Lost but Found - Our Global Award

You may recall that in October, 2009 the Flowerdale Community won a Groundswell Award, from Forrester Research, for Best Use of Social Media for Social Impact. Flowerdale was the first group outside North America to ever win one of these awards.
The award acknowledged the use of the Blog, Flickr, Youtube, Scribd and the Flowerdale Wiki as well as www.builditback.org , the step by step rebuilding guide.

The Award was picked up in Chicago by a Deloite colleague of mine in October but only landed on my desk this week having been in the ether of the mail system for some time.

Forrester Groundswell Award 2009

Working Bee at Flowerdale Recreation Reserve

Hi. Do you have a few spare hours?

The Flowerdale Tennis and Cricket Club are holding a working bee on Sunday 21st March at 10.00am at the Spring Valley Recreation Reserve.

In preparation for the building of the new proposed tennis courts and re-establishment of the cricket ground and new nets we plan to remove the old cricket nets and shed, clean the Recreation Reserve and do some gardening.

Please bring your tool and come and join us!

There will be a free lunch for all the workers.

For any further information please contact Jeannette on 5780 1520

Stimulus Package to attract Business Investment

The Premier John Brumby today unveiled a $10 million Commonwealth and Victorian government stimulus package to create new jobs and attract business investment in communities affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires. Mr Brumby said the new Victorian Bushfire Business Investment Fund would make available grants to support capital costs involved in setting up new businesses and expanding existing businesses to drive jobs, business confidence and economic growth in bushfire-affected regions.

Under the $10 million fund new businesses can apply for grants of between $50,000 and $4 million with the grants also available to support the expansion of existing businesses. The criteria for funding from the Victorian Bushfire Business Investment Fund will include:

• The level of economic benefit the project will bring;
• The number of sustainable, new full-time equivalent jobs created;
• The applicant’s access to skills, experience and resources; and
• The project’s longer-term sustainability without need for ongoing Government support.

We will seek further information from VBRRA and ensure this is covered off at the Flowerdale Forum II. If you would like assistance in applying for a grant let me know and we will look to get access to help or run a session for interested parties.

See the full announcement on the VBBRRA website.

I see a sign

Time is a relative thing but I am happy to announce that after 13 months since Black Saturday the "Welcome to Flowerdale" sign that was burnt beyond recognition has been replaced at the Southern end of town.

I put a sticker on it in April and someone spray painted Flowerdale on the sign around November but we now have a brand spanking new sign. It is not a big thing but given the amount of renewal and rebuilding going on the sign wasn't a good look.

Not a great look for a town in recovery

Thanks to the people in Government who agitated to make it happen.

Some additions to the Blog

We have made a couple of changes to the blog on the Links section on the top right hand side.

We have added a calendar link to a Flowerdale calendar (using Google Calendar) where it will be easy to find what is going on.

We have also had some feedback that Minutes of FRC meetings are not easily accessible so we have added a link our Scribd site where we have set up a page where all of the minutes are in the one place. We will also set a link up for Community Updates.

We are working right now on populating the content and putting everything in the one place as well as putting in the Community Events on the calendar this may take some time so please bear with us.

You can also use the search bar on the top left hand side of the Blog if you want to find older posts.

Hope this helps people find stuff more easily.

Tree People help out

As many of you know more than 70 people have had the Flowerdale Tree logo tattooed.

An article, entitled "The Tree People" appeared in "The Monthly" magazine, talking about how tattoo artist Olivia Brumen from Vic Market Tattoos had provided the service free of charge. There are copies of the magazine at the school and Community House if you would like to see the article.

A new group was due to go down on Tuesday however when Community House contacted Olivia on Saturday she told them that the shop had been washed out in the floods that hit Melbourne on 6th March.

The Flowerdale Community action spirit kicked in and today 12 people from Flowerdale went down to Vic Market Tattoos to help clean up after the floods.

Thanks to Olivia and thanks to those who have stepped in to payback Olivia for her work in helping the community.

Flowerdale Forum II 20th March

Flowerdale Forum II 20th March

Yea Celebration Weekend

Yea Celebration

More on the Tennis Club a great story of collaboration

Local MP Ben Hardman has issued a press release with more detail on the Tennis Club grants.

See below:

MEMBERS of the Flowerdale Tennis Club and surrounding communities can look forward to
having a hit on four new synthetic grass tennis courts thanks to a $60,000 Brumby Labor Government funding boost, Sports Minister James Merlino announced today.

Joining Member for Seymour Ben Hardman at the club’s home ground, the Spring Valley
Recreation Reserve today, Mr Merlino said the new courts would be funded through the
Community Facility Funding Program.

“Victorians love their sport and that’s why we’re investing heavily in grassroots sporting infrastructure to ensure our communities are strong, happy, healthy and active,” Mr Merlino said.

“In times of adversity, sport can play a key role in developing community strength – that’s why it’s so important that we continue to assist these clubs so that local people can stay involved in their communities and in sport. Last year $100,000 from the Community Recovery Fund was allocated towards new court development at the Flowerdale Tennis Club.”

Mr Hardman said once complete, the four new courts will feature synthetic grass surfaces that are easy to maintain, require no watering and allow high levels of use.

“The new courts will be of great benefit to Flowerdale, including nearby schools and residents of the temporary community at Spring Valley Recreation Reserve,” Mr Hardman said.

“I would like to acknowledge members and volunteers in the community as well the efforts of the Flowerdale clubs who continue to help out well after the fires – you have done an amazing job. Working together we can ensure that bushfire affected sports clubs like Flowerdale Tennis Club get the help they need when they need it most.”

Mr Hardman congratulated the Murrindindi Shire Council for their $30,000 contribution and the club for providing more than $45,000 in funding and in-kind support. The Victorian Government has invested more than $200 million for community sport and more than 2,000 community facilities across Victoria since 2000.

Flowerdale Tennis Club president Jeannette Kamar thanked the State Government for its
assistance in helping the club to provide sporting facilities for the fire-affected community. Ms Kamar said the club had grown from 32 before the fires to 78 paid-up members with families from Flowerdale, Strath Creek, Glenburn, Pheasant Creek and Kinglake West coming to enjoy tennis coaching and competition.

“Many of the members are new to tennis and are really enjoying the physical and social benefits of playing regular sport in their own community,” Ms Kamar said.

“With the assistance of Colin Grace, the club’s first ever regular tennis coach who travels from Yarrawonga each week, the skills of those who participate in his weekly lessons are clearly improving.”

With the social inter-club tennis competition now including ten teams, play had to be extended over five nights to accommodate all players. This meant reduced hours for coaching on Mondays and the men’s Friday evening social play was suspended. Ms Kamar thanked local ward councillor Sally Abbott-Smith for her strong support as well as former mayor Lyn Gunter, current mayor Peter Beales, Murrindindi Shire’s Acting CEO Rob Croxford and shire community services manager Sandra Saxton, The Flowerdale Cricket Club, Flowerdale Sports Club, Spring Valley Recreation Reserve, Committee of Management, Flowerdale Recovery Committee, Flowerdale Primary School, Flowerdale Junior LandCare group and the Flowerdale community were also thanked for “their wonderful co-operation and support to help get this project up and running”.

Ms Kamar also thanked neighbouring landowners Denis & Shirley Hodge for their co-operation in enabling a land transfer to ensure the project could go ahead.

“The great assistance received from Tennis Victoria and Tennis Australia was also acknowledged, as was the support from others across Australia,” Ms Kamar said.

“Coach Phil Conlan and friends from Essendon contacted Flowerdale Tennis Club only a few weeks after the fires, and since then they have provided significant financial and moral support and have become close friends. The financial assistance received from the Westmeadow & Nambucca Heads Tennis Clubs and the Hoppers Crossing Sports Club are also very much appreciated.”

Tennis Club's persistence and passion pays off

Over the course of the year the Tennis club has raised funds and worked across the layers of government to raise money to put in four new artificial grass courts. Until today they were $60,000 short of what they needed but Minister James Merlino today announced the State Government would provide $60,000 to enusre there were four new courts. Local landowner, Dennis Hodge, donated some land to allow the project to go ahead.

The announcement was attended by representatives from:

• State Parliament, Ben Hardman MP
  
• Shire Council, Mayor Peter Beales
  
• Tennis Club
• Cricket Club
• Sports Club
• Recreation Reserve Committee of Management
• Land Care
• Primary School
• Flowerdale Recovery Committee
  
• Hotel
• CFA
• Community House

There has been lots of hard work and nervous moments but the persistence shown by all those involved has really paid off. It is a great result.

The tennis club is keen to see membership keep growing and it is a good time to get involved.

Construction Begins on Artists' Studio

One of the areas raised at the Flowerdale Future Forum was the establishment of an Artists' Studio, Mens Shed and Community Garden behind the recreation reserve. The provision of an Artists' Studio, Community Garden and Mens' Shed was included in the Flowerdale Community Recovery Plan submitted back in August 2009.

A building permit was issued on Monday 22 February, 2010 and work commenced on Tuesday 23rd February.

The plans can be seen at http://www.scribd.com/doc/27647253/Arts-Precinct. It is a big file so may take time to load.


The artists studio will provide a facility for local artists to work from together with materials. It will also provide the opportunity to bring in visiting artists as well as a place where people can learn to create art. We also have received a significant donation of Jewellery making equipment which will mean it is also accessible for those who may not see themselves as artists but want to participate in some creative therapy. The Salvation Army will donate materials for use in the studio and it is anticipated that the studio will be up and running by May.

Funding for the studio came via the "Rebuilding Together" statewide recovery plan. The idea was originally generated by long term Flowerdale resident and artist Peter Byrne and was driven by the Arts Work Engine convened by Sharon Collins. Well done to all involved.

Minister to visit Tennis Club

Sorry for the late notice however there is some exciting news on foot for the Tennis Club. James Merlino, the Minister for Sprot, Recreation and Youth Affairs will be visiting the Flowerdale Tennis Club on Tuesday 2nd March, 2010 from 12.15 to 1.00pm to make an announcement. The Minister will be accompanied by Ben Hardman the local MP in the State Government.

We hope that you, your family and friends as well as other supporters from the wider Flowerdale Community will be able to join us on Tuesday at 12 noon.