Bega Valley Shire’s Access and Equity Committee has been making a real difference over the past two years. The committee was established by Council in 2002 to ensure that people with a disability or with limited mobility have input into Council’s planning and decision making processes.
Statistics indicate that at least 5,500 people – or 19 per cent of the Bega Valley Shire’s population – have a disability of some description.
The committee’s scope includes physical access issues, access to information and services, access to equal employment opportunities within Council and promotional activities that raise the awareness of Councillors, Council staff and the general community about the barriers encountered by people with a disability and limited mobility.
One of the committee’s biggest achievements has been the production of access maps for six different town centres: Bermagui, Bega, Tathra, Merimbula, Pambula and Eden. They show easily accessible parking areas, public toilets, ATMs and telephones as well as buildings and other public facilities. In preparing the maps, access and equity committee members conducted numerous interviews, met with other community groups and walked or wheeled each of the six town centres. They also discussed access issues with shoppers, shopkeepers, Council staff and members of the public.
Besides completing the access maps, last year committee members also reviewed Council’s Access and Equity Policy and commenced planning for its Access Guide project. The guide will contain information on accessible facilities, locations and services throughout the Bega Valley Shire and is expected to be launched by June this year.
Council’s Community Development Officer, Mary Grealy, said there was currently no central repository for this type of information locally and people often had to make several enquiries before they were able to find information regarding their accommodation and other needs.
