The importance of consultation

YOUR council currently engages in 127 services to the local community ranging from managing numerous buildings , aquatic centres, golf courses, aged care services, childcare , sporting and recreational grounds , collecting waste among many others but one of the most crucial functions of any Council is community engagement.

As the level of government closest to the community it is incumbent on the organisation to consult and seek input from those who are often best placed to inform their elected officials being the councillors in consultation with officers.

Unlike the federal and state government, who have their own issues to work through, Council regularly runs engagement campaigns to listen to what the community thinks about a wide variety of topics. And this always brings many and varied ideas and opinions.

In the Kardinia ward, we recently consulted with residents about a draft concept plan for improvements to Highton’s five-hectare Morena Street Reserve.

For those who might not be across this little gem, this reserve runs from Morena Street to Old Flour Mill Road, and is a favourite among walkers, pet owners and families thanks to its sensational views and its limited road frontage.

It is a site that has a number of environmental, water management and accessibility factors to consider, and the draft concept plan has proposed keeping the existing wetlands, as well as completing $2.2 million in works over three years to upgrade what is an undeveloped open space.

The consultation that we held last November and December has been extremely positive.

Remarkably, there were 1,221 visitors to the City’s Have Your Say page, and nearly 95 per cent of contributors out of the 250 completed surveys and quick polls supported the draft plan.

This is why consultation is so vital.

City officers now have a clear picture of what the community thinks about these plans and this data will inform our final concept plan, with the project to progress to detailed design this year.

I thank community members for providing their input on the draft concept plans for Morena Street Reserve and encourage everyone to visit the Council’s Have Your Say page to stay informed about further opportunities to provide feedback on future projects.

Roads update

Ensuring the safety of the community is another – and perhaps the most – important function of Council.

We do this in a number of ways, from health measures to road improvements, and invest heavily in these areas.

One of the projects in the Kardinia ward recently completed was the Marshalltown Rd/Bailey St intersection (roundabout), which underwent major improvements as part of the 2023/24 BlackSpot Safety program.

This program is an initiative aimed at reducing the number and severity of crashes on Australian roads and focuses on improving road safety through the identification and rectification of high-risk crash locations.

The Marshalltown Rd/Bailey St project has been aimed at enhancing road safety and increasing pedestrian security, with a clear focus on reducing the approach speeds of drivers and providing improved accessibility for all.

Some of the main aspects of the project have included the installation of wombat crossings, roundabout upgrades, street light upgrades and awareness initiatives.

The vast list of improvements saw new footpaths installed, fresh roundabout upgrades, kerb and channel enhancements, street lighting upgrades, and significant drainage works.

The project will dramatically increase road safety and accessibility in Grovedale, and I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the local community for its patience while these works were completed.

Cr Bruce Harwood

Kardinia Ward, City of Greater Geelong