It was a very big night last Thursday with 172 people attending from 7 Rotary Clubs, the Barwon Rotaract Club and the Lions Club of Geelong. The night went off very well with many positive comments about the opportunity to hear first-hand from both Mayors. I would like to congratulate and thank the team who pulled it all together, Ros Horne, Ross Lamont, Pauline Stewart, Stephen Bath for the Powerpoint and printing, and Ken Mansfield for organizing the Nepal collection and MC Barb Sheehan. A great team effort.
Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle and Geelong Mayor Darryn Lyons were both entertaining and informative. MC Ian Cover gave us many laughs and maintained control over the two speakers.
Both speakers addressed the subject ‘What makes a vibrant city a great city’.
· Robert Doyle answered the questions ‘Why live, work or visit Melbourne?’ He explained the Melbourne’s ‘World’s Most Liveable City’ ranking over the last 4 years was due to a Melbourne’s focus on celebrating what the City is, not what it was, by focussing on making it a place for people to live work and play. He said that there has been an increase of 28,000 people living in the city centre over the last 4 years bringing a new vibrancy. Last year 6000 new apartments were built in the city and over the last 5 years 5500 apartments per year. This has helped to transform what was a ‘donut city’ where people left at night, to one where people live work and stay and play in the city adding life and making it a 24/7 city. He said that the city has the highest amount of street furniture of any city, restaurants have grown from 400 to 2000 since 1980. Of the total population of 4.3m people, 1m visit the city daily on average. This transformation didn’t cost a $. Street art, laneways, Collins Street and the Malls and Emporiums all add life. A transforming ‘Policy 3000’ used thermal mapping to plant 3000 trees per year to reduce the heat island effect, as back in 1983, around 500 people died on black Saturday in Melbourne when we had 10 days of >40 degC. (116degF). A total of 30,000 trees are to be planted in total. The city focus has seen an increase in money spent to encourage entertainment in the city and crime is down 17% with drunkenness down 11% due to later restaurant opening, city entertainment and lockouts from some venues. The city is focussed on people, lighting, space and people friendly buildings. Cycle usage has increased from 8% to 17% of city journeys and is up 20% in the last 2 years. He said he believed the former Mayor of Geelong was hounded from office. He believes the current Ward system entrenches the dysfunction in the Geelong Council. He believes that Darryn Lyons is a civic leader who is proud of Geelong and that the way forward is for any future elected Mayor to run for office with a supporting group of councillors of like mind who can support the Mayor to get things done as in Melbourne. He then summarized by saying – Make the city people friendly by making great streets, plant trees and flowers, make the centre attractive to people and activate the retail areas.
· Geelong Mayor Darryn Lyons then spoke about his ‘Vision, Passion and Change’, and his 8 point plan. He said the last 2 years have been the most difficult in his life. He has modelled his actions for Geelong on Melbourne’s actions. He believes the CBD has died due to the Ward system sucking funds from the city. He sees Geelong ‘jumping’ as does Melbourne, and sees social media exposure as a key driver of change for this ‘beautiful and astounding city’, quoting 846m retweets and engagement with the city on social media in the last 2 years. Improvements to the Mall and Performing Arts are part of the job ahead, and the recent grant will commence the process. The Melbourne urban designer Rob Adams has also developed a Geelong version master plan ‘Post code 3200’. This established re-development goals, that will involve both private and public money. The Council voted down acceptance and delayed action for 6 months. The plan calls for more CBD seating, a 15 year development plan with 10,000 students and 30,000 people working in the city. He wants the City to be open for business but the team must want the outcomes and work towards it. He sees 4000 new residents moving into the city per year and Geelong being a second CBD for Melbourne. The Centre of Geelong Taskforce is the vehicle. He described the myriad developments underway with money allocated or planned; $45m library, $85m for CBD development, $25m for Barwon Water office, $450m for Epworth Hospital, $10m Bailey Street, $80m Student development and the $2m Bellarine wine and food promotion. He said that the Christmas Tree returned $18m on a $400k investment with 250,000 visits over the 6 week festival duration, and CBD visitors up 20% overall. Geelong after dark light shows have enlivened the city. Plans for after-hours truck deliveries in the city, and re-routing heavy vehicles out of the city, and a 40 km speed limit are all part of the transformation.
The Nepal appeal on Thursday night by Ken Mansfield achieved a remarkable $1496 which will be directed to the Rotary Club of Bhaktapur near Kathmandu. Many thanks to all donors for their generosity.
We now have sufficient members who have volunteered to be hosts for the Guess Who's Coming to Dinner event to enable it to proceed; it will be held on Sat 23rd May from 6.30 pm (Geelong play on the Friday night.)
Note that this will be in place of our normal meeting so it is important that you notify me whether or not you are attending.
It is a partners' night but that does not preclude members from attending on their own. Please notify me of any dietary requirements that you may have, so that the hosts can be alerted in plenty of time.
Attendance should be notified at least two weeks before the event so that we can work out who will travel to which host's place.
For those who have not attended one of these events before it is usually great fun and gives you a chance to meet other Rotarians in a convivial atmosphere. Guests pay the host the normal Rotary dinner amount, $30/head to cover the cost of the meal.
Polio spread remains public health emergency: The WHO Director-General has accepted the assessment of the 5th meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) that the spread of polio still constitutes a public health emergency of international concern and recommended the extension of revised Temporary Recommendations.
Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) report to upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) now available: The report and an accompanying resolution are expected to inform discussions at the WHA, 18-26 May in Geneva, Switzerland.
Latest semi-annual status report covers second half of 2014: details on the situation in endemic, re-infected and high-risk countries.
Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) meeting: the IMB met last week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to review the current status of the global polio eradication effort and is expected to publish its report here over the coming weeks
Wild poliovirus type 1 and Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus cases
Total cases
Year-to-date 2015
Year-to-date 2014
Total in 2014
WPV
cVDPV
WPV
cVDPV
WPV
cVDPV
Globally
23
0
74
12
359
54
- in endemic countries
23
0
65
12
340
51
- in non-endemic countries
0
0
9
0
19
3
- See more at: http://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliothisweek.aspx#sthash.P82M6c5d.dpuf
It's that time of the year again when I start thinking about how to put together the Annual Report - so I'm asking directors and anyone else who usually submits stuff to go in the Anhnual Report to start work on the report now. If there are any photo's you particularly want to append to your report, please put them in also. It akes the best part of 3 weeks to a month to collate everything, format it, and print it so the "drop dead" date for getting your report to me (in electronic format saves me a great deal of time) is the end of May - but before if possible.
After a long day of shopping, my mother and I stopped at a grocery store. I ran in to pick up a few things, leaving her in the car. As I approached the checkout I was surprised to see my mother there waiting for me.
"Mum," I said, "what are you doing in here? I left the motor running."
"It's all right, dear," she replied reassuringly. "I locked the doors."
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A couple in their 70s were planning to get married but the woman said she wanted to set some rules first.
She said: "I want to keep my house.”
He said: "That's fine with me."
She said: "I want to keep my Cadillac."
He said: "That's fine with me."
She said: "And I want to have sex 6 times a week."
He said: "Put me down for Fridays."
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A mother mouse and a baby mouse are walking along, when all of a sudden, a cat attacks them. The mother mouse goes, "BARK!" and the cat runs away.
"See?" says the mother mouse to her baby. "Now do you see why it's important to learn a foreign language?"
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You pick up a hitchhiker... A beautiful girl. Suddenly, she faints inside your truck and you take her to the hospital.
Now that's stressful.
But at the hospital, they say she is pregnant and congratulate you that you're going to be a father. You say that you are not the father, but the girl says you are.
This is getting very stressful!
You request a DNA test to prove that you are not the father. After the tests are completed, The doctor says the test shows you're infertile, And probably have been since birth.
You're extremely stressed but relieved.
On your way back home, you think about your 5 kids at home.
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