ANNUAL ADVOCACY REPORT 2019/20 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Wyndham City has a diverse and friendly During this term of Council, Wyndham City community, a relaxing lifestyle and endless has yielded significantly positive results for the business opportunities. It is the link between community. Some of the key achievements Melbourne and Geelong, Victoria’s two largest include: cities, making it an area of great economic • Significant levels of investment from the significance that extends beyond its own region, State and Federal Government towards impacting the rest of the state. infrastructure projects including level crossing Wyndham City is one of Australia’s fastest removals, new and updated train station car growing municipalities, with our population parks, and major road upgrades. expected to surpass 500,000 by 2040. A • Working with the private sector in the rapid population growth has created new planning and construction of major opportunities for the 270,000 people who infrastructure projects, including the Western already call Wyndham home. United Football Club’s Wyndham City As a community, we have always supported Stadium. one another in times of need. During this • State Government funding for new and coronavirus pandemic, there has been locally- upgraded primary and secondary schools. led initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable members of our community, including the • Implementation of social and employment supply of food parcels and vouchers, and our programs that assist members of the Check in and Chat services. Council has also community who have experienced difficulty been responding rapidly to the social and in finding employment or opportunities to economic shock brought on by this pandemic upskill. through the implementation of economic Wyndham City’s strategic approach to advocacy support initiatives and emergency relief has resulted in an increase in community services. satisfaction in Council’s representation, During these unprecedented times, guided lobbying and advocacy performance. Council by the Securing Wyndham’s Future advocacy will continue to advocate strongly for the strategy, Council has continued advocating community, ensuring all levels of government strongly for our community. Throughout continue to provide support and funding Introduction 3 2019/20, Council built on its long history of aimed at improving our community’s services, developing strong relationships with community programs and infrastructure. WyndhamCityLedAdvocacyCampaigns 4 members, State and Federal Government We thank the State and Federal Government representatives, community groups, others ActiveParticipationinAdvocacyCampaigns 8 for their contribution to our region. Council local governments, and peak bodies. would also like to acknowledge the positive and Engagement 14 Together, we advocated on a range of issues collaborative approach undertaken by our local including improvements to public transport Members of Parliament when advocating for Collaboration 20 infrastructure and services, new primary and better outcomes for Melbourne’s west. secondary schools, funding for economic and AdvocacyAchievements 24 social inclusion programs, the dumping of This report is the second time Council has contaminated soil in Wyndham, pokies reform, captured the scope of its advocacy work in Submissions 30 and additional support for refugees and asylum a public document and provides an insight seekers. into how issues raised by residents are being addressed. 2 Wyndham City - Annual Advocacy Report 2019/20 Wyndham City - Annual Advocacy Report 2019/20 3 WYNDHAM CITY LED ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS SCHOOLS4WYNDHAM BUS ADVERTISEMENT Schools4WyndhamCampaign The schools4wyndham campaign was developed as a key advocacy priority in this term of Council to meet the growing demand for schools as Wyndham’s suburbs continue to grow even faster than expected. The campaign has called on the Victorian Government to provide Wyndham’s growth • A submission to the Victorian parliament’s Council has welcomed the Victorian areas with a fair share of the 100 new schools it review of school infrastructure management Government’s announcement in May 2020 has committed to build. seeking an update to the statistical models of funding for construction of additional Campaignactivitiesfortheschools4wyndham for projecting the numbers of new schools classrooms for Years 7 to 9 at Dohertys Creek campaignduringthe2019/2020yearincluded: required in growth areas. P-9 in Truganina and Saltwater P-9 in Point Cook Building Works • Cinema advertisements in Pacific Werribee as part of its COVID-19 economic • Continuing to grow community support for response package. This will allow both schools the campaign online by maintaining a regular cinemas and at Council’s Moonlight Cinema community to start taking students for Year 7 in 2022, after presence on Facebook, with campaign videos construction is completed next year. highlighting the needs of Wyndham’s growing movie nights. suburbs. • Community outreach stalls and human We look forward to further announcement of new school construction projects as part • Ongoing discussions with the Victorian billboard promotions at the Point Cook Lunar New Year Festival, the Holi Festival in of the Victorian Budget in October 2020 School Building Authority on the State and will continue to work with the Victorian Government’s plans and presentations of Wyndham Vale, and in the Tarneit Central Shopping Centre. Government into the future to ensure our Wyndham’s analysis of the schools needs of community’s school needs are met. our community. • Bus advertisements providing campaign • Briefings to local MPs on Wyndham’s most exposure in suburban backstreets as well as urgently needed schools. on main roads. • Correspondence with the Victorian Education • Facebook promotions advocating the Minister, James Merlino. completion of facilities at Dohertys Creek P-9 in Truganina and Saltwater P-9 in Point Cook • A submission to Infrastructure Australia’s as construction projects that were urgently audit of national priorities, asking the national required. agency to recognise schools and kindergarten MAYOR CR JOSH GILLIGAN WITH VIVAAN AT buildings in growth areas as a national • Media coverage of Council’s statements in the TARNEIT CENTRAL SHOPPING CENTRE infrastructure priority. Herald Sun and The Age newspapers, and on ABC Radio. 4 Wyndham City - Annual Advocacy Report 2019/20 Wyndham City - Annual Advocacy Report 2019/20 5 WYNDHAM CITY LED ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS cont. MAYOR CR JOSH GILLIGAN ILoveKinderCampaign AND CHILDREN FROM A LOCAL KINDERGARTEN SHOWING THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE I LOVE KINDER Since launching the national I Love Kinder CAMPAIGN campaign in late 2017, Wyndham City has played a key role in national calls for secure Federal Government funding for kindergarten, rather than ad hoc annual renewals. Following ongoing advocacy over several years, the Federal Government committed to continuing national funding for early childhood education in the 2019/20 Federal Budget while the Education Council conducted a review of the national kindergarten funding agreement. • Heart parties, where children make hearts In June 2020, the COAG Education Council CampaignactivitiesfortheI Love Kinder (the I Love Kinder campaign logo) to grow welcomed the final report of the review into the campaignduringthe2019/2020yearincluded: community support from children and Universal Access National Partnership, which parents at Wyndham kindergartens. recommended that the Federal Government • Continuing to grow community support for commits to ongoing national funding for the campaign by maintaining a regular social The Federal Government’s COVID-19 response kindergarten. Wyndham will continue to media presence on Facebook and Twitter. in April 2020 included a 12-month extension of Federal Government funding for kindergartens, advocate for the Federal Government to • A written submission to the COAG Education with a commitment to provide $453.2 million implement these review recommendations to Council Universal Access National Partnership for preschools in 2021. ensure certainty for kindergarten providers and review on kindergarten funding, and young families. encouraged campaign supporters to engage with the national stakeholder consultation. • A submission to Infrastructure Australia’s audit of national priorities, asking the national agency to recognise schools and kindergarten buildings in growth areas as a national infrastructure priority. • Engagement with the Federal Education Minister, Dan Tehan. THERE WAS LOTS OF LOVE ON FACEBOOK FOR KAYLA • Cinema advertisements in Pacific FROM TARNEIT KINDERGARTEN, HELPING TO GROW Werribee cinemas. SUPPORT FOR THE I LOVE KINDER CAMPAIGN FOR ONGOING NATIONAL KINDER FUNDING • Community outreach stalls at the annual Children’s Week Picnic at Werribee Mansion and the Holi Festival in Wyndham Vale. 6 Wyndham City - Annual Advocacy Report 2019/20 Wyndham City - Annual Advocacy Report 2019/20 7 ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN ADVOCACY POSTCARD FROM A WYNDHAM LIBRARY CAMPAIGNS PATRON, AMARACHI, OUTLINING WHY LIBRARIES ARE IMPORTANT LibrariesChangeLives Libraries Change Lives is a sector-wide, state advocacy campaign designed by the State • Engaging with Victorian Members of • Undertaking a postcard campaign in which Library of Victoria and Public Libraries Victoria Parliament. Wyndham patrons were asked to fill out our (PLV) that aims to start a conversation about the • Program statistics shared with the State postcard templates outlining why libraries