Birchip Forum Meeting

February 19 at 8.00pm

Buloke Shire Council Offices Birchip.

 

Present: Andrew Janetski, Frances Lee, Warren King, Warwick Heine, Reid Mather, Ian Palmer, Bev Horton, Rosie Rickard, Dorothy Reid, Ken Kemp, Max Reid, Bill Quick, Neil Davis, Sue Davis, Val Hogan, Roger Bragg, Mark Bowen, Robyn Ferrier, Helen Blencowe, Shane Blencowe, Bern Hogan, Gail Sharp, James Goldsmith. (23)

 

Apologies: Lucy McLoughlan and Eddie Lee

 

Minutes: Read and accepted in a motion by Roger Bragg and Frances Lee.

 

Correspondence 

 

MND Letter of offer to speak to the forum

Brianna Smith Letter of thanks

Emergency grants letter

Community Grants Letter

Letter from shire thanking us for Brianna’s invitation

 

Ken Kemp and Dorothy Reid moved to accept correspondence.

 

 

 

Reports

Cardboard:

Ian Palmer said the shire was planning on putting a bigger container at the tip to hold cardboard.  Shane is trying to get in contact with the contractor from Swan Hill who will put a bin at the back of the shop to collect cardboard from the local shops.  When this container is filled another empty one will be put down and the full one will be taken away.

 

Dogs:

Discussion lead to lots of stories about roaming dogs and dogs in ute that jumped out and defecated and pissed all over the place.  Motion from Shane and Helen Blencowe to write to Buloke Shire Council (BSC) to try and have something done to keep these dogs of the streets.  Action James to write to council

 

Pool – Gail spoke with Gary Coles from the local police about people breaking into the pool grounds and swimming at all hours of the evening.  Gary asked that when this happened could people please report it to the police so they can deal with it.  The Forum will monitor progress ion this matter.

 

Bus – Lots of discussion about the bus with the final decision being that we write a letter of offer to BSC to buy the bus for $1.00 as moved in a motion from a previous meeting.  Action James to write letter of offer to shire

 

Rust in rotunda – Roger Bragg spoke with Mallee Steel and has arranged to have it looked after and will get paint quotes when appropriate.

 

Community Grants – The Birchip Forum executive met and allocated the $7,500 community drought grant money to the following projects:

 

 

General Reports:

Gail read minutes from Birchip Forum EWHS meeting.

EWHS is to meet with Birchip forum, John Forest and Hugh Delahunty at the Birchip Community Leisure Centre this Friday at 3.00pm.  Damian Drum will also be asked to attend.

 

Candy Broad’s partner (Hal) will be contacted to try and arrange a meeting between Birchip Forum, EWHS and Candy Broad to discuss Birchip Forum’s recommendation that funding be swapped between State and Federal Government to allow nursing home patients to remain in hospital in their home towns rather than being transferred to nursing beds in other towns.

 

The Birchip Forum will also lobby other politicians to ask that federal and state government work together to facilitate the above mentioned change in funding and management arrangements.

 

Mallee Tree Productions will happen soon – Glenys Rickard, Simone Christie and Robyn Ferrier received $30,000 funding for 3 performances of a play and to put on workshops to skill locals in drama and community engagement.  There will be workshops to learn how to make costumes and to build sets as well as hiring local community artist Anne McClelland and a set builder from Ballarat.  The aim of the project is to build the skills within the local community and to provide mental health benefits to as many people across the community as possible.

 

Blacksmiths shop – Men’s Shed – Warren read a letter that he is writing to Ben Bentley to try and obtain the Blacksmiths shop for machinery museum and or a men’s shed.  Warren also suggested that we get started on starting a men’s shed as soon as possible and use temporary premises until we can find permanent premises.  Motion by Robyn Ferrier and Shane Blencowe that Birchip Forum support Warrens letter to Ben Bentley to request that he give the shed to the Historical Society and that we write our own letter along the same lines.  Carried Action James Write Letter

 

Community Drought Auction – Discussion around this idea centred on the proposition that it is too difficult to distribute funds in a fair and equitable way.  A motion was put by Rosi Rickard and seconded by Bernadette Hogan that Birchip Forum does not support a Community Auction/Market Day to raise funds for the less fortunate people within the Birchip Community.   Action If you see someone who needs help tell him to get off his arse and get a job.

 

Warwick’s report – Thanked us for allowing him to be part of the meeting and recognized the pride in the Birchip community and its resilience.  The Birchip Forum meeting supports the positive views he has formed from other meetings held in other towns.  Warwick said that BSC should take more active involvement in the health service.  Issues should be raised constantly with all politicians and these issues should be in the form of questions to be raised in parliament.   He suggested we ask Candy Broad and the likes to come and talk to us about our problems. 

 

BSC should be working with us to develop an overview of the things needed in our shire to be put to politicians particularly as there is a federal election coming up.  When lobbying we must not use statistics but use heart tug stories to win our fight on sympathy and personal issues.

 

Angst about appointing Warwick as acting CEO – while some may wish to question this decision we would all be far better off to be planning solutions for the future. 

 

Planning for long-term issues rather than short term issues.  How much time do we spend planning for long-term issues?  In 5 or 10 years time the population may decline and we need to be looking at the issues this will cause so that when it happens we are prepared.

 

Communication needs to be much better between BSC and the community.

 

·        BSC has new meeting basis allowing individuals and groups the opportunities to present issues to council. 

·        BSC will advertise before policy and large decisions are made so that community input can happen. 

·        We must use our councilors and put pressure on them to affect change. 

·        BSC must make public what is happening and so that the public is aware of BSC standards (cycles of work eg how often does something get painted?). 

·        At the end of the year Warwick will come to our meeting and be able to tell us exactly what BSC is going to do for us. 

·        WE have to learn how to make our councilors and council work better. 

·        BSC is looking to provide across the shire wellbeing indicators?

·        Shire is willing to discuss standards with ratepayers so they can decide the services they wish to change.

 

Robyn stated her support for acting CEO.

 

Roger Bragg said that Dusty Rankin thought the award he got was the best he had ever received.

 

Rosie Rickard and Val Hogan moved that we write a letter of appreciation to the organizing committee of the Christmas Party.  Carried Action James write letter

Community Grants Scheme Frances Lee moved and Helen Blencowe seconded a motion that the Birchip Forum executive makes a prioritized list of grants to be applied for under this funding.  Some suggested projects are:

 

 

The Birchip Forum Executive will meet on Thursday February 22 2007 at the Buloke Shire Offices Birchip to do this.

 

Discussion was held about the Community water grants – recycling scheme.

 

 

Mark Bowen asked on behalf of the Commercial Hotel for subsidy to help fund Roger Hogan and a group from Tasmania who will be playing at Commercial Hotel on Friday.  The event will be a fundraiser for a local charity. Nullawil football club is doing a similar thing on Saturday and community money is being used to pay for it.  Mark was told that Birchip Forum had already expended all funds that were available for this purpose.

 

Meeting closed at 10.30pm