Council is seeking input on community priorities during the perparation of its Draft Council Budget 2023/24.
Each year, Council develops its annual budget which outlines how resources are prioritised to deliver important and relevant programs to the community. The draft budget also incorporates the major initiatives identified by Council as priorities in the Council Plan 2021 -2015, to be undertaken during the next financial year. In the early stages of budget preparation, Council would like to hear from residents about what their priorities are as we prepare our draft budget. Understanding resident priorities will help Council develop a financially responsible budget, while continuing to deliver services and projects that are most important to the community.
Council will present an online community forum: Date: Tuesday 14 February 2023 Time: 6 to 8pm
The forum link will be accessible to the public at goldenplains.vic.gov.au.
All residents are encouraged to complete the Council Budget 2023/24 Survey which opens on Tuesday 14 February.
The survey is available at Council’s website: goldenplains.vic.gov.au/Consultations
Community members can also collect a hardcopy survey from Council's Customer Hubs at 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn or The Well, 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale.
The completed survey can be submitted by:
• Email to: enquiries@gplains.vic.gov.au;
• Mail to Golden Plains Shire Council, PO Box 111,Bannockburn, VIC, 3331, marked ‘Attention: Council Budget 2023/24 Survey’; or
• Hand-delivery to Council Customer Hubs at 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn or The Well, 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale.
Free COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) are now available for all community members to collect at the following locations:
• Golden Plains Civic Centre, 2 Pope Street Bannockburn.
• The Well, 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale. If you have COVID-19 symptoms please do not collect RATs, someone can collect RATs on your behalf.
For more information, or if you are unable to visit one of the Customer Hubs to access free RATs, please contact Council’s Customer Experience team on 5220 7111.
Council congratulates the worthy winners of the Golden Plains Shire Council Community Awards 2022.
The Golden Plains Shire Council (GPSC) Community Awards 2022 were presented at an event on Tuesday 24 January, at the Dereel Community Hall where all award nominees were recognised and this year's winners announced.
• The Golden Plains Shire Council Citizen of the Year 2022 is Jaymee-Lin Ellis of Smythesdale
• The Golden Plains Shire Council Senior Citizen of the Year 2022 is Dr Jill Wheeler of Linton
• The Golden Plains Shire Council Young Citizen of the Year is Jayden Scheier of Bannockburn
• The Golden Plains Shire Council Community Impact Award 2022 was presented to the Mannibadar Settlement Committee.
Following a successful first series in 2022, Golden Plains Shire Council, in partnership with Make a Change will deliver the second round of the free Expand Your Impact online initiative from Tuesday 21 February, until Tuesday 28 March, 2023.
Expand Your Impact is an online initiative supporting people to grow their success and develop new skills to discover practical solutions, connect better and create new outcomes.
Delivered by Make a Change in collaboration with Golden Plains Shire Council and five other regional partners, series two of the free program will run from February to March, 2023, delivered as six interactive sessions over six consecutive weeks.
The workshops will cover topics including Vision: exploring what lights you up; Projects: and how to make them happen; Story: creating your compelling narrative; Team: and building networks, growing communities and enlisting support; People: and how to work together effectively; and Digital Tools: navigating the world online.
Sessions will be held weekly on Tuesdays from 6 to 7.30pm.
To learn more and to register, visit: goldenplains. vic.gov.au/Events.