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Kit to Encourage Community ParticipationOver a kitchen table, at the office, the pub, or a club meeting hall – any one of these would be a good place for Gippslanders to get together to use a new kit and contribute to a project about sustainable development for our region. By news@gippsland - 14th August 2003 - Back to News The kit, together with new project web pages, was released on 6th August 2003 by John Hutchinson, Chair of the Sustainable Gippsland Advisory Committee, as the next stage in the Gippsland Capacity Building and Development Project, details of which were announced last month.
"This project aims to identify sustainable regional development opportunities for Gippsland and to encourage greater regional involvement and networking," Mr Hutchinson said today.
"Our region has many outstanding, and related, assets on which we can build. In recent years we have worked through similar problems in different parts of Gippsland and we have much knowledge and experience that we can share as a community.
"This project aims to help people work together to build on the region's strengths as a whole and to develop and deliver sustainable business opportunities. The Discussion Circle Kit, Gippsland, Seeking Sustainable Development will play a major role in getting people involved."
Mr Hutchinson said that the kit is to be used by small groups of friends, colleagues or acquaintances, to help them form discussion groups to focus on issues affecting Gippsland’s future and feed their ideas into the project team. "I encourage people throughout Gippsland to get together and go to our new web pages at www.gippslandacc.com.au/gcbdp and download a copy of the kit," Mr Hutchinson said. "By starting, or being part of, a Discussion Circle, you’ll not only produce ideas which will help our region, but you should also have fun. If you don’t have access to the web, hard copies of the kit are also available."
Mr Hutchinson said that ideas from Discussion Circle groups would be taken on board in considering the options for the region. It was hoped that the many of the Discussion Circles, or networks which resulted from them, would remain as a force in the community well after the current project had been completed.
The kit contains details of the Capacity Building and Development Project and has modules for discussion covering subjects such the influence of history on the present Gippsland community; how can people develop local leadership and effective networking; and what is needed to encourage sustainable development in the region.
Obtain copies of the kit via new pages on the Gippsland Area Consultative Committee website www.gippslandacc.com.au/gcbdp or in hard copy from the GACC 4/24 Breed Street Traralgon
Further information: John Hutchinson, Chair SGAC Ph: 03 5127 1049: mob: 0412 543 404 Rod Smith, Executive Officer SGAC 03 5175 0600: mob: 0419 102 784
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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