Engagement will occur throughout 2025.
Council is working with residents to update its Social Inclusion Strategy - a document that helps Council work with the community to ensure all residents feel valued, accepted and included.
To be adopted later this year, the 2025-2029 Social Inclusion Strategy will outline Council's commitment to reducing barriers for groups most at risk of being excluded from our community. These people include those with disability, who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), who are Indigenous, who identify as LGBTIQA+, young people, older people and community members facing socioeconomic disadvantage.
Development of the 2025-2029 Social Inclusion Strategy is being supported by Victorian and Commonwealth Governments under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) as part of the Gannawarra Community Flood Recovery Program.
How is Council developing this strategy?
During late 2024 and early 2025, Council sought feedback from residents and agencies that support our communities about what can be done to better support all residents. This feedback was collected via a survey that could be completed online or by hard copy from Council's Customer Service Centres.
What is happening now?
Council is using all feedback collected via surveys received to develop a draft version of the 2025-2029 Social Inclusion Strategy, which Council will seek your feedback regarding later this year.