Community day!

I make no apologies for writing about our upcoming community day again. Your committee has been hard at work and this day is really starting to take shape. It is going to be a real blast! Southbank Police Station’s commander will be present at the police stand, along with the fire brigade. There will be static displays with a fire truck and police car for the children to climb around. We are delighted to have the Rotary Club of Southbank cooking a sausage sizzle and many displays from many of our local community groups, such as Zoomba and Tai Chi. If you are a basketball player, here is your opportunity to get a few mates together and register for a short three-on-three basketball competition! Our very own Southbank Sustainability Group will be present showing us how to live sustainably and will be tending to their garden at the front of Boyd Community Hub. Oh, and I shouldn’t forget the array of talks in the Assembly Hall! From a short history of Southbank to public speaking, there will be plenty to keep locals engaged on all things Southbank. All through the day we are hoping to have a selection of entertainment on the main stage by many of our local arts institutions. From noon, the formalities will get underway with a smoking ceremony and welcome to country, followed by the official Boyd Park opening by Lord Mayor Sally Capp, as well as an address from our local Member for Albert Park Martin Foley (oh, did I mention he will have a marque too?). The formalities will be followed by a book launch covering our 20-year history as a community organisation, thanks to local resident Lynne Lumsden. As you can see, the day is really shaping up to be something Southbank has never seen before. So please mark Saturday, March 21 from 10am to 4pm in your diary. I hope to see you there. If you are not a member of our organisation and you would like to support the good work your volunteer committee does, then please sign-up on our website southbankresidents.org.au. It is only $10 a year. We really need all the community support that we can get. See you on March 21! • Tony Penna President