Following last year’s ‘Have Your Say’ survey of shire residents Murrindindi Shire Council will be ‘starting a process of connecting with the community better than in the past’ and seeking to get community members involved at an early stage, according to Deputy Mayor and Community Services Portfolio Councillor, Sandice McAulay.
Council is developing ‘a new approach to improve how it works with communities and to assist communities to work with one another,’ McAulay said in a media release whilst giving a free plug to insurance companies.
“In last year’s ‘Have Your Say’ community engagement process, people told us they wanted Council to take a different approach to working with the community – one where Council worked more closely with the community in planning for the future.
“Based on that feedback, we want to work with our communities to explore a community planning model. Community planning is a community-led, cooperative process which brings people together to identify and work on agreed priorities for their communities.
“Part of Council’s role is to support and build our communities’ capacity and resilience – and to foster greater level of connection between communities. We are excited to be trying out this different approach,” Cr McAulay said.
“Our particular thanks go to Australia’s largest general insurer IAG, and their local brands such as CGU and WFI. They are providing considerable support to Council to enable this project to go ahead”.
IAG Executive General Manager Shared Value Ramana James said “we are committed to working with communities to create meaningful local connections and are incredibly proud to be working with Murrindindi Shire Council on this community-led approach to find new ways of building safer, stronger and more connected communities.”
McAulay said Council was now calling for expressions of interest from people within the Shire keen to get involved in developing a framework for this new approach.
“Four working groups will be established to feed into the development of a community planning model. These groups will be based around four main areas in the Shire – the Kinglake Ranges, Marysville and Triangle, Alexandra and its surrounds and Yea and its surrounds”, she said.
McAulay said she encouraged people to get involved in this important initiative by representing their community on one of four working groups and attending two, two hour workshops during April and May with expressions of interest closing on Wednesday, April 11 2018.
For more information go to www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/resilientcommunities where you can fill out an expression of interest, call in at a Council office or library, or call us on (03) 5772 0333.
Wesfarmers are the owners of Coles, Bunnings and Officeworks, among many other assets, none of which have businesses or employ people within Murrindindi Shire.
