The Municipal Early Years Plan, Healthy, Active and Safe Children sets out a number of specific actions that aim to achieve the key objectives in a number of priority areas under the themes of Access and Participation, Community Connectedness, Health and Wellbeing and Leadership.

There is substantial evidence that the early years are crucial in setting the stage for later life.  In developing an Early Years plan Council, in partnership with the community and providers of early childhood services, sought to identify:

1. The current and potential future needs of children and families in Hepburn;
2. Gaps and weaknesses in the provision and management of infrastructure and services, including childcare, to support children and families;
3. Opportunities to improve and enhance the provision and management of infrastructure and services to support children and families;
4. Key community priorities and actions for Council and other service providers.

The Hepburn Municipal Early Years Plan (2015-2017) Healthy, Active and Safe Children sets out the actions Council, in partnership with other agencies and the community, will undertake. Overseen by a Working Group of early years service providers, the Plan has been shaped by an analysis of data about children and families in Hepburn Shire and consultation.

Actions in the Plan are grouped under four key themes:

1. Access and participation – including services for children and families, better integration of services, child friendly spaces and improved participation in Maternal Child Health and preschool.
2. Community Connectedness – including connecting with other families and child and family friendly infrastructure. A key action in this area is to assess how well Council infrastructure meets the needs of children and families and develop an improvement plan.
3. Health and wellbeing – including immunisation rates, breastfeeding, physical health and readiness for school. The Low Immunisation Coverage project was implemented in 2014, with involvement by Hepburn Shire Council, Hepburn Health Service, Springs Medical Centre, Creswick Medical Centre and Maternal Child Health Nurses.

Leadership – under this theme the priority is to enhance and improve Council’s leadership of the early years agenda at the local level.

The Victorian Mineral Water Committee (VMWC ) is a State Government Advisory Committee which advises the Minster for Environment Climate Change and Water on the management and development of Victoria’s Mineral Springs Reserves. The Reserves range from highly developed and highly visited sites, such as Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve, to small “off the beaten track” bushland reserves.

Click here for a copy of the Mineral Springs Reserves Draft Strategic Plan.

To assist in finalising the report, the VMWC are keen to hear about what users like about the Reserves, what should be protected, or what could be improved. To assist with this an on-line mapping site has been established at http://vmwccentral.crowdspot.com.au/.  At this site, visitors can record what they like about a Reserve, and ideas they have for the Reserves, and share photos of Reserve features. There is also a short survey which will help in the planning of the Reserves.

The Victorian Mineral Water Committee looks forward to the participation of the community in the on-going planning of Victoria’s Mineral Springs Reserves.

Did you know that Council is working on the replacement and expansion of parts of our footpath network around the Shire.  We are spending $120k on the upgrading/replacing of approximately 800 metres of old footpaths and $120k on the construction of approximately 720 metres of new footpaths. These include:

Footpath Replacement Program

Reconstruction of old footpaths

Cost of Work: $120,000

Total length of footpaths reconstructed: 800m

Upgraded/Reconstructed Footpaths:

• Clunes Rd, Creswick (from King St to Broomfield Rd) – approx 360m
• North Pde, Creswick (from North St to Clunes Rd) – approx 100m
• Raglan St, Creswick (between Napier St and Church St) – approx 35m
• Bridge St, Trentham (from Bath St to Victoria St) – approx 190m
• Bailey St Clunes (front of Skate Park) – approx 110m.

Footpath Expansion Program

Construction of new footpaths

Cost of Work: $120,000

Total length of new footpaths reconstructed: 720m

Constructed New Footpaths:

• Bailey St, Clunes (from Camp St to Skate Park) – approx 170m
• Stanbridge St, Daylesford (from Vincent St to Skate Park) – approx 150m
• Albert St, Creswick (from South St to Tait Dr) – construction on-going – approx 400m.

 

Stanbridge St Daylesford	North Pde Creswick
Albert St Creswick	Bailey St Clunes

The Hepburn Hub first concept plans have generated significant community interest and has generated plenty of discussion and debate.  Community feedback is essential to achieving a facility that meets the needs of our diverse community into the future.

A further round of community consultation sessions will be held in Creswick, Clunes, Trentham and Daylesford regarding revised plans for the Hepburn Hub. The concept plans have been revised in response to community feedback.

Hepburn Hub Overview

Hepburn Hub Revised Concept 02 Designs

Help make Hepburn Shire more exciting.

If you are between 12 and 24 years old, and live in Hepburn Shire, we want to hear your ideas about how to make your neighbourhood a more exciting place to live.

Have you always wanted to join a mountain bike club, start a dance group, or find somewhere for your band to practice? Or got a better idea?

Enter your ideas at the Hepburn Ideas Competition page for the chance to win $1000 to put towards turning your idea into reality.

Visit http://oursay.org/hepburnideas to make a comment, vote on your favourite idea, register for updates or to submit an idea.