Welcome to Community Voice
Community Voice is a place where:
- people who call the Hepburn Shire home can learn about what’s going on in their local council and participate effectively in the democratic process, and
- the community’s values, wishes and concerns are communicated to inform and guide council’s direction.
What’s the benefit?
When the community knows what council is up to and council knows what people want, we can cooperate to achieve benefit for all, respecting country and the exceptional environment we are blessed with in our shire.
What does Community Voice offer?
Community Voice:
- offers ways for the community to share their values, wishes and concerns, e.g., through gatherings and online platforms like Facebook and its website
- provides basic information about council, such as…
- council’s structure and the role it plays
- the role state government plays and the influence state government has on council
- council policies, strategies, initiatives and planning permit applications
- the procedures for engaging with council, like how to object to a permit, how to petition, or when and how to write a submission.
- provides regular updates about the monthly council meeting agenda via Facebook
- initiates community briefings for councillors, much like those provided by council officers to councillors.
Add your voice
Community Voice encourages all community participants to investigate, research and fully understand Council’s plans, initiatives and planning permit applications, and then share that information.
Add your voice by:
- posting accurate information on the Facebook page about current council plans, initiatives and applications, either to celebrate good news or raise concerns – remembering our values and principles below
- getting in touch via the website
- attending organised events such as community gatherings and community-led meetings before council meetings
- attending and/or presenting at council meetings.
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Live the values and principles
- Mutual respect
- Care for one another and the environment
- Diversity, compassion and equality
- Collaboration
- Localisation
- Innovation
- Evidence-based holistic problem solving
- Resilience