MidCoast Council wants our feedback on their Draft Community Strategic Plan - Vision and Values. And we need to let them know what we think.
This draft document tells us that Council has around 90,000 people across 196 communities. Take 90,000 and divide it by 196 and you get 459 - which is almost exactly the population of North Arm Cove. That means our village must be pretty close to being the typical community that MidCoast Council should be serving.
So how does this document address the needs of small villages like ours? Does it tackle our concerns about neglect and inaction? Does it make us feel we are a valued part of the wider MidCoast community? Can we have confidence that our village will be getting value for our rates and levies we pay each year to MidCoast?
"Villages" get four mentions in the Draft Strategic Plan document - although one of those is in the questionnaire at the end. The other three are:
- We have a strong sense of community. We want our towns and villages to reflect the vibrancy and individuality of the people within them and provide opportunities for us to connect and socialise.
- We will embrace the uniqueness and creativity of our communities. ...
-> Support the preservation and protection of our unique heritage, and the individual qualities of towns, villages and special places. ... - Our villages and business precincts are vibrant commercial, cultural and social hubs.
-> Implement innovative programs and projects to support business precincts in creating and maintaining vibrant spaces.
-> Support and encourage the development and attraction of strategic events.
-> Ensure strategies and processes recognise, maintain and support sustainable economic growth.
-> Use existing knowledge, expertise and technology to develop businesses based on new ways of thinking.
Do you think this is the way Council should be addressing the needs of its smaller communities like ours? Why not take a few minutes to download and read the full Draft Strategic Plan and give MidCoast your feedback in their online survey before 23 February.
