving this great community. In particular, the seven councillors...
A Better Vocational Education For School Students
November 30, 2020 - News
The Andrews Government will overhaul Victoria’s school-based vocational education with a new integrated end-of-school certificate – ensuring wherever they school, every student will be able to do both academic and vocational subjects. The Victorian Budget 2020/21 invests $38 million to develop a new single VCE integrated senior...
Climate Cost: Doing Nothing Versus Taking Action
November 27, 2020 - News
The cost of doing nothing In its recent paper on Australia’s Clean Economy Future: Costs and Benefits the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute (MSSI) predicted that the Australia’s cumulative damages from climate change current global emissions patterns if we do nothing are more than $5 trillion ($5,000 billion) from now until 2100...
Budget 2020-21: Upgrading Auburn South Primary School
November 19, 2020 - News
This year, Hawthorn East families have done an incredible job in supporting students to learn from home. As kids get back into the classroom, we want to make sure they have the fantastic new learning spaces they deserve. The Andrews Labor Government has built and...
Big Housing Build For Hawthorn
November 16, 2020 - News
The Victorian Government is making sure more Victorians have the security and stability of a home, with our state’s – and Australia’s – biggest ever investment in public and community housing. The Victorian Budget 2020/21 will deliver a historic $5.3 billion Big Housing Build to build more than 12,000...