By Belinda Nolan
IT’S official – Brimbank’s administrators will be taking the council on the road.
From next month, council meetings will be rotated, with ordinary and planning meetings to be held across the municipality’s five districts.
The initiative is designed to bring meetings closer to the community and encourage greater attendance.
Two meetings will be held in each of the municipality’s five districts, including Keilor, Deer Park, Sunshine, St Albans and Sydenham, with the first to kick off in Keilor on 5 July.
While the council is currently working to finalise a schedule of meetings, it anticipates that meetings will be held in Deer Park in August, St Albans in September, Sydenham in October and Sunshine in November.
Brimbank administrator Meredith Sussex said the meetings would be held in community facilities and admitted it could be tricky booking them around other activities.
Ms Sussex said the strategy was about bringing the council to the community.
“The whole point of doing this is that we want everyone in the community to be able to access council meetings in their area,” Ms Sussex said.
The initiative has met with mixed reviews from the community.
Keilor Residents and Ratepayers Association president Susan Jennison welcomed the plan but was concerned it could cause confusion among residents who were used to attending meetings at the Sunshine offices.
“I think it’s a good idea and I can understand that they’re trying to get around to different parts of the municipality but I think it’s imperative that the council keeps the community informed so that people know exactly where each meeting is going to be and where they have to go.”
Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association president Darlene Reilly said she was concerned the venture could prove expensive and suggested that the agenda should also be tailored to ensure local issues were dealt with at each meeting.
The 5 July planning committee meeting and 19 July ordinary council meeting will be held at the Keilor Bowls Club, 1 Barcelona Ave in Keilor.
The locations of further meetings have yet to be confirmed.
