Hobsons Bay City Council Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) Minutes
Wednesday 5 August 2015 6pm – 8pm Chairperson: Cr Colleen Gates Minute Taker: Megan Conkey (Acting Coordinator Social Planning and Development)
1. Welcome and Apologies
Present Cr Colleen Gates Gerry Carton Kate Skene Lee Ogden Tom Bevan Megan Conkey Jenny Murphy
Apologies Ann Marie Kelly Helen Kowalyk Ailie McKay
2. Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) (Jenny Murphy, Senior Strategic Planning Officer) Council is currently reviewing the MSS. The MSS is the key document for the Council for land use. It is the only part of the planning scheme that has local content and is divided into two parts. The front end includes issues and influences which come together to create how Hobsons Bay will look. The back end includes objectives and strategies to achieve this.
Kate raised the issues of access to businesses and how that could be better integrated into the MSS.
DAC members were asked to provide feedback on the key issues of the MSS through the Council’s engagement website Participate Hobsons Bay. They were also asked to make other members of the community aware that the MSS is being reviewed. Jenny is also more than happy to discuss with people directly either via phone on 9932 1159 or [email protected]. For further detail see attached slides.
1 Action: DAC members to provide feedback on the key issues of the MSS participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/mss-review
Action: DAC members to make other members of the community aware that the MSS is being reviewed.
3. Matters Arising from the Minutes of the Previous Meeting Economic Development Strategy – disability actions: the DAC were sent a document which outlines all the disability related actions within the Economic Development Strategy for information. It has been reattached to these minutes.
Disability Access and Inclusion Strategy (DIAS) Annual Action Plan 2015-16 feedback from the DAC: DAC members were provided with a copy of the progress report for the DAIS Annual Action Plan 2014-15 and asked to send through anything they would like to add. To date nothing has been received. The report has been attached to these minutes.
Action: DAC members to review the Annual Action Plan 2014-15 and provide any comments regarding actions to be considered for the 2015-16 Annual Action Plan
Update on submissions: Council has made a number of submissions including: Review of the Access to Premises Standards, Development of the State Disability Plan 2017-20, and the Victorian Electoral Commission Disability Action Plan 2016-20. Copies are available on the council website via: http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Council/Advocacy/Current_Council_submissions Update on ‘Other Business Actions’: Accessible car parks at the front of the Civic Centre: Staff have logged a request with local laws who will be patrolling this area Accessible car park on Douglas Parade: Council staff have investigated and have used “Snap Send Solve” to add to works list Altona Meadows Central Square Accessible Toilets: it was reported that these toilets are often used by people without a disability, has a poor state of amenity, and a heavy door- which is probably not to standard. No action taken to date. o Action: Council staff to investigate and potentially send a letter to the centre. Home Library Service: This has now been included on the people with disability page of the Council website. Library staff are currently reviewing the program and will then advertise more readily through the on-hold message and social media PAG: A suggestion regarding future PAG sessions was given in relation to increasing the amount of public outings that are available. Discussions have been held with the PAG team to review. Queen and Merton Street, Altona Meadows: Community members have been trying to cross the road, which is not a designated crossing point. No action to date. o Action: Council to investigate safety, lighting, and crossing points
2D:\Docs\2018-04-22\02f3f779b6a5cc35317775713a56c72a.docx o Snap send solve: Council staff advised the DAC of the Snap Send Solve app. This can be used on any smart phone and in any municipality. Simply take a photo of the issue, it will then be sent to the relevant Council customer service team to resolve. For more information visit: http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Fees_Forms/Online_services_payments/ Snap_Send_Solve. A number of DAC members have been using this service now or are interested in this.
4. Metro Access and Inclusion Officer (Tom Bevan) International Day of People with disability (IDPwD)
Tom discussed the possibility of running the following activities as part of IDPwD: Awareness campaign: stickers, social media in a variety of formats and locations Art exhibition outside The Substation on the hoarding which will provide the opportunity for 10,000 people a day to view. Exploring using Belinda Masons work http://www.belindamason.com/exhibitions/outing-disability/ Cross promotion of the sailing championships Cross promotion of libraries activities including Auslan Story Time Running a blind soccer competition for Council staff
Further suggestions included using John Clarke a photographer from David House (Lee has his contact details) and ensuring that mental health and young people are targeted. A successful campaign in the UK has been http://www.scope.org.uk/awkward
Members of the DAC were excited by the ideas presented and would like an opportunity to explore them further, in particular around the messages to be used in the awareness campaign.
Action: A workshop to be held on Wednesday 26 August from 6pm – 7pm to discuss key messages and locations for the awareness raising campaign
Update on the business capacity building sessions
Tom is working with the economic development department to run two awareness raising/capacity building sessions with the traders of Altona and Williamstown to support the Business Awards. Kate and Lee nominated to help Tom in setting up these sessions.
5. Inclusion Forum: 14 October 2015: (Cr Gates) Cr Gates discussed the development of an Inclusion Forum to be held on Wednesday 14 October 2015 in lieu of the scheduled DAC meeting.
This forum has stemmed form Cr Gates’ drive to bring people together who are not normally connected and to have people at the forum who are not usually involved in the disability sector or with people with disability. With the goal of coming along to the forum to find out what you can do.
Therefore, Cr Gates proposed a social forum around access and inclusion that will lead to people who have attended going away having learnt something. It will also promote the role of the DAC.
3 The event will be held at the Substation in Newport from 5.30pm to 7.30pm and involve one to two guest speaker and a performance. It will be open to all public including: different community groups, family, friends, traders groups, organisations, sports clubs and service providers.
Cr Gates welcomed all DAC members to be involved.
Action: If DAC members would like to be involved please contact Cr Gates.
6. Other Business Traders: How do we treat people as an equal?: It was raised that not only is physical access a problem with certain traders but so is the way they treat people.
Action: Council staff to ensure the business capacity building sessions includes treating people as equals.
DAC members requested an update on the beach wheelchair trial and provided an article of where it is happening in Torquay with the “go ride a wave” program
Action: Council staff to provide an update at the next meeting
DAC members discussed the lack of variety in equipment in local playgrounds. Cr Gates informed members of the newly updated and launched play space at AB Shaw Reserve, Hall Street, Altona Meadows and suggested they have a look. The play space includes: a double flying fox, slide and jungle gym, water pump connected to a trickle stream which leads to a little forest and a bird’s nest swing. The park also includes a reading chair.
DAC members requested an update on the usage of the liberty swing at Cherry Lake
Action: Council staff to provide an update at the next meeting
7. Next Meeting It was requested that an additional DAC meeting occur to workshop ideas for IDPwD. This has been included for Wednesday 26 August from 6pm – 7pm. Please update your diaries!
Wednesday 26 August from 6pm – 7pm Wednesday 14 October – this meeting will now be the Forum to be held at The Substation, Newport from 5pm, for a 5.30 start to 7.30pm. Wednesday 16 December
Ordinary meetings will be held at the Civic Centre from 6-8pm. It is important that we get at least four members in attendance to hold a DAC so if you are unable to attend please let Jo/Megan know as soon as possible.
In Jo’s absence, if you have anything that you would like to add to the agenda or any other feedback regarding the DAC please contact Megan Conkey on 9932 1886 or email [email protected].
8. Close of Meeting at 8pm
4D:\Docs\2018-04-22\02f3f779b6a5cc35317775713a56c72a.docx