Strategies to boost council’s performance

ARTS and culture, tourism, economic growth and supporting the shire’s ageing population will be some of the key elements in South Gippsland Shire Council’s 2018-19 Council Plan.
Council discussed its plan with the public at drop in sessions outside Leongatha’s Memorial Hall and at Mirboo North’s Italian Festa in the past week.
The sessions will continue in Foster on Thursday and Friday. Alternatively, people can post their ideas on council’s OurSay forum.
Council’s coordinator for corporate planning and council business June Ernst said there had been a lot of interest around increased support for the arts, including the development of a Leongatha arts centre.
Many also wanted council to lobby the State and Federal governments more for major projects.
Stony Creek resident Robin Smith said while there were initiatives he was looking forward to, he would have liked to see more being done for children, education and recreation.
“I hope my feedback will enable council to gauge where its culture is at, and look at broadening their perspectives. For example, objectives and initiatives targeting children, education, recreation and a more critical approach to governance is lacking,” he said.
Mr Smith said he supported the initiatives and strategies that looked at improving governance, refining council’s business unit and sewerage.
On the OurSay forum, some of the most popular submissions included a focus on cutting down waste, reducing services not regularly used by ratepayers, encouraging investment in big industries and retailers, and maintaining Home and Community Care Services.
“A lot of people have been interested in the Active Ageing strategies. We live in an ageing community, and these strategies keep people active and help them to stay independent in their homes for longer,” Ms Ernst said.
Reducing rates, streamlining business productivity, advocating for critical infrastructure like water and energy, continuing to support the foodmap, road maintenance, and digital strategies were also initiatives identified by council.
The OurSay forum will remain open until February 18. The feedback will be collated and finalised by February 21.
Council will be asked to endorse the plan at its ordinary meeting in the middle of March, after which the document will go out for formal consultation with the community.
The plan will be completed by the end of June.
“There are already heaps of ideas on the OurSay forum. We are really trying to reach out to different people to hear the range of feedback in our community,” Ms Ernst said.

Collecting feedback: South Gippsland Shire Council’s coordinator for corporate planning and council business June Ernst discussed the initiatives that will help form the 2018-19 Council Plan with Stony Creek resident Robin Smith, last Thursday.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Feb 13 2018. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry