Mayoral Column 20 February 2017
Published on 20 February 2017
Formulating a forward focused Council Plan
The 2017-2021 Council Plan, which will guide our priorities over the next four years, is being developed, and the consultative process designed to reach as many residents as possible has begun.
Over several weeks, a range of activities from workshops to school visits and an online survey will be conducted in a bid to unearth your views and aspirations.
The online survey will be open to all Loddon Shire residents and I would encourage you to have your say regardless of age, place of birth, interests, work or educational background.
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 from the start of next 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.
The survey seeks to discover what our young people like most about where they live, what improvements to facilities and services they would like to see and what they believe would slow the municipality’s progress.
An invitation-only workshop has also been planned to bring Loddon Shire’s key community and business leaders together at a neutral venue where they can focus on the municipality’s future strategic direction.
The workshops, to be held at Bendigo’s historic Fortuna Villa, will be led by Steve Tighe, a respected consultant who completed the Victorian Public Libraries 2030 Strategic Framework.
I urge community leaders who received an invitation to the workshop event to make the most of the privilege, and encourage all members of our community to seriously consider having their say by completing the online survey which is expected to be live early next month.
Pipeline project to benefit Inglewood
Inglewood sport and recreational facilities will benefit from improved water security after Council secured a $132,740 State Government Grant through the Sustainable Water Fund Community Sport and Recreation Program.
A branch will be added to the existing Inglewood Reservoir pipeline, providing a cost effective means of watering Inglewood Bowling Club, Inglewood Town Hall surrounds and Inglewood Primary School sports oval.
On Thursday, Council’s Community Support Manager Allan Stobaus and I had the opportunity to guide Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, Mr Colin Brooks MP, around the area that will benefit from the grant.
This provided a wonderful opportunity to commend the funding commitment and discuss further ideas to progress townships and localities within the Shire.
Sports and recreational facilities are the cornerstone of our community, providing shared meeting spaces which are vital to health and wellbeing.
While recent rainfall is welcome, conditions can change quickly and this project provides an alternative and more cost effective water supply to ensure our shared spaces are kept in optimal condition, even in dry periods.
The new pipeline connection will run about 500 metres from the corner of Verdon and Sullivan Street, through to Inglewood Bowling Club.
Baking with a golden twist
The Loddon Visitor Information Centre is coordinating a cake competition with a golden twist as part of the Minelab Wedderburn Detector Jamboree.
Entrants are encouraged to bake a cake based on a gold related theme, with creativity being the key to success.
No cream cakes are allowed, only baked or iced, and entries must be delivered to the Visitor Information Centre by 5pm on Friday 10 March, with judging to take place at 8pm that evening.
Cakes will be displayed at the centre the following day from 10am.
There are three sections—primary, secondary and adult, with prizes of gold nuggets ranging in value from $30 to $50.
For further information phone the Loddon Visitor Information Centre on 5494 1257.