“Our aim was to improve our home’s efficiency and reduce our reliance on the grid,” explains Ken.

While the couple initially dreamed of being off-grid, they found a powerful alternative: a well-insulated home with rooftop solar and a battery system.

For Ken, who comes from the country and doesn’t identify as an environmentalist, it was clear that “this is the way we must go.”

So, in 2023, Ken and Joan upgraded their 1kW solar panels to a 10kW system and also purchased a Sungrow battery through the Solar Savers scheme.

The battery offers three-phase backup protection, which keeps their home steady if there’s a power outage or problem with the grid. They can also add extra units to increase the battery’s capacity – if their energy needs grow or they add more appliances.  

The impact? Less grid outages and more reliable energy. Plus, with an interest-free loan from Solar Savers, the upgrade was more affordable.

“While the total cost was around $20,000, I only paid $7,000 upfront, with the rest on an interest-free loan. It’s a great deal that’s made a huge difference for us.”

Solar Savers is part of our Electrify Your Life program which supports residents to go all-electric at home - creating a brighter Manningham. Learn how to make the switch at Electrify Your Life. Learn more about Solar Savers here.

Council has endorsed Manningham’s suite of key strategic documents, marking a decisive step toward building a vibrant and sustainable future. This includes its Council Plan 2025-2029 and 2025/26 Budget. 

Manningham Mayor, Councillor Deirdre Diamante said: “It’s essential that Council’s actions reflect what truly matters to the people who live here – what they value, what they want improved and what kind of future they envision for our neighbourhoods. 

“Endorsing these strategic documents is more than a procedural step. It’s a commitment to delivering real and lasting outcomes for our community.

“Together, they set a clear direction for the future – one that is community-led, inclusive and focused on delivering meaningful outcomes for everyone who calls Manningham home,” Cr Diamante said.

At its meeting on Monday 30 June, Council formally endorsed the following documents:

•  Council Plan 2025-2029 (including the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan) and supporting Action Plan 
•  2025/26 Budget (an annual document)
• 10-Year Financial Plan 2025/26 to 2034/35
• Revenue and Rating Plan 2025/26 to 2028/29
• Asset Plan 2025–2035 and Asset Management Policy

The endorsed documents are the result of extensive community engagement. They have been shaped by the Manningham Community Panel’s recommendations, the Community Vision 2040, and feedback from the broader community, advisory bodies, partners, Councillors and Council officers.

“We’ve listened to our community’s concerns, priorities and aspirations for Manningham. From the rising cost of living, community safety, access to transport and open spaces, and protecting the unique character of our neighbourhoods as we grow – we understand what matters most to you.

“Together, we’ve created a roadmap that reflects our shared values and sets us on a path toward a healthier, more connected and resilient future,” Cr Diamante said.

At the heart of the Council Plan is a strong focus on building a healthier, more vibrant city. 

For the first time, Council has integrated its Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan into the Council Plan to ensure a unified approach to achieving the highest possible standard of public health and wellbeing, while meeting legislated obligations.

“We know that building a great city isn’t just about infrastructure and services. It’s about the health, happiness and resilience of our people. This integrated approach ensures that every decision we make supports the wellbeing of our community, now and into the future.

"Together, all these strategic documents lay the foundation for a stronger, more inclusive Manningham – one that reflects our community’s voice and is ready to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead," Cr Diamante said.

View Council’s full suite of strategic documents, including the Council Plan 2025-2029, 2025/26 Budget.
 

At the 27 May Manningham Council Meeting, the draft Council Plan, draft 2025-26 Budget, draft 10 year financial plan and the draft Revenue and Rating Plan were tabled. These have been developed in line with Manningham's newly endorsed Community Vision 2040 to help shape the future of Manningham.

These draft strategic documents are now available on the Your Say Manningham website and will be presented for endorsement at the 30 June Council Meeting.

The draft Asset Plan 2025-2035 and the Council Plan Action Plan will be made available at an upcoming Council meeting.

The strategic documents are informed by extensive community engagement conducted throughout 2024-25.  

At the heart of this work was the deliberative community panel – a collaborative effort that brought together 37 community members to play a crucial role in helping determine key priorities for Manningham.

Extensive community consultation informed both Council's strategic planning and the Community Panel’s deliberations, ensuring that the plans are grounded in the community's priorities, needs and aspirations.

This consultation included a community-wide survey last year, where 1,260 community members shared what matters most to them and which three areas they thought Council should focus on. Council also held a series of targeted conversations with key groups and residents including young people, older adults, multicultural communities and partners.

On top of that, many community members sent in their own ideas and suggestions through individual submissions, showing how Council services can improve to build a better future together.

These community insights provided Council with a strong and balanced view of the community's wants and needs. It directly shaped its strategic planning and the work of the Community Panel.

Given the depth and quality of feedback received during this process, a separate public submission process will not be held for this year’s strategic plans.

This approach is in line with Council's Community Engagement Policy as required by the Local Government Act.

Find out more by visiting the Your Say Manningham website.

At the 27 May Council Meeting the draft Council Plan, draft 2025-26 Budget, draft 10 year financial plan and the draft Revenue and Rating Plan were tabled.  These have been developed in line with our newly endorsed Community Vision 2040 to help shape the future of Manningham.

These draft strategic documents are now available on Your Say Manningham website and will be presented for endorsement at the 30 June Council Meeting.

Our draft Asset Plan 2025-2035 and the Council Plan Action Plan will be made available at an upcoming Council meeting.

Our strategic documents are informed by extensive community engagement conducted throughout 2024-25.  

Many people have helped shape our community’s future. We’ve been planning for the next four years, and we’ve done it by listening closely to our community.

At the heart of this work was the deliberative community panel – a collaborative effort that brought together 37 community members to play a crucial role in helping determine key priorities for Manningham.

Extensive community consultation informed both our strategic planning and the Community Panel’s deliberations, ensuring that our plans are grounded in our community's priorities, needs and aspirations.

This consultation included a community-wide survey last year where we heard from 1,260 community members about what matters most to you and which three areas you think Council should focus on. We also held a series of targeted conversations with key groups and residents including young people, older adults, multicultural communities and partners.

On top of that, many community members sent in their own ideas and suggestions through individual submissions, showing us how Council services can improve and how we can build a better future together.

These community insights gave us a strong and balanced view of our community's wants and needs. It directly shaped our strategic planning and the work of our Community Panel.

Given the depth and quality of feedback received during this process, a separate public submission process will not be held for this year’s strategic plans.

We thank everyone who contributed. We’re all part of the plan and your voices are shaping the future of our community.

Find out more by visiting our Your Say Manningham website.

We invite residents to provide feedback on upcoming projects in Warrandyte and Wonga Park in November.

Our CEO, Andrew Day, encouraged residents to share their thoughts and ideas at upcoming consultation sessions – to help ensure future projects reflect community values and priorities.

“We want to hear directly from the people who know the area best – its residents,” said CEO, Andrew Day.

"If you like the project – tell us. If you have ideas to improve the project – tell us. Your feedback, no matter the opinion, is essential to helping us make informed decisions for the community," he said.

The sessions will consult on projects across various stages. Some will be in the initial planning phase, where community sentiment and input are vital. Others will be further advanced, where project designs will be shared, and officers will be available to answer questions.

Each session will focus on projects within its suburb.

Consultation Session details

• Monday 25 November, 4.00pm to 7.00pm, Wonga Park Hall, corner of Launders Avenue and Yarra Road
• Monday 2 December, 4.00pm to 7.00pm, Warrandyte Community Hall, 2-8 Taroona Avenue 

Can't attend a session? Provide your feedback online.

Projects

Wonga Park

• Paynters Road

Warrandyte

• Pound Road (stage two) footpath upgrade
• West End Road footpath upgrade
• Main Yarra Trail Extension, stages three (Pound Road to Taroona Avenue) and four (Taroona Avenue)
• Tindals Road footpath upgrade
• Blair Street drainage upgrade
• Mitchell Avenue drainage upgrade
• Pedestrian Refuge at Russell Road
• Alexander Road road upgrades

There will be opportunities to discuss other projects, which may be taken on notice as required.

We host these sessions twice yearly as part of our ongoing commitment to meaningful community engagement.

Stay informed about upcoming events and outcomes by visiting the Your Say Manningham website. 

Subscribe to the project page for email updates on current and future consultations.

North East Link Project (NELP) has released designs for the redevelopment of the Doncaster Park and Ride, which you can now provide feedback on and have your say. 

The designs are within a draft Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP), which shows that the Doncaster Park and Ride will connect to a new dedicated busway along the Eastern Freeway, known as the Eastern Busway. 

The plan is to construct the facility into a modern version of its existing state (like-for-like), resulting in the Park and Ride being retained as a car park and bus interchange only, with a similar number of car parking spaces. The draft UDLP is currently on exhibition for public comment.

Council will be providing a submission in response to the UDLP to propose that the current plan is a missed opportunity to reconstruct the Doncaster Park and Ride as a mixed-use Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). 

While the facility being redeveloped into a modern interchange is positive, this is a key opportunity for TOD, which could provide wide-ranging benefits to the community, environment and local economy.

We will be advocating that there is a growing demand for park and ride facilities due to population growth and the lack of any rail infrastructure in Manningham. This is shown through the high-usage of the newly opened Bulleen Park and Ride which consistently operates at capacity, and reinforces the significant opportunity this Doncaster Park and Ride site offers for our community.

As such, our submission seeks to include a multi-level car park with increased capacity, new open spaces areas, as well as retail and other commercial opportunities. This is in-line with our commissioned 2022 site design concept which was endorsed on 26 July 2022 as Council’s preferred redevelopment outcome for the Doncaster Park and Ride site.

We ask you to join us in advocating that Doncaster Park and Ride be reconstructed to include: 

• mixed-use transit-oriented development
• increase in carpark spaces, or
• flexibility to address population growth and allow for mixed-use development in future. 

Have your say

Help shape the Doncaster Park and Ride. You can provide feedback while the UDLP is on exhibition until 5.00pm Tuesday 24 September 2024.

To find out more, or to make a submission, head to Engage Victoria.

What’s next?

Council will be considering its submission on the Doncaster Park and Ride UDLP at its meeting on Tuesday 16 September. Following this, the submission will be lodged on behalf of Council to Engage Victoria. 

NELP will consider all written comments and submissions received, before the final UDLP is submitted to the Minister for Planning for consideration.

You can read more on the Big Build website and sign up to receive email updates.

As part of the North East Link Project (NELP), Doncaster Park and Ride will be closed from January 2025 and temporary bus stops will be put in place along Doncaster Road.

Buses will remain operational across all bus routes, including the 207, 280, 282, 284, 285, 303 and the 907 and 908 DART SmartBuses. The Park and Ride will be closed and temporary bus stops will be in place until 2028.

This is part of NELP’s upcoming redevelopment of the Doncaster Park and Ride to connect it to the Eastern Busway, a new dedicated busway along the Eastern Freeway.

We understand that the community and residents will be impacted as a result of the closures and are actively advocating on your behalf to improve commuter options. Our suggestions to North East Link Project and the State Government include:

• developing a temporary car park at a nearby site
• developing a temporary pick up/drop off area nearby
• providing a dedicated shuttle service
• adding secure bicycle parking, or
• funding improvements to active transport connections from key Manningham locations to the temporary bus stops.

Over the next few weeks, NELP officers will be distributing flyers and doing a door-knock in the local area. You’ll also start to see signage appear soon. 

We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available and will continue to advocate for ways that can minimise the impact for our community.

We’re also seeking reliable and sustainable transport options for the Manningham community while the Eastern Busway is being developed. Continue to check back here for updates.

You can read more on the Big Build website and sign up to receive email updates.

18 October 2024

Council officers have today seized two dogs suspected of being involved in animal aggression and livestock losses in the Wonga Park and Warrandyte South area.

This action was taken this morning, after officers were able to formally speak to an individual who is assisting Council with our ongoing investigations.

We are assessing all available evidence. We encourage any witnesses with new information that could assist with our investigation to contact us directly on 9840 9333 at manningham@manningham.vic.gov.au.
 

16 October 2024

We are actively investigating reports of uncontained dogs, animal aggression and livestock losses in the Wonga Park and Warrandyte South area.

Since we received reports early last week, we have:

• visited 26 local properties that house large dogs, including German Shepherds, to confirm they are appropriately contained and that the owners understand their obligations to contain their dogs
• met with local residents, taken multiple witness statements and photos related to the reports – however, at this stage, we have not collected evidence that directly links the reported incidents to dogs from an individual property
• been in contact with local police
• continued to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to attend to emergency reports relating to community safety.

We have not received any reports of further attacks on livestock or wildlife since Monday this week.

If you have information about this

As part of our ongoing investigation, we are collecting all available evidence and encourage any witnesses to contact us directly. Timely and accurate reporting will assist with our investigation.

Our officers are ready and available to follow up any new information and will meet with witnesses to take statements and gather evidence, once reported.

Direct evidence is required before we can take legal steps to seize or remove animals from a property. It’s important to note, social media speculation doesn’t assist our investigation, it can just create concern in our community. If you have witnessed something in relation to this matter, please contact us directly as we cannot act on social media content alone. Where we have sufficient direct evidence, we will take all appropriate and available actions.

Contacting us

If you have witnessed something, we encourage you to let us know as soon as possible.

If you have information or evidence relating to these incidents and that could assist with our investigation, please contact us on 9840 9333 at manningham@manningham.vic.gov.au

We have officers on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to attend to emergency reports related to community safety.

Calls received outside of office hours, between 5.00pm to 8.30am and on weekends, are directed to our on-call after hours emergency service.

Doncaster Park and Ride will close from Sunday 12 January 2025, with temporary bus stops to be put in place along Doncaster Road.

This is part of NELP’s upcoming redevelopment of the facility, which will connect it to the Eastern Busway – a new dedicated busway along the Eastern Freeway.

Doncaster Park and Ride has been a valued service for many years, providing convenient parking and bus services for hundreds of commuters daily. 

Manningham Council recognises the closure of the Doncaster Park and Ride will significantly impact the Manningham community.  We are actively advocating on your behalf to improve alternative commuter options. 

Though we have made several requests to NELP, we’re disappointed with the State’s lack of alternatives for impacted commuters and will continue advocating for further options to minimise disruption. 

Bulleen Park and Ride opened in April 2023 to provide replacement parking and other travel options, while the Doncaster facility is closed for upgrades.

However, as the Bulleen facility has been consistently operating near capacity, there are limited car spaces available to accommodate commuters affected by the Doncaster facility’s closure. 

As the Doncaster Park and Ride bus services will now operate from the newly constructed temporary bus on Doncaster Road from 12 January 2025, we also encourage you to check before you travel and plan your journey via the PTV Journey Planner. 

Manningham’s new Councillors have elected Councillor Deirdre Diamante as Manningham Mayor and Councillor Andrew Conlon as Deputy Mayor for the year ahead. 

Unanimously voted in by her fellow Councillors at the Annual Meeting of Council on 19 November 2024, Cr Diamante said it is an honour to lead the newly elected Council in the first year of its four-year term. 

The Tullamore Ward Councillor is passionate about equal opportunity, our natural environment and family, and has been a Manningham resident for more than 40 years. A Councillor since 2020, Cr Diamante previously served as Manningham Mayor in 2022/23. 

“I have grown up in Manningham, in Council Street, and the opportunity to again lead this City in public service is truly amazing,” Cr Diamante said.

“I want Manningham to continue to be a great place to live, learn and grow. I want my children to want to live here and want to raise their families here.” 

Cr Diamante said some of her key priorities over the next year will include advocating for the Manningham community on the North East Link Project, working with local multicultural communities, supporting the work of our healthy ageing unit and enhancing opportunities for local businesses.

“I look forward to collaborating with all of our Councillors in developing our Council Plan, the Budget and our strategic approach for Manningham, harnessing our extensive expertise and experience for our community.”

Cr Andrew Conlon was elected as Deputy Mayor and congratulated Cr Diamante.

“This is an important year to set the tone for our Council term and I know you will support us to collaborate and make the right decisions for our community,” Cr Conlon said. 

Find out more about Manningham’s Councillors.

Watch the Annual Meeting of Council.
 

Did you know there are 20 virtual fence posts positioned along Jumping Creek Road, between Nelson Drive and the entrance to Warrandyte State Park’s Jumping Creek Reserve, to protect local wildlife and help reduce roadkill?

Installed by Manningham Council as part of the Jumping Creek Road upgrade, these innovative virtual fences are designed to save animals’ lives by releasing sound and light when a car approaches.

Manningham Mayor, Councillor Deirdre Diamante, said the initiative is an important step towards addressing wildlife road fatalities.

“These virtual fences are a fantastic way to protect our local wildlife, especially in areas where animals frequently cross the road,” Cr Diamante said.

“We strategically placed these fences near Jumping Creek, as animals use creeks as habitat corridors.” 

“You will see the fence posts along the side of the road… and we encourage residents to be aware and help us keep our wildlife safe.”

While they might look like street posts, these virtual fences play a crucial role in enhancing road safey for both wildlife and drivers. 

Local wildlife rescuer, Katja Gutwein, has seen the benefits of these fences firsthand.

“The virtual fence is a low-cost solution that has drastically reduced wildlife fatalities and improved safety for all road users,” Ms Gutwein said. 

If you spot any damage to the fences, contact Manningham Council on 9840 9333 or email environment@manningham.vic.gov.au. 

The fences were installed as part of the Jumping Creek Road upgrade, which aims to improve road safety for all road users.

For more information on this project, visit yoursay.manningham.vic.gov.au/jumping-creek-road-upgrade.
 

Last night, 25 March, a petition to remove from permanent display the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from all Manningham flagpoles and the cessation of holding a Welcome to Country ceremony and statement of the Acknowledgement of Country before any Council meeting or function, with 12 signatures was tabled at the Council meeting. The Council vote was to enable the petition to be tabled, and it did not provide any position on the matter.

In accordance with our Council meeting procedures, all petitions are formally tabled at the meeting, and Council votes to receive it.

Manningham Council's use of the Welcome To Country ceremony, statement of Acknowledgement of Country and the flying of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags are strategic elements of our Council Plan, endorsed Manningham Reconciliation Action Plan and Flying Flags In The Civic Precinct Policy; and designed to provide a roadmap for Manningham's own commitment to reconciliation.  

No decision has been made to change this current endorsed position.

Valuing free speech means listening to different views regardless of whether we agree or disagree with a position.

In line with our commitment to transparency and our standard procedures, we will respond to the lead petitioner and include that response in the Agenda papers for the April Council Meeting.

Deirdre