2013 LGPro EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM

In 2013
can local government remain a

vibrant and relevant

tier of government?

CONTENTS
FOREWARD 1. LOCAL GOVERNMENT BACKGROUND WHO IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT? THE WHAT AND THE WHEN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORE DELIVERABLES - RELEVANCY OR VIBRANCY? SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDIES 2. PERCEPTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY WHERE IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT NOW? WHERE IS IT HEADED? LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES SURVEY 2013 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION ENGAGEMENT 3. PERCEPTIONS OF STAKEHOLDERS WHERE IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT NOW? WHERE IS IT HEADED? 4. CONCLUSIONS IN 2013, CAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REMAIN A VIBRANT AND RELEVANT TIER OF GOVERNMENT? ENDNOTE 5. APPENDIX - DATA DIGEST 2 8 8 9 11 16 26 26 26 29 36 36 44 44 47 49
1

FOREWARD
LGPro is the single, most widely recognised and respected voice that advocates for Local Government in Victoria. As an organisation, LGPro aim to advance the fellowship and communication among the Local Government sector whilst providing a unied, collective voice in inuencing Local Government policy direction. By providing rural. Keynote speakers for the day will focus on a particular topic facing the administration of local government. These speakers may consist of an executive member of the host Council, or indeed, a professional from an entirely different organisation or sector. Having direct access to the wealth of knowledge that these speakers bring to the group

We are the leading voice for Local Government professionals in Victoria providing leadership, professional development and representation in pursuit of excellence. LGPro
is invaluable in the lessons passed on and enables every ELP member to ask, analyse and assess what is truly important to them. Furthermore, it demands the participant to challenge and confront what it takes to turn an aspiring, emerging leader into a demonstrated, proven one. At the commencement of every Emerging Leaders Program, participants are introduced to an open-ended topic that is to be addressed, discussed and scrutinised via a coordinated and collaborative group project. Every session throughout the Program is designed to build the skill sets and knowledge surrounding the annual theme which results in the nal crescendo of submitting written literature addressing the topic and then subsequently presenting the paper at the LGPro Annual Conference the following February. The Emerging Leaders Program of 2013 have been charged with addressing the issue:

professional development opportunities through programs, seminars, conferences and workshops and by widely recognising excellence, signicant achievements and accomplishments in local government, LGPro maintains its status as the leading body for Local Government professional development and support. Each year, LGPro provide the opportunity for a carefully selected group of 24 aspiring, emerging leaders in Victorian local government to take part in a unique intensive program based upon a platform of an experiential learning model. The year-long program ensures extensive interaction and engagement among both the participants and presenters via the dissection and analysis of current and relevant topics, case studies, examples and experiences. The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) participants attend monthly sessions held at host municipalities, be it metropolitan, peri-urban or

In 2013, can Local Government remain a vibrant and relevant tier of government?

By amassing a breadth of opinion from varying perspectives including politicians, representatives from the private sector, Councillors, Council ofcers such as CEOs, Directors and Executive Managers and perhaps most importantly, the community this report deals with the fundamental questions addressing the core existence of local government: Where has local government come from? Where is local government headed? As such, the ensuing Report aims to: Assess current trends and perceptions of the terms of both relevancy and vibrancy Challenge the current assumptions of the local government sector Prepare a blueprint for local government to become, or remain, relevant and vibrant.

The members of the 2013 Emerging Leaders Program hope that this Report is as thought provoking and challenging to the reader as it has been for the participants in partaking in this year-long journey. Whilst this Report is ultimately a thesis coordinated by local government professionals for a local government professional audience, it aims to provide the impetus and motivation to trigger a tremor in the bedrock foundation layer of the three-tiered Australian government system. Enjoy the Report. Kind regards, The LGPro Emerging Leaders Program, 2013

EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS (2013)

4
Paul Fitzgerald City of Banyule

Peter Harris Baw Baw Shire Council

Ellen Fisher Hobsons Bay City Council

Catherine Sherwin Whitehorse City Council

Jonathan McNally Nillumbik Shire Council

Ashley Saward Maroondah City Council

Kate Waters Maribyrnong City Council

Nicole Richards Bayside City Council

Munir Vahanvati Moreland City Council

Brooke Watson Hume City Council

James Stirton Maribyrnong City Council

Guy Masters Yarra Ranges Shire Council Brent Heitbaum Gannawarra Shire Council

Emma Bruce City of Greater Dandenong

Kate Xiao Macedon Ranges Shire Council

Luke McGrath Latrobe City Council

Chris Westwood Indigo Shire Council Kim White Warrnambool City Council

Amanda Roche Knox City Council

Pat Dunne Bayside City Council

Dane Carruthers City of Whittlesea Steven Welsh Corangamite Shire Council

1
LOCAL GOVERNMENT BACKGROUND

1. LOCAL GOVERNMENT BACKGROUND

WHO IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
Regardless of state, region, locality or suburb, community, with regularly visible elected representatives who understand the issues and angst that perturb the local grocer, sports coach or crossing supervisor. Moreover, the ability to stand for Council is realistic and achievable by the majority of community members as opposed to entry in to State and Federal politics. The local government workforce is a steadying inuence on national employment markets and is of particular importance to rural and regional Australia. Local Governments aim to serve their communities in the planning for their future and overcoming challenges and inuences from external and As the name implies, Local Government is responsible for the governing of a local jurisdiction by elected representatives chosen by the local people of that area. Its principles afford a level of self-determination to its specic community and face issues ranging from the traditional services of roads, rates and rubbish; to more recently developed branches such as the promotion of culture and community support services. Fundamentally, local government is the most accessible tier of government to the local internal bodies through advocacy and strategic actions to position communities appropriately. Through key roles in advocacy and the administration of legislative responsibilities, Local Governments play an imperative role in representing their constituency to other levels of government, government agencies, emergency services, utilities providers and the private sector. So to whom is Local Government important? We believe the answer is everyone; at different times, in different ways, to different people.

local government plays a quintessential role in the lives of all Australians. Through a life-cycle of involvement, from childhood immunizations through to aged home care and a myriad of services in between we are impacted every day by the services, policies, strategies and plans that local governments produce, adopt and implement. From the footpaths we walk on, to the collection of our household waste, to the parklands we recreate in, the quality of the immediate local government environment where we live impacts greatly on the quality of our lives.

THE WHAT AND THE WHEN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Relationship with State and Federal Government
Local Government authorities are created by their respective State Governments and as such cannot govern in a way that contravenes those laws of the State or nation. Economically, local government has limited nancial independence. As a sector, the ability to generate appropriate revenue is outweighed by the amount needed to be spent on essential services and asset renewal. As a result, budgets are constantly requiring supplementary funding from State and Federal Governments. The turn of the millennia signalled a marked increase of dissatisfaction within the local government sector about the role of the State Governments and their ability to override and dismiss the rulings and recommendations made by local Councils. During the 1970s, an increase in Commonwealth funding to local government organisations led to more ambitious project management outcomes from local Councils and included the construction of new community facilities such as art galleries, performance centres, youth programs and social welfare services.

History
The Victorian Local Government Act (1989) The rst Local Government in Australia was established in 1840 in Adelaide, South Australia. In the second half of the 19th Century, the establishment of local governments owed on from the formation of the self-governing States. At Federation in 1901 the general consensus amongst the nations leaders was that local government organisations should not be funded by Federal Government and thus wasnt to be recognised as an ofcial third tier of the Australian Government system. To this day, Local Government is not recognized in the Australian Constitution. In the years after Federation, the primary focus for local government was on domestic responsibilities such as the building and maintenance of local infrastructure including civic facilities, roadways, parks and gardens together with rubbish collection. After the Second World War, expectations from the community rose regarding what services should be offered by their local governments. In response, local government organisations became more involved in community and wellbeing services such as libraries, public swimming pools, child care facilities and focusing upon delivering a better quality of life for its constituents that had largely not been considered prior. The present day local government framework in Victoria is a result of a vast reforms and restructuring led by then State Premier Jeff Kennett from 1994. These reforms dissolved 210 local councils and sacked 1,600 elected councillors. In all, 78 new super councils were created through these amalgamations; in suburban Melbourne, 53 municipalities were reduced to 26. These new Local Government Associations were headed by State Government-appointed commissioners. Democratically elected local government representatives did not return to the Council chamber until 1996. eliminated administrative distinctions between cities and shires, introduced the category of rural city and removed the possibility of declaring any further boroughs or towns (existing boroughs and towns were retained, although only one remains today).

As Victorian local government stands today

In 2013, Victoria is governed by 620 democratically elected councillors. Victorian local government organisations employ 42,500 people and operate an annual revenue of $6.6 billion. Victorian local government is responsible for $60 billion in

community infrastructure and assets and spend $7.6 billion on capital works and recurrent services each year. Victoria has 79 municipalities: 31 metropolitan (including eight Interface councils) 48 rural and regional (including 10 regional cities) Populations range from 3200 to more than 253 000 Land area varies from 8 sq km to 22 000 sq km Each also varies in rate base, needs, infrastructure and resources Each municipality manages signicantly different budgets: Rural council budgets average $48 million (smallest is approx $8 million) Metropolitan council budgets average $152 million (largest is approx $360 million) This is evidence of the enormous service delivery that Victorian local governments face. For instance, each year local government in Victoria: Manage and service 129,735 kilometres of roads (approximately 85 per cent of Victorias total road network) Provides 614,400 maternal and child health consultations

Delivers 306,600 immunisations to preschool and secondary school children Delivers 3.8 million meals a year to home care recipients Provides 4 million hours of home assistance, property maintenance, personal and respite care Spends over $50 million on public street lighting Loans 52 million items from 316 public and mobile libraries to 2.5 million registered users Provides internet access for more than 3.4 million bookings Decides over 51,100 planning permit applications Maintains more than 1,000 grassed sports surfaces Collects 1.9 million tonnes of kerbside garbage Collects 608,000 tonnes of recyclable materials Collects 270,000 tonnes of organic waste Conducts 19,400 visits and interactions with tobacco retailers, eating establishments, licensed premises Registers more than 49,000 xed and mobile food businesses

10

CORE DELIVERABLES - RELEVANCY OR VIBRANCY?

As briey mentioned previously, the premise of this Report is that the involvement of local government upon the lives of its constituents is as diverse as the communities that it represents. Direct contact with Council may at times be eeting, ephemeral or intangible, whilst other times and during different life stages the direct contact with the essential community services offered can make the difference in obtaining a desirable quality of life. Local government has progressed much further since its inception and has vastly exceeded its scope of delivering the three Rs; roads, rates and rubbish. Whilst inarguably crucial to the wellbeing of citizens, local government is critical to the vibrancy, productivity and success of our communities. As the foundation layer of the Australian three-tiered governmental model, local governments work most closely and directly with their communities, providing vital services and infrastructure. Local government is responsible for implementing many diverse programs, policies and regulations set by the State and Federal Government. In continuing to implement sustainable, relevant, and efcient services, local government must continue to form relevant partnerships and work in collaboration with all tiers of government. As mentioned, the services offered by local government are virtually immeasurable and can vary from council to council, region to region and state to state. Core deliverables for local governments often include departments such as property, economic development and prosperity, and services attributing to human, recreational and cultural development. Local governments also enforce State and local laws which regularly encompass land use planning, environment protection, and enforcement and infringements of adverse public health, trafc, parking and animal management. Within the vast services provided by local government, innovation is continually displayed as strategies and programs are implemented to improve our communities. The following summary provides an insight into the many and varied responsibilities endowed upon local governments encompassing departments of: Planning and Building Services Community Libraries Parks and Open Space Transport and Infrastructure Services Aged and Disability Services Youth Services Children and Families Indigenous and Multicultural Recognition Local Laws Governance Local Government Finance Emergency Management Environmental Services Art & Cultural Development Community Development

11

Planning and Building Services

Local governments are responsible for planning decisions which impact upon the communities and character of the local area. Councils ensure to take a long-term, strategic view to ensure ongoing improvement in the quality of integrated land use planning and building across many disciplines including transport, infrastructure, social, economic, heritage and environment. In many examples, local governments must work in collaboration with the state government to address issues and implement strategies for a sustainable future

Community Libraries
Local government is responsible for public library services offering access to communication, education, online information, leisure and learning opportunities for residents within the community and provide a safe, friendly and welcoming atmosphere to do so.

Parks and Open Space

Local government is responsible for the development, improvement, renewal and maintenance of all local parks, playgrounds, sporting reserves, and quality of the public realm and green infrastructure. The emphasis in providing these spaces to recreate is via a lens of

12

accessibility for all residents, regardless of their requirements.

Transport & infrastructure Services

Local government advocates to State and Federal Government to address the public transport needs that affect local communities. Factors impacting relevant council policies include climate change, trafc congestion, oil prices, social inclusion and the growing of a densely ageing population. State wide, Victorian local government is responsible for the management of 85 per cent of the states road network. In addition, local governments must include the provision and maintenance of safe and connected extensive footpath, cycle and shared path networks to contribute to the wellbeing of communities.

Aged and Disability Services

Often delivered in partnership with State and/ or Federal Government, local governments offer extensive social and community services. Local government is recognized as being one of the largest providers of Home and Community Care (HACC) services. HACC Services help to support frail older people, people with a disability and their carers. The service supports people to remain living at home, connected with the community, optimise independence and improve quality of life. Services are individualised, promoting healthy and active lifestyles. The various services offered include home care, personal care, respite care, property maintenance, planned activity groups (PAGs), delivered meals, assessment and care management. Council also provides a community transport service. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, local government is legislated to enable access to all services, facilities and programs within the community.

Youth Services
Local government provides services and programs for youth within the community in order to assist and support individual development. These varied services reach out to younger communities and offer a safe meeting place for an often neglected community. Councils hold various youth-based events which target various ages and backgrounds. Accompanying such events, these services include the offering of counseling services, drug and alcohol services, skate parks, youth-oriented festivals, neighborhood houses, sporting programs and youth-based advisory committees.

13

Children and Families

Local government plays a signicant role in optimising the health and wellbeing of families and their children. Local councils build and maintain physical and community infrastructure to facilitate activities and services for this demographic. Councils invest heavily in these community activities to increase social connections and create learning opportunities for children and their parents. Health services, day care facilities and playgroups are primary services aimed to support parents and maintain the wellbeing of young children. Included in this process is offering maternal and child health services which comprise of teams consisting of registered nurses with specialised skills in child health and development. This service commences from birth, with ongoing support during the childs development.

Indigenous and Multicultural Recognition

Local government plays a key role in ensuring diverse equality, recognition, respect and inclusiveness across all facets of its community. Creating environments of acceptance and providing education surrounding different cultural requirements is essential in maintaining a harmonious community atmosphere. By developing partnerships with cultural interest groups and councils, local government can not only promote greater inclusiveness among its

community, but can ensure that this diversity enables the community to prosper and provide an element of cultural richness and indeed, vibrancy.

Local Laws
Local governments employ a force of ofcers to implement local by-laws to ensure the safety,

14

protection and harmony of the local community. Local Law departments within local government are responsible for addressing many aspects of community safety, peace and order issues. Such issues include parking permits, breaches and infringements, noise pollution, re hazards, environmental health concerns, street trading regulations, cleanliness, public amenity breaches and effective, responsible animal management to name only a few.

Governance
Effective, genuine and transparent governance protocol is vital in the ongoing administration of all government organisations. Developing and maintaining relationships both internally and externally at all levels of government is paramount in running an effective and democratic government organisation. Council Governance departments provide advice to both Council as an organistation and also to Councillors pertaining to procedural matters, and offer advice and guidance surrounding various internal and external governance issues.

Local Government Finance

Local governments continually value all municipal and private assets and collect rates accordingly. This rate base contributes to the construction and renewal of physical community-owned assets and enables the provision of essential community services, some of which are listed above. Finance departments liaise with Council and executives to responsibly and transparently formulate budgets to ensure a fair and equitable spread of community reserves across the municipality in order to provide a better community in service provision and amenity.

Emergency Management
Local government have crucial responsibilities relating to Victorias emergency management arrangements. Councils are required to work with a number of government agencies including police, re authorities, ambulance services and the SES to ensure a well-managed response to emergency situations and, in turn, safer outcomes for communities. Moreover, councils are the lead agency for relief and recovery within their community.

15

Environmental Services
Council has a signicant role and responsibility to promote and ensure an environmentally sustainable living approach. Many greenhouse reduction programs are coordinated to inform and educate the community on more efcient living methods that will better contribute to the health of the environment. From a physical perspective, local councils will respond to domestic waste management, kerbside recycling, green waste collection and the management of transfer stations and landll sites.

Active and Healthy Lifestyles

Councils work in partnership with relevant bodies to develop and implement strategies to promote healthy and active lifestyles, including physical activity and healthy eating. Councils have responsibility for recreation facilities, including sporting reserves, parks, swimming pools, leisure centres and other community facilities which provide opportunities for leisure and socialisation. Facilities are accessible for all ages and abilities. Programs and activities focus on promoting active and healthy lifestyles.

Arts and Culture

Councils play an active role in supporting community arts and cultural activities which contribute to the vitality and vibrancy of communities.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDIES

As clearly demonstrated above, the services that local governments provide are as diverse as the communities they represent. To add more texture to the above description, the following case studies have been prepared to more accurately provide an insight into the work that local government do in their respective community, and in particular, with reference to the topics in point of relevancy and vibrancy. A recognisable early literacy mascot Bookaburra was created Four Community Early Literacy Festivals were held in disadvantaged areas involving hundreds of children in literacy activities A Story Train event was co-ordinated with the library service to take place on Pufng Billy which attracted hundreds of families Free book exchanges boxes built by local Mens Sheds and used for the community to swap books (or just keep them) Children from a number of pre-schools This initiative commenced in 2011 as a result of funding from the Department for Early Education and Childhood Development to Yarra Ranges Shire Council to improve literacy among its residents. The project ended in 2013 but not before a number of elements of the Project had been mainstreamed. A project group was established which chose to target a number of areas with identied poor language competency among children entering primary school. Through consultation with partners and the community a range of initiatives were developed and delivered including the following: Development of trained volunteer storytime readers to support playgroups and other locations with evidence based literacy approaches worked with a childrens author to write and design their own book about their community, one of which also incorporated a local walking trail Targeting of new mobile exi-van library service at primary schools and play groups to facilitate greater access to books Vulnerability on the Language Domain was reduced by 80% and 53% in the two areas where the greatest activity occurred A further outcome is that a making books approach has been taken to enable young children to be consulted as part of the development of a new Child & Youth Strategy, enabling over a hundred children to input into a new strategy.

16

Early Literacy Project, Yarra Ranges Shire Council

Without the input of Yarra Ranges Shire Council in this instance, there would have been no organisation with the capacity to co-ordinate, administrate and work with so many partners across so many projects when the principal other stakeholders were pre-schools, primary schools, neighbourhood houses and play groups. However, without State government funding, this project would not have been possible at this scale, highlighting how these two government tiers can be co-dependent.

Youth Services in June 2013 that recommended State-wide adoption of No Wrong Door approaches among youth agencies.

17

No Wrong Door Project, Yarra Ranges Shire Council

As a result of consultation with youth service providers and young people for Better Youth Services, the need was identied for a service improvement project to take place that would enable vulnerable young people to only have to tell their story once and be appropriately supported to access to the right service they so required. A bid to Youth Partnerships for funding was supported and has led to: The development of a range of tools and supporting documents for use by different youth organisations and schools, including an e-electronic screening tool A clear framework for how youth organisations/schools support each other to enable young people to get to the right location Direct engagement with all youth providers and school networks across three Local Council Areas Involvement of young people with the name and design of materials Signage for all participating youth organisations to display A website enabling services, young people and families to locate support These tools have subsequently been adopted by a number of agencies in the Outer East to replace their own intake processes. The Department for Early Education and Childhood Development have since revised the guidance for School Focused

WESTANDPROUD, GLBTIQ Archives Project, Hobsons Bay City Council, RMIT University
This innovative initiative was a joint venture by the library departments of Hobsons Bay City Council and nal year social work students from RMIT University, Melbourne. WESTANDPROUD aims to capture some of the history of the GLBTIQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex & Queer) communities in Hobsons Bay and throughout the western suburbs of Melbourne and will include historical stories and events that lead up to the present day. In recognising this cultural heritage, Hobsons Bay City Council aspire to expand the understanding of local history by incorporating the voices of GLBTIQ community who have often been historically excluded from traditional narratives. This project is about celebrating pride, visibility and diversity. Hobsons Bay City Council have been steadfast in collecting personal accounts and recollections of what it is like and has been like to be a member of the GLBTIQ community and live, work or study in Melbournes Western suburbs.

Stroke-A-Chord Choir, Maroondah City Council

The leadership of Councils Metropolitan Access Coordinator within Maroondah City Council together with the assistance of many nancial and in-kind support partners, have seen the establishment of the Stroke-A-Chord Choir.

18

The Stroke-A-Chord Choir is an initiative to bring together members of the Maroondah community whom live with aphasia and hence cannot speak, but admirably can still sing. Aphasia involves a loss or reduction of language following brain damage, typically as a result of a stroke or acquired brain injury. The condition can sadly detrimentally affect speech, reading and writing. As a result, many people who have the condition experience great loss, grief and depression associated with a reduction in their ability to communicate. The Stroke-A-Chord Choir provides a refuge space for these members of the community to participate in an activity that enables their talents to once again be heard. Whilst the healing power of song is a remedy in itself, the Choir provides immense support and encouragement for a portion of the community and a great network in dealing with the negative effects of aphasia.

stations and an EV for public hire. The Electric Vehicle Hub will have two standard charging stations and one fast charge station that will give users a full battery in 30 minutes. The project brings together the Victorian Government, Moreland City Council, ChargePoint, GoGet, Toyota and the local community and businesses to share information, promote discussion and foster industry development. The EV hub located at Moreland City Council ofces includes: Two standard EV chargers (one dedicated to the car share EV) One EV fast charger A plug-in Toyota Prius electric vehicle, supplied through GoGet car-sharing scheme, for staff use and public hire. Moreland has installed an additional standard charging station in Fawkner to supplement its public EV charging infrastructure. All of Morelands EV charge stations including the fast-charger and two regular charge stations will be available for the public to use free of charge for at least 12 months.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Fast Charge Hub, Moreland City Council

Moreland City Council in partnership with the state government has launched an Electric Vehicle Hub that includes one of Victorias rst fast-charging

19

Moreland residents will be provided with discounts and incentives to join GoGet and experience the EV, and Moreland City Council will take out a business membership to GoGet so council staff can use the car when its available for hire. This rst public fast charge station in Victoria is testament to the Councils commitment in addressing climate change.

enabled the Yarra community access to bulk-buy environmentally friendly and sustainable products and services, for example solar photovoltaic panels. This has resulted in making these products more accessible for the community by reducing purchase and installation prices whilst also providing more condence in the quality and performance of the product and service.

Sustainability Projects, Yarra City Council

Committed to improving the quality of the natural environment, Yarra City Council have been active in establishing ambitious, yet realistic, environmental targets for Council to achieve. A key target is to reduce greenhouse emissions in Yarra City to zero to be carbon neutral by the year 2020. Rather than merely a mission statement, Yarra City Council have established a range of activities to enable Council to achieve their goals. These have included initialising an external non-prot organisation, the Yarra Energy Foundation, to be nimble, attract external funding and community buy-in. The Yarra Energy Foundation has

U3A (University of the Third Age), Bayside City Council

As part of its Ageing Well in Bayside Strategy in 2008, Bayside City Council developed its rst U3A initiative. The intention of the U3A was to address increased community participation and lifelong learning to aid long-term health and wellbeing both being key indicators as part of the Strategy.

The closest U3A to the border of Bayside City Council was located in the municipality of Glen Eira and based on information provided to Bayside City Council, 60% of Glen Eira U3A members were residents of Bayside. The U3A aims to encourage older people to freely share their interests, knowledge and skills. In Victoria, there are currently 99 groups with more than 28,000 members. Embodying the principles of life-long education and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, U3As offer free or low cost courses delivered in sociable and relaxed settings. All those who teach and those who learn at the centre are all ofcial U3A members.

Champagne connoisseurs can enjoy the free French Champagne tasting in the Demonstration Marquee where the Champagne Dame, Kyla Kirkpatrick, offers tastings during her Champagne talk. Celebrity and local chefs offering cooking tips on the best ways to prepare calamari, quail, mussels and duck will join her. Bright n Sandy is a family friendly event inclusive of a childrens program that includes a performance by The Mudcakes, roving entertainment as well as providing cooking classes for children.

20

The Bright n Sandy Festival, Bayside City Council

An ofcial event of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, this Bayside City Council presented event featured demonstrations by a gathering of celebrity and local chefs including Allan Campion, Bob Hart, Adam DSylva and Paul Mercurio. Visitors are able to sample food and wine from more than 40 exhibitors while entertainment comes courtesy of The Go Set, Mark Andrew, Popcorn, Eamon & Dudi Project, King Louie & the Cheeky Monkeys and Anthony Young. Geoff Cox is the Master of Ceremonies.

Aquanation Leisure Facility, Maroondah City Council

Maroondah City Council has commenced construction of Aquanation at Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood, which is set to ofcially open in Spring of 2015. Aquanation will be a state of the art regional aquatic and leisure centre that will incorporate the State Diving Centre, with wet and dry training and competition facilities that will be the best in the country. The centre will incorporate a 66.5 metre 10 lane swimming and diving pool, warm water pool, a dedicated learn to swim pool, a large gym with three separate group tness rooms, dry diving training room, child care facilities and a cafe.

21

Once completed, Aquanation will be home to numerous sporting clubs and programs ranging form community groups to state and national level programs such as; Diving Victoria, Ringwood Diving Club, Ringwood Water Polo Club, and Ringwood Swimming Club. Swimming Australia will also establish a permanent residence at Aquanation. This facility is being developed and run by Maroondah City Council and has been funded in strong partnership with both the Australian and Victorian Governments.

participate in the Sing and Grow Program as well as to act as mentors and leaders for the younger current participants of the Boorais and Beyond program. Parents of the children who are at school or who attend Boorais and Beyond in Hume are facilitated to engage with each other and to participate in activities such as the cooking of a family meal part of which would be then used by each family for their evening meals. The participation of Elders through the Aboriginal Planned Activity Group, managed and conducted by Hume City Councils HACC Aboriginal Liaison Ofcer (HALO), in both food preparation activities and oral history and stories of the community builds community pride and knowledge within both the adults and children. Another feature of the program is that both Outreach Maternal Child Health and Hume City Council immunisation staff regularly attend the Boorais and Beyond sessions which adds another dimension to this strong community program.

Boorais and Beyond, Hume City Council

The Boorais and Beyond program is an initiative of Hume City Council for young babies and children under school age consisting of a playgroup and parent engagement program which aims to better equip young children for their transition into other early years services. The Boorais and Beyond Project is a rotational 4 weekly cycle program that works to enable a better progression for both families and children into the preschool and primary school system. This is done via a safe and secure manner. An example of the program is demonstrated by encouraging children attending Broadmeadows Valley Primary School to

Supporting Parents, Developing Children, Hume City Council

Hume City Council is assisting parents from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)

backgrounds to help prepare their young children for school. The Supporting Parents, Developing Children project was set up in 2011 to help parents gain a broader understanding of their childrens language, literacy and learning requirements and therefore, give them greater condence within their communities.

Better Block Brunswick, Moreland City Council

On 8 Dec 2013 Council organised Better Block Brunswick, community event for people to come and improve Wilson Avenue near Jewell Station in Brunswick. Hundreds to people supported the event by painting the Bunjil Nest on the road and dozens of people danced on the street. Along with all the fun, Better Block has a more serious purpose xing public safety and making a great place that people love. Better Block is directly linked to a proposal for a new public space, and other safety initiatives, in the wider Jewell precinct. The Jewell of Brunswick is a project to build a new public space on Wilson Avenue, between Sydney Road and Black Street, Brunswick. The primary aim of this project is to improve safety and public health in the precinct. This precinct is the no.1 crime hotspot in Moreland. Addressing safety problems in an integrated, collaborative manner is a high priority for Council and other partners. In addition, two other aims of this project are to stimulate public and private investment and improve local economic performance (business and jobs) in the Jewell precinct.

22

The project came out of an ideas symposium held by the Council in 2009, which brought together council staff and more than 40 agencies, service providers and not-for-prot organisations. Over 30 proposals from that symposium were synthesised into four main programs and funded through a range of partners under the umbrella of the Supporting Parents, Developing Children project. These four programs include: Mother and Child English Language Program An English language class for mothers, with a focus on early childhood development, it also provides opportunities for staff to link families to other local services. Bilingual Storytime Held in libraries, preschools and playgroups, Bilingual Story-time invites children and parents to learn bilingual songs and stories together. Playgroup Enhancement Program Facilitated playgroups run by trained bilingual playgroup leaders from CALD backgrounds, the program also aims to support parents establish new connections within the community. Supporting Early Years Hubs Each of the eleven community hubs across Hume City Council has a primary school as its base, where a number of service agencies collaborate to provide links to services, information and support for CALD families. The Supporting Early Years Hubs have been so successful that the Prime Minister has announced funding to establish an additional 100 community hubs nationally to support migrant families. As a footnote, The Supporting Parents, Developing Children program recently won the Strength in Diversity category of the National Awards for Local Government.

23

Summary
From the information, statistics and case studies demonstrated above, it is undeniable that local government plays a pivotal role in different areas of the community at varying stages of their lives. From parent and infant programs, through to providing better transitions and pathways through education, to youth services, adult education, literacy programs, self-help initiatives and aged care programs, the only consistent thread that entwines through a multitude of complex services is that everything local government strives to achieve is for the ultimate betterment of the communities they serve.

In essence, and to refer to an earlier remark, local government serves at different times, in different ways and to different people. The premise of this Report is that local government is indeed a relevant and vibrant tier of government. In fact, more than relevancy and vibrancy, it is the premise that local government is an essential tier of government in Australia. Whilst this is the premise of this Report, to fully understand the relevancy and vibrancy of local government, it is imperative to understand external perceptions of this governmental sector.

24

25

2
PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNITY

2. PERCEPTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY

WHERE IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT NOW? WHERE IS IT HEADED?
Like all governments, and to coin a phrase, local The proportion of residents who believe their Council is heading in the right direction has risen 2 points to 69% since 2012, with those who believe it is headed in the wrong direction down 3 points to 20%. The rate rises versus service cuts results indicate that ratepayers expect most Councils to live within their current means, with those preferring to incur a rate rise in exchange for better service delivery falling further from 40% in 2012 to 36% in 2013. In 2013 in response to the core performance measure question of, On balance, for the last twelve months, how do you feel about the performance of your Council, not just on one or two issues, but overall across all responsibility areas?, Victorian Councils State-wide recorded an Overall Performance Index Score of 60, which was the same as 2012. On other core performance measures the Statewide Index Scores were as follows: 57 for Community Consultation and Engagement unchanged from 2012 55 for Advocacy unchanged from 2012 government is a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Or perhaps, a more apt description could read of the community, by the community and for the community. Whilst local governments are put in place to administer issues and policy on behalf of the communities they serve, the success of that service can be attested by the perceptions of the respective community themselves. With respect to both relevancy and vibrancy, it can be problematic to determine precise quantiable measures to determine local governments success in these criteria. Whilst not perfect, the annual state-wide Local Government Services Survey conducted by the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure (DTPLI) can provide a snap-shot of the performance of local government as perceived by the community. Whilst this survey doesnt specically measure levels of relevancy and vibrancy, it is possible to draw conclusions relating to these matters by extrapolating and interrogating data from related elds.

26

LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES SURVEY 2013

Interesting trends begin to emerge from assessing the data obtained from the Local Government Services Survey. The following information begins to convey this. Despite 92% of Victorian Council residents stating there is room for improvement for their Council (this result is unchanged from 2012), the right / wrong direction results indicate that the improvements required should be moderate rather than substantial in nature and that most Councils have their macro settings set appropriately.

71 for Customer Service unchanged from 2012 53 for Overall Council Direction up 1 point since 2012 Community Consultation and Engagement This service area appears to be consistently underperforming relative to perceived importance, the Inner Metropolitan group maintained its 2012 result (58), but the Outer Melbourne Metropolitan groups rating fell by 1 point (to 57) while the Small Rural Shires groups rating improved by 1 point (to 58). This sees Small Rural Shires and the Inner Melbourne Metropolitan groups perform the

highest, and signicantly above the State-wide average for this measure. Despite an increase of 1 point relative to 2012, Large Rural Shires (55) performed the lowest of the Council groups and signicantly below average. The Outer Melbourne Metropolitan and Regional Centres groups rated the same as the State-wide average (57). The greatest change among key age and gender groups since 2012 is a 2 point increase among men aged 18-49. Advocacy Small Rural Shires, Regional Centres, Outer Metropolitan and Inner Metropolitan groups, all at 56, rated their Councils efforts signicantly above the State-wide Index Score of 55. Large Rural Shires, at 53, performed lowest and signicantly below the State-wide average for their advocacy efforts. The only changes in 2013 relative to 2012 were 1 point decreases among 18-34 year olds, women aged 18-49 and the Inner Melbourne Metropolitan group, and a 1 point increase for Regional Centres. Customer Service Across all Victorian Councils, 60% of residents have had contact with their Council in the last 12 months, down 1 point relative to 2012. In terms of Customer Service ratings, Regional Centres improved 1 point relative to 2012, putting them

alongside Inner Melbourne Metropolitan Councils (both at 73); this is signicantly higher than the State-wide average of 71. Despite Large Rural Shires improving their performance by 1 point relative to 2012 they remain rated lowest (at 69) and with Small Rural Shires (at 70), signicantly below the State-wide average. Residents aged 65+ (74) and women aged 50+ (73) tend to rate Customer Service the highest, while men aged 1849 (69) rate it lowest Council Direction Council Direction over the last 12 months relative to 2012 has improved among all Council groups and age and gender groups. The greatest improvement is a 3 point increase among women aged 50+ and a 3 point increase in the Large Rural Shires group. Despite this, however, the Large Rural Shires group rated the lowest of the Council groupings at 51, signicantly below the State-wide average. The Small Rural Shires group, which also improved by 2 points relative to 2012, also rated signicantly below average at 52. The Outer Melbourne Metropolitan (56) and Inner Melbourne Metropolitan groups (55) rated the highest and signicantly higher than the State-wide average. Regional centres rated slightly above average at 54. Overall, residents aged 65+ (23%) and 18-34 (22%) were most likely to believe the direction of Council has improved.

27

Areas of Concern Areas of potential concern across Victorian Councils as a whole are where there is a 10 point+ net negative differential between performance and importance. Such areas include: Maintenance of unsealed roads: performance 44, importance 81 = net differential -37 points

importance 79 = net differential -10 points (up 1 point from -11 in 2012) Emergency and disaster management: performance 70, importance 80 = net differential -10 points (same as 2012)

28

(down 3 points from -34 in 2012) Planning for population growth: performance 54, importance 75 = net differential -21 points (up 2 points from -23 in 2012) The condition of local streets and footpaths: performance 58, importance 78 = net differential -20 points (same as 2012) Councils general town planning policy: performance 55, importance 73 = net differential -18 points (same as 2012) Roadside slashing and weed control: performance 56, importance 74 = net differential -18 points (down 8 points from -10 in 2012) Consultation and engagement: performance 57, importance 73 = net differential -16 points (same as 2012) Planning and building permits: performance 55, importance 71 = net differential -16 points (up 1 point from -17 in 2012) Lobbying on behalf of the community: performance 55, importance 70 = net differential -15 points (same as 2012) Informing the community: performance 61, importance 75 = net differential -14 points (up 1 point from -15 in 2012) Parking facilities: performance 57, importance 71 = net differential -14 points (up 1 point from -15 in 2012) Trafc management: performance 60, importance 72 = net differential -12 points (up 3 points from -15 in 2012) Disadvantaged support services: performance 62, importance 73 = net differential -11 points (down 1 point from -10 in 2012) Elderly support services: performance 69,

So what are the aspirations of the community towards local government?

This Report has already made reference to the annual DTPLI led Customer Satisfaction Survey of many Victorian Local Governments. It has been noted that the results from this survey indicate that a majority of the respondents are generally satised with the overall direction of local governments and a signicant majority note they experience good customer service. This is an interesting nding to consider as local government (along with all other tiers of government) is often the subject of much criticism. This is often highlighted within varying forms of media and routinely characterised as a call for local government to focus on the effective delivery of core services summarised by the alliteration of roads, rates and rubbish. This common media portrayal suggests that, at least for some, local governments potential relevancy and vibrancy is limited to these areas. In short, the vision of local government should be limited, narrowly focussed, and not deviate from basic core infrastructure and amenity services. From this perspective, relevancy and vibrancy equates to doing little very well, and limiting of the cry for innovation In considering the conundrum that this Report addresses, the 2013 Emerging Leaders identied a signicant difference in these two accounts. However, rather than simply embrace the quantied DTPLI ndings in defence of the local government sector as a relevant and vibrant tier of government, additional and independent research was conducted to directly explore the extent to which the community consider the vision and role of local government as vibrant and relevant.

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION ENGAGEMENT

Targeted consultation was conducted to explore how might Local Governments evolve to remain relevant and vibrant to communities? The 2013 Emerging Leaders commissioned Policy Booth, an independent consultation consultancy, to initiate an engagement program to inform this debate. On Sunday 27 October, 2013, members of the 2013 Emerging Leaders conducted a comprehensive community engagement session in conjunction with Policy Booth at the Queen Victoria Market to determine a pulse check of whether local governments were perceived to be relevant and vibrant. The summary of this engagement

program can be found below. (A full report of the consultation data can be found at Appendix 1). In total, 168 people took part in this community consultation event, providing insight into the perceived vibrancy of their local municipality and the relevance of their local Council in leading this vibrancy. Whilst admittedly this sample size is not large enough to technically justify statistically signicant conclusions, we believe the sample to be of a reasonable size to meaningfully inform this debate for the purposes of this report. Of the 168 participants, 164 members were Victorian residents. 26 of the Victorian respondents were from regional areas and 138 from metropolitan Melbourne.

29

Findings
How meaningful is the relationship between Local Government and community members? A key nding was that 85% of the sample nominated that they had engaged with their local government, with a quarter indicating that they regularly engage with their local Council. This high

with local government to put forward an idea. This suggests a minority of the community might be considered to be actively seeking to be part of solutions, and have a greater relationship with local government than that of service-user. The Vibrancy of Local Government In order to determine public views surrounding vibrancy, respondents were asked to initially think about the vibrancy of where they live. Only a small minority (10%) considered their areas of residence as boring or uninspiring, while a slight majority considered their areas neither vibrant nor non-vibrant but did rate them as family friendly (43.5%), safe (36.9%) and diverse (56.5%). A signicant number of respondents considered to view where they live to be vibrant choosing either active (31%), creative (16%), up-and-coming (18.5%), or thriving (23.2%). Overall, 60% of respondents considered their area to have a high degree of vibrancy, recognising that individual interpretation of vibrancy will be very different and subjective. The following quote succinctly explores the different interpretations that can be given to the vibrancy of an area:

30

frequency immediately indicates the relevancy of local government for the majority of the community. Furthermore, when asked to further explain what the reasons may be that they would engage with their local government, a signicant nding indicated that only 3.6% of respondents would elect not to engage with their local government, further reinforcing the very high degree of existing relevancy. The top three reasons participants would engage with local government were: To receive information (66%) To access services (57%) Highlight or report a problem (55%) Of note, 20% of all participants said they would engage with local government to offer a solution to a problem and 27% said that they would engage

I live in a suburb that many would describe as vibrant because it is close to the city, close to major sporting venues and many cafes. However, increasingly it is noisy, overwhelmed with trac and increasingly anonymous as the population increases with lack of infrastructure so that the features of community are being lost in an area where a lack of public parks, diculty in parking, overwhelming drive through trac is making it increasing challenging to raise families in a safe/ healthy place. Anonymous, consultation session, Queen Victoria Market

Table 1 below summarises the aspects of an area that respondents considered made it vibrant. Whilst opportunities for social interaction and participation through enjoying food, public space and family friendly spaces are the main 3 characteristics that create a sense of vibrancy, a signicant minority derive this sense from community, heritage, sports and live music. Table 1: Respondents views as to what makes an area vibrant What makes an area vibrant? Restaurants and Cafs Parks and Public Spaces Family Friendly Spaces and Activities Local Businesses Community Groups and Events The History of the Area Live Music and Performance Affordable Housing The Night Life Galleries and Art Spaces The Local Government

Conversely, a range of qualitative comments highlighted issues that detract from the vibrancy of an area. For metropolitan Councils, such comment surrounded issues that included safety at night, bicycle lane coverage and parking issues. The respondents from rural areas indicated areas of concern involving bush clean ups, the requirement for additional street cleaning, and allowing legal burn off days as contributing to making a difference. What this data indicates is that again perhaps unsurprisingly what makes a community vibrant, and what would enhance this, are initiatives that enable communities and individuals to thrive, rather than survive. Therefore, perhaps vibrancy can be interpreted as being about investigating how a community can value-add, or in more evocative words, give somewhere its heart and soul. For example what may be noteworthy by their absence are any clear calls for initiatives prioritising economic or social rejuvenation. Admittedly, this perception may be created by the demographic captured by this survey, perhaps with the views of those Victorians faring less well being absent. These results are not unsurprising in that the diversity of the responses reect the diverse nature of communities and living in modern-day Victoria. However, one nding of particular and potentially surprising interest to this study is that 90% of respondents considered it to be the role of local government to activate these initiatives.

31

%
57.7% 48.8% 35.7% 28.6% 19.6% 16.7% 15.5% 13.7% 11.9% 6.5% 1.8%

Sports Facilities and Places to Exercise 20.2%

By contrast the top three additions that would increase vibrancy were: markets and pop up stalls (44.6%), events and festivals (36.3%), and free wi (31%) suggesting the desire for stimulation through different experiences. Table 2: What would increase vibrancy in areas? What would increase vibrancy? Markets and pop up stalls Events and festivals Free wi Programs for young people Restaurants, cafes and bars Community centres and facilities Family friendly spaces and activities Parks and public spaces Galleries and art spaces Sports facilities and places to exercise Programs to help adults learn and connect We dont need anything 7.7%

%
44.6% 36.3% 31.0% 29.2% 25.6% 18.5% 16.7% 15.5% 14.9% 14.3% 13.7% This nding signicantly contradicts the popular portrayal that the local government focus should be conned to roads, rates and rubbish, but goes much further and endorses local government in taking an active leadership role in all aspects of place-making. This has been highlighted with particular attention given to economic development, health and well-being initiatives, enhancing sports & recreation pursuits and the arts and also promoting cultural development. Collected qualitative comments clearly endorsed that a community partnership approach be taken to achieve this activation:


32

Local Government should be [a] partner and facilitator for local communities. My community has a particular look and feel because of the people who live here, not because Local Government makes it so. Anonymous, consultation session, Queen Victoria Market
In acknowledging a general consensus of appreciation of the efforts of local governments in the arenas of relevancy and vibrancy, there was also a clear qualitative theme emerging that there was at least a perception that local government could do more to support, help and aid local business and enterprise.

Respondents believed that local government had a positive track-record with relation to activating vibrancy. Only 20% suggested that they did not believe their local government had led in this area, 70% rated theyve done good things and theyve done quite a lot. These results broadly echo the DTPLI survey responses that a majority of the community are satised with the performance and services offered by local government.

Whilst I dont think it should be a sole responsibility of council, councils can certainly proactively work with business to support and facilitate business and private enterprise. Anonymous, consultation session, Queen Victoria Market
be more relevant if they held better community consultations (39.3%), or by engaging more with community groups (34.5%). The breadth of qualitative responses to this question neatly identies the main challenge for local government. A clear conclusive question is raised of how, or should, local government prioritise the sheer potential range of demands and priorities that it could seek to inuence or drive? Areas such as economic growth, social media, community engagement, service provision and infrastructure were all mentioned as areas that make local government more relevant to the communities they serve.

The Relevance of Local Government As part of the consultation program, respondents were invited to comment on their thoughts of what would make local government more relevant in their community. The results from these question indicated a strong sense that local government needed to continue to upgrade facilities (48.8%), while around 40% recommended better promotion of services, transparency and improving services as ways of becoming more relevant. 41.7% recommended engaging more with young people. There was also a clear theme that communities wish to be engaged with better, or more often. 1 in 3 respondents said that local government could

The relevance of local government is perhaps summarised by one respondents observation.

(Local government has the advantage of having) the ability to provide very targeted services and meeting community needs. As a nation we would be greatly enhanced if we were signicantly more coordinated and engaged. Anonymous, consultation session, Queen Victoria Market
relevant and vibrant tier of government is to ensure it is being relevant to the communities it represents and therefore, seeking to deliver vibrancy for them. Relevancy equates to vibrancy. To deliver this successfully, authentic community engagement is essential. What this implies is that to be relevant and vibrant, local government must ensure that it, above all else, understands the needs and aspirations of the community that it represents and, we would recommend has a clear framework for identifying priorities to be resourced. Local government must resist the calls to reduce its focus to the delivery of what may be seen as the critical core services, as it is broader understanding of, and involvement in, local community needs that not only differentiates local government from the other two tiers of government, but ensures its vibrancy and relevancy.

33

Assessment of community perceptions of local government relevancy and vibrancy It is evident from this consultation and engagement program that community members consider vibrancy to mean many quite different things. Nonetheless, there is a consistent view that a majority of people wish to experience vibrancy in their community, and moreover, expect local government to play a pivotal role in delivering this. Conversely, there is scant, though admittedly some, evidence that community members believe in a small local government remit conned to the delivery of a minor number of essential core services. Rather, communities expect their local government to be playing a leadership role in inuencing the social, built, natural and economic environments in which individuals and communities live. In fact, it is possible to conclude that the methods through which local government can remain a

34

35

3
PERCEPTIONS OF STAKEHOLDERS

3. PERCEPTIONS OF STAKEHOLDERS
WHERE IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT NOW? WHERE IS IT HEADED?
36
As mentioned previously, there is unanimous support that local government exists for the communities they serve. Just as demographics can be diverse within a community that relates to any given local government, so too can the stakeholders that engage, work with, run and contest local government organisations. To fully appreciate the effect local governments have with relation to relevancy and vibrancy, a 360 degree appreciation of the services provided by councils needs to be assessed. To understand and examine these relationships, the 2013 Emerging Leaders again teamed with Policy Booth to assist in the preparation of survey questions and the compilation of the associated results. The following is an account of ndings that have been extrapolated from individual interviews held with signicant stakeholders pertaining to the governance of local councils. As part of process, and of note, is that the survey comprised: 82 respondents from across the local government and business sector Questions were answered from a survey designed by Policy Booth. Each respondent answered the same questions The survey was distributed by members of the 2013 Emerging Leaders Program, who conducted site visits, interviews and mail outs to gather the information The survey was answered by Members of Parliament, Councillors, Chief Executive Ofcers, General Managers and Directors, Managers, Local Government employees as well as business members from within the private sector Relevant stakeholders were specically targeted with a variety of questions as follows: How important is it for Local Government to make their municipalities more vibrant? What features make an area vibrant? How can Local Governments stay relevant to their communities in the future? Keep doing Stop doing Start doing Where do you see Local Government in 10 years time? For a full breakdown and analysis of the makeup of the stakeholder respondent demographic, please refer to Appendix 1. This report provides a summary of the ndings of the survey in response to two main questions: How important is it for local government to make their municipalities more vibrant? Where do you see local government in 10 years time? Eight broad themes have been identied as components of answers to the questions above: Administration & Finance Service Delivery Infrastructure & Planning Technology & Innovation Consultation and Community Engagement Advocacy & Social Justice Economic Development; and Human Resources

How important is relevancy and vibrancy for local government organisations to be providing?
The survey revealed that 95.3% of respondents stated that vibrancy is either a priority or needs to be addressed for Local Government. Only 3.6% of respondents stated that vibrancy should not be a priority, with 1.2% of respondents sitting on the fence. A summary of the comments received make it very clear that vibrancy is critical from a community perspective and that it is the role of local government to make it happen, which echoes the sentiments from the previous chapter. However, there will be different expectations of what vibrancy actually means or potentially looks like depending on the community expectations.

What makes an area vibrant?

The survey circulated to participants sought to gauge feedback on the features of an area that they consider make it a vibrant location or community. Of the features listed on the survey, the top three features selected by participants were: Local businesses (75.6%) Restaurants and caf (74.4%) Community groups and events (73.2%) At the other end of the scale, and of less relevance to the vibrancy of an area in the view of respondents is: Nightlife (35.4%) Affordable housing (35.4%) Local government (41.5%)

37

What makes an area vibrant Number of responses 62

61

60

58

57

57

49

41

39

34

29

29

Family friendly spaces and activities

Sports facilities and places to exercise

Community groups and events

Further investigation of the results indicate that, in the view of surveyed respondents, it is features that provide for a community benet, and features that bring a community together that are of the greatest importance to making an area vibrant. Furthermore, it can be assumed that these features should include restaurants and cafes, community groups and events, parks and public

spaces and family friendly spaces and activities. Further, it is the provision of good, well designed public spaces that feature most strongly, and a supporting community use of these spaces, that has the greatest impact on the vibrancy of a given area.

Affordable housing

Parks and Openn space

The history of the area

Local businesses

Restaurants and Cafes

Galleries and art spaces

Live music and performances

The night life

The local government

How can local governments stay vibrant to their communities?

focused avoiding nancial wastage that comes with trying to be all things to all persons. The strong view of all respondents with regards

What should they keep doing? What should they stop doing? What should they start doing?

administration and nance is that local government needs to become much more sustainable in both administering and nancing its services. This includes being stronger in avoiding cost shifting from state and federal government and having a much stronger vision when it comes to planning for the future. Service Delivery The general view of most respondents was that local government is good at service delivery and should retain a focus on providing the core services required of its constituents. There was also a feeling that local governments need to support each other to attract people to the industry. A very clear pattern from the responses is that local government needs to stop trying to be everything to everyone, and should retreat from the provision of non-core services, particularly when those services impact on its ability provide other essential services. Similarly, local government must review the services it provides, and should not accept that it continues to do things simply because that is they way they have always been done. There was comment that local government has

38
Stakeholder participants were asked to provide feedback as to what local government should do in order to remain relevant to their communities. Given the broad range of professions represented by the respondents, the feedback from the survey was highly varied, however can be categorised into the following key headings; Administration and Finance Service Delivery Infrastructure and Planning Technology and Innovation Consultation and Community Engagement Advocacy and Social Justice Economic Development Human Resources Respondents were asked to list items that local government should keep doing, start doing and stop doing. The following pages investigate the responses collated with regards to the eight categories listed above. Administration and Finance Two key areas evident from the responses were that: Local government should continue to ensure it plans for the future, improve asset management and anticipate future needs, and that; Local government should always ensure that it does not neglect its core services, but seek greater efciencies in doing so. Although the responses were extremely varied across the board, it was clear that the key areas that local government needs to focus on stopping, are to reduce bureaucracy in its approach to administration, and it needs to be much more

historically been seen as a dumping ground for programs and services no longer funded at a State and Federal level. Local Government should resist this cost shifting, or look to facilitate the movement of some of these programs to the community sector or private providers rather than taking on the burden itself. In a similar vein, local government should look toward synergies available across the sector and should look to consolidate services across municipal boundaries to reduce costs and create further efciencies and resource capacity building. Infrastructure and Planning There was a general consensus from respondents that local government is successful at planning for

development and in keeping up with demand for core services and further, that local government should continue providing well designed public spaces. A strong criticism of local government is the often cumbersome and slow planning process, and the impediment that this can be to facilitating development. It was also felt that local government is good at creating barriers to community and business, and this needs to be stopped, should matters of vibrancy be of concern. Moving forward, local government should aim to better utilise existing infrastructure and aim to be much more strategic in identifying opportunities for growth. It also needs to be much more long term in its strategic thinking for infrastructure provision and planning. Technology and Innovation Local government needs to start to explore opportunities to become more innovative in its service provision, and should at all times support innovation in all sectors that it covers. Consultation and Community Engagement It was generally felt that local government is particularly good at community consultation and engaging its rate base, however this can be at the expense of being responsive and creates a certain inertia in the way local government can operate. To this effect, it was felt that sometimes local government needs to be brave and make decisions, without trying to gain 100% consensus from all parties. It was thought that local government needs to step out from its ofce, and try to engage the community on its own terms. Moving forward, respondents felt that local government should always engage the public and become much more self promoting in the services and facilities that it can offer its communities. Advocacy and Social Justice Advocacy for the local community is seen as a key role of local government that many respondents

felt must become more of a focus in the future. Local government must represent the desires of its community, and it must do this in a smarter way, forming strategic alliances and supporting social action. Economic Development In general, it was agreed by all respondents that the key aim of local government from an economic development perspective was to support local business, and that local government must start being more proactive in this support. Human Resources Local government must avoid becoming over staffed and bureaucratised and become much more strategic in its recruitment of staff.

39

Where do you see local government in ten years time?

Using the same eight criteria above, stakeholder participants were asked to provide feedback as to where they envisaged the local government sector to be in the coming decade. The results are indicated in the following paragraphs. Administration and Finance When questioned about the position of local government in the coming ten years, the respondents provided interesting and diverse opinions. Very few respondents suggested that local government will be largely unchanged. In respondents opinions, it appears that change in the sector is inevitable and a priority. In terms of nancial and administration arrangements the consistent themes are that of greater nancial and regulatory burdens. These burdens are imposed by other tiers of Government and public demands for services. The administrative response to these demands was consistently suggested to be greater cooperation between Councils, possibly through careful amalgamations, formal regional coalitions, shared services and streamlining of service delivery. It was suggested that local government will need to focus strongly on its nancial sustainability;

to identify and implement options to improve the effectiveness and efciency of operations as well as opportunities to broaden revenue collection. In order to respond to the nancial burdens, it was suggested that funding may be streamed more readily from the Federal Government or even that new taxes may need to be introduced to create revenue for Local Government. On the other hand, some respondents indicated that rather than growth through tax to meet the heightened expectations placed upon Local Government, that the response may be a consolidation of services a focus on core activities at the expense of peripheral services. The mood of the respondents can perhaps be best described as cautious optimism. They felt that there will be change, and that change is needed. Service Delivery The delivery of Council services in ten years time was predicted to be more efcient and more sophisticated in response to ever increasing community expectations. In summary: Some respondents predicted a tightening to focus more on the traditional core activities of Councils Some respondents predicted a broadening of focus into health, aged care and family services Greater private sector involvement in the delivery of traditional Local Government services was consistently predicted The shifting of such activities as landll operations to private enterprise was viewed as likely. Infrastructure and Planning Respondents predicted that in order to plan and build for future population growth and services demands that broad and consistent town planning controls will need to be implemented and adhered to. City wide and State wide schemes will be needed to provide consistency. Careful planning for public transport was predicted to be needed.

Heightened involvement of the private sector in partnerships for infrastructure delivery was also suggested to be a key response. Technology and Innovation Respondents thoughts on the likely changes in technology and innovation in local government were that public scrutiny through the proliferation of social media use would continue to heighten. Further, that the continuation towards the long touted paperless ofce or paperless service delivery would continue. Consultation and Community Engagement The respondents thoughts around community consultation and engagement were broad and varied. For instance: They believed that communities will continue to expect more from local governments with more community consultation and transparency required from Local Government in response That Councillors being available and accessible to the community were seen as important Further, some respondents believed that there are opportunities for greater partnerships and that Local Government has a critical role to play in driving community connectedness and civic participation Advocacy and Social Justice The responses that related to advocacy and social justice were consistent in this theme. The need for local government to be a strong advocate for its community was widely backed. Greater, stronger and more advocacy were suggested as being likely scenarios in ten years time. Economic Development Most respondents didnt directly focus on Economic Development being a key point of change for local government in 10 years time. Hope was expressed that local government would still be supporting small towns and businesses.

40

Human Resources The clear message from respondents in relation to Human Resources was that in ten years time the sector will be furnished with highly skilled and qualied professionals working in partnership with the community. Strong concerns were expressed about the need to improve community representation. Possible remedies included increased remuneration of Councillors, reduced terms, and somehow igniting a reinvigoration of the sense of civic duty amongst Councillors. It was suggested that without these changes local government will decline. The need for continued and strengthened leadership in the sector was highlighted and it was suggested that good succession planning was required to achieve this.

have been told what local government need to stop doing, start doing and keep doing and have seen what some of the expectations and challenges are. The challenge is, will local government continue to live up to this mark? Will local government live up to these expectations? Can it? As the recognised tier of government closest to the people and as has been said, if local government does not, can not; then who will? Partnership is a word which sums up the key messages arising continuously when talking about the relevancy and vibrancy of local government. Partnerships with all aspects of the community, business and government is a given. Although the message is very clear that these cannot be taken for granted and need to be genuine and continually improved. One of the newer thoughts regarding partnerships which has come to the fore is a strong message of local governments partnering together; cooperating and collaborating, forming alliances and shared service delivery, advocacy and strategy to achieve better outcomes in more streamlined and cost effective measures than previously practiced. It is widely thought that nancial pressures will increase, the ability to raise funds will decrease and the way forward for local government is to advocate and form key partnerships together rather than seek funds or to increase rates. It is interesting to see a changing dynamic from the old-school thought surrounding delivery of merely only roads, rates and rubbish. It is acknowledged this is an important and core service, but there are now new drivers within the sphere of public sector service delivery and expectation.

41

Summary of stakeholder responses

There is little doubt that local government will continue to be at the forefront of the community, providing change, advice, direction and policy. Many do not doubt that local government is relevant and vibrant and expect it to continue to be so. However this is conditional upon local government continuing to adapt and lead in an ever-changing world and environment which it nds itself. Perhaps when considering the place and context that relevancy and vibrancy has for local government it can be best summed up by one respondent:

Local Governments relevance will continue to grow so long as we live up to expectations.

The message as we have seen is very clear for local government; there is no doubt that it is the role of local government to be vibrant and create vibrant communities. Through this consultation we

The future for local government is an exciting one. It is a future full of challenge, change and expectation. Local government has the ability, resourcefulness and desire to meet future demands and shape that future for its communities. It therefore has been, and will continue to be, relevant and vibrant and a leader for those it serves.

42

43

4
CONCLUSIONS

4. CONCLUSIONS
IN 2013, CAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REMAIN A VIBRANT AND RELEVANT TIER OF GOVERNMENT?
44
As has been demonstrated, an enormously comprehensive analysis of the present and historical status of Victorian local government has been undertaken. To achieve an holistic, unbiased and unprejudiced conclusion to the question of whether local government can remain both relevant and vibrant, the 2013 Emerging Leaders have partaken in an exhaustive, collaborative engagement program to draw the following conclusions. Primarily, to expertly dissect the question posed, the key themes embedded in the subtext of the question must be drawn out and formally dened. ways. These services and functions throughout this Report and the engagement process have often been referred to as core services. But ultimately, what constitutes a core service? Steering for a moment away from the expired turnof-phrase of the three Rs; surely the Early Literacy Project initiated by Yarra Ranges Shire Council, the Stroke-a-Chord Choir run by Maroondah City Council and the Boorais and Beyond Initiative coordinated by Hume City Council in terms of providing a service are just as core, just as important? If anything, these examples of local government inuence are a quintessential embodiment of providing a vibrant service to specic demographics of the communities they serve. They certainly would all achieve key health and well-being outcomes for the respective communities. As previously discussed, vibrancy carries with it connotations of vitality, vivacity, enthusiasm and liveliness. Through the data obtained via our engagement process, it appears that there is a divide as to whether this is actually the role of local government to play. There are core services that must be delivered the pass idiom of the three Rs but there are equally other services that the community now demands. Local government can deliver hundreds of services to the community every day in many different To evaluate the question further and understand it in context, we must also dene the term relevant. To dene relevancy, similar terms are conjured up relating to being applicable, appropriate, signicant or important. The term relevancy doesnt invoke the same response or the same exuberance as vibrancy perhaps may. Possibly then, does being relevant in fact mean repairing potholes, collecting taxes and picking up litter?

Vibrancy and relevancy

Firstly, the term vibrant.

If services deemed to be appropriate, signicant or important and therefore relevant generally do only revolve around the three Rs, then what would we consider of the U3A facility introduced at Bayside City Council? Surely enabling further education for adults to increase their capacity for knowledge and employment is important. The Yarra Energy Foundation enables citizens of Yarra City Council access to cheaper environmentally sustainable materials which equates to a more healthy environment. Again, certainly this would rate as signicant. Moreover, the No Wrong Door Program, again at Yarra Ranges Shire Council, has been adopted by the Department for Early Education and Childhood Development and has resulted in the reassessment of the guidance for School Focused Youth Services in Victoria. Indisputably this must be relevant. From the data and feedback obtained through this Report, the community surveys and consultation programs and strengthened by the case studies and examples laid in earlier chapters, it is evident that the services provided by local government in 2013 extend much farther than the three Rs and in fact, are unquestionably both vibrant and relevant. Whilst this is the case for the present day in 2013, we must ask ourselves whether the local government sector can sustain this relevancy and maintain its vibrancy.

According to Forbes magazine, the largest (and therefore, potentially most relevant) global companies generally fall into three categories of banking, nance and energy. These companies provide services that are thought to be essential, or relevant core services perhaps they can be viewed as global economics three Ms; money, money and money. Forbes also continually list and rate the worlds most innovative (and therefore vibrant) corporations. These companies typically work in the virtual space surrounding technology, constantly pushing boundaries and creating environments and products that people want and desire. However, there are companies that manage to intersect this intangible Venn Diagram. These organisations manage to be both the largest companies in the world, but also the most innovative; therefore, these companies are both relevant and vibrant. Such corporations include Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Coca-Cola and the Volkswagen Group. Earlier we concluded that local government is presently both relevant and vibrant but asked whether it can sustain and maintain these levels. The aforementioned companies are listed in every business and nancial publication worldwide as being both relevant and vibrant and have done so for consecutive years. The fact that these companies are able to sustain their status is not because they choose to remain so. Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Coca-Cola and Volkswagen do not remain. Once somebody or an organisation chooses to remain, they then cease

45

Compared to what is local government vibrant and relevant?

If local government were to position itself in the marketplace, where would it sit? How would it be viewed? Could it be viable? What would it look like?

to move forward or progress. These companies are able to sustain their success and innovation because they continually reinvent themselves, never remaining, but always evolving. Ultimately, the primary service of any government is to serve the people and communities that have elected them. Local government is no exception.

report, the core function and sole obligation for any government is to serve the community and public that has elected it; of the people, by the people, for the people. So the question begs, what happens if a community wishes not to be vibrant? Whilst it may appear desirable for local governments to be both relevant and vibrant, the two elements are not mutually exclusive. For example, in the most recent Council elections, a returned Councillor in an inner-Melbourne City Council has been quoted as saying that his vision for the municipality is to ensure that it remains as it is. At rst thought, local government practitioners would recoil at such a suggestion for fears of halting progress or stiing innovation. However, in being elected, this Councillor has been given a mandate by the community to govern in such a fashion and must be respected as such. Therefore, in order to be relevant to the current community, this local government organisation may steer from being vibrant in line with the respects of the public and simply focus on those services considered as being relevant.

46

In fact, being so close to the community it serves actually lends itself to being able to govern more intimately and personably. To compare a local government organisation to those listed above is nonsensical and unfair. Local governments do not have as many answers as Google and are unfortunately not as reliable as Volkswagen all of the time. But what local governments can do far more effectively than any other entity is authentically understand the community, its desires and motivations. And like Apple and Microsoft, what local governments can do is continually evolve, adapt and progress in accordance with the aspirations of the marketplace or in this instance, the community.

In 2013, can local government remain a vibrant and relevant tier of government?
The 2013 LGPro Emerging Leaders suggest the answer to this question is multi-faceted. This Report has proven that in its present state, local government irrefutably provides comprehensive examples of services that are considered both vibrant and relevant. These services are far more engaging and dynamic than the services offered in the past known historically as core services. This is not to say that local government has veered away from these obligations and responsibilities. In fact, it is the opposite. As communities and their expectations have risen and evolved, so too has the local government sector and the services and programs that it provides.

Summary
As vehement, passionate members of Victorian local government with strong aspirations to see the sector thrive, the 2013 LGPro Emerging Leaders have an intrinsic fundamental passion for the public sector and an exuberant drive to see the foundation layer of the three-tiered governmental system prosper. When the question was posed to us whether local government was and could remain vibrant and relevant, we all gravitated towards the obvious answer being yes. At the conclusion of this intensive Program, we have been challenged, provoked and made to question why we serve in the public sector and truly identify what our core values and ethics are. Individually and as a collective, the 2013 Emerging

However, this may not always be the case. Whilst remaining relevant would assumedly be a constant requirement for a local government, being vibrant may not be. As mentioned numerous times in this

Leaders strive to innovate, push the boundaries, embrace risk and advance and progress the local government sector. However, we have learnt that this is not our primary function. The core purpose

of local government is to serve, govern and act upon the wishes of the community. At times the community may wish to be vibrant or wish to be innovative. At these times, local government must act as a conduit, facilitator and advocate to enable that community to achieve its wishes and maximise its vibrancy potential. At times where a community wishes to remain or take an adjournment from what is considered as vibrancy, then as professionals we must respect that and govern in line with the communitys desires of the day.

ENDNOTE
The experiences that the LGPro Emerging Leaders Program have provided the 2013 participants has left a profound impression on us all. The program has challenged our ideals, questioned our ethics and provoked our morals. Rarely it has been uncomfortable, occasionally it has been emotional, often it has been funny, but always it has been motivational, stirring and thoroughly enjoyable. Whilst we will personally thank those who have

47

Nonetheless, regardless of vibrancy, local government must steadfastly and always be relevant. Without relevance, a fault line will appear in the bedrock of the Australian tiered governmental structure and the core services of local communities will begin to crumble. As this Report has outlined in several areas, local governments offer a myriad of services at different times, in different ways, to different people. As local government advocates, the 2013 Emerging Leaders understand and dutifully respect this. As a collective we are committed to the cause of local government and will always strive to ensure that the sector evolves and retains its status of relevancy. And when we are called upon to act in the innovative, creative and dynamically vibrant interests of the community; we will be ready to serve.

become closest to us, the 2013 Emerging Leaders would like to formally recognise every speaker, presenter, facilitator, mentor, publican and venue that has accommodated us this year. Particular thanks goes to the local government organisations who have afforded each participant the opportunity to participate in this Program doing so displays vast amounts of both relevancy and vibrancy. Specic thanks goes to LGPro itself, without whom the Program would not be available. The 2013 Emerging Leaders Program would like to pay deliberate thanks to Violetta Madireddi who has guided us through the full twelve months with genuine compassion. Whilst the 2013 Emerging Leaders Program comes to a close and makes way for the 2014 class, we reconrm our commitment to local government and eagerly await the next chapter in our professional lives as leaders in the public sector.

48

49

5
APPENDIX - DATA DIGEST

DataDigest: HowmightLocal Governmentsevolveto remainrelevantand vibranttoyour community?

AnLGProConsultation ActivatedbyPolicyBooth October2013

Contents
Background Demographics Responses Q.1Howlonghaveyoulivedinyourarea? Q.2HowwelldoyouknowyourLocalGovernment? Q.3IwouldengagewithLocalGovernmentto: Q.4Whatthreewordsbestdescribeyourarea Q.5Howvibrantisyourarea? Q.6Howimportantisitforyoutobelivinginavibrantarea? Q.7Whatfeaturesmakeyourareavibrant? Q.8Whatwouldyouaddtomakeyourareamorevibrant? Q.9DoyouthinkitistheroleofLocalGovernmenttoactivatethese initiatives? Q.10HowrelevanthasyourLocalGovernmentbeeninmaking yourareamorevibrant? Q.11HowcanLocalGovernmentbecomemorerelevantinyourarea? Appendix BreakdownsbyAge Participantsunder25 Participants2535 Participants3550 Participantsovertheageof50 Location Participantsfromregionalareas 3 4 6 6 6 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 12 12 15 15 15 19 24 29 30 30

Background

LGProisthesingle,mostwidelyrecognisedandrespectedvoicethatadvocatesfor LocalGovernmentinVictoria.Asanorganisation,LGProaimtoadvancethe fellowshipandcommunicationamongtheLocalGovernmentsectorwhilstproviding aunified,collectivevoiceininfluencingLocalGovernmentpolicydirection.By providingprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesthroughprograms,seminars, conferencesandworkshopsandbywidelyrecognisingexcellence,significant achievementsandaccomplishmentsinlocalgovernment,LGPromaintainsitsstatus astheleadingbodyforLocalGovernmentprofessionaldevelopmentandsupport. Eachyear,LGProprovidetheopportunityforacarefullyselectedgroupof24 aspiring,emergingleadersinVictorianlocalgovernmenttotakepartinaunique intensiveprogrambaseduponaplatformofanexperientiallearningmodel.The EmergingLeadersProgramof2013havebeenchargedwithaddressingtheissue: In2013,canLocalGovernmentremainavibrantandrelevanttierofgovernment? PolicyBoothwasengagedtorunapopupconsultationatahightrafficareato consultwithabroadgroupofpeopleacrossonehalfday. TheQueenVictoriaMarketwaschosenasanappropriatelocationforthe consultationbasedonthemixofvisitorstothevenuefromacrossmetropolitan MelbourneaswellasregionalVictoria. PolicyBoothchoseaSundaymorningtoactivatetheirconsultation.OnSundays,as wellasthenormalfoodmarkets,foodtrucks,buskersandretailstoresalsooperate attractingfamiliesandvisitorsinadditiontotheusualshoppers. Intotal,168peopletookpartinthiscommunityconsultationprovidinginsightinto thevibrancyoftheirlocalareasandtherelevanceoftheirLocalGovernments.

Demographics

Location
Atotalof168participantstookpartinthecommunityconsultation.Ofthisnumber 164wereVictorian,2werefromQueensland,1fromWesternAustralia,and1was fromoverseas.26participantswerefromregionalVictoria,138werefrom metropolitanMelbourne.

138participantscamefromMetropolitanMelbourne,includingtheCity/Shireof Wyndham,Melton,Hume,Whittlesea,Nilumbik,YarraRanges,HobsonsBay,and Brimbank.

Age
Theaverageageofparticipantswas39years.13.7%ofparticipantswere25years andunder.45.2%wereagedeitherorbetween26and40.28.6%wereeitheror

 between41and60.9.5%wereaged61andover.3%(5participants)chosenotto disclosetheirage. Under18 7 4.2% 1825 16 9.5% 2630 28 16.7% 3140 48 28.6% 4150 25 14.9% 5160 23 13.7% 6170 12 7.1% 7180 4 2.4%

Gender
Therewasanevenmixofmaleandfemaleparticipants:48.2%identifiedasfemale, 44.6%identifiedasmale.12People(7.1%)chosenottodisclosetheirgender. Female 81 48.2% Male 75 44.6% Undisclosed 12 7.1%

Responses
Q.1Howlonghaveyoulivedinyourarea? Therewasanevenmixofparticipantswhohadbeenlivingintheirmunicipalities fromunderayeartoover30years.Mostcategorieswereclosetotheaverage numberof24participants(14.3%).96participants(57%)hadlivedintheirareafor lessthan10years.29participants(17.3%)hadlivedintheirareaforbetween10 and20years.38participants(22.6%)hadlivedintheirareaforover20years. Underayear 13 7.7% 13years 30 17.9% 35years 22 13.1% 510years 31 18.5% 1015years 20 11.9% 1520years 9 5.4% 2030years 14 8.3% Over30years 24 14.3% Numberofparticipants=168 Q.2HowwelldoyouknowyourLocalGovernment? AsameasureofhowrelevantLocalGovernmentistoparticipants,theywereasked howwelltheyknewtheirLocalGovernment. 15%ofparticipantshadneverengagedwiththeirLocalGovernmentthelowest numberofresponses.31%hadengagedwiththeirLocalGovernmentbefore,and 25.6%saidtheyengagewiththeirLocalGovernmentregularly. Ihaveengagedwiththembefore 52 31.0% Ihaveneverengagedwiththem 25 14.9% Iknowabitaboutwhotheyareandwhattheydo 47 28.0% Iregularlyengagewiththem 43 25.6% Numberofparticipants=168 Q.3IwouldengagewithLocalGovernmentto: AsameasureofhowrelevantLocalGovernmentistoparticipants,thisconsultation askedwhatreasonswouldparticipantshaveforengagingwithLocalGovernment.

 Participantswereaskedtoselectasmanyoptionsastheyliked.Aswithother percentagescalculatedinthisdigest,thenumberisbasedonthetotalnumberof participants(168)notthetotalnumberofresponses. Significantly,only3.6%ofresponsessaidtheywouldnotengagewiththeirLocal Government. Thetopthreereasonsparticipantswouldengagewithlocalgovernmentwere:toget information(66%),accessservices(57%),andhighlightaproblem(55%). Only20%ofparticipantssaidtheywouldengagewithLocalGovernmenttooffera solution.27%saidtheywouldengagewithLocalGovernmenttoputforwardan idea. Putforwardanidea 46 27.4% Accessservices 96 57.1% Getinformation 111 66.1% Accessprogramsorevents 90 53.6% Offerasolution 33 19.6% Highlightaproblem 92 54.8% Gethelpsolvingaproblem 84 50.0% Expressaconcern 82 48.8% Noneoftheabove 6 3.6% Numberofparticipants=168 Q.4Whatthreewordsbestdescribeyourarea Participantswereaskedtoselectthethreewordsthatbestdescribedtheirarea. Whiletheanswersprovidedarehighlycontingentonwherepeoplelive,itservedthe purposeofgettingparticipantsthinkingaboutvibrancy. Includedinthisquestionwereamixofoptionsfromincludingvibrant,nonvibrant, neithervibrantnornonvibrant,andgeneraladjectivestochoosefrom. 1in10participantsnominatednonvibrantadjectivestodescribetheirarea including:uninspiring(10%),boring(10%),orneglected(10%). Withinthemiddlecategoriesofneithervibrantnornonvibrant,43.5%saiditwas familyfriendly,36.9%saiditwassafeand13.1%saiditwashealthy.1in2people describedtheirareaasdiverse(56.5%). 31%saidtheirareawasactiveand16%describedtheirareaascreative.18.5% describedtheirareaasupandcoming.23.2%saidtheirareawasthriving. 7

 Thelowestscoringdescriptorwasecofriendlywith7.7%ofparticipants highlightingthis. Diverse 95 56.5% Uninspiring 18 10.7% Ecofriendly 13 7.7% Safe 62 36.9% Healthy 22 13.1% FamilyFriendly 73 43.5% Creative 27 16.1% Boring 17 10.1% UpandComing 31 18.5% Thriving 39 23.2% Active 52 31.0% Neglected 18 10.7% Numberofparticipants=168 Q.5Howvibrantisyourarea? Recognisingthatvibrancymeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople,participants wereaskedtouseaslidingscaletodescribehowvibranttheyconsideredtheirarea Significantly,5%gaveitthemaximumscoreofWereonfire! MostparticipantspositionedthemselvesaroundWevegotagreatvibe,with60% usingthisdescriptorormovingthescaletoonebeloworoneabovethismark. 33%saidthattheydidntshowupontheradarorconsideredtheirareatobemore abouttheserenityorsomewhereinbetween. 17 10.1% Wedon'tshowuptheradar Between 9 5.4% We'remoreaboutthe'serenity' 31 18.5% Between 25 14.9% We'vegotagreatvibe 52 31.0% Between 23 13.7% We'reonfire! 9 5.4% Numberofparticipants=168 Otherfeedbackincluded: Iliveinasuburbthatmanywoulddescribeasvibrantbecauseitisclosetothecity, closetomajorsportingvenuesandmanycafes.However,increasinglyitisnoisy, overwhelmedwithtrafficandincreasinglyanonymousasthepopulationincreases 8

 withlackofinfrastructuresothatthefeaturesofcommunityarebeinglostinan areawherealackofpublicparks,difficultyinparking,overwhelmingdrivethutraffic ismakingitincreasingchallengingtoraisefamiliesinasafe/healthyplace Q.6Howimportantisitforyoutobelivinginavibrantarea? Carryingonfromthepreviousquestion,participantswereaskedhowimportantit wastobelivinginavibrantarea.Theywereaskedtouseaslidingscaletoindicate theirpreferencefromitdoesntmatteratalltoIcouldnthaveitanyotherway. 69%describeditasbeingprettyimportanttoIcouldnthaveitanyotherway. Only7.1%participantssaidthatvibrancywasnotimportanttowheretheylive. Itdoesn'tmatteratall 12 7.1% Between 5 3.0% Itmakesasmalldifference 19 11.3% Between 15 8.9% Itsprettyimportant 70 41.7% Between 22 13.1% Icouldn'thaveitanyotherway 25 14.9% Numberofparticipants=168 Q.7Whatfeaturesmakeyourareavibrant? Participantswereaskedtopickthetopthreefeaturesthatmadetheirareavibrant. Thepercentageshavebeencalculatedfromthetotalnumberofparticipants(168) andnotthetotalnumberofresponses. Thetopthreefeaturesthatparticipantsselectedwere:restaurantsandcafes (57.7%),parksandpublicspaces(48.8%)andfamilyfriendlyspacesandactivities (35.7%). Only3(1.8%)participantsnominatedTheLocalGovernmentasafeaturethatmade theirareavibrant. RestaurantsandCafs 97 57.7% LocalBusinesses 48 28.6% TheHistoryoftheArea 28 16.7% SportsFacilitiesandPlacestoExercise 34 20.2% ParksandPublicSpaces 82 48.8% TheNightLife 20 11.9% CommunityGroupsandEvents 33 19.6% AffordableHousing 23 13.7% TheLocalGovernment 3 1.8% 9

 LiveMusicandPerformance 26 15.5% GalleriesandArtSpaces 11 6.5% FamilyFriendlySpacesandActivities 60 35.7% Numberofparticipants=168 Otherfeedbackincluded: AsawomanIguessthefactthatmyareadoesntalwaysfeelsafe,limitsmy enjoymentofit. Q.8Whatwouldyouaddtomakeyourareamorevibrant? Participantswereaskedtoselectuptothreefeaturesthattheywouldaddtotheir areatomakeitmorevibrant.Thepercentageshavebeencalculatedfromthetotal numberofparticipants(168)andnotthetotalnumberofresponses. Thetopthreeadditionswere:marketsandpopupstalls(44.6%),eventsand festivals(36.3%),andfreewifi(31%). 7.7%ofparticipantssaidthattheydidntneedanything. Wedon'tneedanything 13 7.7% Sportsfacilitiesandplacestoexercise 24 14.3% Communitycentresandfacilities 31 18.5% Eventsandfestivals 61 36.3% Restaurants,cafesandbars 43 25.6% Parksandpublicspaces 26 15.5% Programstohelpadultslearnandconnect 23 13.7% Familyfriendlyspacesandactivities 28 16.7% Freewifi 52 31.0% Programsforyoungpeople 49 29.2% Galleriesandartspaces 25 14.9% Marketsandpopupstalls 75 44.6% Numberofparticipants=168 Otherfeedbackincluded: Safetyatnightwashighlightedasafactorformakinganareamorevibrant specificallyBrunswick. Theroleoftransportinfrastructurewasalsoraisedasimportanttovibrancy, particularlybicyclelanesandsafetyandcoverage. FreeParking Inmoreruralareas:bushcleanups,morestreetcleaning,andlegalburnoff dayswouldmakeadifference. 10

Nillumbikisawonderlandofpublicfacilities,openspace,bushlandand commercialmeetingplaces.Whatislackingisintegration,curationand activationoftheseplaces.Wetendtobingeourselvesoncommunityevents ratherthanintegratingandactivatingfortheeveryday.Imagineabusker playingatEdendaleonceaweekratherthanhavingtowaitfortheannual PracticallyGreenfestivaltositandlistentomusicinthatplace.Moreplace lessspace. Greaterfocusontheartsperformingarts,culturalevents,etc.willalways helpincreasethevibrancyofanarea.Unfortunately,itusuallyreceivesthe LEASTfundingofanygovernmentdepartment! Nottailoringservicesthattheycanmeettheneedsoflocalresidentsisthe biggestissueIhavefaced.ForexamplemanyfamiliesIknowwhowantto accesskindercan'tbecausethekindertimesastheyarehalfdaysessions whenmostfamiliesalreadyaccessingfulldaychildcare.Itleavefamilies needingtoaccesskinderasapartofnoncouncilchildcareproviders.Also makingweeklybinscollectionssmallersofamiliesneedtomakeother arrangementstohaverubbishedremoved. Continuepromotingactivetransport,openspaceandjusthavingthe communitycomingintocontactwithoneanotherhelpssomuch.Insomany waysIneverneedtoleavemyLGAexcepttowatchAFL&MTC(theatre),go toworkandvisitingfamily.Wehavegreatfood,bars,cinema,shops,friends, bikepathsandpublictransportandsome(butnotenough)parksandopen space.

Q.9DoyouthinkitistheroleofLocalGovernmenttoactivatetheseinitiatives? Overwhelmingly,90.5%ofparticipantssaidthatitwastheroleofLocal Governmentstoactivatetheseinitiatives. Yes 152 90.5% No 16 9.5% Numberofparticipants=168 Otherfeedbackincluded: WhileitistheroleofLocalGovernmentitdoesneedcommunitysupport ThereneedstobeamixofLocalGovernmentandindividualsworking togethertomaketheseideashappen Iwouldliketoseelocalgovernmentbecomethesecondtierofgovernment inAustralia,replacingstategovernments.Theabilitytoprovideverytargeted servicesandneedswouldbegreatlyenhancedandasanationwewouldbe significantlymorecoordinatedandengaged. It'stheroleofgovernment,businessandcommunitytoevolveevents

11

LocalGovernmentshouldbe(a)partnerandfacilitatorforlocal communities.Mycommunityhasaparticularlookandfeelbecauseofthe peoplewholivehere,notbecauseLocalGovernmentmakesitso.

Q.10HowrelevanthasyourLocalGovernmentbeeninmakingyourareamore vibrant? Usingaslidingscale,participantswereaskedtodescribehowrelevantLocal Governmenthasbeeninmakingtheirareasmorevibrant. 31.5%saidthattheirLocalGovernmenthaddonequitealot.Whileonly2.4%said thattheyvebeenthedrivingforce,24.4%saidtheyhaddonegoodthings. Notatall 21 12.5% Between 12 7.1% They'vedonegoodthings 41 24.4% Between 24 14.3% They'vedonequitealot 53 31.5% Between 12 7.1% They'vebeenthedrivingforce 4 2.4% Numberofparticipants=168 Otherfeedbackincluded: BallaratcouncilrequiresvisionitlacksmotivationanddriveandBallaratis notreachingitsfullpotential. (Im)notawareofmuchgovtinvolvement.Perhapsbetterinfo/ advertisementneeded WhilstIdontthinkitshouldbeasoleresponsibilityofcouncil,councilscan certainlyproactivelyworkwithbusinesstosupportandfacilitatebusiness andprivateenterprise. Councilcoulddoalotmoretomakeiteasierforbusinesstooperate. Q.11HowcanLocalGovernmentbecomemorerelevantinyourarea? Participantswereinvitedtoselectasmanyoptionsastheywanted.Thepercentages havebeencalculatedfromthetotalnumberofparticipants(168)andnotthetotal numberofresponses. Therewasnotoneclearanswertothisquestion.Nearly1in2participantssaidthat localgovernmentcouldbemorerelevantifitupgradedfacilities.

12

 Around40%recommendedbetterpromotionofservices,transparencyand improvingservicesaswaysofbecomingmorerelevant.41.7%recommended engagingmorewithyoungpeople. 1in3saidtheycouldbemorerelevantiftheyheldbettercommunityconsultations (39.3)%,ordesignedmorepublicspaces(35.7%),orbyengagingmorewith communitygroups(34.5%) Byholdingbettercommunityconsultations 66 39.3% Byupgradingfacilities 82 48.8% Bydesigningmorepublicspaces 60 35.7% Byprovidingmoreafterhourssupport 36 21.4% Byengagingmorewithcommunitygroups 58 34.5% Byengagingwithmorebusinessgroups 35 20.8% Byprovidingmoreservices 36 21.4% Bybetterpromotingtheservicesonoffer 75 44.6% Bybeingmoreopenandtransparent 73 43.5% Byimprovingcurrentservices 74 44.0% Byhostingmorepublicevents 52 31.0% Byengagingmorewithyoungpeople 70 41.7% Numberofparticipants=168 Otherrecommendations: (Create)spaceforyoungentrepreneurs. ConnectwithLocalCommunitythroughsocialmediachannelslike YouTube. Haveafaceforthebrandviz.LocalGovernment.Positiontoattractmore youngmindsintothecommunity. allareasshouldworkhardonbecominggreenerandsustainable. Thecouncilneedstoencouragemoreintegrationbetweencultures. Weneedtherubbishdumpingintheareatobefixed,andthegovernment needstobelisteningtothepublicespeciallyintermsofhighrise apartments. LocalGovernmentneedstoconcentrateondoingthebasicsbetter: maintainingroadsandsafewalkwaysandhealthservices. Inmypostcodethereis70vacantshopsintheCBD.LocalGovernmentneed todomoretoattractbusinesswithamainprioritybeingaccessible affordableparking. Localgovernmentneedstogetintouchwiththepeople,andtodothatthey needtobeopenandhonestaboutwhattheydo,theyneedtogobeyond tokenengagementattemptsthroughchannelsthatpeopledon'tknowabout orcan'tattend.Oncepeoplecanseethedifferencetheymaketheywillbe

13

morelikelytoengageandprovidevaluableinputratherthanthinkingcouncil justcollectsthegarbage.Theyneedtorealisethatfluffyvaguestatements reducescredibilityratherthanprotectsthem. LocalGovernmentareasneedtoevolveandprogress.Provisionofservices needsinlinewiththeprivatesector,articulatingtothecommunitywhat LGAsdo,howthecommunitycanassist,egcontributionsfromthe communityforneededfacilitiessuchasbikepathsetccouldbeconsidered. Morerandomsurveysofresidents&businessestobetterunderstandissues, needsandgainfeedbackonCouncilsperformance.Economicdevelopment needstobeexaminedmorecloselyinlinewithplanningmatters. Federalandstatefundingarerequiredtoimproveourarea,wearea growingmunicipalitywithinadequateroads,publictransportandlackof broadbandinternetwhichisanessentialservice.Localgovernmentcanonly dosomuch...Australianeedtoprioritisethegrowthareas. Toberelevant,LocalGovernmentmustknowandbeabletorespondtothe mostimportantcommunityneeds.Itmustdothebasicswell,andignorethe callsthatitonlydothese.Itmustbeeasyforeverysectorofthecommunity tobeabletoengageshouldtheywishto,andforLocalGovernmentstohave aframeworkthatcanprioritisewhichissuesitchampions,ultimatelythis shouldfocusonhealthandwellbeing.

GeneralComments LocalGovernmentneedtopromoteitsservicesmuchbetterthanitdoes. SomeoftheruralCouncil'sleadthewaywiththisandthemetroonescan learnfromthem. Ithinkalotofresidentsdon'tunderstandtheroleofLocalGovernmentother thancollectingratesandpickingupgarbage,theyalsodon'tunderstandthat someservicesarepassedontoLocalGovernmentbytheStateGovernment toadministrateandfund. Thehomelessareneglected(infavourof)excitingevents.Somanypeople resorttobeggingandthisisthepremiertouristareaofVictoria.Wewantto setabetterexamplesurely. Ifyoucanonlyget60peopleoutof2000toattendapublicmeeting,or15 outof60specialinvitedresidentstomeetwiththemayor,maybeitisthat LocalGovernmentisfailingtoengagethecommunity,andnotespousingthat thecommunitydoesnotcare.

14

Appendix1

Participantsagedunder25
19participantswereundertheageof25.Theyrepresented11.6%ofrespondents. Q.1Howlonghaveyoulivedinyourarea? Underayear 3 15.8% 13years 4 21.1% 35years 3 15.8% 510years 2 10.5% 1015years 4 21.1% 1520years 2 10.5% 2030years 1 5.3% Over30years 0 0% Numberofparticipants=19 Q.2HowwelldoyouknowyourLocalGovernment? Ihaveengagedwiththembefore 1 5.3% Ihaveneverengagedwiththem 6 31.6% Iknowabitaboutwhotheyareandwhattheydo 9 47.4% Iregularlyengagewiththem 3 15.8% Numberofparticipants=19 Q.3IwouldengagewithLocalGovernmentto: 2 10.5% Putforwardanidea Accessservices 4 21.1% Getinformation 8 42.1% Accessprogramsorevents 9 47.4% Offerasolution 2 10.5% Highlightaproblem 10 52.6% Gethelpsolvingaproblem 6 31.6% Expressaconcern 11 57.9% Noneoftheabove 2 10.5% Numberofparticipants=19 Thetopthreereasonsparticipantsundertheageof25wouldengagewithLocal Governmentwereto:Expressaconcern(57.9%),Highlightaproblem(52.6%),and Accessprogramsorevents(47.4%). 15

 Q.4Whatthreewordsbestdescribeyourarea

Thetopthreewordschosenbyparticipantsundertheageof25wereDiverse (47.4%),Safe(47.4%),andFamilyFriendly(42.1%).

Diverse Uninspiring Ecofriendly Safe Healthy FamilyFriendly Creative Boring UpandComing Thriving Active Neglected Numberofparticipants=19 9 5 0 9 0 8 4 5 3 3 3 4 47.4% 26.3% 0.0% 47.4% 0.0% 42.1% 21.1% 26.3% 15.8% 15.8% 15.8% 21.1%

Q.5Howvibrantisyourarea?

Wedon'tshowupontheradar Between We'remoreaboutthe'serenity' Between We'vegotagreatvibe Between We'reonfire! Numberofparticipants=19 2 1 4 3 3 2 4 10.5% 5.3% 21.1% 15.8% 15.8% 10.5% 21.1%

Q.6Howimportantisitforyoutobelivinginavibrantarea?

Itdoesn'tmatteratall Between Itmakesasmalldifference Between Itsprettyimportant Between Icouldn'thaveitanyotherway Numberofparticipants=19 0 0 1 2 10 4 2 0.0% 0.0% 5.3% 10.5% 52.6% 21.1% 10.5%

16

 Q.7Whatfeaturesmakeyourareavibrant?

Thetopthreefeaturesrecommendedbyparticipantsundertheageof25thatmade theirareavibrantwere:RestaurantsandCafes(47.4%),TheHistoryoftheArea (36.8%),andParksandPublicSpaces(31.6%)whichtiedwithFamilyFriendlySpaces andActivities(31.6%).

RestaurantsandCafs LocalBusinesses TheHistoryoftheArea SportsFacilitiesandPlacestoExercise ParksandPublicSpaces TheNightLife CommunityGroupsandEvents AffordableHousing TheLocalGovernment LiveMusicandPerformance GalleriesandArtSpaces FamilyFriendlySpacesandActivities Numberofparticipants=19 9 6 7 2 6 4 2 2 1 1 4 6 47.4% 31.6% 36.8% 10.5% 31.6% 21.1% 10.5% 10.5% 5.3% 5.3% 21.1% 31.6%

Q.8Whatwouldyouaddtomakeyourareamorevibrant?

Wedon'tneedanything Sportsfacilitiesandplacestoexercise Communitycentresandfacilities Eventsandfestivals Restaurants,cafesandbars Parksandpublicspaces Programstohelpadultslearnandconnect Familyfriendlyspacesandactivities Freewifi Programsforyoungpeople Galleriesandartspaces Marketsandpopupstalls Numberofparticipants=19 1 4 2 8 2 4 4 4 6 11 2 5 5.3% 21.1% 10.5% 42.1% 10.5% 21.1% 21.1% 21.1% 31.6% 57.9% 10.5% 26.3%

17

 Q.9DoyouthinkitistheroleofLocalGovernmenttoactivatetheseinitiatives?

Yes No Numberofparticipants=19 17 2 89.5% 10.5%

Q.10HowrelevanthasyourLocalGovernmentbeeninmakingyourareamore vibrant? Notatall 2 10.5% Between 1 5.3% They'vedonegoodthings 0 0% Between 6 31.6% They'vedonequitealot 6 31.6% Between 4 21.1% They'vebeenthedrivingforce 0 0% Numberofparticipants=19

Q.11HowcanLocalGovernmentbecomemorerelevantinyourarea?

Byholdingbettercommunityconsultations Byupgradingfacilities Bydesigningmorepublicspaces Byprovidingmoreafterhourssupport Byengagingmorewithcommunitygroups Byengagingwithmorebusinessgroups Byprovidingmoreservices Bybetterpromotingtheservicesonoffer Bybeingmoreopenandtransparent Byimprovingcurrentservices Byhostingmorepublicevents Byengagingmorewithyoungpeople Numberofparticipants=19 6 11 9 6 12 3 9 7 8 10 11 13 31.6% 57.9% 47.4% 31.6% 63.2% 15.8% 47.4% 36.8% 42.1% 52.6% 57.9% 68.4%

18

Participantsaged2535
48participantswerebetweentheageof25and35.Theyrepresented28.6%of respondents. Q.1Howlonghaveyoulivedinyourarea? Underayear 10 20.8% 13years 16 33.3% 35years 10 20.8% 510years 4 8.3% 1015years 2 4.2% 1520years 0 0.0% 2030years 5 10.4% Over30years 1 2.1% Numberofparticipants=48 Q.2HowwelldoyouknowyourLocalGovernment? Ihaveengagedwiththembefore 14 29.2% Ihaveneverengagedwiththem 11 22.9% Iknowabitaboutwhotheyareandwhattheydo 13 27.1% Iregularlyengagewiththem 10 20.8% Numberofparticipants=48 Q.3IwouldengagewithLocalGovernmentto: EveryparticipantsaidtheywouldengagewithLocalGovernmentforthereason provided.72.9%saidtheywouldengageinordertogetinformation.Nearly60%said theywouldengagetoaccessservicesorprogramsandevents. Putforwardanidea Accessservices Getinformation Accessprogramsorevents Offerasolution Highlightaproblem Gethelpsolvingaproblem Expressaconcern Noneoftheabove Numberofparticipants=48 14 28 35 28 5 25 23 18 0 29.2% 58.3% 72.9% 58.3% 10.4% 52.1% 47.9% 37.5% 0.0%

19

 Q.4Whatthreewordsbestdescribeyourarea

Thetopthreewordschosenbyparticipantsagedbetween25and35were:Divers (56.3%),FamilyFriendly(41.7%),andSafe(33.3%). Diverse 27 56.3% Uninspiring 3 6.3% Ecofriendly 6 12.5% Safe 16 33.3% Healthy 7 14.6% FamilyFriendly 20 41.7% Creative 9 18.8% Boring 4 8.3% UpandComing 13 27.1% Thriving 9 18.8% Active 15 31.3% Neglected 5 10.4% Numberofparticipants=48

Q.5Howvibrantisyourarea?

Wedon'tshowupontheradar Between We'remoreaboutthe'serenity' Between We'vegotagreatvibe Between We'reonfire! Numberofparticipants=48 3 1 6 9 17 11 1 6.3% 2.1% 12.5% 18.7% 35.4% 22.9% 2.1%

Q.6Howimportantisitforyoutobelivinginavibrantarea?

Itdoesn'tmatteratall Between Itmakesasmalldifference Between Itsprettyimportant Between Icouldn'thaveitanyotherway Numberofparticipants=48 2 1 5 8 17 6 9 4.2% 2.1% 10.4% 16.7% 35.4% 12.5% 18.8%

20

 Q.7Whatfeaturesmakeyourareavibrant?

70%ofparticipantssaidthatrestaurantsandcafesmadetheirareavibrant.No participantssaidthatLocalGovernmentmadetheirareavibrant.

RestaurantsandCafs LocalBusinesses TheHistoryoftheArea SportsFacilitiesandPlacestoExercise ParksandPublicSpaces TheNightLife CommunityGroupsandEvents AffordableHousing TheLocalGovernment LiveMusicandPerformance GalleriesandArtSpaces FamilyFriendlySpacesandActivities Numberofparticipants=48 34 12 2 11 25 8 9 4 0 10 3 17 70.8% 25.0% 4.2% 22.9% 52.1% 16.7% 18.8% 8.3% 0.0% 20.8% 6.3% 35.4%

Q.8Whatwouldyouaddtomakeyourareamorevibrant?

Nearly70%ofparticipantswouldaddmarketsandpopupstomaketheirareamore vibrant.Over50%saidtheywouldaddeventsandfestivals.

Wedon'tneedanything Sportsfacilitiesandplacestoexercise Communitycentresandfacilities Eventsandfestivals Restaurants,cafesandbars Parksandpublicspaces Programstohelpadultslearnandconnect Familyfriendlyspacesandactivities Freewifi Programsforyoungpeople Galleriesandartspaces Marketsandpopupstalls Numberofparticipants=48 1 9 8 25 14 5 2 4 19 11 7 33 2.1% 18.8% 16.7% 52.1% 29.2% 10.4% 4.2% 8.3% 39.6% 22.9% 14.6% 68.8%

21

 Q.9DoyouthinkitistheroleofLocalGovernmenttoactivatetheseinitiatives?

Yes No Numberofparticipants=48 43 5 89.5% 10.5%

Q.10HowrelevanthasyourLocalGovernmentbeeninmakingyourareamore vibrant? Notatall 5 10.4% Between 4 8.3% They'vedonegoodthings 10 20.8% Between 10 20.8% They'vedonequitealot 17 35.4% Between 2 4.1% 0% 0 They'vebeenthedrivingforce Numberofparticipants=48

Q.11HowcanLocalGovernmentbecomemorerelevantinyourarea?

Byholdingbettercommunityconsultations Byupgradingfacilities Bydesigningmorepublicspaces Byprovidingmoreafterhourssupport Byengagingmorewithcommunitygroups Byengagingwithmorebusinessgroups Byprovidingmoreservices Bybetterpromotingtheservicesonoffer Bybeingmoreopenandtransparent Byimprovingcurrentservices Byhostingmorepublicevents Byengagingmorewithyoungpeople Numberofparticipants=48 17 20 15 12 18 11 10 23 18 19 15 17 35.4% 41.7% 31.3% 25.0% 37.5% 22.9% 20.8% 47.9% 37.5% 39.6% 31.3% 35.4%

Comments: "It'sexpensiveandallareasshouldworkhardonbecominggreenerand sustainable. LocalGovernmentneedstogetintouchwiththepeople,andtodothattheyneed tobeopenandhonestaboutwhattheydo,theyneedtogobeyondtoken engagementattemptsthroughchannelsthatpeopledon'tknowaboutorcan't attend.Oncepeoplecanseethedifferencetheymaketheywillbemorelikelyto 22

 engageandprovidevaluableinputratherthanthinkingcounciljustcollectsthe garbage.Theyneedtorealisethatfluffyvaguestatementsreducescredibilityrather thanprotectsthem. "1.Spaceforyoungentrepreneurs.2.ConnectwithLocalCommunitythroughsocial mediachannelslikeYouTube.3.Haveafaceforthebrandviz.LocalGovernment.4. Positiontoattractmoreyoungmindsintothecommunity. MainconcernisthelightinginmostareasofBrunswick.Moststreetspeopleliveon areverydarkasasemiindustrialareaitdoesn'tfeelsafeatnight. Federalandstatefundingarerequiredtoimproveourarea,weareagrowing municipalitywithinadequateroads,publictransportandlackofbroadbandinternet whichisanessentialservice.LocalGovernmentcanonlydosomuch...Australia needtoprioritisethegrowthareas. Notawareofmuchgovtinvolvement.Perhapsbetterinfo/advertisementneeded Greaterfocusontheartsperformingarts,culturalevents,etc.willalwayshelp increasethevibrancyofanarea.Unfortunately,itusuallyreceivestheLEASTfunding ofanygovernmentdepartment! Doconsidertheroleoftransportinfrastructureimportanttocommunity,especially bicyclelaneandpathsafetyandcoverage.

23

Participantsaged3550
53participantswereagedbetween35and50.Theyrepresent31.5%ofall respondents. Q.1Howlonghaveyoulivedinyourarea? Underayear 3 13years 8 35years 6 510years 19 1015years 7 1520years 3 2030years 1 Over30years 6 Numberofparticipants=53 Q.2HowwelldoyouknowyourLocalGovernment? Ihaveengagedwiththembefore 21 Ihaveneverengagedwiththem 4 Iknowabitaboutwhotheyareandwhattheydo 14 Iregularlyengagewiththem 14 Numberofparticipants=53 Q.3IwouldengagewithLocalGovernmentto:

5.7% 15.1% 11.3% 35.8% 13.2% 5.7% 1.9% 11.3%

39.6% 7.5% 26.4% 26.4%

73.6%ofparticipantssaidtheywouldengagewithLocalGovernmenttoget information.Nearly70%saidtheywouldengagetoaccessservices. Putforwardanidea Accessservices Getinformation Accessprogramsorevents Offerasolution Highlightaproblem Gethelpsolvingaproblem Expressaconcern Noneoftheabove Numberofparticipants=53 14 36 39 32 14 36 33 29 1 26.4% 67.9% 73.6% 60.4% 26.4% 67.9% 62.3% 54.7% 1.9%

24

 Q.4Whatthreewordsbestdescribeyourarea

Diverse Uninspiring Ecofriendly Safe Healthy FamilyFriendly Creative Boring UpandComing Thriving Active Neglected Numberofparticipants=53 28 4 2 19 5 33 8 2 10 16 21 5 52.8% 7.5% 3.8% 35.8% 9.4% 62.3% 15.1% 3.8% 18.9% 30.2% 39.6% 9.4%

Q.5Howvibrantisyourarea?

Wedon'tshowupontheradar Between We'remoreaboutthe'serenity' Between We'vegotagreatvibe Between We'reonfire! Numberofparticipants=53 3 7 10 13 10 8 2 5.7% 13.2% 18.9% 24.5% 18.9% 15.1% 3.8%

Q.6Howimportantisitforyoutobelivinginavibrantarea?

Itdoesn'tmatteratall Between Itmakesasmalldifference Between Itsprettyimportant Between Icouldn'thaveitanyotherway Numberofparticipants=53 3 1 6 4 24 10 5 5.7% 1.9% 11.3% 7.5% 45.3% 18.9% 9.4%

25

 Q.7Whatfeaturesmakeyourareavibrant?

RestaurantsandCafs LocalBusinesses TheHistoryoftheArea SportsFacilitiesandPlacestoExercise ParksandPublicSpaces TheNightLife CommunityGroupsandEvents AffordableHousing TheLocalGovernment LiveMusicandPerformance GalleriesandArtSpaces FamilyFriendlySpacesandActivities Numberofparticipants=53 30 17 9 7 26 4 11 13 0 9 3 23 56.6% 32.1% 17.0% 13.2% 49.1% 7.5% 20.8% 24.5% 0.0% 17.0% 5.7% 43.4%

Q.8Whatwouldyouaddtomakeyourareamorevibrant?

53%ofparticipantssaidtheywouldaddmarketsandpopupstallstomaketheir areamorevibrant.

Wedon'tneedanything Sportsfacilitiesandplacestoexercise Communitycentresandfacilities Eventsandfestivals Restaurants,cafesandbars Parksandpublicspaces Programstohelpadultslearnandconnect Familyfriendlyspacesandactivities Freewifi Programsforyoungpeople Galleriesandartspaces Marketsandpopupstalls Numberofparticipants=53 6 8 13 19 17 7 6 8 15 10 6 28 11.3% 15.1% 24.5% 35.8% 32.1% 13.2% 11.3% 15.1% 28.3% 18.9% 11.3% 52.8%

Q.9DoyouthinkitistheroleofLocalGovernmenttoactivatetheseinitiatives?

Yes No Numberofparticipants=53 51 2 96.3% 3.7%

26

 Q.10HowrelevanthasyourLocalGovernmentbeeninmakingyourareamore vibrant? Notatall 3 5.7% Between 3 5.7% They'vedonegoodthings 14 26.4% Between 12 22.6% They'vedonequitealot 16 30.2% Between 3 5.7% They'vebeenthedrivingforce 2 3.8% Numberofparticipants=53

Q.11HowcanLocalGovernmentbecomemorerelevantinyourarea?

55%ofparticipantssaidthatupgradingfacilitieswouldmakeLocalGovernment morerelevant.50%saidbetterpromotingtheservicesonofferwouldmakeLocal Governmentmorerelevant.45%saidthatbeingmoreopenandtransparentwould makeLocalGovernmentmorerelevant.

Byholdingbettercommunityconsultations Byupgradingfacilities Bydesigningmorepublicspaces Byprovidingmoreafterhourssupport Byengagingmorewithcommunitygroups Byengagingwithmorebusinessgroups Byprovidingmoreservices Bybetterpromotingtheservicesonoffer Bybeingmoreopenandtransparent Byimprovingcurrentservices Byhostingmorepublicevents Byengagingmorewithyoungpeople Numberofparticipants=53 21 29 21 10 16 11 7 26 24 23 14 20 39.6% 54.7% 39.6% 18.9% 30.2% 20.8% 13.2% 49.1% 45.3% 43.4% 26.4% 37.7%

Comments
"RatherthanactivateIthinklocalgovernmentshouldenable,facilitateandensurea balancedapproachthattakesintoconsiderationtheneedsandviewpointsofall ratherthanjustthevocalmembers. Inmypostcodethereis70vacantshopsintheCBD.LocalGovernmentneedtodo moretoattractbusinesswithamainprioritybeingaccessibleaffordableparking

27

 LocalGovernmentneedstoconcentrateondoingthebasicsbetter.Maintaining roadsandsafewalkwaysandhealthservices. Ithinklocalgovernmentonlyhasaroleinsomeofthethingsthatmakeanarea morevibrantbutyourquestionsonlygaveayes/noanswer. Thehomelessareneglectedforexcitingevents.Somanypeopleresorttobegging andthisisthepremiertouristareaofVictoria.Wewanttosetabetterexample surely. Nottailoringservicesthattheycanmeettheneedsoflocalresidentsisthebiggest issueIhavefaced.ForexamplemanyfamiliesIknowwhowanttoaccesskinder can'tbecausethekindertimesastheyarehalfdaysessionswhenmostfamilies alreadyaccessingfulldaychildcare.ItleavefamiliesneedingtoaccessKinderasa partofnoncouncilchildcareproviders.Alsomakingweeklybinscollectionssmaller sofamiliesneedtomakeotherarrangementstohaverubbishedremoved. Ourlocalgovernmentandareaisverywellkept.Weareveryhappy.

28

Participants50yearsandolder
42participantswereaged50yearsandolder.Theyrepresented25%ofrespondents.

Q.1Howlonghaveyoulivedinyourarea? Over50%ofparticipantsaged50yearsandolderhadlivedintheirareaforover30 years. Underayear 1 2.4% 13years 1 2.4% 35years 2 4.8% 510years 8 19.0% 1015years 5 11.9% 1520years 3 7.1% 2030years 5 15.6% Over30years 17 53.1% Numberofparticipants=42 Q.2HowwelldoyouknowyourLocalGovernment? Ihaveengagedwiththembefore 16 38% Ihaveneverengagedwiththem 0 0% Iknowabitaboutwhotheyareandwhattheydo 9 21.4% Iregularlyengagewiththem 15 35.7% Numberofparticipants=42 Q.3IwouldengagewithLocalGovernmentto:

Putforwardanidea Accessservices Getinformation Accessprogramsorevents Offerasolution Highlightaproblem Gethelpsolvingaproblem Expressaconcern Noneoftheabove Numberofparticipants=42 12 26 25 19 12 18 21 22 2 28.6% 61.9 59.5% 45.2 28.6% 42.8 50% 52.4 4.7

29

 Q.4Whatthreewordsbestdescribeyourarea

Diverse Uninspiring Ecofriendly Safe Healthy FamilyFriendly Creative Boring UpandComing Thriving Active Neglected Numberofparticipants=42 29 6 5 17 7 11 6 5 5 10 10 4 69% 14.3% 11.9% 40.5% 16.6% 26.2% 14.3% 11.9% 11.9% 23.8% 23.8% 9.5%

Q.5Howvibrantisyourarea?

Wedon'tshowupontheradar Between We'remoreaboutthe'serenity' Between We'vegotagreatvibe Between We'reonfire! Numberofparticipants=42 6 0 9 0 19 2 1 14.3% 0% 21.4% 0% 45.2% 4.8% 2.4%

Q.6Howimportantisitforyoutobelivinginavibrantarea?

Itdoesn'tmatteratall Between Itmakesasmalldifference Between Itsprettyimportant Between Icouldn'thaveitanyotherway Numberofparticipants=42 3 3 6 1 16 2 8 7.1% 7.1% 14.2% 2.4% 38% 4.8% 19%

30

 Q.7Whatfeaturesmakeyourareavibrant?

RestaurantsandCafs LocalBusinesses TheHistoryoftheArea SportsFacilitiesandPlacestoExercise ParksandPublicSpaces TheNightLife CommunityGroupsandEvents AffordableHousing TheLocalGovernment LiveMusicandPerformance GalleriesandArtSpaces FamilyFriendlySpacesandActivities Numberofparticipants=42 23 11 9 11 23 3 11 4 2 6 1 14 54.7% 26.3% 21.4% 26.2% 54.7% 7.1% 26.3% 9.6% 4.8% 14.2% 2.4% 33.3%

Q.8Whatwouldyouaddtomakeyourareamorevibrant?

Wedon'tneedanything Sportsfacilitiesandplacestoexercise Communitycentresandfacilities Eventsandfestivals Restaurants,cafesandbars Parksandpublicspaces Programstohelpadultslearnandconnect Familyfriendlyspacesandactivities Freewifi Programsforyoungpeople Galleriesandartspaces Marketsandpopupstalls Numberofparticipants=42 5 3 8 9 9 8 9 11 10 13 8 8 11.9% 7.1% 19% 21.4% 21.4% 19% 21.4% 26.3% 23.8% 30.9% 19% 19%

Q.9DoyouthinkitistheroleofLocalGovernmenttoactivatetheseinitiatives?

Yes No Numberofparticipants=42 37 5 88% 12%

31

 Q.10HowrelevanthasyourLocalGovernmentbeeninmakingyourareamore vibrant? Notatall 8 19% Between 4 9.6% They'vedonegoodthings 13 30.9% Between 0 0% They'vedonequitealot 12 28.6% Between 3 7.1% They'vebeenthedrivingforce 1 2.4% Numberofparticipants=42 Q.11HowcanLocalGovernmentbecomemorerelevantinyourarea?

Byholdingbettercommunityconsultations Byupgradingfacilities Bydesigningmorepublicspaces Byprovidingmoreafterhourssupport Byengagingmorewithcommunitygroups Byengagingwithmorebusinessgroups Byprovidingmoreservices Bybetterpromotingtheservicesonoffer Bybeingmoreopenandtransparent Byimprovingcurrentservices Byhostingmorepublicevents Byengagingmorewithyoungpeople Numberofparticipants=42 19 19 14 7 13 10 9 18 20 20 12 16 45.2% 45.2% 33.3% 16.6% 30.9% 23.8% 21.4% 42.8% 47.6% 47.6% 28.6% 38%

Comments:
Parkingproblems.Moreparkingspaces,theychargetoomuchforparking(itshould befreeonweekends). "Remembersmallerareasnotjustcitycentre,bushcleanupsbitmorestreet cleaning,legalburnoffdaysbushburnoffsgreatplacetolive "Whatabout""listening""andactingaccordinglywithrespecttocommunity Whatabout""Learningtoengage""inmeaningfulconsultationandconnectionwith communitywithoutonlydrivingpreconceivedplansandmoldingcommunity commenttosuit 32

 Ifyoucanonlyget""60peopleoutof2000toattendapublicmeeting"",or""15 outof60specialinvitedresidents""tomeetwiththemayor,maybeitisthat""Local governmentisfailingtoengagethecommunity"",andnotespousingthatthe communitydoenotcare" Weneedtherubbishdumpingintheareatobefixed,andthegovernmentneedsto belisteningtothepublicespeciallyintermsofhighriseapartments Providingleadership,anoperatingcultureofengagement,beingfinancially responsible. WhilstIdontthinkitshouldbeasoleresponsibilityofCouncil,Councilscan certainlyproactivelyworkwithbusinesstosupportandfacilitatebusinessand privateenterprise. BallaratCouncilrequiresvisionitlacksmotivationanddriveandBallaratisnot reachingitsfullpotential. It'stheroleofgovernment,businessandcommunitytoevolveevents. Ithinkalotofresidentsdon'tunderstandtheroleofLocalGovernmentotherthan collectingratesandpickingupgarbage,theyalsodon'tunderstandthatsome servicesarepassedontolocalgovernmentbythestategovernmenttoadministrate andfund. LGshouldbepartnerandfacilitatorforlocalcommunities.Mycommunityhasa particularlookandfeelbecauseofthepeoplewholivehere,notbecauseLGmakes itso.Thesuggestionsprovidedinthesurveyfor'morevibrant'looklikeamarketers ideaofhowtomakeanattractive,hipplacetoattractpeopletospendmoneyon stuff.Thevisibleexpressionoflocalculture(whichisoftenrippedoffbythe marketersseeflashmobsandpopups)ismoreorganicandindependent. Thecouncilneedstoencouragemoreintegrationbetweencultures. AsawomanIguessthefactthatmyareadoesntalwaysfeelsafe,limitsmy enjoymentofit.

33

Appendix2

ParticipantsfromRegionalAreas
26participantswerefromoutsideofMetropolitanMelbourne.Theyrepresented 15.5%ofrespondents.

Theseareasincluded: AlpineShireCouncil BallaratCityCouncil, BawBawShireCouncil, BenallaRuralCityCouncil, CampaspeShireCouncil ColacOtwayShireCouncil CorangamiteShireCouncil GoldenPlainsShireCouncil GreaterBendigoCityCouncil GreaterGeelongCityCouncil HepburnShireCouncil IndigoShireCouncil, LoddonShireCouncil MacdeonRangesShireCouncil, MeltonCityCouncil MitchellShireCouncil MoiraShireCouncil, MooraboolShireCouncil MountAlexanderShireCouncil MoyneShireCouncil NillumbrikShireCouncil PyreneesShireCouncil SouthGipslandShireCouncil WangarattaRuralCityCouncil WarrnamboolCityCouncil WhittleseaCityCouncil, WodongaCityCouncil

34

 Q.1Howlonghaveyoulivedinyourarea? Underayear 13years 35years 510years 1015years 1520years 2030years Over30years Numberofparticipants=26 Q.2HowwelldoyouknowyourLocalGovernment? Ihaveengagedwiththembefore Ihaveneverengagedwiththem Iknowabitaboutwhotheyareandwhattheydo Iregularlyengagewiththem Numberofparticipants=26 Q.3IwouldengagewithLocalGovernmentto:

1 3 3 7 2 0 2 8

3.8% 11.5% 11.5% 26.9% 7.7% 0.0% 7.7% 30.8%

8 0 8 10

30.8% 0.0% 30.8% 38.5%

Putforwardanidea Accessservices Getinformation Accessprogramsorevents Offerasolution Highlightaproblem Gethelpsolvingaproblem Expressaconcern Noneoftheabove Numberofparticipants=26 8 13 17 17 7 16 15 15 2 30.8% 50.0% 65.4% 65.4% 26.9% 61.5% 57.7% 57.7% 7.7%

35

 Q.4Whatthreewordsbestdescribeyourarea

Diverse Uninspiring Ecofriendly Safe Healthy FamilyFriendly Creative Boring UpandComing Thriving Active Neglected Numberofparticipants=26 Q.5Howvibrantisyourarea? 8 6 4 12 3 13 1 5 5 4 6 3 30.8% 23.1% 15.4% 46.2% 11.5% 50.0% 3.8% 19.2% 19.2% 15.4% 23.1% 11.5%

Wedon'tshowupontheradar Between We'remoreaboutthe'serenity' Between We'vegotagreatvibe Between We'reonfire! Numberofparticipants=26 4 4 7 4 6 4 4 15.4% 15.4% 26.9% 15.4% 23.1% 15.4% 15.4%

Q.6Howimportantisitforyoutobelivinginavibrantarea?

Itdoesn'tmatteratall Between Itmakesasmalldifference Between Itsprettyimportant Between Icouldn'thaveitanyotherway Numberofparticipants=26 0 2 1 4 14 2 3 0.0% 7.7% 3.8% 15.4% 53.8% 7.7% 11.5%

36

 Q.7Whatfeaturesmakeyourareavibrant?

RestaurantsandCafs LocalBusinesses TheHistoryoftheArea SportsFacilitiesandPlacestoExercise ParksandPublicSpaces TheNightLife CommunityGroupsandEvents AffordableHousing TheLocalGovernment LiveMusicandPerformance GalleriesandArtSpaces FamilyFriendlySpacesandActivities Numberofparticipants=26 7 7 11 8 13 1 3 3 1 2 1 11 26.9% 26.9% 42.3% 30.8% 50.0% 3.8% 11.5% 11.5% 3.8% 7.7% 3.8% 42.3%

Q.8Whatwouldyouaddtomakeyourareamorevibrant?

61.5%ofrespondentssaidtheywouldaddeventsandfestivalstomaketheirareas morevibrant.

Wedon'tneedanything Sportsfacilitiesandplacestoexercise Communitycentresandfacilities Eventsandfestivals Restaurants,cafesandbars Parksandpublicspaces Programstohelpadultslearnandconnect Familyfriendlyspacesandactivities Freewifi Programsforyoungpeople Galleriesandartspaces Marketsandpopupstalls Numberofparticipants=26 0 5 4 16 6 1 2 5 10 10 1 7 0.0% 19.2% 15.4% 61.5% 23.1% 3.8% 7.7% 19.2% 38.5% 38.5% 3.8% 26.9%

Q.9DoyouthinkitistheroleofLocalGovernmenttoactivatetheseinitiatives?

Yes No Numberofparticipants=26 25 1 97.6% 2.4%

37

Q.10HowrelevanthasyourLocalGovernmentbeeninmakingyourareamore vibrant? Notatall 5 19.2% Between 2 7.7% They'vedonegoodthings 4 15.4% Between 4 15.4% They'vedonequitealot 6 23.1% Between 4 15.4% They'vebeenthedrivingforce 1 3.8% Numberofparticipants=26 Q.11HowcanLocalGovernmentbecomemorerelevantinyourarea?

Byholdingbettercommunityconsultations Byupgradingfacilities Bydesigningmorepublicspaces Byprovidingmoreafterhourssupport Byengagingmorewithcommunitygroups Byengagingwithmorebusinessgroups Byprovidingmoreservices Bybetterpromotingtheservicesonoffer Bybeingmoreopenandtransparent Byimprovingcurrentservices Byhostingmorepublicevents Byengagingmorewithyoungpeople Numberofparticipants=26 10 16 7 6 11 10 4 12 15 13 11 15 38.5% 61.5% 26.9% 23.1% 42.3% 38.5% 15.4% 46.2% 57.7% 50.0% 42.3% 57.7%

38

www.lgpro.com