Two Council pop-ups held in Warragul in late December proved popular with many local residents stopping by to greet and chat with the Mayor, Councillors and staff about a variety of Council projects, activities and concerns.
Council pop-up is an outreach program which aims to bring Council closer to communities in both rural and major townships. The sessions provide a transparent and open-communication platform for community members to discuss ideas and concerns, ask questions and provide feedback to Council.
The latest two sessions were held on Thursday 19 December at the Palmerston Street kiosk in the Warragul CBD, and on Saturday 21 December at the Warragul Farmers Market. These were the sixth and seventh Council pop-ups held in 2019 following previous sessions in Thorpdale, Longwarry, Neerim South, Willow Grove and Rawson.
Approximately 75 community members took the opportunity to engage with Councillors and staff across both sessions. Many more paused to say a brief hello and pass on festive greetings. Residents were both local to Warragul and from surrounding townships including Drouin, Jindivick, Neerim South and Willow Grove.
Common themes discussed at the sessions included the Warragul CBD Streetscape Project, upcoming local events and activities – as well as general questions around landscaping, town amenities and maintenance activities.
Council pop-up is set to continue in 2020 with more sessions in both rural areas and major townships – including Jindivick, Erica, Longwarry, Seaview and Yarragon. Due to the success of the Warragul sessions, visits to more major townships will also be confirmed in the new year.
As stated by Mayor Cr Danny Goss
"We want residents to know that we are available to answer their questions and discuss any matters and concerns. These face-to-face conversations are so valuable - they not only resolve queries and frustrations, they also help us better understand community needs so we can better plan and deliver our services. We'll be out and about even more in 2020 so keep an eye out for dates and locations – we hope to see you all soon."
As stated by Cr Mikaela Power
"It was great to meet so many residents at both sessions. We had a lot of enquiries and productive conversations. There are plenty more sessions in the works for 2020 and I urge anyone with any Council-related queries to come along".
As stated by Cr Joe Gauci
"The sessions are always a great opportunity to have a casual chat with our local residents and provide some detail and clarity on matters important to them."
Image: Chief Information Officer Martin Hopley, Director Community Infrastructure Cohen Van der Velde, Deputy Mayor Cr Peter Kostos, Cr Joe Gauci, Cr Mikaela Power and Mayor Cr Danny Goss at the Palmerston Street kiosk Council pop-up.
Image: Brett Smith and Harvey the dog with Cr Mikaela Power at the Palmerston Street kiosk Council pop-up.
Image: Mayor Cr Danny Goss and Cr Mikaela Power at the Warragul Farmers Market Council pop-up.
Image: Mayor Cr Danny Goss chatting with local residents at the Warragul Farmers Market Council pop-up.
Image: CEO Alison Leighton and Mayor Cr Danny Goss answering community questions at the Warragul Farmers Market Council pop-up.
Image: More conversations at the Warragul Farmers Market Council pop-up.
