We’re proud to introduce your new Mayor, Tullamore Ward Councillor Deirdre Diamante.

Councillors unanimously elected Cr Diamante Mayor for 2022-23, at the Annual Council Meeting on Thursday 3 November.

It seems Cr Diamante was always destined for the gown and gavel, having grown up on Council Street in Doncaster.

In her acceptance speech, the mother of three said she would prioritise Council visibility and responsiveness for the community.

“The opportunity to lead this city in public service is amazing, it is a real honour,” Cr Diamante said.

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

Cr Diamante said councillors had many responsibilities and one of those was to “protect and foster those aspects of this beautiful city, that make it such a great place to live.”

“I strongly believe one of our core roles, is to represent those people who elected us, advocate for them and to be their voice.

“I want to create more opportunities for councillors to visit your wards and speak on matters that are important to you and your community.”

Councillors congratulated the new Mayor and commented on her strong values and determination to listen to the community, keeping an open mind when it came to decisions affecting you.

These sentiments were echoed by Council CEO, Andrew Day, who congratulated the Mayor on behalf of the organisation.  

Councillor Tomas Lightbody was elected deputy Mayor in his second major achievement of the day, incredibly, having also completed his master’s degree.

Cr Lightbody was congratulated by his fellow councillors for both achievements and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will serve in their new positions for one year.

Councillors also thanked outgoing Mayor, Cr Michelle Kleinert for her tireless leadership, energy, passion and for reconnecting Council with the community following the COVID-19 lockdowns.

During her Mayoral term, Cr Kleinert met many of you while attending more than 600 key openings and events, welcoming over 1000 new citizens to Manningham and advocating for strong mental health services.

Cr Kleinert said she had endeavoured to reconnect, listen and be present and accessible each day of her second Mayoral term, having also served as Mayor in 2016-17.

UPDATED: 16 February 2023

Community Calendars are now only available at the Manningham Civic Centre. Numbers are limited so get in quick.

PUBLISHED: 1 December 2022

You can now pick up your 2023 Community Calendar from collection points across Manningham:

• Manningham Civic Centre, 699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
• Doncaster Library, MC Square, 687 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
• Bulleen Library, Bulleen Plaza, 79/109 Manningham Road, Bulleen
• The Pines Library, Corner of Reynolds and Blackburn roads, East Doncaster
• Warrandyte Library, 168 Yarra Street, Warrandyte

We are committed to being a financially and environmentally sustainable council. This year we’ll only be mailing community calendars to residents experiencing circumstances preventing them from travelling to one of the above locations.

If you are unable to collect a calendar, please complete the form below.

It seems Manningham’s new Mayor, Councillor Deirdre Diamante, was always destined for the gown and gavel, having grown up on Council Street in Doncaster.

Cr Diamante was unanimously elected to the position by her peers at last night’s Annual Council Meeting.

In her acceptance speech, the Tullamore Ward Councillor and mother of three, said she would prioritise Council visibility and responsiveness for the community.

“The opportunity to lead this city in public service is amazing, it is a real honour,” Cr Diamante said.

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

Cr Diamante said councillors had many responsibilities and one of those was to “protect and foster those aspects of this beautiful city, that make it such a great place to live.”

“I strongly believe one of our core roles, is to represent those people who elected us, advocate for them and to be their voice.

“I want to create more opportunities for councillors to visit your wards and speak on matters that are important to you and your community.”

Councillors congratulated the new Mayor and commented on her strong values and determination to listen to the community, keeping an open mind when it came to decisions affecting Manningham.

These sentiments were echoed by Council CEO, Andrew Day, who congratulated the Mayor on behalf of the organisation.

“I can guarantee you that the team who are in the room, the staff and the team beyond that will hook right in behind you and give you the support you need to be as successful as you can possibly be,” Mr Day said.

Councillor Tomas Lightbody was elected Deputy Mayor in his second major achievement of the day, incredibly, having also completed his master’s degree.

Cr Lightbody was congratulated by his fellow councillors for both achievements and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will serve in their new positions for one year.

Councillors also thanked outgoing Mayor, Cr Michelle Kleinert for her tireless leadership, energy, passion and for reconnecting Council with the community following the COVID-19 lockdowns.

During her Mayoral term, Cr Kleinert attended more than 600 key openings and events, welcomed over 1000 new citizens to Manningham and was a strong mental health advocate for the community.

Cr Kleinert said she felt a sense of duty to be a strong leader for Manningham following the pandemic and thanked the community, councillors and the organisation for the “beautiful responsibility”.

Cr Kleinert said she had endeavoured to reconnect, listen and be present and accessible each day of her second Mayoral term, having also served as Mayor in 2016-17.

In congratulating Cr Diamante, Cr Kleinert reflected on advice she received from former Mayor, Ron Kitchingman OAM, who attended the gallery last night: “Keep smiling and enjoy!”

Manningham Council is inviting community members to celebrate the opening of Lawford Reserve’s new playspace on Saturday 15 June in Doncaster. 

Stage three of Lawford Reserve is now complete and includes a new adventure playspace with climbing net, play unit, cubby, slides and swings, including a basket swing.

The upgrade also included a new look out seating area, additional seating and picnic tables, a new concrete circuit path, nature play elements and additional shrub planting. 

We’re excited to launch the new playspace at Lawford Reserve. There will be a sausage sizzle, community planting, rock painting, basketball games and skate coaches who will be there for clinics, games and prizes! This is a family friendly event so all ages and abilities are welcome.

The upgrade was completed to meet the needs of existing and future residents and follows the opening of the Lawford Plaza skate area, which was completed in September 2018 last year.

Manningham Mayor, Cr Paula Piccinini said the new playspace at Lawford Reserve is a fantastic place for family and friends to come together and enjoy the outdoors.

“A focus of our Open Space Strategy is to ensure Manningham’s open spaces can be enjoyed by future generations. The upgrade of Lawford Reserve is a great addition for this local community in Doncaster.”

“A well-designed and central reserve, such as Lawford Reserve, provides a great community hub, where community members can enjoy a beautiful outdoor space close to home.”

Lawford Reserve upgrade was endorsed by Manningham Council through recommendations made in the Doncaster Hill Strategy. For more information on the upgrade visit manningham.vic.gov.au/lawford-reserve, or call 9840 9333.

EVENT DETAILS: 
Lawford Reserve Playspace Opening
Date: Saturday, 15 June 
Time: 10.30am to 12.30pm 
Location: Lawford Reserve, Lawford Street, Doncaster
For more information, visit manningham.vic.gov.au/lawford-reserve

The Manningham Function Centre located upstairs in our Civic Centre on Doncaster Road is being upgraded to provide a modern venue which can be used by Council and our community.

The works will involve general refurbishment, painting and new carpets. New gender-equitable toilet facilities will also be built. There will be additional improvement to audio loops to cater for all users.

There will be minimal disruption for those visiting the Civic Centre during this time. Pedestrian access to the building will be accessible to all during the duration of the works.

The newly renovated Function Centre is scheduled to reopen mid-2021.

Find out more about the Manningham Function Centre upgrade.

Doncaster teenager Skye Guest and his mates have been handed a golden ticket with the opening of a new multi-purpose community space at Lawford Reserve. 

Lawford Plaza, adjacent to the Tullamore Estate in Doncaster, will be officially opened on Saturday 11 August from 11.00am to 2.00pm. 

Manningham Mayor, Cr Andrew Conlon said the space will offer our community, especially young people, opportunities to get outside and be active. 

“This new multipurpose space will provide hours of outdoor fun as well as enable the community to be as active as they can be,” he said. 

“It features a basketball and netball space, ramps as well as rails for skating and scooting.” 

Manningham worked closely with the local community to identify how they would use the space, including YMCA, the skating community and Skye and his friends. 

“We wanted to gain insight into what the community would prefer for the new space,” Cr Conlon said. 

Skye said it was great to be invited to provide feedback into the project and opening and see how their ideas have been put into place.

“We look forward to using this plaza once it’s opened,” he said. 

Lawford Plaza is part of the 2.1 hectare Lawford Reserve that has been highlighted for improvement in a number of key Council plans.  

Manningham Council has recently completed a major upgrade of Westwood Reserve in Bulleen and is inviting the community to a community celebration event on Tuesday 6 September to celebrate.

Completed as part of the 2015/16 Open Space Development Program, the major upgrade included installing a new playground, walking paths, landscaping, seating and more.

The community celebration will include a rock painting craft activity and provide an opportunity for the local community to see the new park and playground and take advantage of what it has to offer.

Event details:

Date: Tuesday 6 September
Time: 4.00 pm – 5.30 pm
Location: Westwood Reserve, Westwood Drive, Bulleen

Light refreshments will be provided.

The upgrade was completed in June 2016 and follows consultation with the community in late 2015 on what they would like to see at this reserve in Bulleen.

Manningham’s Open Space Strategy 2014 recommended this upgrade as part of a variety of improvements to public open space in Bulleen, in response to changing housing types, an ageing population, as well as a new generation of young families moving into the area.

Every Sunday during May, Aquarena are offering free Sunday Sessions classes to push back against boozy weekends and start your week right.

We know that there’s a strong relationship between physical activity and the level of alcohol use, as regular physical activity can significantly help you to decrease alcohol consumption.

Exercising early on a Sunday morning provides a great opportunity to drink less on the days before. Being active on a Sunday morning is also a great way to make the most of your weekend and start your week feeling fresh and active.

Get involved in Pilates and Zumba classes, bring your friends and family along to have fun and feel good. For more information visit the Sunday Sessions website.

This program is presented in partnership with Belgravia Leisure, Access Health and Community and Manningham Council.

We’re excited to be commencing construction on the revitalisation of the Ayr Street South activity centre in June 2021 as part of our Placemaking program.

The upgrade to this small activity centre located in Doncaster was suggested by a local trader who was keen to reinvigorate the shopping strip. Improvements will include enhancing community connections, accessibility and landscaping, while supporting our local businesses.

In April and May, we worked with the community and local traders to finalise the concept plan.

Very positive feedback shows that the Ayr Street South Upgrade Concept Plan has strong support in its current form with further improvements being made based on community feedback.

We look forward to seeing this shopping strip come to life once the upgrade is complete.

View key elements of the proposed upgrade at Your Say Manningham.

Ayr Street South Shops proposed upgrade (May 2021)