Calling on Colac Otway to contribute to the four-year shire plan

Published on 06 February 2025

Community members across Colac Otway Shire will have an exciting opportunity to be part of setting its strategic direction and priorities over the next four years.

Council will seek input from the local community in development of the Council Plan 2025-2029.

The plan will guide Council in delivering services and providing infrastructure to support the social and economic wellbeing of residents of the shire.

Mayor Jason Schram said the Council was focused on developing a new plan that reflected the goals and aspirations of communities across the shire. 

“The Council Plan equips us with a strategic roadmap to keep growing Colac Otway’s economy, liveability and building on the shire’s reputation as a great place to live and work,” Cr Schram said.

“I encourage community members to take up one of the many ways to be part of shaping our new Council Plan and to play an active role in the future of our region.”

The Council Plan is developed every four years in line with the Local Government Act 2020. The new Council Plan will also play a role in achieving the Colac Otway vision for 2050 for the shire to be a destination where people come to appreciate its unique and diverse environment and friendly communities.

Importantly, the Council Plan incorporates the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, which is an essential function of Council and will ensure that Colac Otway has the right plans in place to protect, improve and promote the health and wellbeing of people across the community.

In addition to contributing to the Council Plan, information from community engagement will help to inform other key Council documents and activities, including the Asset Plan 2025-2035 and Financial Plan 2025-2035.  

Ways you can be involved:

Take the survey!

A community survey will open on 10 February on Council’s website in the Have Your Say section and is expected to take about 15 minutes to complete. Each eligible participant who completes the survey can opt to go into the draw to win one of ten prizes.

Community Panel - Be part of the discussion!

Colac Otway is recruiting community members from diverse cohorts across the shire to be part of a community panel across a series of three, 2-hour workshops to be held in Colac, Apollo Bay and Forrest. 

Each workshop is designed to build on the discussion of the previous workshop in what’s known as a deliberative approach to community engagement, so it’s important that you can commit to all three workshops. Participants will be selected based on ensuring a diversity of representation across age range, gender and location to help ensure the Council Plan is developed with a mix of views and perspectives about what’s important to our shire.

Community Panel Workshops

Workshop 1: 6.30pm – 8.45pm, Monday 17 March

Location: Forrest Hall – 14 Grant Street, Forrest

AND

Workshop 2: 6.30pm – 8.45pm, Monday 24 March

Location: Apollo Bay Bowls Club, 4 – 6 Moore Street, Apollo Bay

AND

Workshop 3:  6.30pm – 8.45pm, Monday 31 March

Location: COPACC (meeting rooms one and two), 95 – 97 Gellibrand Street, Colac

Places are limited so to register your interest visit www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/councilplan Registration of Interest forms will also be available at Council’s Customer Service Centres in Colac and Apollo Bay. Participants will be compensated for their time.

Drop-in sessions

There will also be drop-in sessions where members of the community can provide feedback to contribute to the plan. Drop-in sessions will be held at:

Where: Forrest Hall – 14 Grant Street, Forrest

When: Tuesday 25 February, 6pm – 8pm

Where: COPACC Civic Hall, 95 – 97 Gellibrand Street, Colac

When: Wednesday 26 February, 5pm – 7pm

Where: Cressy Bowling Club, 40 Lyons Street, Cressy

When: Tuesday 4 March, 6pm – 8pm

Where: Wye River Surf Life Saving Club, Great Ocean Road foreshore, Wye River

When: Wednesday 5 March, 4.30pm – 6.30pm

Where: Carlisle River Public Hall, 35 Gellibrand River Road, Carlisle River

When: Tuesday 11 March, 6pm – 8pm

Where: Lavers Hill Hall, 43 – 47 Great Ocean Road, Lavers Hill

When: Wednesday 12 March, 4.30pm – 6.30pm

Pop-up stations

In addition, Colac Otway will have Council Plan pop-up stations at key shire events in February and March so keep a watch out for where you will find Colac Otway Shire seeking your views and ideas.

Where: Colac Plaza (at the entrance to Coles), 66 Queen Street, Colac

When: Tuesday 25 February, 12pm – 2pm

Where: Colac Regional Saleyards – Store Sale

When: Friday 7 March, 10am – 12pm

Where: Apollo Bay Market, Great Ocean Road, Apollo Bay foreshore

When: Saturday 8 March, (time to be confirmed)

Where: Birregurra Sunday Market at the Birregurra Park

When: Sunday 9 March, (time to be confirmed)

Where: Kana Festival, Colac Showgrounds, 54 Chapel Street, Colac

When: Saturday 15 March, 11am – 1pm

Focus Groups

Colac Otway will also be running focus groups on key issues and topics important to the shire and liaising with stakeholders within each of the identified sectors to ensure diverse representation. This will include First Nations, agribusiness/agriculture, tourism, business, manufacturing and large regional employers, young people, ageing communities, disability, access and inclusion, health, sport and recreation, arts and culture, environment and Neighbourhood Houses.

A draft of the Council Plan 2025-2029 is expected to be released for final community review later in the year with the final Council Plan to go before a future Council meeting in 2025.

For more information, please visit www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/councilplan