Yarra Ranges has put a call out to help set their agenda over the next few years.
The Yarra Ranges Council is calling on interested people within the community to have in-depth conversations about some of the opportunities and difficult decisions the region will face over the coming years as part of the development of the Council Plan for 2025-2029.
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Cr Sophie Todorov, said that this was a great opportunity for community members to have a more ‘in-depth’ look at the role of Council and to offer further input into future planning for the region.
“We’ve had a fantastic amount of input and feedback from the community into our next Council Plan so far, so the next step now is to form a community panel to hold the microscope over what we’ve heard in more detail,” she said.
The Community Panel will meet on four different occasions between July and August to ask questions and provide input into the direction of Council, what Council’s priorities should be and discuss some of the more difficult challenges and decisions that Council faces moving forward.
Cr Todorov said they are reaching out to as many people as possible to be part of the panel so we can have representatives from the many facets of Yarra Ranges life.
“We’re looking for around 30-40 community members who reflect our community including diverse ages, backgrounds, where you live and your life experiences,” she said.
“You don’t need to have expert knowledge, just a willingness to contribute in a group setting, learn from others and have an open mind to finding solutions and be interested in helping create a better future for the Yarra Ranges.”
“Whilst being part of the Panel will be a time commitment, there is compensation available for the time it takes and more information on that can be found at www.shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au.”
“This is a great opportunity to have some meaningful conversations and share ideas with fellow community members to help inform our Council Plan, which is one of the most important pieces of work we do in each four-year cycle,” said Cr Todorov.
All sessions will take place on Saturdays¸ 9.30am-3.30pm, at the Lilydale Civic Centre on 20 July, 3 August and 17 August, plus an online introductory session on Wednesday 17 July.
For more information or to register your interest in becoming a part of the panel, visit https://shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/yarra-ranges-shape-your-future/community-panel-deliberative-engagement or call Council on 1300 368 333.
Applications for the Community Panel close 30 June.
