Huge congratulations to George Haitidis ESM on being awarded the Emergency Services Medal in the Australia Day Honours. 👏🧡
Congratulations to Smart Health Global on an a successful Healing, Health and Harmony community event; bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds to honour our shared values of diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing.
🗑️ Hard waste collection is changing in Monash (from 2027)
I fell in love with picking up a daily coffee from @justitalyfood during COVID lockdowns and I haven’t stopped going back.
🥳 Congratulations to all the preppies who started school today - none of whom will see this, but I’m sure Mum and Dad can pass it along.
No shrimps on the barbie, unfortunately, but April and I did nab a traditional snag in bread 😋🙌
🤝 Congratulations to our newest Australian Citizens, and Happy Australia Day!! 🇦🇺
An awesome “I can’ be bothered cooking” dinner tonight at @theclaytonhotel_. Everytime I have the scotch fillet there I tell myself we need to go there more often.
🌈🏊♀️🤿 What an awesome day!!
🌈 It’s hot, and we’re throwing a pool party for Midsumma! 😎
Back to @modu_restaurants for dinner.
Today, the @monashcouncil joins Australians in observing the National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
🍔🍣🥟 Foodie Fair has just opened recently at 74-76 Kingsway Glen Waverley.
A pleasure to join the Thai Pongal celebration hosted by the Tamil Senior Citizens Fellowship 🌞🌾
🥳👏 Congratulations to @encoretheatre_inc on wrapping up the family friend edition of Sleeping Beauty this afternoon.
Congratulations to @softball_vic and @waverleysoftball on a successful Nationals Championship tournament over the past week.
Pop down to Bunnings in Notting Hill, grab a sausage and support the Rotary Club of Glen Waverley!
Our hearts are with the people and communities across Victoria who are facing bushfires. We recognise the fear, loss and uncertainty so many are experiencing, with 18 local government areas declared a State of Disaster by the Premier.
🥂 Last night I had the great pleasure of joining my good friend and MAV Board colleague, Rochelle Halstead, Mayor of Bass Coast Shire, to see in the New Year on Western Port Bay.
George has been volunteering with VICSES Monash Unit for 21 years, including 18 years as Unit Controller — an extraordinary record of service and leadership. I was proud to join the Deputy Mayor to congratulate George in person and thank him for everything he’s done for our community.
This honour also shines a light on the incredible volunteers who turn out at all hours — often behind the scenes, often in tough conditions — to protect lives and property when it matters most. Our community is safer because of you.
If George’s story inspires you, here’s a practical way to support Monash: volunteer with the SES. The Monash Unit is particularly looking for people who can help during weekdays (when many incidents occur and availability can be tight).
Come along to an information session:
📅 Tuesday 10 February – 6:00pm
📅 Sunday 15 February – 3:00pm
📍 VICSES Monash Unit, 390 Ferntree Gully Rd, Notting Hill
📧 Register your interest: monash@ses.vic.gov.au
You’ll learn about the different roles, training and support, and the commitment involved — and you can ask any questions.
Once again, congratulations George — and thank you to every VICSES volunteer who serves our community. 🧡
Lachie loved his Lion face 🦁
At our recent Council meeting, Council endorsed a move from one annual “set week” hard waste collection to a booked (at-call) service from the 2027 service year.
Importantly, there is no change this year. Your 2026 hard waste will still be collected on a set week, likely between July and September.
What this means for households from 2027:
📆 Two booked collections per year at a time that suits you
📦 Up to 4 cubic metres per collection
💻📱 Bookings available online and by phone
⏱️ Timely pick-up standards will be part of the service (e.g. within 48–72 hours of booking)
🌳🚶♀️ Amenity protections including clear put-out rules and compliance measures to help prevent clutter and illegal dumping
Why the change?
A booked service gives residents more flexibility to choose a time that suits them — while also helping keep streets and nature strips clearer and safer. ✨
It’s also about improving the service for residents: if you like putting your hard waste out around August (or any time that suits), you still can — you’ll just book it. And you’ll have a second booking later in the year if you need it. 📦♻️
💬 And to be clear: this isn’t about “saving money” — projections show it’s likely to cost Council more. Residents will now have two collections per year instead of one — this is about flexibility, responsiveness, and protecting neighbourhood amenity. ♻️
What happens next 🔜:
🗓️ The final scheduled annual hard waste collection will still occur in 2026 under the current arrangements.
ℹ️ We’ll share more details closer to 2027, including how bookings will work and the final put-out requirements.
Friendly staff, great coffee, short walk.
👇 This was me on my first day of school with my Pop, and later in the day with my Mum, and April and Zoe (grade 5 and 3) today.
📷 Photo quality has increased a bit over the years, but the level of excitement from kids, and the trepidation from parents certainly has not.
🥂 Well done to all the parents for getting them to today - I know how hard it can be to prepare them, make sure they have everything they need and then to spend all day worrying about what you didn’t do and how they’re going.
🚨 Tomorrow, make sure their socks are up all the way - loud and proud - just like the trendsetter below 😂
🇦🇺🐨🦘
Australia Day is about bringing Australians together—to unite us and to celebrate the best of who we are. At the same time, we
recognise people experience this date differently. For many it’s a source of pride; for some people, it can be a day of sorrow and deep pain. We respect that truth.
So let today be both a celebration and a commitment: to keep building a community where everyone feels safe, respected and
included.
That means continuing to listen, to learn, and to have calm, constructive and thoughtful conversations—so that unity is
something we practise, not just something we say.
Deeeeeeelicious 😋
Huge thanks to the team at @activemonash.
Ready for bed now 😴
#lgbtiqa+ #midsummer #inclusivity #thisismonash #rainbowmonash
Dig out your togs and come down to the Oakleigh pool today from 4pm until 6pm for our Active Pride pool party, with:
🌟Family-friendly activities
🌟Pool inflatables
🌟Water games
🌟Live entertainment and music
There’s even a chance to meet our mermaids!🧜♀️
This is an inclusive event. LGBTIQA+ individuals, rainbow families, allies and the whole community are welcome.
See you there!!
That Fried Milky Dough for desert is something else.
Pop down to Clayton and support our traders who are doing it tough at the moment with SRL works.
Our flags are flying at half-mast as we remember the 15 lives lost, and all those who were injured, traumatised, or are grieving.
We stand with the Jewish community, and we stand against antisemitism and hate in all its forms.
This evening, Australians are invited to observe a minute’s silence at 7:01pm (AEDT) as a moment of grief, solidarity and hope.
Light will win.
Designed in a similar fashion to food trucks, there are 8 different eateries to choose from.
April and I popped past there after netball training and weren’t disappointed 😋
Beautiful traditions, a warm community spirit, and meaningful connections.
Congratulations to all students who achieved high marks in VCE Tamil language!
Every school holiday period they put on $15 theatre shows at the Clayton Community Centre. They’re always a lot of fun, with audience participation, and only go for an hour which is perfect for young children.
A trying week for all competitors with extreme heat. Well done to NSW for winning both the Open and under 14’s event.
Our Victorian girls had a fantastic tournament as well, making the Preliminary Final.
At the @monashcouncil, we’re extremely proud of our Waverley Women’s Sport Centre with world class facilities, and we’ll continue to invest strongly in Women’s sport right across our municipality.
If you don’t have the VicEmergency app on your phone, I encourage you to download it without delay, regardless of where you reside.
To our incredible volunteers and emergency services – thank you. Your commitment and courage at times of need are remarkable.
My thoughts are also with our colleagues in regional councils, who will be working around the clock in the coming days and weeks to keep their communities safe and support local recovery.
🌴🏠💰 Councils right across the State face similar challenges with climate, housing and budgeting pressures. It’s going to be a massive year for our sector.
🥳🍾 Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you had a fabulous evening with family & friends 🙌
