Council’s rural township of Whittlesea has experienced much activity in recent years, thanks to funding from the Victorian Government’s Community Building Initiative (CBI).
Whittlesea is one of 19 small Victorian towns that has a population of of less than 5,000 people and was funded under the CBI. Council received funding in 2006 for two years, but the success of this program has led to an extension for a further two years until 2010.
The program aims to strengthen small communities by building on and working with existing assets and resources in the community, such as people, schools, businesses, sporting clubs and annual events.
Whittlesea Township CBI Facilitator, Jenny Ashby, said the CBI Steering Committee, which includes Council, worked with the community to determine what they wanted to make the community stronger and how this could be achieved.
“Five key areas were identified for development – a leisure centre/gym, transport, walking tracks and bike paths, improved community safety and youth initiatives,” she said. “Each area has a project team of local people, who work with the wider community to achieve the goals set out at a community opportunity workshop.
“Underlying the success of each project are strong partnerships formed with local community groups and organisations.”
Jenny Ashby said the community has been involved in the entire CBI process, from developing project ideas to assisting them come to fruition.
She said that as well as attracting $245,000 in grants, the CBI has also greatly improved the flow of information between Local Government, the community and organisations in the township.
For example, in response to a perceived lack of facilities for physical activity, the Gym Team’s community members have produced and distributed a brochure listing all activities that occur in the town and their details.
Jenny Ashby said the improved relationship between Council and the Whittlesea township community is also significant.
“The majority of the municipality is urban and the Whittlesea township is fairly isolated in the rural north,” she said. “The CBI has involved people and connected them more strongly with Council and opened up positive dialogue.”
Jenny Ashby said the community is already thinking ahead to when the funding is finished and recently worked to incorporate the Whittlesea CBI so that projects can continue after the State Government funding has finished.
For further information contact Jenny Ashby on 0437 942 646.
