Yesterday was Australia Day, the 26th January. This is a day that holds a lot of complexity, and it is important to acknowledge that for indigenous Australians this day symbolises the irrevocable and deeply traumatic changes to the way of life of the original inhabitants and owners of this land - in a local sense that is the Kaurna people of the Adelaide plains.
However, at the same time it is a day which can hold a lot of joy.
I attended the NPSP Australia Day Ceremony, held in the beautiful Norwood Concert Hall. Guests included the Mayor of NPSP and most of the local elected members; the Member for Norwood Steven Marshall; the Member for Bragg Vicki Chapman; the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Member for Hartley, the Hon Grace Portolesi; and the Federal Minister for the Status of Women and Member for Adelaide the Hon Kate Ellis.
More importantly, many of the guests were friends and family of people choosing this day to become Australian Citizens.
48 people took part in the Australian citizenship ceremony, taking the Australian Citizenship Pledge .
I have spent some years living in a country where I was not a citizen, so I can really appreciate the value, both practical and spiritual, of being a citizen in the country where one has chosen to make one's life.
All those in attendance had the opportunity to reflect on the values of Australia, both in terms of the recent floods, and some inspiring stories of migrant Australians finding success in their chosen home.
The connecting power of arts and culture was shown by the wonderful musical performances of the Australian Girls Choir and the African Burundi Drummers, as well as the stories related to us by the special guest speakers.
Pat Rix was chosen as our Australia Day Ambassador, a program that has been sponsored by Woolworths for the last 21 years. Pat Rix is the founder and director of Tutti Ensemble, a group that uses the power of theatre and music to promote social inclusion and understanding for people with disability.
I am very happy to say that the NPSP Australia Day Citizen of the Year Award went to Beth Mylius, the driving force behind Sustainable Communities SA, for her tireless work in reconnecting local people to form networks that support people in their journey to live in a more sustainable manner, especially at the household and community level.
By giving this recognition to Beth and Sustainable Communities SA, the Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council has shown its willingness to support these kind of community initiatives, which bodes very well for our future!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
TDU Norwood Start
Here are some photos taken by Jeremy Miller from the Norwood Start of the 2011 Tour Down Under, on Friday 21st January.
Featuring the famous Mr Lance Armstrong, local star Jack Bobridge, a lot of colour, and a very big bicycle with the words "Norwood Payneham and St Peters" prominently displayed!
Speaking of displays, the Norwood Cycling Into History exhibition is now on in the Foyer of the Norwood Town Hall, featuring memorabilia on loan from Nino and David Solari. Open until Tuesday February 1st.
It was a great day. Well done to everyone involved in putting on such a big event with everything going smoothly and a huge happy vibe.
Photos of 2011 TDU Norwood Start, by Jeremy Miller.
Featuring the famous Mr Lance Armstrong, local star Jack Bobridge, a lot of colour, and a very big bicycle with the words "Norwood Payneham and St Peters" prominently displayed!
Speaking of displays, the Norwood Cycling Into History exhibition is now on in the Foyer of the Norwood Town Hall, featuring memorabilia on loan from Nino and David Solari. Open until Tuesday February 1st.
It was a great day. Well done to everyone involved in putting on such a big event with everything going smoothly and a huge happy vibe.
Photos of 2011 TDU Norwood Start, by Jeremy Miller.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
"The Home of Cycling in SA"
This Friday 21st January the Tour Down Under, Stage 4, starts from Norwood. This day is particularly special because not only do we get the see the world's best racing cyclists take off from the Parade at 11 a.m., we are also hosting the sunrise start of the Mutual Community Challenge Tour at 6.30 a.m. This is significant because this is the race that is open to any rider who wishes to have a go. The participation rate has continually grown since its inception in 2003 and this year more than 8000 people are expected to ride.
I am personally very excited to see the popularity of cycling growing in SA, not just as an elite sport but as an everyday activity that a huge section of our community can take part in, at a wide range of levels. I hope to see our culture adapting to accept bicycle users of every ability, and for the whole gamut of reasons that people may choose to ride a bike.
Even more encouraging is to see from the most recent NPSP Council Meeting (Council Meeting Agenda 17/1/11 page 2, Item 9.1) that the Mayor Robert Bria has proposed that the Council acknowledge the Norwood Cycling Club for its contribution to cycling in South Australia and Australia by commissioning an historic sign post and a cultural walk plaque.
In conjunction with this year's Tour Down Under, the Council is promoting Norwood as "the Home of Cycling in SA".
Acknowledging the historical contributions of Norwood Cycling Club is likely to be just one of many actions that the Council may take in the upcoming years to promote and encourage cycling as a valuable and practical mode of transport, recreation and healthy activity. In the context of sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, it is clear that the bicycle has a large role to play in our future.
Both myself and the Council's newly appointed Sustainability Officer Kelly Overeem have attended the Australian Cycling Conference this week. (I was attending on behalf of the Bicycle Institute of SA in my capacity as Secretary). This was a conference aimed squarely at urban planners, transport planners, stakeholders from the Transport, Public Health and Recreation sectors, and local and state government policy makers.
The Conference presented a wealth of practical ideas combined with long time vision that I hope the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters will be able to integrate into its planning and development, and in the process take the position of "leader", not "follower" as it works to truly make Norwood the home of cycling in SA.
I am personally very excited to see the popularity of cycling growing in SA, not just as an elite sport but as an everyday activity that a huge section of our community can take part in, at a wide range of levels. I hope to see our culture adapting to accept bicycle users of every ability, and for the whole gamut of reasons that people may choose to ride a bike.
Even more encouraging is to see from the most recent NPSP Council Meeting (Council Meeting Agenda 17/1/11 page 2, Item 9.1) that the Mayor Robert Bria has proposed that the Council acknowledge the Norwood Cycling Club for its contribution to cycling in South Australia and Australia by commissioning an historic sign post and a cultural walk plaque.
In conjunction with this year's Tour Down Under, the Council is promoting Norwood as "the Home of Cycling in SA".
Acknowledging the historical contributions of Norwood Cycling Club is likely to be just one of many actions that the Council may take in the upcoming years to promote and encourage cycling as a valuable and practical mode of transport, recreation and healthy activity. In the context of sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, it is clear that the bicycle has a large role to play in our future.
Both myself and the Council's newly appointed Sustainability Officer Kelly Overeem have attended the Australian Cycling Conference this week. (I was attending on behalf of the Bicycle Institute of SA in my capacity as Secretary). This was a conference aimed squarely at urban planners, transport planners, stakeholders from the Transport, Public Health and Recreation sectors, and local and state government policy makers.
The Conference presented a wealth of practical ideas combined with long time vision that I hope the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters will be able to integrate into its planning and development, and in the process take the position of "leader", not "follower" as it works to truly make Norwood the home of cycling in SA.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
New Year and Water
I hope that people reading this have had a happy and safe Christmas and New Year season. I have enjoyed a welcome break, and I am now back in the saddle and looking forward to a very productive year.
Of course for many people this has been a very traumatic time with the fires in WA, and the flooding throughout NSW, Victoria and particularly Queensland. Brazil, the Philippines and Sri Lanka have also suffered terribly.
Not only are families, businesses and infrastructure affected, but the biodiversity - animals and plants - is disrupted. The rebuilding efforts need to repair not only the built environment but also attempt to restore the natural environment that is an integral part of our security.
At a local level, Norwood Payneham & St Peters suffered some effects of the rain event on December 7th 2010, when Adelaide received its highest recorded rainfall over 24hrs for the month of December - 66mm. The Council staff acted immediately to repair the most urgent damage and is resolving the issues from that event. Meanwhile, the Council is awaiting the release of a new report that will detail how the entire Eastern Region will manage stormwater - the Eastern Region Urban Stormwater Master Plan (ERUSWMP) - which will enable the Council to more effectively plan for and manage the response to major rain events in the future. The ERUSWMP is expected to be released later this year.
In response to the Queensland floods, our Council is very keen to assist in a practical manner. The Local Government Association of SA is co-ordinating the response from Councils across SA and I know that we are not alone in wanting to provide assistance and support to the people of Queensland.
Of course for many people this has been a very traumatic time with the fires in WA, and the flooding throughout NSW, Victoria and particularly Queensland. Brazil, the Philippines and Sri Lanka have also suffered terribly.
Not only are families, businesses and infrastructure affected, but the biodiversity - animals and plants - is disrupted. The rebuilding efforts need to repair not only the built environment but also attempt to restore the natural environment that is an integral part of our security.
At a local level, Norwood Payneham & St Peters suffered some effects of the rain event on December 7th 2010, when Adelaide received its highest recorded rainfall over 24hrs for the month of December - 66mm. The Council staff acted immediately to repair the most urgent damage and is resolving the issues from that event. Meanwhile, the Council is awaiting the release of a new report that will detail how the entire Eastern Region will manage stormwater - the Eastern Region Urban Stormwater Master Plan (ERUSWMP) - which will enable the Council to more effectively plan for and manage the response to major rain events in the future. The ERUSWMP is expected to be released later this year.
In response to the Queensland floods, our Council is very keen to assist in a practical manner. The Local Government Association of SA is co-ordinating the response from Councils across SA and I know that we are not alone in wanting to provide assistance and support to the people of Queensland.
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