Want a councillor to turn up to your meeting?

GOLDEN Plains Shire councillors could soon be arriving at progress association, community group or service club meetings under a plan announced by the municipality.

Called Connecting Councillors and Community Groups, the program would see interested organisations from across the Shire apply to have one of the municipality’s elected representatives attend a meeting or event to “listen and learn” about what you’ve got going on.

Mayor Cr Helena Kirby is calling on all community groups, associations or organisations to sign up to have one of the Shire’s seven counsellors roll into your meeting.

“Our councillor group is very committed to listening to residents and engaging directly with our communities,” said mayor Cr Helena Kirby.

“The Connecting Councillors and Community Groups program is focused on elected councillors listening and learning more about local challenges and opportunities, from the dedicated volunteer groups of residents that do such great work in our Golden Plains communities.

“As a councillor group, we hope that all local progress associations, community service groups, interest groups and community activity groups will take part in the program and we are looking forward to a busy six months meeting more residents of Golden Plains Shire.”

To get your organisation on the list, all you need to do is fill out an expression of interest form and submit it to the Shire.

The forms are available from goldenplains.vic.gov.au/consultations or from the customer service centres in Bannockburn and Smythesdale.

“While attending a local community group meeting is something councillors have always done, the new expression of interest initiative launched this year gives this opportunity to all local associations and community groups, expanding engagement to more communities across the Shire,” Cr Kirby said.

The move comes on top of other community engagement activities currently being run by Golden Plains Shire, including a councillor conversation post at the Golden Plains Farmers’ Market in Bannockburn this Sunday, 1 May from 8.30am to 12.30pm and the Coffee with your Councillors day on Saturday, 8 May.