AN interactive web page on Moorabool Council’s website is helping to shape council’s decisions.
Chief executive officer Rob Croxford said feedback from the page was used during deliberations for the recent Ballan structure plan and council budget.
“It’s been taken as a real source of feedback,” he said. “Sometimes the feedback is used for shaping the direction of an idea, but when there’s a tangible proposal, such as the budget, the feedback was certainly considered by council officers.”
The Ballan structure plan is just one of the topics residents can comment on via the page, which was launched
on March 28 and has attracted 22 submissions.
“Many councils are using the ‘have your say’ platform and all take the feedback very seriously,” Mr Croxford said. “This type of social media is evolving internationally into a powerful source of two-way communication. There’s even some evidence in the UK where this format is replacing community meetings.”
Mr Croxford said while Moorabool had no plans to replace meetings, the website gave people a new way to communicate with council.
Users of the website called for greater investment in industry, and one said more needed to be done to keep younger people in Ballan. A proposed wind energy facility was also a hot topic, with one resident describing the consultation process as a “sham”. Others backed the technology but were concerned about its location and possible health risks.
Another resident called for more regular trains to Ballan from Melbourne.
The site is a two-year pilot, ending in March 2014. Details: haveyoursay
