As we finish off National Volunteers Week with various celebrations around the Shire (by Council and many other organisations), it is worth reflecting on the 2 sides of the volunteerism coin. On the one side, our communities simply wouldn’t be what they are without volunteers. Just imagine what our world would be like if nobody did anything as a volunteer… On the other side, think of the personal benefit to you and the people that matter to you arising from your own volunteer efforts. It’s good to see volunteering rates creeping back up after the Covid hit – so if you have the inclination and can make the time, there is guaranteed to be something that you can do that makes your local community a better place in return for the rewarding mental health benefits you’ll experience.
Council’s main tasks over the next couple of months is next year’s budget and the new 4-year Council Plan. Each require a lot of behind-the-scenes work that I for one didn’t realise. This budget is a between-times version with elements continuing from the last term and some adjustments to reflect the new Council make-up. The 2026-2027 budget will reflect the new Council Plan, so keep an eye out for your chance to review that Plan and send in your thoughts.
A reminder that if you see something that needs attention or have a suggestion to make, please do “Lodge a Request” on the surfcoast.vic.gov.au website (right up at the top of the home page). Of course you can phone too, but that’s limited to office hours whereas the website is 24/7. Lodging a request is effective & efficient and importantly feeds into Shire statistics which executive management and Councillors keep a keen eye on. And if the issue repeats, please repeat your Request – it helps focus where limited resources should go.
The Council Meeting this week considers a raft of policies, some for us all, and some specific to Councillors. The latter I believe are important for transparency and fairness. I’ve found that there is a lot of misunderstanding of the role of a Councillor and what s/he gets out of the role. These policies make the benefits & restrictions clear and public and I genuinely hope you would take things further if you came across anything that doesn’t comply.
I’ve had some great conversations with people around the traps recently. We’ve passed the 6-month point in this Councillor term, it’s flown past, and while some of the cogs of local government may turn slowly, I do see some good things happening and coming up on the horizon. It’s easy to criticise, a bit harder to propose solutions and then get involved in making them happen. However, it has been uplifting to meet people, volunteers, who want to get involved and build their community to be an even better place to live, work and play. I’d like to thank all those that fill in Shire surveys and in particular the members of Community Panel that provided valuable guidance on the directions we should take in our Council Plan. I see good things.
I’d like to close with a hearty “Congratulations” to this year’s Local Legends, which were awarded last Thursday. The diversity of what people do, the good that they do for others near & far, the real difference they make is inspiring. Well done to you all, and to all the nominees, and to all who volunteer around our Shire.