Residents will be given the chance to engage one-on-one with key State Government Ministers when the Great South Coast Regional Partnership hosts its second Regional Assembly in Portland next month.
The round table session, being held on Thursday 12 October at the Portland Civic Hall, is an opportunity for the people of south west Victoria to voice their ideas for the future of the region.
The Great South Coast Regional Partnership is one of nine Regional Partnerships established in 2016 to give regional communities a greater say about what matters to them.
In preparation for the regional assembly, the State Government is calling on residents to report on the key issues important to them via an online survey, under the themes of economy, education and training, community, health and wellbeing, environment and culture, and transport networks and infrastructure.
Over the next month, residents from Glenelg, Moyne, Warrnambool, Southern Grampians and Corangamite municipalities are encouraged to visit the assembly website to provide their views on these key themes. There is also opportunity to register to attend the regional assembly on the page.
Deputy Mayor Cr Chris Sharples said it was critical the community utilised this rare opportunity to speak directly with state leaders.
“We had a lot of great feedback in our Council Plan engagement session about what people wanted for our Shire. Some of those wishes were things that we as council could action, but some were much larger priorities. It’s critical that our residents take this opportunity to tell the State Government directly what is that we want to see for the future of not only the Southern Grampians Shire, but the whole of the Great South Coast region,” Cr Sharples said.
“We all want a strong and diverse regional economy and jobs for our future. We want to grow our visitor economy and increase tourism to some of our fantastic natural assets and we definitely want to see better road infrastructure and increased public transport options.
“By heading to the website and filling in these surveys, residents can tell the State Government first-hand what their priorities are. I strongly encourage everyone to get on board and take up this opportunity, and to attend the assembly in Portland and show the State Government how passionate we are about shaping the future of this incredible region,” Cr Sharples said.
All responses from the online survey will be directed to key government ministers, including Regional Development Minister Jaala Pulford, who will chair the October 12 forum.
To complete the survey and to register for the regional Assembly, head to engage.vic.gov.au/great-south-coast