What we asked the candidates for the 2016 Glen Eira Council Election in Camden Ward
Letter to Camden Ward Candidates
Dear Mary, Thomas, Ian, Joel and Karen,
We understand that you will each be a candidate seeking election or re-election in the Camden Ward of Glen Eira Council.
As you know, Friends of Caulfield Park was formed with the express purpose of furthering the the many values of Caulfield Park and the interests of its many and varied users.
On behalf of our members, we will be pleased if you can inform us about your feelings regarding the following areas of interest by Friday, September 9th so that we can include your responses in our Spring Newsletter.
IF ELECTED WILL YOU support the values expressed in the Friends of Caulfield Park Vision Statement, particularly key elements including:
Best regards,
David Wilde
President
Dear Mary, Thomas, Ian, Joel and Karen,
We understand that you will each be a candidate seeking election or re-election in the Camden Ward of Glen Eira Council.
As you know, Friends of Caulfield Park was formed with the express purpose of furthering the the many values of Caulfield Park and the interests of its many and varied users.
On behalf of our members, we will be pleased if you can inform us about your feelings regarding the following areas of interest by Friday, September 9th so that we can include your responses in our Spring Newsletter.
IF ELECTED WILL YOU support the values expressed in the Friends of Caulfield Park Vision Statement, particularly key elements including:
- Proper tree maintenance and a tree replacement strategy?
- Development of inviting entrances to the western end of the park?
- An attractively designed sheltered community meeting place in line with existing heritage features?
- Action towards the relocation of the Depot out of Caulfield Park?
- Pro-actively campaign for and support funding for facilities in the western end of Caulfield Park which will make the park more attractive to, and encourage appropriate informal uses and activities?
- · Facilitate the development of channels of communication between informal Caulfield Park users and the Glen Eira Council?
- · In what ways do you use or have connections with Caulfield Park at present?
- · Are you a current member of Friends of Caulfield Park? If not, will you join?
- · How long have you lived in Camden Ward?
Best regards,
David Wilde
President
What the Candidates wrote:
Response by Mary Delahunty
Thanks for the opportunity to respond.
As you know I share your love of open space and I am driven to make sure that more people in Glen Eira get to live in close proximity to a park.
I have lived in and around Glen Eira since moving to Melbourne for boarding school when I was 14 years old and enjoy playing in Caulfield Park with my three girls often.
I appreciate the vision that you have put forward for the park and particularly appreciate the love you have for this incredible piece of public land. It is a land mass that needs to serve many purposes and we need to to be guardians of it as best we can in our time here.
I support a close working relationship between FCP and the council as well as all other users of the park.
I support parts of your vision and would certainly like to see a tree replacement strategy in place. As discussed (but not part of the vision) I would also strongly support modernising the incredible work you did on the identification of the trees currently in the park, I think we should work together on this and it would be an incredible legacy your dedicated group could leave for future park users.
I broadly support most of your initiatives but I would like to see them consulted on as a part of a wider, more strategic place based planning piece. I think Caulfield Park deserves better than a piecemeal approach.
The additional shelter would be fantastic, as would improving the entrance on the western end. I also think it is a wonderful idea to provide more information on tree maintenance.
There are elements of the vision that I think are problematic and if I am successful, I look forward to robust discussion about them in future consultations! The park is public land and must serve many purposes. As such, I do not support the vision that there not be personal trainers, ball games played or any more playgrounds. I think these pursuits are healthy and I am personally delighted seeing young teenagers playing hackey-sack or having the chance to kick a soccer ball to my three year old while my older children climb on the play equipment. The park is to serve many purposes and many people in many stages of life, it is a community asset and all the community should be able to enjoy it.
I also struggle to understand the vision for a "biblical garden". I would prefer to celebrate Australian flora and would happily support commemoration of our first people, not a seemingly foreign planting of biblical shrubs.
I support the removal of the depot from Caulfield Park and I look froward to that part of the park being returned to open space.
Thanks for the opportunity to respond.
As you know I share your love of open space and I am driven to make sure that more people in Glen Eira get to live in close proximity to a park.
I have lived in and around Glen Eira since moving to Melbourne for boarding school when I was 14 years old and enjoy playing in Caulfield Park with my three girls often.
I appreciate the vision that you have put forward for the park and particularly appreciate the love you have for this incredible piece of public land. It is a land mass that needs to serve many purposes and we need to to be guardians of it as best we can in our time here.
I support a close working relationship between FCP and the council as well as all other users of the park.
I support parts of your vision and would certainly like to see a tree replacement strategy in place. As discussed (but not part of the vision) I would also strongly support modernising the incredible work you did on the identification of the trees currently in the park, I think we should work together on this and it would be an incredible legacy your dedicated group could leave for future park users.
I broadly support most of your initiatives but I would like to see them consulted on as a part of a wider, more strategic place based planning piece. I think Caulfield Park deserves better than a piecemeal approach.
The additional shelter would be fantastic, as would improving the entrance on the western end. I also think it is a wonderful idea to provide more information on tree maintenance.
There are elements of the vision that I think are problematic and if I am successful, I look forward to robust discussion about them in future consultations! The park is public land and must serve many purposes. As such, I do not support the vision that there not be personal trainers, ball games played or any more playgrounds. I think these pursuits are healthy and I am personally delighted seeing young teenagers playing hackey-sack or having the chance to kick a soccer ball to my three year old while my older children climb on the play equipment. The park is to serve many purposes and many people in many stages of life, it is a community asset and all the community should be able to enjoy it.
I also struggle to understand the vision for a "biblical garden". I would prefer to celebrate Australian flora and would happily support commemoration of our first people, not a seemingly foreign planting of biblical shrubs.
I support the removal of the depot from Caulfield Park and I look froward to that part of the park being returned to open space.
Response by Joel Silver
I am happy to commit to the Friends of Caulfield Park’s vision in its entirety, and look forward to signing up to the organisation.
I am particularly interested in rejuvenating the western end (the Hawthorn Road side).
I have lived in Camden Ward my entire life (all 28 years of them). Throughout that time, I have been a regular user of Caulfield Park, for the playgrounds when I was younger, the soccer fields when I was growing growing up, and more recently while walking my dog (until he decided it was too far from our house!)
I am happy to commit to the Friends of Caulfield Park’s vision in its entirety, and look forward to signing up to the organisation.
I am particularly interested in rejuvenating the western end (the Hawthorn Road side).
I have lived in Camden Ward my entire life (all 28 years of them). Throughout that time, I have been a regular user of Caulfield Park, for the playgrounds when I was younger, the soccer fields when I was growing growing up, and more recently while walking my dog (until he decided it was too far from our house!)
