13 March 2017
Published on 13 March 2017
Gathering great ideas for Loddon’s Council Plan
Photo caption: Loddon Shire CEO Phil Pinyon and Mayor Neil Beattie consider great ideas generated at a Council Plan workshop last week.
The consultative process which will shape the 2017-2021 Council Plan is underway.
On Monday I had the privilege of attending a Council Plan workshop at Bendigo’s historic Fortuna Villa.
The event brought almost 100 Loddon Shire community and business leaders together at a neutral venue where they could impartially focus on the municipality’s future strategic direction.
The workshop, led by Steve Tighe, a respected consultant who completed the Victorian Public Libraries 2030 Strategic Framework, proved a fantastic opportunity to discuss the municipality’s future strategic direction.
Now we are throwing the door open to you via the new Oursay online forum which was launched on the day of the workshop.
The Oursay forum asks for your great ideas. People then have the opportunity to vote on the great ideas put forward.
Further face to face consultative activities have also been devised to reach specific target groups such as the young people who are the future of our municipality.
Council’s community support team will be out and about this month gathering as much information as possible about our young people’s ideas and plans by distributing surveys at schools, pools and well-populated public spaces and events.
I would encourage you to have your say by completing a survey or visiting the Oursay forum which is linked to the Loddon Shire Facebook page and the Loddon Shire Council Website.
To contribute your great idea go to the Oursay link at http://oursay.org/loddon/ideas-1 or visit www.loddon.vic.gov.au
Keep an eye out for flood restoration work
On the ground repair work, following flooding events which impacted the Shire in September and October last year, is set to begin within a matter of days.
Culvert, floodway and associated works are scheduled to commence at Old Canfield Road (Korong Vale), Kingower Brenanah Road (Brenanah) and Perry Road (Logan).
Residents can expect to see the Old Canfield Road and Kingower Brenanah Road reopen within four weeks of work commencing.
The total cost of repair work across the three sites is expected to be in the vicinity of $150,000.
Contractors travelling from Echuca, Bright and Cobram to undertake the project work will bring a welcome boost to the economy.
Public tenders will be invited for subsequent project work in the next three to four months, with work scheduled to begin in the second half of this year.
The project, which has a designated completion date of December 2018, was funded through the Natural Disaster Financial Assistance Program (NDFA).
An opportunity to help others at tax time
If you enjoy helping others and learning new skills, volunteering with the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) Tax Help Program may be worth considering.
The Tax Help Program is a free and confidential service for those who need help completing their tax returns online.
As a Tax Help volunteer, you will make a real difference to Loddon Shire residents needing assistance to complete their tax returns.
You don’t need prior tax knowledge to participate in the program, as volunteers will be trained and accredited by the ATO before the program gets underway.
All you need is a few hours to spare each week and a passion for helping others.
Volunteers will be reimbursed for any relevant out-of-pocket expenses such as travel and phone calls.
To find out more about being a Tax Help volunteer, and how to register, visit the ATO website at www.ato.gov.au
Registrations for the program close on Saturday 15 April.