We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of those conversations and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Boisdale and District, 24 March, Boisdale Hall

We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of the Boisdale and District conversations and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Our priorities are…

Volunteers

• Succession planning
• Ageing committee turned over to younger people
  • How do we turn around the membership?
• Keeping everything in order so others can take it on

Communications

• Blackspot areas
  • Emergency planning (big issue)
    • People with high density and low English living in the community but have no idea about the risks. Materials have been handed out in different languages. Local community helping out to connect that info to the workers.
  • Boisdale has NBN, lots of areas don’t
• Find it very difficult to connect to the shire
  • Want to get help and not hinderance
  • Don’t get answers when you send in requests
  • When you try to do something, people in Shire throw up blockers
• During Christmas closure periods
  • Staff need to be on call and able to respond to issues like raw sewerage
• If you’re doing things online, you need to make things easier for the community
  • Logins and codes make things harder
  • Go on the computer and get overwhelmed with different things
• Community satisfaction survey
  • Doesn’t give you the choice to say the answer you want to say

Economy

• Integration of the casual workforce into the community
  • Communication between groups
  • People feeling they can be part of the community
• Recent DJPR (Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions) CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) community event. Foreign workers interested in working on farms locally
  • TAFE, Fibre and food etc agencies present
  • Make contact with managers at local farms to connect to workers
• Have lost little farms and the people that were involved in the community
  • Bigger corporations don’t have the community perspective
• Short term workers creates issues in housing, transport, integration into sports etc
  • People have to have cars for work (no transport out here). People need licences etc. Or need bus pickups etc.
    • Bus means people can’t connect into community activities
• Want to support and connect to the foreign workers and welcome them into the community

COVID

• Rural Victoria treated the same as Metro Melbourne when we shouldn’t be
  • Role of Council as advocates for local area very important
  • Same for events etc. Too hard for volunteers with the new requirements.
• Great support during COVID from Council for projects and funding being provided during the down time.

Roads

• Always requesting improvement to Fosters Hill (not Council road)
• Local roads get knocked around (particularly from vegetable farmers)
  • Mud being left on the road by tractors and farm trailers
• People mow their properties across the Shire
  • Why are they treated differently to the towns. Gravel swept into the grass after the road was re-surfaced. Caused a big issue for mowing.

Walking tracks

• To the school
• Around the Rec Reserve. Only place for the townspeople to walk that’s not on the road.

Ageing community

• Little farms have gone so people are moving away.
• Succession planning of volunteering

Sustainability

• Solar farm in Maffra (gone quiet)
  • Is there too much solar now? Is it being switched off?
• Very interested for the future
• Wind power around here

Briagolong, 26 March, in front of Post Office and Briagolong Hall

We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of the Briagolong conversations and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Our priorities are…

Young people

• Activities for young people/teenagers
  • If you don’t play sport, there’s not much to do
• Wellington needs a space like the Latrobe Youth Space
• Events like a temporary drive in at the oval
• Skate park/ pump track is needed in town
  • Families will bring their kids to somewhere a bit safer than Sale
• Upgrade the BMX track built by the kids/community

Facilities

• Upgrade of sports complex is good
• Doing a good job with the rec reserve upgrade
  • Looking forward to new tennis courts
  • Would be good to have physical activity stations at Rec Reserve
  • Playground/basic park needed at Rec Reserve
• Have been pretty blessed lately with spending
• Need new play equipment at existing park
• More support for yard management around the kinder and purchase of new equipment
• Need a dog off-lead/ play park area, with access to activities and equipment
  • A puppy playground would bring people from other places to use it

Footpaths

• Footpath to Quarry Reserve. Would be good for tourism, bringing campers back into town
• Footpaths and rest areas in new 5 acre block development
• Need good walking paths
  • All weather walking track around Redgum Reserve
    • Gets muddy at present and horse holes make damage
    • Tracks need to be maintained

Rubbish and environment

• More tourists at Blue Pools etc and lots more rubbish being left there
• Cat curfew is needed
• There are dogs on the loose every day in town
• Wholistic environmental health
  • Freestone area. Lake health starts with creek health
  • Environment needs to be seen as an asset. (A public asset, can’t be kept for individual/secret use)
  • Work at Blue Pools has pushed people into other places
  • COVID was a good opportunity to make people aware of what’s in their backyard
• Mining exploration permit has been put over the Blue Pools area
  • Done in August of COVID
  • Friends of the creek group has concerns about this

Tourism

• We don’t celebrate and promote what we have here (natural environment)
  • Need to have an eco message to our tourism to attract a crowd that cares for and respects the environment
• Mural tour
• Community run RV for short stays
  • Toilets, showers, dump point
• Indigenous history is rich in this area and needs to be acknowledged beyond Sale

Industry

• Promote and attract local manufacturing hub in Wellington e.g. clothing

Transport

• Need access to Traralgon and Sale for events, shops, jobs, trains
• Have to be able to drive to do any activities
• Kids can’t get to events and programs in other towns
  • Can’t get anywhere so just stay at home
• Shuttle bus process so you book it and it comes to your door

Roads and safety

• Fitzgibbon Rd needs to be fixed. Keeps getting patched
• Roadside clearing is needed. People on unemployment could help. Need to manage fire zones
• Could supply people with wood from clearing if they can’t access it themselves
• Speed through town is a problem. The roads into town need to have people slow down
• Road widening is needed coming in from Stratford

Age and disability

• Supporting people with meals on wheels etc. is important
• ‘The measure of a society is how the most vulnerable are taken care of’
• Takes months for elderly people to get home help and gardening from Central Gippsland Health. 2 year wait for housework help
• Need a doctor to visit town once a week or fortnight

Health

• Sale Hospital and local facilities
  • Lots of houses going up
  • Facilities are dated and need to be reviewed for modern care standards
  • Social function of spaces like hospitals has changed a lot
  • Long term land reserve for hospital growth. Is this needed? Is Traralgon the main hospital in the region?
  • Advocate and encourage people to think big and look towards the future

Childcare

• Holiday care for working parents in Briagolong is important
  • It’s hard to get a job around school terms
• Can the community house provide after school care?

Volunteering

• Too much red tape for volunteers
• Council needs to listen and consider, not just say no e.g. a request for help in setting up a community group
• Connection of younger people to the community through volunteering is weaker e.g. Hospital auxillary

Development

• Development and planning are most important because they lead to so many other things
  • Needs to be appropriate and structured
• Need more people engaged in/using local businesses to keep them going e.g. café only open weekends and people can’t meet/connect there all the time

General

• Nice and quiet
• Keep it how it is
• Town’s pretty good
• Few shops are going good
• Nothing to change. Life is good

Dargo, 22 March, in front of Dargo Hotel

We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of the Dargo conversations and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Our priorities are...

Tourism and events

• What is this town about?
• What sort of businesses?
• Beautiful place. Tourist hub
  • Camping facilities in town to bring money here
• Pub a very important service centre
• Promote rivers, history and Parks/DELWP areas, advocate for this.
  • Canoeing, fishing, hiking etc with local guides
  • More promotion of local wildlife
• Good place to cycle. Promote tourist routes
  • Wider road verges needed for bikes
  • Nice roads to ride on and towns to stay and eat are important for bike tourism
    • Bicycle network connects to over 70,000 members. Promote to key organisations
• Events
  • Live music, jazz. Attract different crowds
• Need to get people talking. Word of mouth is key
  • Sell and show areas and local stories. Need things for people to look at
• Accommodation is important
• Reinventing tourism
  • Bird feeding
  • Bike, mountain bike and dirt bike riding
  • Advertise what’s available don’t assume people know
    • More information about the history and the feel of the town so people feel comfortable coming here
  • Advocate to be put on the itineraries for bus tour groups (takes significant pre-planning)
  • Seasonal fishing
  • Caravaning
  • Not just 4 x 4 activities

Businesses

• Need a mechanic

Connectivity

• Phone and internet
• Wifi, NBN
• Emergency and vulnerability

Safety

• Roads
• Footpaths
• Lighting

Waste collection and recycling

• Dump point needed

22 March, pop up at Community House

Safety

• Helicopter beacon on oval – emergency service that’s not addressed well
• Reduce speed limit in town i.e. large green 60km signs. Right on the bend heading south (in front of Hall) there’s an 80 sign.
  • Need a broader review of road safety in the whole area
  • Can Council be advocating with VicRoads on this? Too many blind corners at speed.
    • 60km should be further out from town.
    • VicRoads may be working on this issue
  • Sign at the commencement of Wonnangatta Road and others (hooning is not acceptable). Can help other people be aware there is hoon danger in this area.
  • Alcohol related speeding as well.
• Branches should be removed – Wonnangatta road has blind spots.
• Lighting: Main street is very poorly lit.
  • Need to be reported to power companies
  • Lights should be from the Hall to the River Inn
  • Lights need cleaning and new globes
  • VicRoads process of lighting town is about designating the town not the safety of pedestrians
• Police: On long weekends there should be more of a police presence in town. Also random/periodic visits. Need to pick up hooning when it happens

Footpaths and walking tracks

• Walking tracks: Landcare is opening up the el Dorado track (4.5kms). Grant to Crooked River. Fully funded by Landcare.
  • Council’s Walking trail guide advertised this track but it wasn’t available.
  • Landcare have been working with Parks about the trail.
  • Council has done a good job with the walking/rail trail down past Yarram/Port Albert. Worth a look at how things can be done well and can go past people’s home.
  • Fitness walking tracks that are an activity/ physical stations you need to do.
• Mountain bike tracks – DELWP owns the land. Can Council be advocating for attracting that different type of tourism

Footpaths

• People need to walk on the road to get up and down the main areas in town
  • Pedestrian access throughout the town
  • Kids riding bikes
  • Lots more families coming into the area than in the past. Coming up from the River Inn into town.

Anything Council does requires an ongoing maintenance program or it won’t work.

Waste and recycling

• Multi-lingual signage re: rubbish. Need the same sort of signage as Melbourne.
• Dump point: Three groups now have been facilitating dump point.
  • Community cross section put all their points across about which area and why. Only acceptable place was up at old Shire depot.
    • Very disappointed because land has been in Shire’s title since the 60s.  Council cancelled the application for the planning permit.
  • Maps in Sale info centre said toilets in local area have been refurbished for caravan waste. Mis information as this isn’t true
• Transfer station
  • Has there been an analysis of what goes in there and what people can do to reduce their waste?
    • Can we educate people?
    • What can be recycled locally? People try to do the right thing but they can’t because the tips won’t take them.
    • Innovative solutions e.g. grubs that eat polystyrene
  • Massive amount of waste at places like fast food restaurants.
    • Education and information about where people can go to drop things at certain times of year. Help people to be able to dispose properly.

Facilities

• BBQs, picnic area at swimming hole
  • More facilities are needed
  • Toilet at the museum isn’t capable of dealing with larger crowds of people. Blocks up. Want a toilet block like Rosedale’s new one in the main street
    • Mowing needed in that area
    • Needs more signage
    • Something closer to town is needed to do the job
    • Composting toilet at Museum
  • Pipes split when there’s frost at the Hall
    • Council promised to come to empty the septic before long weekends and that doesn’t happen
    • Sewerage has flowed onto the Hall oval. Council shouldn’t be able to put a septic that close to the river.

Planning department/ Development

• Room to build for hospitality but been blocked
  • May need to be rezoned due to being rural lifestyle, not a farm

Frustrating not to be heard

• Council having meetings in this area to hear grievances (once a year)
• Frustrating to have to say the same things over again
• How can Council get input from Dargo community about what’s happening, what’s planned and what information is out to the community from the local area? More instantaneous than what happens now
• 70% of the town aren’t computer literate. People don’t have access to lots of things and can find them overwhelming to get involved with.

Rates

• Lots of people don’t have services from the shire (they’re self-sufficient). What are we getting for our rates?
  • Can we get what’s collected in Dargo spent in Dargo?

Signage/Bus

• No signage for bus. Drops off of an afternoon at the Neighbourhood House. Picks up at the Hotel of a morning.
  • Transport department also picking up near the Hotel
• Not enough room to turn at the hall and it’s on the blind corner. Too dangerous for the bus to be there and also for the dump point to be there.

Tourism and information centre

• How much info is in there about our region here that points people up to Dargo and the local area?
  • What else could be done here?
  • Dargo largest tourism destination in Wellington Shire?
  • What’s there and is there scope to do more?
• Lots of people don’t know what Grant is all about. Maybe an easy walking track around that area could be developed?

Cemetery

• Lots of people complain about how it’s a mess
  • Should be more Shire input. Noted that it’s all cemetery trust and State land.
  • Cemetery’s are a tourist attraction, telling the history and story of the area.

Land management

• Removing Manuka (noxious tree weed)
  • People fined for removing the trees.

Long term

• Needs to be things happening in town for people to do
  • Nothing for kids. Everything for adults in this town
  • What are the local attractions?
  • Most of the things that are easily accessible are quite a drive.
  • E.g. Museum not always open regularly
• Need a strategy for bringing young people with energy to the area.
  • Area between museum and river needs to be beautified e.g. like Bright with activities for people to do in that space. Needs to be maintained though.
• Too much private property around the town which makes it hard for things to be built and developed.

Events 

• e.g. venison workshop
• Show people how to use meat, paddock to plate.
• Sustainability – bread, beer etc.

Dargo Business and Tourism Association feedback, 22 March 

Roads

• Lots of non-Council maintained roads
  • Bridge on a road that acts as an easement between two properties. Had collapsed. Bridge wasn’t on Council asset plan. If landowners want to do things privately, Council still needs control
  • Community needs to do weeds, fencing, roadway etc.,
  • Safety issue – if it had collapsed with a 3rd party going through it would have been a problem
• Dirt roads: Council contacts contractor only if people complain. Can contractor just monitor things without complaints being put in place? Would keep roads safer.
• Upper Dargo Road (High Plains/Alpine Road). Any plans to make that usable during winter?
  • Advocate for support across Alpine and Wellington Shires.
  • Heavily limiting, including in case of an emergency position.
  • Isolated enough as it is and that doesn’t help the matter
  • Tourism: For half the year, tourists need to divert around rather than taking the main route through.
    • More opportunity for business if this is in place. Lots of operators aren’t interested in doing anything here because it’s cut off for half the year.
  • Aligned lobbying with Council, community and other organisations.
• Roadside spraying
  • What’s the overlap between Regional Roads maintaining the land and Council?
    • Can spraying of lovegrass be done at a higher level?
      • On Council owned land?

Footpaths

• Ageing population here. Skewed to over 60.
  • Getting from bush nursing to town can be hazardous.
  • General store and Nth of town, coming into Neighbourhood House area
• Why isn’t Dargo listed in the urban paths plan?

Facilities

• Dargo Museum to be moved into main street area to get all main attractions in together, rather than sprawling out. Nicer from a tourism perspective. Also not significant enough traffic in town to have the spread.
  • Put inside the old school area (move collection, not buildings.) Can Council support this with Department of Education?
  • Could be information centre (pub and general store take that role at present). Could dedicated material for the Dargo area be created that can be distributed locally?
    • Set up day trip information into the area rather than sending people onwards to other things?
• Street lighting in town. 12 light poles. Can only count 6. Lots of times they’re not working. Who is responsible for maintaining them? When a complaint comes in Council doesn’t seem to take action?
  • Main street being lit up is the priority.
  • Some have trees in front of them
  • Safety issue. Goes hand in hand with footpaths.

Safety and security as a theme

• Roads
• Footpaths
• Lighting
• Security cameras
  • Significant issues with spotlighting and unauthorised access to properties
  • Not much residents can do without Police support
  • Next best deterrent is making it clear people will be seen when doing the activity.
  • Cameras in town, at Castleburn and on the exit from town.
• Emergencies
  • A lot of emergency preparedness is covered through CFA. BUT, not a finalised emergency plan at the moment
    • Can there be support for emergency planning for remote and vulnerable communities and spread it throughout that community with education?

Transfer station

• Why do people have to take their rubbish to the transfer station and then pay to drop it?
  • Transfer station passes
• A number of recyclable things should be free to drop off
• Can someone in town be a rubbish collector?
  • Lots of people in town just burn their rubbish rather than dropping it off.
    • Environmental issue
  • No green waste collection
• Recycling
  • Is there any way we could incorporate some sort of bottle buy back scheme. There was talk of this in Victoria at some stage
  • Roadside waste is a massive issue here. A buy back scheme would impact that significantly.
  • Campaign around spare tyre bags for taking rubbish back out of town.
• Huge problem with tourists and rubbish

Rates

• We feel left out in terms of how much of the rate spend is allocated here
• Understand that higher density needs more rates but, also wanting to understand what we get here.

Communications

• Mobile reception
  • Huge black spot from here into Lindenow
  • Tower being put in but not for public communications, it’s for monitoring water tank levels, getting communication to people in emergency etc. (Talking to Mark Coleman)
• Only Telstra has reception
  • When town is busy there’s no reception
  • People on boosters lose power and have no reception
• Can repeater stations be put up in the area?
• Can’t get involved in trials to monitor stock, water monitoring
  • Leaves us disadvantaged as an agricultural and business community
• Telstra: During mobile black spot program there wasn’t the priority for this area.
  • Restricting the growth of the town. Makes people too vulnerable not to be connected.
• 000 backup in place for emergencies now. Telstra has it in place.
• Better communication between all Departments (Parks, DELWP, 2 x shires). No one knows whose call it is to do something about opening up the road etc. All groups need better connection together but also through to the community.
  • People go up after being told that its closed

Signage

• Minor locality signage
  • Castleburn has no signage, Cobbannah does, despite having only two houses
  • And in other areas where signage has been taken away
    • Council couldn’t work out where signage started and finished so just left it.
  • Losing visitors to other areas because they can’t find you
• Support behind history of the colonisation of the area
  • How can we highlight the stories of the area? Including indigenous stories?

Development and tourism

• Support for farm and business diversification
  • Assistance with planning from Council
  • E.g. putting up cabins etc
  • Support for diversifying industries in regional towns.
    • Some tourism and farmers (mercy of market, weather etc.) If you had other offerings than just ag, you can have other income streams when the land’s not working.
    • What else can we add and how can we get support to get those projects going?
    • Is there anything that can be done in the interim while the Residential tenancies act expires?
• Community projects that empower people and support towns and industries
  • How do we get someone out to support us with that?

Events

• Restoration of some of the historic events that have been in the town e.g. Walnut Festival
  • Been long enough that many people haven’t experienced it yet.
  • Difficult to man due to people doing their own thing
  • Insurance is a challenge
• Trees in main road – used to have guards with names around them. Could they be turned into an avenue of honour to add names back in and add iconic families who’ve contributed to the town?

Gormandale, 20 March, Community House BBQ

We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of the Gormandale conversation and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Our priorities are…

Roads

• Decent roads
  • Lays Road extension and Connection Road need to be maintained
  • Need wider shoulders on roads
  • Last 6kms of Gormandale/Stradbroke Road is not done
• Better safety signage/notice of pullover lanes
• Highway gets rebitumened/painted too often
• Safety and speed limits for people coming past school and into town
• Please fix Sister’s Road. Drains full of tree debris. Needs grating before drains are cleared

Transport

• Kids bus route has been changed. 13 local kids need to travel to bus stop now
  • Busses need to go closer to kids
  • Woodside-Carrajung Road bus stop area is chaotic
• Turnbulls go past regularly
• Can’t get to bus stops. Can some sort of transport to door be established?

Footpaths

• No footpaths
• Gormandale is not in the Urban Paths Plan
• Can only walk safely around the oval
• Highway is very busy through town
• Walking track to the cemetery
• Path out to old school removed
  • Kids use that to come in
  • Residents unhappy. No consultation

Young people

• Education, jobs, entertainment in Wellington for young people
• Activities for youth
  • Gormandale Pump Track
  • Trail bikes and tracks. Who controls the land?
  • Mountain bike tracks. Draw people to the area
  • Shouldn’t have to drive out of the area
    • Kids are travelling into Sale and Traralgon for activities
  • Not just playgrounds for younger children
  • Indoor activities
    • E.g. video and game programming workshops. Could community house support this?
  • Connect teenagers in town who aren’t in sports clubs

Development

• No town water and sewer is limiting for development and growth in town
• Our area doesn’t have the same development and investment in facilities as other areas
  • We feel overlooked
• No cashless society.
  • People want control over money

Accountability

• Ratepayers want KPIs (Key performance indicators) that Council can address
  • Council Plan should make specific commitments to the community

Connection

• All people need places and facilities to come together and connect
  • Hard to make connections on rural farms
• Community house is really good to bring people together. Especially new people
• People don’t come together often. How do you include people (especially new people) in social life
  • Invite people specifically to take part in the local community
    • Cross generational e.g. younger kids working on old cars
    • Help older people use mobile phones
  • Music, bands, sport in a way people enjoy, not a competition
• Love it here. Not snobby people. Friendly and you can stop for a chat
• Gormandale is a lovely place to live
  • Community House is a lifesaver
  • Like the quiet, friendly town
  • Don’t need to change anything
• Look after older people who live alone on farms
  • Morning tea and information sessions
  • Pick people up to bring them in

Facilities

• No public toilet in town
  • Rec reserve one is not available
  • Can Council pay to clean?
• Can DELWP hand over Crown land to be managed by Council/volunteers e.g. Rec Reserve

Heyfield, 25 March, in front of IGA

We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of the Heyfield conversation and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Our priorities are…

Tourism

• Tourist town but people don’t think so
  • Shire needs to acknowledge and understand this
• Caravan park booked out for Easter
• Shire to promote more and provide more services during peak times e.g. bins
• Timber Festival in October
• Vintage Rally
  • More funding needed for the shed fit out

Waste and sustainability

• Bins in the main street overflow during public holidays
  • Locals have emptied by hand
• Green waste bins are needed
  • Free green waste to the tip
• Keep sustainable logging mill open

Facilities

• Indoor heated swimming pool needed
  • All ages to access
• Public toilets needed at the wetlands
  • Design is done. Need funding
• Glenmaggie has no public toilets on the west side. Lots of people ask for them because of boats, cemetery etc.

Young people

• Enclosed playground
• Skate Park needs to be suitable for younger ages
  • Alternate view: kids on balance bikes are using it now
• More places young people can meet and debrief on home problems etc.

Mental health

• Transport is hard to get to Headspace in Sale
• Sometimes people are embarrassed to go and access services
• Need to reduce the stigma around accessing services
• Need services to be provided in the local community, not have to travel to other towns
• Need to give people confidence to access help
• Having the doctor in town is important and this needs to stay

Transport

• Public transport needed to Sale, Traralgon, Maffra
  • Opens up employment for younger people
  • Resources for vulnerable people
  • Access to services Heyfield lacks
• May incorporate rideshare/small mini busses instead of large, expensive V/Line busses

Council approach

• Council needs to listen to the community
• Come in and take our projects and take credit e.g. Pump track

Roads/ Road safety

• Lower speeds in kinder zones, like schools
• Nambrok-Denison
  • Only 1 gravel road converted to bitumen in 50 years
    • Need better service for residents in that area
• River Street needs the other half sealed
• Beautify the entrance to our town from Traralgon

Growth

• More housing blocks. None available

General

• Fairly happy, especially after the rains, as a farmer

(Gathered in Maffra)

• Path out to Cemetery. Collected signatures but nothing done, yet Timberline has a path.

(Gathered in Sale)

• Toilets in Heyfield Wetlands

Loch Sport, 7 March in front of Foodworks

We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of the Loch Sport conversation and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Our priorities are …

Paths

• There are paths on the plan, but what are the dates for delivery?
• Foreshore track maintenance
• Footpaths continuing to Boulevard (so you don’t walk on road)
  • Needs to go all the way to the National Park
• Shared path to beach road (bikes and pedestrians)
• More walking trails and maps so people are aware of what’s in the area
  • Information signs about wildlife and the environment

Facilities

• Add an accessible viewing platform to lake
• Tables and chairs at the boat jetty
• Beach road carpark gets potholes. Needs sealing and lighting.
  • Backbeach needs hand and feet washing and lighting
  • Surf beach accessible ramp needs a rail
• Regional Roads Victoria signage at the highway directing people into the town and showing what’s available (up to date list of facilities)
• BBQ at Boulevard end of shelters
• More bins at the beach and dog poo bags
• Bridge from Loch Sport to Paynesville

Tourism

• Camera at surf beach, lake and into town for wildlife and tourism purposes
• Add landmarks around town and on paths pointing to the natural features in the area
• Boat hire business
  • Kayak parking

Tree maintenance

• Boulevard path is littered with dead branches and overgrowth
• Beach road overgrown
• Fire prevention. Too much overgrown land
• Clean up trees between Seagull Drive and Lake
• Programmed maintenance of roads, paths and trees is needed
  • Full time groundskeepers, not contract staff
  • Verges and nature strips are overgrown. Can’t see around corners

Erosion/ breakwater/ safe harbour

• Council to advocate to DELWP to stabilise
• Safe harbour is a priority
• Boulevard boat ramp needs updating
• Dealing with erosion in Seagull Drive is very important

Sustainability and waste

• 4 bin system
• Central collection locations
• No water pipeline needed. Use tank water

Mosquitos

• Need to continue to be sprayed and keep on top of this

Roads

• Develop Sanctuary road
• Entrance into town should be beautified and formalised

Rates

• Rates should be uniform (not based on house/land value)
  • Council should advocate for State Government for this

Transport

• Bus stops are a road hazard in some places

Safety

• Slower cars through town (50kms)
  • Speed calmers are no good for emergency services. Don’t put them on the main road.
• Stop sign leaving Seagull Drive needed (Can’t see due to wall)
• Road into Sale/Rosedale where eggs can be purchased is zoned too fast (100km). Makes stopping unsafe
• Lighting throughout town. There have been burglaries

Connectivity

• Fibre to the premises needed for internet

Loch Sport in 2030 should be…

Beautiful

• A unique place
• Leave it like it is
• Protect the wildlife we live with
• Foreshore and walks
• Protect what’s attracted people here

Model sustainable township

• Keep it pristine
• Fire protection and protecting the local community
• Further development but not too much

Maffra, 10 March, Baby’s Day Out: Macalister Park and Main Street in front of Woolworths

We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of the Maffra conversation and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Our priorities are…

Walking tracks

• More walking tracks
• Running track to cemetery
• Footpath from park to main street
• Footpaths around schools should be double width
• More footpaths e.g. Powerscourt
• Safe connection between swamp path and Macalister Park

Play spaces

• Fenced playground area
• Update Victoria Park playground
  • Add a car access area
  • Undercover area closer to playground

Activities

• Free events for kids
• More events down the street e.g. Tinamba Food and Wine Festival style things
• More arts projects

Sustainability

• Community solar projects
• Get away from coal
• Encourage community gardens
  • Sharing produce
  • Workshops for seed planting and water security
  • Organise a network of community sharing
• Sustainable farming practices for big supermarket suppliers

Roads

• Speed zones moved in too close to towns. Need more notice
  • Council to advocate to VicRoads
• Maffra-Sale road is too slow, needs passing lanes. Is this on the roads program?

Facilities

• Seats in main street: once works are done, return seats (big tree)
• Don’t make poorly planned decisions e.g. arbour erected 5 years ago and then pulled down as it didn’t meet pedestrian visibility

Growth

• Maffra Structure Plan: Prefer to expand into area 2, not 1 given land and fertility. The distance into Sale isn’t too far for option 2

In 2030 Maffra should…

• Continue to have the services an amenities the local community needs.

Maffra Structure Plan drop in, 23 March, Maffra Memorial Hall

Our priorities are…

Speed and safety

• Powerscourt Street goes to 100km too soon. Should be 80km all the way to Sandy Creek Road

Footpaths

• Lots of bike riders and walkers out Powerscourt Street
  • Need a gravel track to support them
  • People walk on the road in the 100km zone
• Footpath is going in on Foster Street at the moment
  • A shared path is planned for the future. Why isn’t it just being put in now?
  • How will a shared path fit? Do you have to remove parking?
• Charles St and King St footpaths needed
  • Water comes in big channels on the sides of the road
• Growth corridor out in the cemetery direction is the walk the whole community does. Needs a consistent surface
• Gueno path (off Morrison St)
  • A sand track that gets flooded in low spots
  • Very popular thoroughfare

Facilities

• Victoria Park
  • Not much development has happened. It’s in the middle of town and needs to be a focus
    • Undercover area and BBQ
  • River park has snakes and the waterway is dangerous for young kids
  • Victoria Park looks great
• Wetlands is excellent
• Water stations needed in public spaces
• Dog off-leash exercise area
  • People need to clean up after dogs
• More toilet facilities needed in the main street. Existing toilet is not nice to use.
  • Important for locals and travellers.

Supporting growth

• Lots of new people in town. The town is growing. Lots of facilities. Town is good
• Main street development is excellent
• More people in town may need more things, especially out in the growth area e.g. facilities and parks, corner store
• Johnson St RV location would look great as an upmarket motel. Land is idle at the moment
  • Not enough accommodation to keep people here.

Council approach

• Too Sale-centric. Why can’t the Maffra library be a service centre? Battery drop off point and other things available in town should be here.
• Council officers need to respond during the time requested (10 days)
• Council officers need to be proactive and respond to things they notice, even if it’s not in their job description to do them
• Local laws need to be more than just motherhood statements and Council needs to educate the community about what’s in them
• Council left and right hand needs to talk. Better communication across the organisation is needed to avoid mistakes.

Young people

• Broaden skateparks and expand size
• Pump track will be good
• With land selling, we’ll have more kids

(Gathered in Sale Mall)

• Trucks can’t pull up anywhere leading into Tinamba with the new roadworks and bus stops

Port Albert, 28 March, in front of Wildfish Restaurant

We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of the Port Albert conversation and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Our priorities are…

Facilities

• Public toilet near Rocket Shed. Rutter Park is too far for older people and young kids
• Pine trees that are growing along the sea wall are disrupting the footpath and putting pressure on the sea wall.
  • Could lead to collapse in 5-10 years
• Home bins are collected regularly
• Park is well maintained and impressive

Accessibility

• For all of Wellington Shire consideration of stairs with extra risers and a gentle grade to help older people, small children and people with mobility issues

Transport

• Distance and lack of transport makes it hard to get into Yarram and other areas for services and socalising

Footpaths

• The Christopher Robin walking track erodes during rain
• Rail trail final connection is needed

Connectivity

• Poor internet reception. It hardly exists, especially during holidays when lots of people are here
  • Tower in Tarraville covers 20kms. Should only be 7kms
• People from Melbourne suburbs are coming to live here because of COVID. They need good internet to be able to work from home.

Roads and drainage

• Drainage at Gibson St
  • Cleaned too often
  • Now too deep and not working. Water pools and is smelly
  • What are the regulations about standing water?
• Town speed through main street (60km) is too high for a dead end road.
  • Needs to be lowered for safety of kids
  • Lots of boats and traffic mean 60km is not appropriate
  • People do 60-80km
• Carpark at Castims has no stop sign, lines etc
  • 3 accidents so far
  • Needs improvement
• Need 10 min parking bays for ferry to unload
• Castims needs 2 x 10 minute bays for people unload
  • People parking on roads, lawns etc is not safe
• Manns Beach sealing
  • If the carpark entrance is sealed and made one-way, David street will need to be sealed too due to dust
• New roads between South St and Gibson Street.
  • Why are courts being put in, and no through roads?
  • This approach will cut some people off from access to the new roads
  • Putting culverts on Gibson St would allow the roads to be brought through
• Extending the new road along King Street would allow new houses and the tennis court to benefit from this too

Health

• Need X-ray facilities that are open longer hours and more services at the hospital

Tourism

• RV carpark at wharf/boat area
  • People don’t just camp in the designated spots
    • Need a large sign to indicate ‘No RV past this spot’
  • Campers fill up and take water with them
  • Throw items, used water etc onto grass
• Great Ocean Road gets lots more advertising than the Prom
  • Bring Prom tourism that little bit further into Port Albert
• Eco tourism
  • Replant the hills
• Cluster of gums on the way into town should be changed into pines for the visual appeal/consistency

Rosedale, 15 March, in front of IGA

We've been travelling around the Wellington Shire over the past month talking to people in the community about their thoughts, ideas and priorities. This discussion forum includes a write up of the Rosedale conversation and we'd love to hear what you think. Are the priorities identified the right ones? Are there things missing?

Please be respectful of the community members who've shared their time and thoughts in making your response.

Our priorities are…

Speed and safety

• Main street is unfriendly due to speed and noise
  • Trucks make it dangerous to get in and out of cars. There’s no space between the parking and the road
    • Can trucks be made to use the right lane only?
  • Can we have 40km pass through town?
    • Large green speed signs like in Stratford?
  • Cars ignore the pedestrian crossing
  • Can we have more speed cameras?
• Main Street trees need to be trimmed up high so you can see (McKay St area)

Facilities and cleanliness

• Bins emptied regularly
  • Rubbish in main street overflows on long weekends
  • Dog poo bags needed
• More rubbish bins in town
• Edward Crooke park needs bin, tap and toilet
• Rosedale Hub is under used
  • Neighbourhood House should be more active
• Caravan park should be cleaned up
• Large noticeboard needed near IGA. No one looks at the one near the newsagents as it’s closed. Need to be able to share community news
• Sport/exercise circuit around town e.g. Rec Reserve and both parks, with a walking circuit between
  • Need more exercise equipment than just the playground. Ageing community needs access to exercise and fitness
  • Machines like in Sale and Heyfield
• Alan Semple park is neglected. It’s just a paddock
• Planter boxes in the main street and other areas are good
• More attention needed on the Edward Crooke area of town
• Tennis courts back and active again
• ½ court basketball court
• BBQ shelter in Prince St Reserve needs a wall for wind and sun protection on the west side
• Lighting survey
  • Albert St has a dark spot due to trees
  • Trip down to the train station is dark and scary

Sustainability and waste

• Greens bins. FOGO

Roads

• Nelson St and Allen Court should be sealed
• Cansick St is a hoon highway
• More carparking for the main street. Cut in at Victoria Rose, the post office and Smokehouse side roads, like at the Prince St Reserve
• Accessible parking in carpark near bottleshop needs upright signage, not just painted lines
• Laneway at Albert St is too dusty when it’s driven on

Footpaths

• Overhanging trees on footpaths need to be trimmed
  • Hedge on Duke St/Hood Street impacts path. Can path be routed around it?
• Add a walking trail loop past caravan park, up to Shaw’s lane, railway line and back to Cansick St
  • Cricket St to the caravan park is dangerous for caravan park residents to travel into town on (no path, not lit)
  • Too dangerous to walk on the roads due to trucks
• Footpath street sweeping on occasion. Encourage shop fronts to be cleaned up
• Willow Park path is too isolated for women to walk on their own
• Weed/blackberry control is needed from Mill St to Willow Park
• Paths filling gaps in town are needed

Transport

• More trains to Traralgon and Sale
• Improve the train station
  • Repaint and clean so it feels more welcoming
  • Add more greenery

Economy

• Replace McDonald’s signs with advertising for local Rosedale restaurants
• In the Middle of Everywhere is a great campaign
• Affordable in comparison to metro and other towns.
• Need a pub with counter meals and night time food
  • People don’t get together and meet each other anymore
• Christmas decorations and promotion in the main street to support traders
• Promote the local accommodation
  • Air BnB, Hotel
    • Little town but visitors want to walk around and explore

Society

• Reconciliation with First Nations, including Rosedale Cairn issue
• Wellington is a Shire of Villages
• Not a lot for teenagers to do. Need to be teenage friendly
• Need to support over 70s with
  • Continued good health
  • Exercise
  • Better use of the library for adult education and sharing ideas
• Rosedale has a lot going for it but we don’t make the most of it e.g. community art gallery, music
  • Music shell in Edward Crooke park
  • Town needs to be livened up
  • A lot of sporting facilities but we don’t make the most of it. We’re an active community and we should promote it

General

• Doing a pretty good job
• Bring back Rosedale Shire
• Gardens very well maintained
• Main Street looks nice
• Streetscape and roundabout well done