Queanbeyan champions

The project was named Our Future – Make it Yours, and will tap into the knowledge and experience of the entire community.

Administrator Tim Overall said it was an opportunity for the newly merged council to find its voice.

“We are going in to this community engagement project with a clean slate,” Mr Overall said.

“The Queanbeyan-Palerang community is a new community and we need to hear the community’s aspirations and hopes to give council a good understanding of where we sit and where we want to be in 10 years.”

Mr Overall said they want people of all ages and backgrounds to take part to ensure all members of the community were represented.

The information collected is intended to help construct the community strategic plan for Queanbeyan-Palerang.

“The plan will be developed based on the feedback we receive and will be on the table for the incoming councillors following the September 2017 election,” Mr Overall said. He was joined by project champions Karuna Bajracharya and Ann Pratt in calling on the community to have their say.

Ms Pratt is manager at HOME, a community initiative providing a loving place for men and women suffering from mental illnesses who can not live independently.

She said the consultation project was an important concept.

“Queanbeyan is a great community but to keep that community spirit people need to be involved and have their say in what they value and what they would like to see changed,” Ms Pratt said.

Mr Bajracharya is the president of the not-for-profit group Braidwood Outsiders which has a special interest in addressing the needs for youth and young families when planning urban spaces and helping to activate community spaces.

The survey questionnaire was available online and hard copies were located in the council offices and libraries.

Community members can join in by going to yourvoice.qprc.nsw.gov.au.