Published on 01 October 2025
As the weather improves and spring is now with us the mood cannot help but lift.
It has been a challenging start to my term as Councillor. Adopting the Strategic Plan and Budget has meant there is acknowledgement that everything is important, but we can’t do everything.
I might describe it as being between a rock and a hard place. I do believe however, we now have a sound position to look forward to the future and build our community in Hepburn Shire.
We have some real challenges moving forward in different parts of our community. These vary from working with new infrastructure such as Djuwang Baring, in Creswick, to old infrastructure in Clunes and Glenlyon, just to mention a few. Many of these issues are long term and with the challenges of funding across the board are going to remain big challenges.
There are a couple of exciting small initiatives. Council will be working on some awareness campaigns around overhanging branches, appropriate use of disabled parking and footpaths around shops which pose challenges for those with disabilities. Simple fixes and changes in behaviour will make things better for everyone and lead to better quality of life and a better economy.
Finally, I am actively working with a range of community groups and small businesses. There is no doubt there are challenges, I am working hard to work better and form links that increase understanding and therefore get better outcomes for our community. With good dialogue and understanding of issues, we all benefit.
As always, I am looking forward to working with everyone.