Petition Tag - rebuild

Over the last three months Australia has experienced some of it's worst weather events in recorded history. These events have devastated many communities and remote families.

Australian Defence Forces have been used in a small capacity to help search and rescue operations and clean up in SE QLD but the damage is far reaching and our present civilian and defence resources are spread thin across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

Bringing home the troops and their hardware will enable a strong and widespread recover operation to proceed.

Defence expenditure will be focused on disaster recovery.

The well being and peace of mind of Australian Defence Force families will benefit directly through family members being removed from combat duty.

View petition

Islamia Primary School is hoping to build a new two-storey school on part of its existing site, to provide 21st century education and learning opportunities for its pupils. The current school was built over one hundred years ago and the buildings no longer meet pupil or teacher needs. Islamia Primary is also an extremely popular and over-subscribed school, on average receiving ten applications for every place available, and it urgently needs to expand to cater for the current pupils on roll and to meet the growing demand for places across the borough.

Islamia Primary School’s site has always been used for educational purposes. The school itself was founded in 1983 by Dr Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens). In 1989, it moved to its present site at 129 Salusbury Road. Nine years later, it became the first Muslim school in England to be awarded grant maintained status, which meant that the vast majority of the school's funding came from central government. The following year it opted to become a voluntary aided school, in 2007 the school took on an additional 138 pupils, following the closure of The Avenue School in Brondesbury Park. The main site at Salusbury Road is also shared with an independent Muslim girl's secondary school, which occupies the entire first and second floor of the buildings, and parts of the ground floor. This school is not part of the re-development proposal. The rebuild is needed as the existing buildings are leaky, not energy efficient, not compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and are spread out on many different levels, with stepped access and no lift. The proposed new building will provide easy access for all pupils and adults, including those with visual and hearing impairments and those with special educational needs (SEN), including speech, language and communication difficulties, and severe learning disabilities. The proposed new school will provide these pupils with a dedicated room and space for educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and school nurses to come in and offer support. In general all the facilities at the site are inadequate for a modern school.

The new school plan is to build a new, modern and inspirational school, which will meet the needs of current and future generations of pupils. The building will reflect the school's faith and its ethos and will allow improved links with the local community, by opening its facilities at set times out of school hours. For example, by providing space for adult education, health and fitness and a canteen, which can be used by parents.

There will also be:
Fourteen new classrooms, a dedicated children's library, a specialist teaching room for SEN, an enlarged roof-top play area, a dedicated prayer area, landscaped areas and additional outdoor learning spaces for all children , a children's gym.

From September 2011 new pupils attending Islamia Primary School will have to live within the catchment area of the school, which will mean significantly less pupils travelling in from outside the borough. Currently 40 per cent of pupils come in from neighbouring boroughs.

The school is urgently fundraising for this development.

Key questions
http://www.brent.gov.uk/cfd.nsf/School%20improvement/LBB-783

Contact for questions and queries
For all questions on the proposed scheme please email info@islamia.brent.sch.uk

View petition

In the 2006 state election campaign the Bracks/Brumby government committed to complete redevelopment of the Box Hill Hospital in the following years. In September 2009 Premier Brumby told the local newspaper that residents would be pleased with their ultimate announcement in relation to the hospital.

Two months later the government citing the Global Financial Crisis and the lack of federal funding announced only $407M for one new building and the renovation of the remaining wings.

The announced figure on some estimates is one third of what is required. It should also be understood that given the buildings being renovated will have asbestos any renovation costs will be most expensive.

Box Hill Hospital opened its doors more than half a century ago. Medical technology has advanced beyond measure since that time and need appropriate facilities for optimal health care delivery is required. The proposed solution both financially and medically is a false economy and must be rejected.

In the 2010 state election all parties and candidates should be called on for their commitment to the full redevelopment of Box Hill Hospital that will secure the health needs of the three quarters of a million residents its serves in Melbourne's east for many years to come.

View petition

On August 10, 2008, a propane explosion occurred at Sunrise Propane, 54 Murray Rd, North York, Ontario, forcing 12,000 residents from their homes.

Due to extensive damage caused by the explosion, not all residents have returned home as they have to rebuild.

Residents who have elected to tear down more than 50% of their existing walls, have learned that their house rebuilding is being treated as "new construction".

This Bylaw is according to Municipal Code, Chapter 851, Water Supply and Chapter 681, Sewer Service. Residents will have to pay the City of Toronto approx $11,000 for upgrades on city property, which does not include the additional expense required to upgrade the pipes on their own property.

Glenn De Baeremaeker, Chair of Public Works & Infrastructure, denied all requests for the issue to be added as an agenda item. He stated in a letter, “I fully understand and sympathize with the situation your constituent is faced with as he rebuilds his home following last summer’s Sunrise Propane blast, there does not appear to be sufficient merit to warrant a request of City Council to exempt this property from the relevant provisions of the Municipal Code”

Several written requests have been submitted to the Mayor's office for assistance. Karen Duffy responsed from the Office of the Mayor, stating that "The Mayor's Office is satisfied that the city is responding to your request. The decision rests with the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. There will be no meeting scheduled."

A final attempt was made to add the issue to the agenda on the day of the meeting, June 3rd, and Glenn De Baremeaker made a ruling that the request would not be put to a vote and would not be heard by the committee.

Karen Duffy stated the Mayor was powerless to help, and once again said no meeting would be scheduled.

View petition

January 18, 2006

Right now, five months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, there is still no electricity or sewage in New Orleans, dead bodies are still being found, and the city is about to bulldoze hundreds of homes on the barest of notice.

Underlying these facts is a struggle over who will control the rebuilding of New Orleans. Will the residents be able to come back and make a home again? Or will business interests seize the day and create a condo-filled theme park?

View petition