Council has launched a new engagement initiative, Connecting Councillors and Community Groups, and is welcoming expressions of interest from local community group and associations to host Golden Plains Shire Councillors at a meeting of their group in 2021.
This new initiative is part of the Councillor engagement commitment for 2021 and is a valuable opportunity for Councillors to listen and learn more about individual groups in Golden Plains Shire, their work in the local community, and current ideas and challenges for the group. The attending Councillors will also be available to speak directly with members prior to, or following, the meeting and will report back to Council on the group and their engagement experience.
The Expression of Interest process is open from Tuesday 20 April to Tuesday 1 June, 2021, with Golden Plains Shire Councillors available to attend community group meetings across the Shire from July to December 2021. The Expression of Interest is open to local progress associations, community service groups (eg. Lions, Rotary, etc.), interest groups (eg. environmental, Landcare, historical societies, etc.), and community activity groups (eg. Scouts, Probus, CWA, etc.).
The Expression of Interest form is available to complete online at Council’s website here. The form can be downloaded from the website and paper copies are also available at Council’s Customer Service Centres at 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn and The Well, 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale.
Mayor Cr Helena Kirby encourages local community groups and associations to join the new Connecting Councillors and Community Groups program.
“Our Councillor group is very committed to listening to residents and engaging directly with our communities. While attending a local community group meeting is something Councillors have always done, the new Expression of Interest initiative launched this year gives this opportunity to all local associations and community groups, expanding engagement to more communities across the Shire.
“The Connecting Councillors and Community Groups program is focused on elected Councillors listening and learning more about local challenges and opportunities, from the dedicated volunteer groups of residents that do such great work in our Golden Plains communities.
“As a Councillor group, we hope that all local progress associations, community service groups, interest groups and community activity groups will take part in the program and we are looking forward to a busy six months meeting more residents of Golden Plains Shire.”
In other Councillor engagement activities, there will be a Councillor Conversation Post at the Golden Plains Farmers’ Market in Bannockburn, from 8.30am to 12.30pm, Saturday 1 May. There is also a Coffee with your Councillors day on Saturday 8 May, with Councillors visiting nine townships across the Shire: Scarsdale, Smythesdale, Garibaldi, Enfield, Dereel, Rokewood, Shelford, Murgheboluc and Batesford.