Region assembles again to focus on needs

PEOPLE from across the Geelong region assembled again to fine-tune the list of the region’s needs that will be delivered to the state government.

The Barwon Regional Partnership’s third Regional Assembly, held on Thursday last week, drew a crowd of more than 140 people to the Flying Brick Cider House.

The previous Regional Assembly was attended by more than 300 people, but organisers said they deliberately invited a smaller audience this time to encourage deeper discussion of the questions posed about the four themes: young people are our future, pride in our place (housing for all), pride in our place (coastal infrastructure) and the economy we need.

Each table used a laptop to submit their answers, which were collated live by the team of “sensemakers” and displayed on screens across the venue.

Speaking soon after the assembly had finished, partnership chair Kylie Warne said she was rapt with the response.

“From the three assemblies we’ve had, I feel like we’ve taken a more focused approach to the questions that we’re asking participants (at this one), and I think we’ll see that in the data that’s flowing through from this point onwards.

“Part of tonight is about validating our existing thinking and priorities – not to say that there are never opportunities for new content to work its way through; there absolutely is. The tables I sat on, there was absolutely some fresh thinking.”

The partnership is presently reviewing answers from the night ahead of making its ministerial submission in early September.

“You heard the Premier (Daniel Andrews, who opened the assembly) speaking tonight that the government’s role is to listen to us and to respond according, and that’s certainly our expectation,” Ms Warne said.

“Whether that response is in the form of budgetary funding, policy change, service delivery, innovations… it’s really going to be dependent on the advice we provide to them.”

The Barwon Regional Partnership is one of nine partnerships set up across Victoria.

For more information, head to rdv.vic.gov.au/ regional-partnerships/barwon.