Happy National Volunteer Week!
I want to take a moment to highlight the incredible impact of volunteering. Volunteering not only enriches the lives of those we serve but also brings immense personal satisfaction and growth to those who give their time and effort.
We have a number of activities next week to celebrate and thank the many volunteers who contribute their time and expertise to support our programs and services, including:
- Thursday 15 May: Morning show at the Drum Theatre with complimentary morning tea.
- Tuesday 20 May: High Tea with the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Councillors, senior management and staff.
- All volunteers will receive Certificates of Appreciation (signed by the Mayor and Volunteering Australia CEO) and National Volunteer Week lapel pins.
- Council will also deliver broader Volunteers recognition via various activities out in the community.
I’d also like to acknowledge and express my gratitude to many of our staff members who volunteer in their community. Your dedication makes a significant impact and helps us all to build stronger, more connected communities.
Did you know that staff can access up to a day of paid volunteer leave to support local not-for-profit organisations? To find out more, speak to your supervisor or the OD team.
Festivals and Events - Keysborough’s Big Picnic – Sunday 13 April
The Festivals and Events team hosted Keysborough’s Big Picnic at Frederick Wachter Reserve, drawing around 7,500 attendees and highlighting our dedication to community engagement and connection. Special thanks to internal teams who helped engage with the community, including Bushland Management, Waste Education, Library Services, Community Compliance, Safety, Community Care, Arts, Culture and Engagement and Sport and Recreation.
Sport and Recreation - Physical Activity Participation Survey 2025
For 15 years, Council has conducted the Sport and Recreation Participation Survey every five years. This year, it was renamed the Physical Activity Participation Survey to align with the Make Your Move Strategy and better reflect its goal of understanding how the community engages in physical activity and identifying participation barriers.
The recent survey ran from 3 February to 30 March, receiving over 1,000 responses. The Sport and Recreation team are now processing paper responses. Once complete, results will be shared with the community and used to guide planning, improve facilities, support high-demand programs and address barriers to physical activity.
Community Safety Initiatives
Reducing Drug Related Harm in Our Community
The Community Safety team have collaborated with Monash Health to develop a community resource, providing information about the Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) and the Secure Dispensing Unit (SDU). Key components of harm prevention strategies, they are aimed at reducing the health risks associated with unsafe drug use, assist with drug education and service linkage support.
Visit our website to learn more.
Community Safety Survey 2025 – Strategic Insights
This year we engaged 253 residents, traders and visitors, complemented by five targeted pop-up sessions across Dandenong Park, Dandenong Plaza, Springvale Multicultural Hub, Noble Park and Keysborough. This multi-channel approach ensured diverse community voices were captured. Key Insights include:
- Top safety concerns: Drug and alcohol-related crime, violence and burglary emerged as the most pressing issues.
- Social cohesion matters: Nearly 75% of respondents believe that strengthening social connections can reduce crime.
- Victimisation rates: Alarmingly, one-third of participants reported being a victim of crime in the past year.
These findings will directly inform the Community Safety Action Plan, enabling us to prioritise targeted interventions in high-concern areas, invest in programs that foster social connection as a crime prevention strategy and enhance community resilience.
Emergency Management – Expressions of Interest Open
Over the past year, we have responded to major emergencies including heatwaves, storms, floods and fires. Council plays a legislated role in Victoria’s emergency management, providing 24/7 support to Emergency Services and leading local relief and recovery efforts.
Following a review of the 2024–25 Severe Weather Season, we’re now seeking Expressions of Interest for:
- Deputy MEMOs
- Deputy MRMs
- ERC team members
Joining the Emergency Management Team offers valuable skill-building, cross-Council collaboration and the chance to support your community in times of need. For more information, visit The Source.
Experiences and Partnerships
Opening Saturday 21 June until Sunday 27 September, HOME 25 – Invisible Cities is Greater Dandenong’s flagship exhibition program presented across a range of sites. The program most recently earned Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre the 2024 Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence.
Traditionally showcasing the work of artists from refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds, HOME 25 expands its focus to include broader narratives of migration, relocation and connection to place and Country. The exhibition explores how the concept of ‘home’ shapes our perceptions and sense of belonging. It investigates language, gesture and sign as expressions of identity and as possible sources of dislocation.
For more information, visit HOME 2025 - Invisible Cities or contact Miriam La Rosa.
Greater Dandenong Libraries
Reading Buddies Program in Schools
The program, delivered to 10 schools across Greater Dandenong is a child led, one-on-one reading program with an emphasis on the enjoyment of reading. Last quarter saw the Family Literacy team conduct 125 sessions, sharing 2,600 books with 1,377 participants.
Big Summer Read 2024–2025: Statewide Prize Winner from Greater Dandenong
Rehan Gul, a 10-year-old student from Minaret College’s Junior Campus in Doveton and resident of Dandenong was selected as one of only six statewide prize winners in this year’s competition. Rehan’s enthusiastic participation earned him a major prize, a tablet device, out of over 26,000 entrants across Victoria who collectively read more than 146,000 books.
The Big Summer Read is Australia’s largest public library reading competition, held annually from 1 December to 31 January, with our Libraries welcoming over 1,000 local participants.
Greater Dandenong Libraries Khmer Community Book Day 2025
On Saturday 29 March, Greater Dandenong Libraries hosted a highly successful Khmer Community Book Day. It was an engaging and fun event for our Cambodian community to connect with the library and explore the new Khmer collection, library services and spaces, borrow items and provide feedback. Deputy Mayor, Councillor Sophie Tan attended the occasion.
Free Pads and Tampon Vending Machines
Last week, a State Government initiative to implement Free Pads and Tampons in public spaces was rolled out to public toilets at Dandenong Library and Springvale Community Hub, with vending machines installed.
2025 LGPro Awards - Council Finalists
Congratulations to our team that have been selected as finalists, with winners to be announced at the LGPro Annual Conference in June 2025.
2025 LGPro Excellence Awards (Community Partnerships category)
Youth and Family Services - The Body Image Project (#Filtered) is a social media campaign led by, and for young women to educate their peers across Greater Dandenong on the often-negative influence social media can have on a young person’s body image. Implemented during November 2023 to December 2024, #Filtered built the capacity of over 165 young people directly, with thousands more benefiting from the online campaign. #Filtered was co-designed with Year 8 students at Killester College in collaboration with subject matter experts Butterfly Foundation and brought to life by Visual Merchandising design students at Chisholm Institute.
2025 LGPro Customer Experience Award
Festivals and Events submitted a nomination detailing Council’s EventConnect (event application and permit process), an initiative to enhance overall customer experience through innovative strategies, exceptional service delivery and a commitment to customer satisfaction. It also allows closer collaboration across internal departments to improve the user experience.
Peta Gillies, Executive Director Community Strengthening
