Earlier this year I celebrated 15 years as a councillor with Greater Dandenong City Council.
Since 2008 I have dedicated myself to the people of this city and I am proud that I have continued to be re-elected to represent my community. I am proud to be able to give something back to this city and the country of Australia, which took me in as a refugee from Vietnam in 1983.
This community is made up of people from all over the world, many of whom came here as refugees, just like me. Next month the Springvale Community Hub will mark Refugee Week (16-22 June) with a celebration on Saturday 22 June. Keep an eye out for more information closer to the date.
Just over four years ago Council adopted the Burden Park Master Plan and I am proud to say we have completed many great projects to upgrade this park. One of the most interesting upgrades was the building of the Ninja Warrior Course, which I am photographed in front of. People of all ages visit this park to challenge themselves on the exercise equipment, which was the first of its kind built in Victoria.
Since 2021 Burden Park has been home to a Woody Meadow, planted under a trial program with the University of Melbourne. The program is studying woody meadows as a way to improve public planting sites with native shrubs and small trees. This month the gardens will undergo intense pruning, which will hopefully promote flowering and denser coverage in the long term. Please don’t be alarmed if you see our parks team out pruning these trees and trust they will grow back to be more beautiful than ever.
In the meantime I want to wish all the mothers in Greater Dandenong a very Happy Mother’s Day.
If you would like to get in touch with me I can be reached via email at loi.truong@cgd.vic.gov.au or phone 0466 004 618.