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South Gippsland wins Corporate & Community Planning award at LGPro COnference on 24 May 2023 and more updates

South Gippsland Shire Council update about council's projects and programs.

By news@gippsland - 1st June 2023 - Back to News

Join In The Know to receive fortnightly updates on what is happening at council and how you can get involved. This is your opportunity to let us know what you think and provide your feedback. You'll get reminders about what's on, engagement opportunities, documents for review and more.

Community Engagement Award: South Gippsland Council celebrates progress and renews commitment to fulfilling Council Plan objectives

LGPro Awards

South Gippsland Shire Council was presented with the LGPro 'Corporate & Community Planning' award at LGPro Specialist Awards on Wednesday 24 May. LGPro is known for connecting professionals in local government, creating networks, promoting excellence, and fostering a community of resilience and capability.

The award was for the Shaping South Gippsland community engagement program which helped to create council's vision and four-year council plan. The award is positive recognition of how far council has come. There is a lot more to be done but councillors, and council staff remain committed to engaging with the community and making sure the actions within the council Plan are achieved.

Expressions of interest

Expressions of interest are now open for artists with experience delivering high quality murals for Leongatha Railway Precinct. Leongatha Railway Precinct is undergoing a redevelopment that will provide additional parking and help connect the Leongatha business precinct and the Great Southern Rail Trail.

The Railway Precinct Mural Project seeks to transform the rear facade from a plain grey surface to one that engages the community. Submissions will COB Monday 5 June at 5.00pm. For more information and to register your expression of interest, please go to Railway Precinct Mural page.

Proposed Land Sale in Mirboo North

A parcel of land has been identified for a proposed sale as part of the procedures to create a road reserve over 3 Brennan Street, Mirboo North Council at its ordinary meeting held on Wednesday 17 May proposed to commence statutory procedures to create a road reserve over 3 Brennan Street, Mirboo North.

Being Lot 1 LP3433 with an area of 527m2 and create a lot from the remaining section to sell to the adjoining landowner for consolidation with an area of 124m2, being proposed lot 1 PS914008N for not less than a valuation received within six months prior to the sale, pursuant to s.114 of the Local Government Act 2020.

Supportive representation encouraged

A person may make a submission to the proposed sale of land. Submissions are to be received no later than 5.00pm Wednesday 21 June 2023 addressed to the CEO, 9 Smith Street, Leongatha Victoria 3953. Any person making a submission is entitled to be heard in support of the submission.

If a person or a representative wishes to be heard in support of the submission, they must state this in their submission. Copies of the submitter's name and address will be disclosed at any public Council meeting at which the proposal will be considered. If no submissions are received, the proposal will be implemented.

Nature strip tree requests: Residents can apply by calling or emailing council, with tree selection tailored to each area's suitability

Annual tree planting

Council's annual tree planting program is an effort to aid environmental sustainability. In previous years, council would survey potential areas in the Shire that required tree planting. However, this year, council has decided to seek input from local residents regarding their interest in having a tree planted on the nature strip, especially if there is not one there currently.

If any residents are interested in having a tree planted on the nature strip, they will need to apply for it by either calling reception or sending an email to council. The type of tree to be planted on each nature strip will depend on the specific area. For instance, in Poowong, deciduous European-style trees have been planted, while towns like Nyora have Gumtrees.

Additionally, there is also a rural planting initiative. This offers rural property owners the opportunity to apply for up to 300 trees. The responsibility of planting these trees will lie with the property owners themselves. For more information, or to apply for a tree, please contact reception on: 5662 9200 or email council@southgippsland.vic.gov.au

Small business networking dinner

Calling all small businesses! You are invited to South Gippsland Shire Council's, Small Business Networking Dinner, sponsored by NBN on Thursday 15 June. The Small Business Networking Dinner aims to bring together local small business owners for an evening of connection, collaboration and growth.

The night will provide your business with the opportunity to:

Build business relationships
Share knowledge and insight
Learn from success stories

To purchase a ticket or for more information, please visit South Gippsland Shire Business page.

Versatile Local Law: Addresses animals, public spaces, camping, waste, and safety, empowering community protection and response to local concerns

General local law feedback

Council is seeking your feedback to help develop a new General Local Law for South Gippsland. Prior to the development of the new Local Law, council is wanting to hear from you - our community - about any local law issues or concerns you may have. General Local Laws have to be updated every 10 years and a new one must be adopted next year.

To make it as easy as possible, council has broken down the 2014 General Local Law into categories so you can understand what it covers and provide feedback on areas that are most important to you. Council will also be hosting pop-ups at events across South Gippsland until Sunday 26 June. To complete the survey online, please visit General Local Law Review page.

Children and family plan

The Children and Family Services Department is developing a new Children and Families Plan which is part of our commitment to supporting children and families to feel they belong and can be happy, healthy, and develop to their full potential.

The Plan will concentrate on children aged up to 12 years and their families, and we will develop the Plan in partnership with service providers and our community. You can be a part of planning for children and families in South Gippsland by:

Completing the online survey - Children and Families Plan page.
Share your ideas through our ideas board page
Participating in one our online focus groups - register via email shelley.fixter@southgippsland.vic.gov.au

The online survey, the short survey and ideas board will remain open, until midnight Monday 19 June, 2023.

Nyora's Growing Population: Increased demand and prospects prompt community session on future plans and General Local Law Review

Nyora community plan

The Nyora Community Plan is well overdue for an update. According to census data, Nyora's population has increased by 23% in the 10-year period between 2011 - 2021, with 1332 residents in 2011 increasing to 1644 residents in 2021. Due to the increasing property value throughout Melbourne, homebuyers are branching further and further out, which can present added pressures and opportunities for Nyora.

A Community Session to discuss future community plans has been set for Tuesday 20 June 2023, at Nyora Hall, 3 Henley Street Nyora. Or come along earlier (from 4.30pm) to provide feedback on the General Local Law Review. A sausage sizzle will be held at 6.00pm with the meeting starting at 6.30pm.

Wilsons Promontory: Cultural landscape, biodiversity hotspot. Landscape Management Plan development underway, seeking input for protecting, visiting, and celebrating the area

Wilsons Promontory land

Parks Victoria is requesting feedback on a new management plan for Wilsons Promontory National Park and its surrounding marine areas. The plan will be developed alongside Traditional Owners and other stakeholders, to gain insight into how the unique land and sea should be protected, visited and celebrated over the next 15 years.

The first stage of community consultation to develop a draft plan will run until 16 July. Until then, there will be online and in-person workshops where the community can hear about key management considerations and information about the Prom landscape.

Early ideas and feedback will be gathered, including through an online survey at the Engage Victoria website. Later this year, and then into 2024, these early ideas will be refined and then a draft management plan developed for public feedback. For further information about the Prom landscape, key issues, and details on the consultation process and how to get involved, visit Engage Victoria - Wilsons Promontory Plan page.

Foster Shared Pathway

Last year, council asked for community feedback on a proposal to create a Shared Pathway on Station Street in Foster, to connect the township with the Great Southern Rail Trail.

We received a great response from local residents, and from this we would now like to hear from the Foster community once more, to see if these proposed options meet the needs of the local community and the project aim of improving pedestrian and cyclist safety.

You can provide your feedback at Foster Shared Path - Round Two Consultation page.

Community grant writing workshop

Council's next round of community grants opens 1 July. To help with preparation of a community grant application - or any grant application - council is hosting a Grant Writing Workshop on Thursday 15 June in Leongatha.

This is a great opportunity for anyone who would like to learn more about grants and how to identify funding opportunities. It will also help you define your grant objective, budget and how it can be evaluated. To find out more go to South Gippsland Shire Grants page and to book, visit, Eventbrite's Grant Writing Workshop page.

Youth mental health first aid

Live4Life, South Gippsland, and Bass Coast Shire Councils are running FREE Youth Mental Health First Aid courses from March to October. This course teaches adults about adolescent development and the signs and symptoms of common and disabling mental health problems in young people, including crisis situations.

Topics covered include depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviours. You will learn how and where to get help when a young person is developing a mental illness, what help research has shown to be effective and how to provide first aid in crisis situations. To book, please visit Bass Coast South Gippsland Live4Life Youth MHFA Courses 2023 page.