Ladies and Gentleman

It's with great pleasure that we announce that the Macedon Ranges Shire Council last night unanimously acknowledged the Macedon/Mt. Macedon Community Plan. 

The plan was presented by Karen Stevens, Director of Community Development, motioned by Cr Relph (with a minor amendment to the recommendations in the council's notice paper to thank the community for their considerable work) and seconded by Cr Guthrie. Cr Relph commended the plan to the council and revisited the importance of each priority in the plan. Mayor McLaughlin commented on the plan to agree "Yes, it's an excellent document".

This means councillors and the council corporate team are aware of your wishes for your community and the priority in which they need to be considered. They are also aware that when it comes to budgeting time, finding ways to make a real difference on the ground in our community will come easy. Desired enhancements to our community have already been identified.

The hard work now begins to bring the ideas to life. The next steps for the Macedon/Mt. Macedon Community Planning Group is to prepare project plans for each project under each priority (tasks, costs and timing) and identify an appropriate mix of partners and an approach to funding (public/private/partnerships/fundraising).

Get involved if you feel you can get a project done or assist the community to do so. Even if you feel you can only contribute a little (it will go a long way). Whatever you have time for, we can do with your help.

The aim is to complete as much of the plan as we can in 2012.

Reported by
Mandi Mees

Fellow community members.
Now is the time to make your ideas count!

This Sunday, February 5, from 2-4pm at Jubilee Hall, the draft community plan will be presented and discussed at a community feedback session designed for you to give your thoughts and ideas and incorporate them into the community planning process for Macedon and Mt. Macedon.

Over afternoon tea, you will have the chance to hear and debate the ideas created by local volunteers to address the key priorities of planning, streetscape, fire and transport.

A third party facilitator from Bendigo will join us to gather feedback and help include community-suggested improvements to the plan.

Have a say. Share your thoughts and ideas. We've only kick started the process and are keen to listen to you, to see if the draft projects and initiatives hit the mark.

Meet the Macedon/Mt. Macedon Community Planning Group volunteers. Each subcommittee representative will give you a 5 minute update on the project ideas for the community to implement to address the priorities set out by the community at the initial community planning session in November 2010. Time has also been allocated to give everyone time to discuss, brainstorm, debate and respond.

See you there.

You may have noticed that recently a number of posters about the Macedon/Mt. Macedon Community Plan (this Sunday's community feedback session - starting at 2pm at Jubilee Hall) have been popping up all around Macedon and Mt. Macedon in the past week.

It's to let you know that the draft Macedon/Mt.Macedon Community Plan is now available for you to review and offer feedback or enhance the ideas!

Please offer your feedback and input into the projects and initiatives set out in the plan on or before Thursday 2 February 2012.

Your input will be used to update the ideas presented in the plan and further direct the efforts of the plan in a way most relevant to you, your family and community.

To submit feedback
1. Use the online feedback form
2. Come to the community feedback session, this Sunday February 5 at Jubilee Hall starting at 2pm sharp (til 4pm) - afternoon tea will be served!
3. Post your submission to:
Community Planning
PO Box 151
Kyneton VIC 3444

The final version will be available on this website and in hard copy at authorised local outlets, as soon as possible. Implementation will begin immediately. If you're keen to volunteer, you still can. To do so, please register!

After many months of preparation, we are now ready and able to keep the community up to speed with the progress on the Macedon/Mt. Macedon Community Plan. 

As a result of the public meeting held in November 2010 (with 73 passionate community members in attendance), a wide range of ideas and projects were developed, discussed and voted on as important for future development.

Since then, a group of community volunteers have been coming together each month to work on developing a draft Macedon/Mt. Macedon Community Plan for you to review.

The plan will be a major driver behind implementing the wishes of the community discussed at the public meeting.

The group of volunteers created 4 sub-committee groups to focus on each of the top 4 priority projects that were voted for by the community at the public meeting.

The top 4 priority projects are streetscape, planning controls, fire and transport. Youth was a 5th priority, though due to lack of resources, this area hasn't been developed yet.

A communications group has also been formed to focus on keeping the community involved and up to date about the community planning process. This group will review how often the community want to be communicated to, when and how.

The volunteer group, known as the Macedon/Mt. Macedon Community Planning Group (or CPG), meet on the third Monday of the month at 7pm at Tony Clarke Reserve.

The community are always invited and new members are welcome to join.