| City of Manningham Victoria |
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Balance of City and Country |
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| Population: | 118,544(2009)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 113 km² (43.6 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Mayor: | Geoff Gough | ||||||||||||
| Council Seat: | Doncaster | ||||||||||||
| Region: | Northeast Metropolitan Melbourne | ||||||||||||
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The City of Manningham is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the northeastern suburbs of Melbourne. The total population is 118,544 (2009), divided up into 10 suburbs, the largest being Doncaster and Templestowe, over an area of 113 square kilometres.
The district spans a roughly east-west direction along the southern banks of the Yarra River and across the undulating valleys of the Koonung, Ruffey and Mullum Mullum Creeks, alternating from typical low density suburban housing in the west to remnant bushland within a green wedge in the east. As such, the district encompasses the transition between the built and natural environments in Melbourne's east and enjoys a "balance of city and country".
Formerly the City of Doncaster & Templestowe, the district was originally part of the Wurundjeri nation's territory. Most of the first European settlers to the area were orchardists, arriving through the 1850s. Gold was first discovered in Victoria around the same time at Andersons Creek in Warrandyte, however, the district saw varied growth as periods of low density suburban development occurred sporadically throughout the mid-late 20th century.
Manningham has very high private automobile use due to low access to public transportation. Despite this, BankWest rated Manningham seventh of 590 Australian Local Government Areas in the BankWest Quality of Life Index 2008, second in Victoria.[2]
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Manningham municipality was created on 15 December 1994 as part of a general restructure of Melbourne's local government boundaries. The new municipality contains the former City of Doncaster & Templestowe, but with Ringwood North ceded to the new City of Maroondah, and with Wonga Park annexed from the former Shire of Lillydale.
The name Bulleen, a nearby suburb, was proposed for the new municipality, as it was the name of the shire predating the City of Doncaster and Templestowe. Modern residents believed the name was too localised, so the name of one of the major roads was adopted. (Oddly, however, this road is localised, to the region between Bulleen and Doncaster.) The origin of Manningham Road's name is unconfirmed, but it would most likely be from the region of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, as the name Doncaster is also from Yorkshire. Residents requests for the City to be named after Indigenous Australian names local to the area such as Mullum Mullum or Koonung, were rejected.
The main watercourses that border or flow through the City of Manningham include;
The Federal electorate of Menzies covers much of the City of Manningham and part of the northern portion of the City of Maroondah. It has been held by the Federal Liberal party since 1984.
The City of Manningham encompasses 3 Victorian state electorates. All of which have been held predominantly by the Liberal party, although the seat of Warrandyte is home to an above average proportion of Greens voters.
Manningham was previously divided into four wards, each electing two councillors, but as of the November 2008 election, there are three wards (Ruffey Ward, incorporating Tempelstowe, was merged with Heide Ward; two of the new wards are named after creeks in the area) with three councillors for each ward. Anyone may stand as a candidate for election if entitled under the Local Government Act to be on the voters’ roll in respect of any ward of the council in which the election is being conducted, and they are qualified to become a councillor.[3] Councillors are elected by residents in a postal ballot using the proportional representation system and hold office for a term of four years.[4] The Victorian Electoral Commission lists elected councillors in the order in which they were elected.[5]
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Manningham hosts many parklands, many of those located in suburban areas were once cleared for agriculture such as orchards, while those found outside the suburbs contain remnant or regenerated natural vegetation. Some of the major parks, roughly in order of size, include;
Primary Schools - Public (14)
Primary Schools - Private (9)
Secondary Colleges - Public (4)
Secondary Colleges - Private (3)
Other (1)
Libraries (4)
All libraries in the Manningham area are operated by the Whitehorse Manningham Regional Library Corporation who also have branches in Nunawading.
Transport in Manningham is heavily reliant on the private automobile as its infrastructure was constructed throughout the mid-late 20th century. There is no train or tram transportation within the city council. A Doncaster East Train Line had been planned for many decades, however the land was sold off in the 1980s. Residents have long campaigned for extension of the number 48 tram along Doncaster Road to Doncaster, East Doncaster or Donvale, although this is heavily supported by Local Governments and Councils, the issue is consistently avoided by State Government. There are increased bus services to cope with the demand for public transport, all mainly operated by National Bus Company (sold to Ventura Bus Company) and only two bus routes are exclusive to Manningham that circle the area clockwise and counterclockwise to service destinations within the city council. Despite the increased bus services, the need for an appropriate method of transport is lacking.
41% of Manningham residents are classified as low income earners and a good proportion of their income goes into maintaining and fueling private automobiles.[6]
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