Almost 40 years after moving to Hoppers Crossing, Jim Giddings has found there’s still plenty to love about Wyndham.
What’s your connection to the local community?
My volunteering started with Apex, Blue Light Discos and the Weerama Festival. I was a Werribee councillor for nearly 10 years and held the portfolio for transport until December 1994 when council amalgamations began. In 1995, I was appointed chairman of the Wyndham Transport Advisory Committee by Wyndham council and remained in that voluntary capacity for 18 years. Now, I’m chairman of RoadSafe Westgate community road safety council and have been a member since 1990. The road safety group’s role is to advocate for road safety and implement road safety programs across the west.
Where’s your favourite retreat spot?
Werribee South foreshore and the mouth of Werribee River. I enjoy walking along the foreshore, listening to the sea and admiring the wildlife and scenery.
What’s your favourite eatery?
Mondells Patisserie & Café in Watton Street. I often meet there with family for breakfast and have an omelette with the lot and a good espresso. We can share a meal together while supporting local businesses. For takeaway, you can’t go wrong with Watton Vietnamese Takeaway in Watton Street for great value and good food.
What would you change in your neighbour- hood?
People’s attitudes to road safety. More students and young people need access to best-practice programs, including Fit2Drive and Looking After Our Mates. Both programs incorporate young people having the capacity to change attitudes relating to risky driving and help them take ownership for their own and their peers’ safety on the road. This goes hand in hand with a lack of infrastructure funding and services, such as public transport. Funding needs to increase to provide these services to meet the rapid growth we have been experiencing for
10 years.
What wouldn’t you change?
The community of volunteers. Wyndham has an army of them who make themselves available to benefit others who have real needs and at the same time enhance the local community.
What do you remember being in Wyndham that’s no longer there?
The country atmosphere of our suburb has been lost due to the rapid growth of our city and population.
