Residents believe plans to hold council meetings in towns such as Elaine, Bungaree, Dunnstown and Blackwood will strengthen community involvement and lead to a bigger public turnout.
Councillors will tomorrow consider a report that recommends meetings be held on the first Wednesday of each month, starting at 5pm.
Under the plan, four meetings a year will be held in Ballan, four in Bacchus Marsh and one each in Elaine, Bungaree, Dunnstown and Blackwood.
The revised meeting cycle would be trialled for six months then reviewed.
Elaine resident Shane Dunne said councillors and residents would benefit from the changes.
“Because it’s such a big shire, the meetings are often removed from the average ratepayer and resident so I think it’s great they’re giving us more opportunity to attend,” he said. “I reckon they’ll get a much bigger turnout.”
Mayor Pat Toohey said he hoped the trial would encourage more residents to ask questions and observe council processes.
In 1999, 2000 and 2001, council meetings were held around the shire, including in halls in Myrniong, Gordon and Mount Wallace and at the Coimadai fire shed.
Cr Tonia Dudzik said that while she wasn’t sure that visiting smaller towns should be a regular feature of the council meeting
cycle, it was something worth doing occasionally.
“Personally, I prefer central locations like Bacchus Marsh and Ballan, but I’ll happily go wherever is required,” she said.
Cr John Spain said the changes might have a “novelty value” to people who otherwise wouldn’t go to a council meeting, but he agreed with Cr Paul Tatchell that it could lead to improved access.
“Council belongs to the people,” Cr Tatchell said. “Let’s break the barriers down so people don’t feel intimidated … if we can’t get the people to come to us, we’ll take it to them.”
Bungaree resident Dennis Spielvogel and the town’s general store owners, Rod and Kerry Holt, said they were more likely to attend meetings that were held in their
town.
