Tim Costello
Better quality of life: Whittlesea campaign
Thursday, September 6, 2018
The Whittlesea Community Futures* partnership group has launched a campaign ahead of this year’s State election asking political parties to commit to making the municipality a more liveable community.
A Liveable Whittlesea asks for four commitments:
Endorse the Interface Council’s Liveability Policy
Housing for all – Deliver social and affordable housing to our community
Partner in a health and wellbeing hub in Mernda
Safer and more responsible pokies: support Pokies Play Whittlesea
Mayor Kris Pavlidis joined social justice advocate, Rev Tim Costello and representatives from the Whittlesea Community Futures partnership at the election campaign launch last week.
She said the aim of the campaign was to ask for a commitment of $250 million invested in health and human services in Interface Council areas so that people living in the outer suburbs could access essential support and health services.
“This campaign is about putting forward local solutions to tackle liveability, social and affordable housing, health and human services and pokies issues in our community,” Cr Pavlidis said.
“We need more services, more local jobs and better roads and public transport so that the people of Whittlesea can be connected and live a happy, healthy life.”
WCF advocacy group chair and Salvation Army Crossroads Youth and Family Services Network’s Carmen Faelis said with the state election in November this year, the group was asking all parties to adopt the Liveability Policy.
“Residents in the outer suburbs do not have the same access to services as those in the inner suburbs and this is unfair.
“We believe this policy will deliver solutions to better manage growth and address issues impacting on the lives of our residents every day,” she said.
Residents can follow the campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #aliveablewhittlesea
*The Whittlesea Community Futures Partnership is a voluntary alliance of organisations including the City of Whittlesea, State and Federal Government Departments, and Human Service Organisations, working together with shared commitments and goals for the benefit of the City of Whittlesea’s communities.
– Contributed