Representatives: Rural Council Victoria representative and Strathbogie Shire Council Mayor Laura Binks, Campaspe Shire’s Cr Paul Jarman and Cr Colleen Gates, Local Government Minister Melissa Horne and Campaspe Shire Mayor Rob Amos all attended the Rural Council Victoria Forum. Photos: Shannon Colee
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Shannon Colee
Campaspe Shire hosted hundreds of council representatives last week when it held the Rural Council Victoria forum.
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Rural Council Victoria chair and Southern Grampians Shire councillor Mary-Ann Brown said the event was a “huge success” and Echuca was a “great place” to hold the event.
“The shire has been great in terms of the support that they’ve given us. People have been very welcoming,” she said.
Networking: Rural Council Victoria chair Mary-Ann Brown said the event was a great way for councillors to share information and skills.
Photo by
Shannon Colee
Cr Brown said after years of not being able to get everyone together due to COVID-19 regulations, people enjoyed “networking” in the same room again.
“I think people really wanted the opportunity to connect in person,” she said.
Cs Brown said the forum was also a good way to hear from councils on the ground about issues and that even though there were other ways to get that information, it could also be beneficial to have those conversations face-to-face.
Big crowd: A total of 34 rural councils were represented at the forum, with more than 100 attendees present.
Photo by
Shannon Colee
Not only was it a networking event, it was also a way for different councillors and council workers to share ideas and information about how they have been tackling issues that affect people all over the state, such as housing affordability.
“We looked at two different shires and what they’ve done around housing,” Cr Brown said.
“They’ve done quite different things but have been really successful, which demonstrates that rural councils can provide solutions to issues — housing being a significant one, not just for rural councils, but also all councils across the state.”
Campaspe Shire Council also held a special event regarding the 2022 October flood event that hit the area.
Speaker: State Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh spoke to attendees in the afternoon.
Photo by
Shannon Colee
Mayor Rob Amos spoke to the attendees about the impact on the community and the ongoing issues.
“Then we had a tour of the port and spoke about some of the issues that were still there with the CEO,” Cr Brown said.
She said she was amazed by the response to that event and it received a lot of interest among the people attending the forum.
Victorian Local Government Minister Melissa Horne briefly spoke at the event about the importance of holding the rural forum.
Cr Brown said it was good to have Ms Horne present, not just in her duty as local government minister but also as roads minister.
“Roads are an ongoing concern for local government and there is a lot of concern about the condition of the roads across the state. So it was really good to have her here today,” she said.
She said it was good to see so many ‘no vacancy’ signs around Echuca due to the forum, with many attendees choosing to stay for the weekend as well.
“I think that really gives the community a boost,” she said.
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