The Manningham Community Panel has reached a significant milestone, charting a course for the future after delivering its final recommendations to Council.
Manningham Mayor Councillor Deirdre Diamante said the Panel's insights will be invaluable in ensuring that the Council's strategic plans are grounded in the community's needs and aspirations.
"By listening to the voices of our community, we're ensuring that our decisions and actions reflect and align with what matters most to our residents," Cr Diamante said.
"The Panel has played a crucial role in this process, comprising members from diverse age groups, cultural backgrounds and geographic locations that represent the unique tapestry of our community.
"This collaborative approach will help enable us to create a more inclusive, resilient, sustainable and vibrant community for all."
The Panel was established to identify Manningham's key priorities, challenges and opportunities - to help guide our strategic plans. This includes the Community Vision 2040, the four-year Council Plan, and the 10-year Asset and Financial Plans.
Throughout the process, Panel members deliberated for approximately 1,680 collective hours and heard from over 50 speakers from Council and community.
They handed over their recommendations at the final meeting on 1 February 2025. They span several themes including community safety, transport, open spaces and more.
"Over the coming weeks, we'll prepare a response to each of the panel's recommendations, including how they will be implemented or the reasons for not supporting any recommendation," Cr Diamante said.
"We're sincerely grateful to the panel members for their time and efforts during this dynamic process and committed to implementing the panel's recommendations to the fullest extent possible. We'll ensure their insights are carefully considered in all our decision-making as we plan ahead for Manningham," the Mayor added.
