Focus On... Community Services, Leisure, Parks & Gardens

• Calamvale’s District Park opens to rave review
  Opened on Australia Day 2012, Calamvale District Park in southern Brisbane has provided a vital green space for a growing population and transformed the landscape of playground design.
• Future directions in community services, parks and leisure. With the Alice Springs Town Council and the Alice Water Smart project
  Alice Springs Town Council, with the help of the Alice Water Smart plan, has installed new smart water irrigation technologies into 64 parks and ovals across the municipality.
  
• Tick of approval for environmental levy
  Commencing in 2005, Ku-rin-gai Council’s environmental levy has not only benefitted the region’s natural environment but has 80 percent of the community in favour of it continuing into the future.
• Walking the talk, environmentally
  Lismore City Council Environment Team has been working away quietly and, in the process, they have changed the very nature of the City with cutting edge developments in sustainability.
• Libraries embrace the digital age
  The digital revolution has brought changes to nearly every aspect of our lives and libraries across Australia are rising to the challenge.
  
• Outdoor library adds new dimension
  Randwick City in New South Wales has recently added an outdoor area to the Malabar library, meaning that the smallest library in the City now has a vital new space for patrons.
• Regional library wins award for services to older adults
  Rockhampton Regional Libraries have been awarded the 2012 Eric Flynn Award for Library Services for Older Adults for a range of programs targeting this age group.
  
• Funding boost brings library to life
  Oakleigh Library and the soon-to-be-opened Mulgrave Library Service Point received some welcome news in July, thanks to the Victorian State Government’s Living Libraries Infrastructure Program.
• NSW libraries stay warm over winter
  Libraries have become more than just places to borrow books, evidenced by the variety of activities and programs offered by a number of NSW libraries.
  
• Mondo project encourages youth engagement
  The Mondo Community Safety and Youth Engagement Project aims to enhance safety, minimise anti-social behaviour and engage with young people in the ‘Mondo Green Space’ – a key civic site in the Penrith City Centre.
  
• Griffith’s Natty Knitters & The Knitted Garden
  Throughout July, Parramatta City Library held an exhibition of the amazing Knitted Garden, the work of a group of dedicated knitters and crocheters from Griffith in South West New South Wales.
• Community cooperation brings sports fields to life
  Two stories from vastly different contexts highlight the ways that communities, councils and organisations can work together to make things happen.
• Home and Community Care Services benefit from federal grant
  Home and Community Care (HACC) Services in Moorabool Shire in Victoria have been enhanced by a grant of more than $73,000 from the Federal Government.
  
• Oval upgrade kicks off
  The Colac Otway Shire Council in Victoria are celebrating the award of a $350,000 grant from the State Government towards a $750,000 upgrade of the Central Reserve playing surface.
• Mid Murray wins youth engagement award
  Mid Murray Council in South Australia has gained national recognition for its innovative ‘Fun 4 YOUth’ program, winning the youth engagement and participation category in the prestigious 2012 National Awards for Local Government.
  
• Apprentice of the Year wins award for green skills
  Apprentice of the Year, Ben Goodier, loves working outdoors and says that his four-year apprenticeship with The Hills Shire Council has provided him with ‘invaluable’ hands-on industry experience.
• Outdoor Blitz Program sees instant results
  Mitchell Shire Council in Victoria’s central region is basking in the success and positive community feedback from their new Outdoor Blitz Programs.
• Healthier Baw Baw
  A project to develop and implement a municipal-wide physical activity and healthy eating initiative in Baw Baw Shire has been funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.
• New playground engages kids of all ages & abilities
  An all-new, all-inclusive playground was recently opened at Koshigaya Park in Campbelltown in New South Wales, with a focus on accessibility and interactivity.
• ‘Pop-up’ library increases access
  The City of Ballarat in Victoria has initiated a new mobile library service, making it easier for residents in outlying areas to access the range of programs and resources provided by the central Ballarat, Wendouree and Sebastopol libraries.
  
• Adopt-a-tree program creates greener streets
  Green Your Street is a free program that aims to improve local streets and neighbourhoods through the planting of trees on nature strips, drawing on community involvement and care.
• Historic botanical gardens undergo major refurbishment
  The completion of the $2.5 million refurbishment of the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens has been well worth the wait, with the funding and planning process beginning way back in 2009.
  
• Community at the heart of infrastructure plans
  Melbourne’s fast-growing Docklands area now has a community garden, proving that inner city living and gardening aren’t mutually exclusive.
• Sportsturf – working for you*
  SportsTurf Consultants (Aust.) Pty Ltd is the largest consultancy firm in Australia that practices specifically in the area of construction and management of
  turf surfaces.
• Positive partnering delivers excellent community outcomes*
  Superlatives were flowing freely in praise of Logan City Council at the July launch and opening of the Mabel Park adiZone in Queensland – an Australian first.