Launch Speech

Before I start I just want to mention a couple of things. We are making a DVD of the entire project, that will available soon so put your name down if you are interested in purchasing a copy. We have also had various photos taken during the build which are available to purchase from a website. If you would like the details please come and see us. We are also creating a recipe book made up of all the volunteers recipes. Please see us if you want to include anything and look out for it in the coming months.

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Well I must say I wondered whether I would ever be standing up here at the end of this journey opening such an amazing playground. Certainly in my dreams I have played this moment over and over in my head, but to actually be here I think I need someone to pinch me. I find it a little difficult to remember waaayy back in March 2006, when all this first started. When someone casually said to me, ‘You should see this playground at Bacchus Marsh, it was all built by volunteers, you should do that in Montrose’.

Well….. who knew what that was going to start. It did sound fantastic, so I looked up a case study of the Bacchus Marsh project on the internet and thought to myself, Montrose could really do that. I have grown up in Montrose so I know first hand how wonderful this community is. Somehow in Montrose we have maintained a small village atmosphere and have nurtured our community spirit which I am happy to say is very much alive and well.

At the time, I was involved in the Montrose Township Group and Council had just given me a fantastic opportunity to participate in the Vista Community Leadership Program. The main part of the course was to complete a community project and so it began…….

The Montrose Reserve Group had a master plan in place that identified an upgrade to the existing playground as a high priority. This poor and tired playground, which I reckon I used to play on, was the perfect location for a new playground and I didn’t think anyone would mind seeing the old one go.

So with an idea and a location, it was time to pester Bacchus Marsh for some info. I contacted Councillor Michael Tudball who was one of the main coordinators of that project and what an amazing find he was. Michael was just so willing to share information and even agreed to meet me at the Bacchus Marsh playground so I could find out first hand what was involved. It was just so inspirational to hear Michael’s story, and a little overwhelming, but I came away thinking, ‘I am going to do this.’ I just wasn’t sure how on earth I was going to convince Council to let me.

After giving this some thought, I invited Michael to help me present to Council and I also knew that I had to get support from my own Councillor, Len Cox. I nervously met with Len at the Town Centre one afternoon to share my vision and, Phew!!!! He loved it.

So the date was set for the big presentation to the Shire of Yarra Ranges and all the staff from every department who would be involved in this type of project were there. It was a nerve racking experience but quite entertaining to see the faces of everyone when I said, ‘I want to build a playground on Council land and I want about a thousand volunteers to build it’. I think they nearly all fell off their chairs.

They eventually recovered, and after a million questions were asked, it was decided that Council would support my idea and I could press on with my plans.

For most of 2006 I researched the project with the generous sharing of information from Michael The stars were also shining down on us that year in relation to funding. It was the middle of winter and the juniors had just played footy on an oval that was so muddy you couldn’t see who was playing. Something had to be done, so Councillor, Len Cox, and our State member, James Merlino, were dragged down to the ground to see first hand how desperate the facilities had become. As a result, the playground was scooped up in a redevelopment project of the entire reserve, and a fantastic partnership was formed between the community, the Shire of Yarra Ranges, the State and Federal Government.

With a plan and now money to do the project it was time to get the community excited. We kicked off the project with a Community Ideas Day in March 2007. We also had children from Montrose and Billanook Primary Schools work one on one with the designer to express their ideas. The ideas day was also the start of a formal committee.

So with a committee formed and growing in numbers the project was now very much in full force. We promoted the project by attending the Montrose Market every month, selling wristbands, hosting a hotdog and wristband day at Montrose Primary and much more. We sold pickets and signed up volunteers. I attended more community meetings than I had hot dinners, to make sure everyone was aware of what we were doing. Japara House also became a valuable partner in the project.

As hopefully most of you are aware our playground is largely made up of recycled plastic and I will take this opportunity to sincerely thank Replas Recycled Plastic who is a local company from Lilydale. We were lucky enough to have Mark Yates from the company attend one of our presentations and what resulted was the extremely generous donation of all the recycled plastic used in this playground. The recycled plastic has made our playground a unique, environmentally friendly and lasting playground and how fantastic does it look?

Well by the end of last year we were finally able to announce the date for construction. This was a very exciting time for the committee as all our hard work was definitely paying off and we had an end in sight. I think I speak on behalf of all the committee when I say that 2008 has been a bit of a blur.

It has been a rollercoaster journey full of highs and lows but the biggest bombshell was still yet to come. With 5 weeks out from the build the playground company went into administration. I think we were all shell shocked for a while but we had come way too far to give up now and with the help and support of Council we miraculously secured another playground company to pick up the pieces and see us through the build. What can I say about Omnitech other than to thank you sincerely for your speedy efforts. You literally saved this project and you saved our committee from complete devastation. I can’t say how much we appreciate your commitment to this project.

Now that all that is said and done I want to reflect on 5 amazing days that turned this project into a reality.

Community spirit was overflowing and people were eager and enthusiastic. The dedication to this project was evident when over 450 individuals covered over 1200 shifts to build this fantastic playground. The community worked tirelessly but with such a positive attitude. New friends were made and old friends were reunited. There was a buzz at the Reserve which extended throughout the entire community. It was such an exciting and proud time which made all the hard work worth every single minute of planning. From watching the line of barrows waiting at the concrete truck, to seeing the builders quickly get out of the way before they were painted along with the timber, to the ladies with the brushes, every minute of it was fantastic to be part of. I particularly enjoyed meal times and having the opportunity to listen to all the workers reflecting on the build and days gone by.

I have so many people to thank so I will ask you to bear with me as I go through my extensive list of thankyous. There has just been so much unbelievable support of this project it is truly overwhelming and I sincerely hope I do not forget anyone. Please forgive me if I do.

First and foremost I need to say a huge thank you to the community of Montrose and surrounding areas who volunteered their time to actually build this fantastic playground. Thank you for all your hard work and determination. You should all be so proud of yourselves.

To the Councillors and staff at the Shire of Yarra Ranges. For your incredible support of me… this project…. and the community. I know it wasn’t easy to let this crazy woman waltz in and take over all your departments so I thank you for being so patient. I have met some great people throughout this journey and I would like to mention just some of the people who have been involved along the way.

To the Mayor, Tim Heenan, for your support.

Mandy Black, my vista mentor, thank you for believing in me and making me believe in myself.

All the staff from the Community Strengthening Department.

Rod Woolley, Don Reiter, David Richards, Gerran Wright, Ron Pearce, Grant Jack, Paul Mechelen, Richard Meinig. For all the meetings you attended.

To Rick, Peter and John from the depot for being so helpful.

We have received support from all over along the way and wish to thank:
The Montrose Township Group
Montrose Town Centre
Montrose Post Office
Max Brown Real Estate
Hummingbird Café
IGA supermarket
York Hairdressing
Montrose Meats
Montrose Library
Elizabeth Bridge Reserve
All the other user groups of the Reserve

Greg Carrick from the m2 newspaper, the Journal and the Leader.
Montrose Primary School, including the parents club and the Junior School Council.
Billanook Primary School, Sarah Court Preschool, Montrose Preschool.

Thank you for all the donations and discounts of materials:
Replas Repeat Plastics for all the recycled plastic
Boral for all the concrete and accommodating our ever changing delivery times
Bowens Timber Croydon
Kings Fibreglass
Supasoil Ringwood
Coventry Fasteners
Stratco
Yarra Ranges Steel & Shopfittings

Thank you all for the support during construction:
Coates Hire Lilydale for the many tools and equipment
Kennards Bayswater
Lilydale SES for allowing us extra hours to build
Dean Mason from Electrosafe
Lifestyle Innovations
PACH Excavations
Royal Wolf for the shipping container
J&L Towing
Tymaline Building Services
Fortress Site Fencing

To all the food sponsors:
Montrose Meats
Hummingbird Café
IGA Supermarket
Montrose Bakery
Montrose Fish n Chippery
Montrose Charcoal Chicken
The Basil Leaf
Get Fresh Boronia
Victorian Fine Foods
Bakers Delight Croydon
Ace Party Hire
Johnny Boys Pizza Bayswater
Confoil Containers
Marlin Signs for the temporary sponsor board
Mark Clark from Colorsteel Fencing for all the holes
Paul Landman and his mulch moving tractor

The site security team: Ross McDonald, Peter Hams and Glenn Jean

Brett Tyley of Jiva Workshop for the DVD
Johl from JD Digital Photography for all the photos

Danny and Lucy from Wattle Valley Kitchens for engraving all the pickets.

Thank you to all our sponsors:
Montrose and District Rotary for your very generous donation
Lions Club of Montrose and District
Sarah Court Preschool
Montrose Financial Planning Services
The Landman Family
Mont Rose Maison
Curves Kilsyth
Yarra Valley Cabinet Makers
Montrose CFA
Montrose Community Craft Market
L & I Electrical
Apex Club of Montrose and Kilsyth
Churchill Bass
The Doupe Family
Rehability
Montrose Guides and Brownies
Billanook Primary School
Tanya Clarke

All the design sponsors:
Australian Brushware Corporation
The Paint Factory Bayswater
Haymes Paints
Brett Greenwood for the anti graffiti coating on all the artwork

It is an amazing list and they all deserve such praise so I hope you can stay with me just a little longer to get through them all.

Thank you to Councillor Michael Tudball from the Shire of Moorabool for your sharing of information and support.

To our State Member, James Merlino, thank you for your various support. It is so great to see such dedication to your local community.

To our Federal Member, Tony Smith, again thank you for your various support. You are also a great support of local community. It has been a real pleasure to see such a great partnership develop between government, council and the community.

A special thank you to our local Councillor, Len Cox. From that very first meeting and every step of the way you have been a constant support of me and this entire project. You have experienced this journey first hand and have made a huge effort to be involved. You may not be a builder, but you have definitely played an integral part in the building of this playground. Thank you.

Thank you to Roger Craddock and the Montrose Tennis Club.

Such an important part of this project was made so much easier thanks to you and your members. The sharing of food during this project has been a time of really special time and the use of your facilities allowed us to create an atmosphere that was welcoming, friendly and warm. Thank you for being such an important partner in this project.

Thank you to Pauline Walton and all at Japara Neighbourhood House.

Your support from the start of this project right to the very end has been amazing. From the use of the facilities or lending us the tent for the markets, every request has been supported. The responsibility of childcare for the build was a tremendous commitment and was done in such a professional and caring way. You have also been a fantastic partner of the project.

Now for some amazing individuals that were the core of this project.

Firstly, I need to say a massive thank you to Scott Garner, the playground master. Scott was dragged into this project towards the very end but his dedication and commitment to this project has been outstanding. He single handedly managed all our volunteers with patience and sensitivity but at the same time provided great leadership. The effort he has put into this project both paid and unpaid is a credit to him as an individual. It was an absolute pleasure to work along side you, laugh with you, share frustrations and develop a great friendship.

Now to my committee and some extras who have been roped in along this journey.

We have worked incredibly hard and the dedication of my team has been unbelieveable. I want to sincerely thank all the partners and families of my team for allowing them to be part of this and being patient and understanding throughout this project.

To our amazing, amazing design team. Boy do we have some talented artists in our local area. We have a very unique playground thanks to the wonderful facades created by these individuals.

Janet Wilson, who has not only been a great team coordinator and support to me, but has completed some amazing artwork.

To the other artists:
Flaminia Grubacki
Janice Anne
Sue Anderson
Justine Indigo-Rose
Jacinta Welsh Faletoese
Chloe Cunningham
Richard Fennell
Rig Bell
Katrina Pedder
Ros Hunter
Anne Bortolussi
Karen Robinson
Melissa Windley
Mavis Davine
Ray Lilley
The Hoxley family
Doupe family
Webb Oates family
Pembroke Secondary College students and other children from the community

To the builders who made the facades:

Mike Foster
Michael May
Robert Barker
Martyn Heffernan
Boyd Ewing

To the incredibly skilled and extremely patient construction captains and extras who dedicated so many hours to the construction of this playground.

Sacha Sullivan who also helped out on the committee.

Rick Koralewsky
Matt Dowling
Adam Wilkinson
Glenn Jean
Ian Parsons
Luke Prescott
Andrew Tait
Ken Carlile
Trevor Gardoll
Mike Foster

To the individual teams on the committee:

The Promotions Team: Firstly coordinated by Melinda Fream and then by Jacquie Diepgrond who was just so wonderful to step up as acting coordinator and did an amazing job. And the rest of the team:

Andrea Steele
Kim Burton
Bronwyn Dwight
Monika Brown
Tamara Mika
Tania Warden
Sasha O’Neil
Lyndall Parsons

The Childcare Team:

A big thank you to Lorraine Ewing for attending all the meetings and helping out not just in childcare but wherever else she could. Also thank you to Pauline Walton and all the childcare staff.

The Materials Team: Coordinated by Trevor Ahale.

A big thank you also goes to Matt Dowling who did a great job ordering materials
and Steven Van Wagensveld

The Tools Team: Coordinated by Phill Peat and greatly assisted by Rob Brown.
The two of you did such an amazing job coordinating all the tools and hardware. It was a pleasure to visit the tools shed.

The Volunteers Team: What an amazing job you did managing all those volunteers. Coordinated by Stacey Barker and assisted by the team.

Tara Jordan
Marg Fennell
Tanya Clarke
Kathy Beimers
Helen Hegedus

The Food Team: You did an incredible job of feeding all the volunteers. Food was such a talking point during the whole build and it was thanks to your dedication and your service. You made meals and snack times an amazing experience for all the volunteers.

Coordinated by Natasha Wilkinson and assisted by the team.

Danny Lamb (What an impact you had on the build. And a big hit with the older ladies I hear)
Chris Dowling
Jo Stacey
Beverley Isbel
Sandra Hogg
Amanda Bell
Michelle Barker
Nic Shean

Special mentions now to some amazing people who supported me personally during this journey.

Sincere thanks to Stacey Barker and Natasha Wilkinson who not only headed up their own team but provided me with ongoing support and were always on hand to help me out. I feel very blessed and privileged to have worked with you on this project. We have been like the three wise monkeys or should I say the three wise control freaks. Either way, I have found 2 special, amazing new friends that I hope to keep for a lifetime.

To Ken Dowling. Who initially agreed to just help with the finances, but ended up, whether he liked it or not, being pretty much my project partner. Through all the committee meetings and Council meetings Ken has been there every step of the way and it has been a privilege to work alongside him. I admire his dedication to the community and he has inspired and encouraged me throughout this whole journey.

I must also make a special mention to Chris Dowling. Although Chris has been in the background during this journey, she has provided exceptional support to Ken and myself. I feel very lucky into to have had the opportunity to work so closely with both of them.

So Ken, thank you for everything. For being someone I can count on for advice and support at any time of the day or night and thank you, more importantly, for being a great friend.

Now it has to be said that if it wasn’t for this next group of people this playground definitely would not have happened. I am, of course, talking about my family.

My amazing kids, Thomas and Tayla. The inspiration behind this whole project. Thank you for allowing Mummy the time to go to all those meetings and for being so understanding. You are what makes life so important and I love you both so much.

To my Mum. I literally cannot get by without my Mum. She gives so much of herself to help others and she is just such an amazing person. Thank you for taking such good care of my family in my absence. You are not only my wonderful Mum, you are such a special friend and I love you very much.

Now, to one person who has truly shared every little step of this journey, my amazing husband, Ross.

You have shared in my laughter and shared in my pain. You have eased the frustration and lifted me up when I have been down. You have encouraged me, supported me and celebrated my achievements. You have been my rock and I am so blessed to have you in my life. You are one in a million. You are not only my husband, you are my best friend and I treasure every day I get to spend with you. I love you and I thank you.

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