RESIDENTS who live in the vicinity of Oakleigh Park are urged to attend a public meeting on Friday, 22 February in the park at 6pm to discuss a partnership between residents and municipal departments.
Councillor Chris Pappas said as municipal funding for service delivery dries up and key departments suffer from under resourcing, it has become increasingly important for the community to start taking ownership of what they can in order to stop any crime and grime from occurring in local neighbourhoods.
“I am encouraging residents around Oakleigh Park to please come together and see where we can partner with municipal departments to look after our area. In particular, we are inviting residents living in Oakleigh, Berriedale, Seaforth, Lomond, Alcock, Chancellor, and Ramsay Roads to attend the meeting,” he said.
Pappas said residents might not find this partnership ideal as they pay heavy rates and taxes, however he felt there was a definite need for residents to take a more active role in looking after the space around them.
“While councillors such as myself fight for a complete overhaul of the system in the city, we also need to be proactive about building new partnerships where we can. The partnership I will be presenting at the public meeting in Oakleigh Park is a first of its kind for the Berea and will hopefully be beneficial to us all,” he said.
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Pappas said he was hoping to create an Adopt-a-Park model where residents could let departments such as Parks know their needs, and what can be done to work together to make these a reality. He said a pilot project at a park in Maxwell Road on the Bluff had been initiated and he wanted to use Oakleigh as a pilot project which would hopefully expand to other areas on the Berea.
“Things need attention in the park, such as the play equipment and maintenance of the gardens. We want to work together with departments to enable the community to take ownership and to receive services they require,” he said.
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