In the Media

The News Bayside - Oct 2024

Residents living near the beach say the change was sudden, and could negatively impact the environment. Edithvale Collective president Kirralee Ashworth-Collett said “we’ve been inundated with feedback from locals who are struggling to understand how this is an improvement on the previous waste management approach, and who are deeply concerned that the beach and surrounding streets are going to be awash with rubbish this summer.”

“The biggest concern is the lack of community consultation about the changes. There might very well be valid reasons for taking a different approach, but the community hasn’t been consulted in a meaningful way and that’s not good enough,” she said. “The best council decisions are informed by the knowledge and real world experience of the people directly affected by them, and this one seems to have fallen well short of that standard.”

Read the full article here

The News Bayside - May 2022

KINGSTON Council will spend $2.3 million to give the shopping strip along Nepean Highway in Edithvale a facelift. The Edithvale Collective is a community group working to improve the Edithvale area. The group’s spokeswoman Kirralee Ashworth-Collett said that the idea to revitalise the area first formed five years ago, and was now coming to life.

“We came to together as a small group of passionate locals in 2017 to help breathe new life into our suburb, which had been badly neglected for far too long. The strip’s footpaths are uneven, unsightly and downright dangerous, and the public amenities have fallen into a sorry state of disrepair,” Ashworth-Collett said. “This is all about people power. It’s been a long, hard slog but I’m so proud of how this community has stood up to make sure our voice is heard. Edithvale village is a stunning little slice of paradise nestled between the wetlands and one of the best beaches in Port Phillip Bay. The state of the shopping strip was really letting it down, so we’re thrilled there’s now a plan in place to finally fix it.”

Kingston mayor Steve Staikos said that the funding would improve the shopping strip and bring in more shoppers. “We are excited to be able to help improve the Edithvale shopping strip to boost local business and make it a more attractive and accessible place for our community,” he said.

Read the full article here

Hearld Sun - Dec 2017

“The Edithvale Collective has begun a beautification project in the area as part of CoDesign Studio’s ‘Neighbourhood Project’, which helps communities drive change in their area.

Residents and traders will transform Beeson Reserve with a mural, pop-up park and a series of events. Seating and planter boxes will be installed along the Nepean Highway shopping strip to help revitalise the area.

“We believe we can encourage a greater sense of pride and ownership within our community while making the suburb more appealing to more social traders to boost the local economy,” project member Kirralee Ashworth-Collett said.”

Read the full article here

Radio Architecture

I had the privilege of being interviewed along with Michael on Radio Carrum by Ilana Raxbash on Radio Architecture. This interview gives you a great insight into all of our reasons behind the advocacy work within the Edithvale Collective.

Listen here

News Bayside July 2024

“THE final design of the redeveloped Edithvale Shopping Strip is in the works.

Two years ago, Kingston Council announced it would spend $2.3 million provided by the Level Crossing Removal Project to upgrade the Edithvale Shopping Strip. The upgraded area will span 11 blocks from 280 Nepean Highway, Edithvale in the south, to north of the intersection at Nepean Highway and Natal Avenue. Council will spend another $1 million on flood mitigation.

Final designs for the redevelopment have now been released, and community consultation is underway to determine the colour of the finished product. Pop-up sessions took place in Edithvale last week, and online submissions can be made for the rest of the month.

Edithvale Collective president Kirralee Ashworth-Collett was among the attendees at the pop-up sessions. She said “the Collective has been pushing for the upgrade of Edithvale Village for almost seven years, so it’s exciting that we’re now at a point where detailed plans have been made and the community gets to have their say.”

“It’s been a long, hard slog but we’ve stuck at it, refused to take no for an answer, and are really pleased that the job is finally going to get done. This community deserves so much better than the current strip, which is in a shocking state of disrepair, and the upgrade can’t happen soon enough,” she said.”

Read the full article here

News Bayside - June 2024

EDITHVALE Primary School students at last week’s FightMND fundraiser (left) alongside Edithvale Collective president Kirralee Ashworth-Collett (right).

TEACHERS at Edithvale Primary School took the cold plunge last week to raise money for the FightMND foundation.
More than a dozen teachers and community leaders jumped into the ice bath last Tuesday for the fundraiser. The event was organised by student leaders at Edithvale Primary School.

Edithvale Primary School acting Principal Hayley Grindley was among those who took part. She said the event was “a great success”. “Another year at Edithvale Primary School supporting Fight MND. Our student leadership team – our kids from Year 5 and 6 – are just so amazing and hardworking, and today’s it’s paid off,” Grindley said. “It was icy. I tried not to get my head and mouth in the water but I copped the whole thing.”

Kingston councillor Hadi Saab also attended. He said “Fight MND is really getting traction. Year on year I see it building and I see more schools and community groups getting on board and it’s fantastic to see.”