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Community invites to attend updates on major priorities for Victorian and federal government to support in Baw Baw Shire

All members of the Baw Baw Shire community are invited to attend or tune in to an open briefing on Wednesday 11 May which will provide an update on council's ongoing advocacy initiatives.

By news@gippsland - 6th May 2022 - Back to News

Baw Baw Shire is one of the three fastest growing regional areas in Victoria. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Baw Baw's overall population grew by 3.1% during the 2020-21 financial year, to 56,583. In Drouin and Warragul, that growth has been even more dramatic, increasing 3.7% from 40,631 to 42,115.

Major community infrastructure, road and recreation projects are among Baw Baw Shire Council's key advocacy priorities for the 2021/22 year ahead

Major priorities

Baw Baw Shire Council is committed to balancing the needs and challenges of growth while enhancing our region's lifestyle, character, and environment. As part of this commitment, in 2021 Council identified a list of major community needs that are either state or federal government responsibilities, or which require the funding support of the State and Federal governments for Council to achieve.

The major priorities include:

• Traffic improvements for Drouin and Warragul (advocating on behalf of Regional Roads Victoria)
• The Baw Baw Culture and Connection precinct
• The Rokeby to Noojee Trail Extension
• The Logan Park Cycling Centre of Excellence
• A new hospital for West Gippsland (advocating on behalf of the West Gippsland Healthcare Group)

Council has been actively lobbying at all levels, and on both sides of the aisle, to get these projects on the State and Federal Government agenda and secure the funding needed so they can progress.

Community briefing

At this open briefing, the council will provide an update to the community and to councillors on how our advocacy efforts have progressed so far, and where they will go from here. The briefing will be held at the West Gippsland Arts Centre's Fountain Room from 3.30pm to 4.00pm. It will also be live streamed via council's website and 'Open Community Briefing on Council's advocacy' Facebook page.

All community members are invited to attend in person, or to tune in online. A recording of the briefing will also be publicly available after the session. Any residents wishing to make a submission on the topic are invited to do so, either in writing, or verbally in person. Submissions can be made via council's website from 1.00pm on Friday 6 May until Monday 9 May at 5.30pm. For more information about council's Advocacy priorities, visit 'Advocacy Priorities' page.

Providing an update

Mayor Cr Michael Leaney said, "As a council, it is our responsibility to represent the needs of our community and to speak loud and clear to all levels of government to make sure that those needs are addressed."

"Since identifying and committing to our advocacy priorities last year, we have embarked on a concerted lobbying campaign to make sure our voice is heard and to push hard for the state and federal government funding our region requires in the face of unprecedented growth."

"This open briefing will provide an update on where those efforts are at, what we have achieved and where we go from here. I encourage all community members to tune in to the live open briefing, either on our website or Facebook page, or to come along in person." Cr Leaney concluded.

Pictures from Baw Baw Shire Council website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com