For three decades, Keep Australia Beautfiul Victoria developed and ran the Stationeers program in conjunction with Victorian Rail Transport Partners.

The program was supported by volunteer groups working to beautify over 60 railway station precincts across metropolitan and rural Victoria throughout that time.

We are incredibly grateful for the work of the volunteers and the communities who have been involved, but sadly, after 30 years, in the face of a changing and complex rail infrastructure landscape, VicTrack will take over the running of the program as of the 1st April 2025.

A LETTER FROM OUR CHAIRMAN
To the Stationeers

Dear Stationeers,

            We write to you today with a deep sense of gratitude for your contribution, commitment, impact, and the relationships we have built with you over the years.

             As many of you are aware, the Stationeers program was developed at Keep Australia Beautiful some 30 years ago, with the support of our transport partners. We are reaching out today, because after 30 years of managing this program, Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria will no longer be responsible for the station volunteer program as of 31st March 2025. The program will continue to operate, and you can continue activities as per usual.

This program has always been primarily funded through our transport partners, currently Metro, VicTrack, V/Line and PTV. We have worked closely with these partners and government agencies to deliver access and support to volunteer groups along the extensive rail network of Victoria. The transport partners have decided, that from 1st April 2025, they will bring the management of the program under the direct management of VicTrack – on behalf of the transport stakeholders. VicTrack will be in touch with you and your group separately with more information. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email: [email protected]

We are incredibly proud of the impact that our volunteers have had across the program to date, revitalising, improving, and maintaining train stations and adjacent areas. We value all the time, expertise, effort, and old-fashioned elbow grease that have gone into creating safer, more beautiful spaces – improving the commuter experience, community spirit, biodiversity, and appearance of stations across our great state.

As a station leader myself, and now the Chair of Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria, I personally understand the wonderful impact that volunteer programs, and attitudes of environmental stewardship can have on communities. I have seen, firsthand, the positive change that comes with investing time and energy into constructive, environmental action. I know how passionate you all are, and I know how committed you are to your communities and each other, and I am buoyed by the results that groups have achieved over many years of collaborative work.

We are proud of the many great outcomes of the program and the many great people involved. The scale of impact from decades of working bees, planting and maintenance achieved without a single injury to person or property, is truly remarkable. We remain committed to the physical and mental health and safety of our volunteers and the communities that they work in, with all our programs. The change in program administration has come from sole discretion of the transport partners, who have decided that the complex nature of the rail environment requires more input from specialist skills that are best delivered internally.

We are, of course, incredibly disappointed that we will no longer be the stewards of a program that is so intrinsically associated with Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria. It is with heavy hearts that we hand over the reigns to the new delivery agent, but we are glad that the program will continue in its new form. We will endeavour to work with the transport partners to ensure a smooth transition for the groups.

               We apologise for the incredibly late and short notice about the change, we are finding out at much the same time as all of our station leaders and passing the update through as quickly as we have been able. We will send additional information if required, as it comes to hand. Simba and Josh will be on hand and will be in touch with you as well, to answer whatever questions they may be able to, and to thank you in their own words as well.

               If a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in, then we are demonstrating greatness with every effort to leave the world a little better than we found it. I cannot claim to be an old man just yet, and I am fortunate enough to enjoy the shade of native trees that have grown quite spontaneously at my own station of Rushall, but I can certainly lend my support to any action that ensures future generations will be the beneficiaries of the positive efforts of the present.

Thank you, once again, for your commitment and consistency over the past decades. Not only the train stations, but your communities as a whole, are better for your efforts. We hope that you continue to be a positive presence for the environment and the people in it. The Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria team is disappointed that we won’t have the same engagement with you going forward, but we will watch with keen interest the future developments of the program and will always be ready to help out our volunteers – where and when, we can.

Kindest Regards,
Marcus Seal (Chair, Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria)