As the Councillor rep on the Positive Ageing committee (with volunteer seniors from each of the Shire's towns) and joining Cr Mike Bodsworth, it was great to see the Healthy Wealthy & Wise roadshow in Anglesea so well attended last week. A day of encouraging and interesting presentations alongside an expo of organisations and groups offering advice and things to do as we get older and pull back from a working life. Ageing positively is about staying active mentally and physically, being part of community, and continuing to contribute with experience and wisdom. From our youngest to our oldest, I'm seeing a growing trend to bring our communities back together as communities.
In Winchelsea this looks like all the activities at Winch House, the monthly community dinner, the market, Growing Winchelsea's projects like the Movie Club, the Mens Shed, the Lions, Probus, Golf, Bowls, Footy-Netball clubs, parkrun, karate... and many more. I can't recommend enough being a part of it whatever suits your current lifestyle. Mental health and physical health are directly connected to social inclusion and participation. Join in 🙂
At the end of May, I'll be filling in for Mayor Libby Stapleton at the Municipal Association of Victoria (a local-government umbrella organisation) where Surf Coast Shire will be asking for a higher standard of mobile phone coverage. Imagine being in Lorne for an unexpected and unpredictable emergency on a summer weekend, and a phone network that's already choked even with normal traffic - those emergency messages won't get through to everyone, and you likely won't be able to phone out either. It's not acceptable. Anyone travelling to Melbourne on the train can experience what a service is like that is geared to 'average' rather than 'peak'. In 2026 Australia, we should expect a communications system that is up to the job.
Speaking of Melbourne, I went in for a session alongside Mayor Libby on health & wellbeing responsibilities for councils. It's a legislated requirement under Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 to develop a Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, at Surf Coast Shire it's integrated into the overall Council Plan (see surfcoast.vic.gov.au/councilplan). It helps understand local health issues, set priorities, and take action. Its purpose is to guide coordinated actions that improve community health and wellbeing through prevention-focused programs and policies. The session was a whole lot more fascinating than I expected, underlining that everything Council does has an end goal of "wellbeing". It's a positive way of looking at the world!
And to end on something positive, have you noticed all the work on the roads that's been happening? Gravel road resheeting & smoothing, filling in road edging, respraying/resealing tarmac... the roads teams have been busy. They always are, mind you, but the weather has allowed a bit of catching up as the works last longer with the occasional moisture we've had. A reminder that not all roads are Council responsibility - look at Google Maps, if it's yellow it's State! As always, please report any potholes or other issues via the 'Lodge a Request' link on the surfcoast.vic.gov.au website.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this communication are my own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or views of Surf Coast Shire or its staff. They are offered in my capacity as an individual Councillor and should not be interpreted as representing the collective views of the Council or Shire.
The views and opinions expressed in this communication are my own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or views of Surf Coast Shire or its staff. They are offered in my capacity as an individual Councillor and should not be interpreted as representing the collective views of the Council or Shire.