Speech 9 - "Belief - Substance - Opportunity - Vision - Regaining a Community" (2003)

 

BELIEF – SUBSTANCE – OPPORTUNITY -
VISION – REGAINING A COMMUNITY

(Speech written and delivered by Warren Maloney, as Mayor, on Monday, 25th July 2003, to the Glenlyon Progress Association at the Glenlyon Hall)

 



THE POLICY IS QUITE SIMPLE…………

“TO ASSIST EACH OF THE 37 VILLAGES & TOWNS TO BE A COMMUNITY – A COMMUNITY THAT UNDERSTANDS ITS STRENGTHS, WORKS TOGETHER TO HANDLE ITS PROBLEMS, REFLECTS ITS SUSTAINABILITY AND WELCOMES ITS LONG-TERM VISION”

 

IT IS, I BELIEVE, PART OF WHAT WE ALL WANT AS WE LOOK OUTSIDE OUR FRONT GATES – WE WANT TO BE PART OF A VIBRANT, RESOURCEFUL, CARING, AND CHALLENGING COMMUNITY.

 

NEARLY ALL THE 37 LOCATIONS HAVE AT TIMES HAD SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS OF THE POLICY. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN OR are now STRONG, RESOURCEFUL, AND ECONOMICALLY REWARDING. BUT

·         NOT ALL OF THEM SOUGHT TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT LONG TERM VISIONS.

·          NOT ALL OF THEM SOUGHT TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES BY TRAINING AND EMPOWERING ON-GOING COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

·          NOT ALL OF THEM WELCOMED CHANGE SO THAT THEY COULD ASSESS AND INTEGRATE CHANGE INTO THEIR SUSTAINABILITY.

WHERE DOES GLENLYON SIT IN AUGUST 2003 WITH THIS POLICY?

DO YOU BELIEVE IT IS DESIRABLE?

DO YOU BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN EACH OTHER ENOUGH TO BEGIN OR CONTINUE THE JOURNEY?

SOME OF THE 37 VILLAGES AND TOWNS ARE SEEING TODAY AS THE TIME TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS AREA of community building. SOME ARE UNSURE; AND SOME ARE SAYING, “WE ARE TIRED ……. WE HAVE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE ……. WE DON’T BELIEVE”

OF COURSE, THERE ARE MANY MODELS FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING. THESE MODELS GENERALLY REFLECT THE LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURES AND THE URGENCY OF OUTSIDE PRESSURES. FOR INSTANCE, THE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES ON TRENTHAM AND CRESWICK ARE NOW AND WILL NOT WAIT FOR SLOW CONSIDERATION. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE LACK OF CENTRICITY OF KOOROOCHEANG OR DEAN MEAN REASONS TO BE A COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED.

GLENLYON IS SOPHISTICATED. IT HAS A RICH AND REMEMBERED HISTORY. IT HAS A STRONG RESIDENTS’ BODY. IT HAS CENTRICITY IN THE MAIN STREET, THE FOOD STORE, THIS HALL, THE sports ground, the mineral water, the FALLS, AND THE FOREST. IT HAS AN INTERESTING MIX OF COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. IT SEEMS TO HAVE CLEARLY SAID IT WANTS TO BE A COMMUNITY.

MAY, I THEREFORE SUGGEST A MODEL?

1.      INFORMATION – GETTING AS MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT IS HERE, WHAT IS COMING AND WHAT IS WANTED

2.      KICKING GOALS CONSISTENTLY – TANGIBLE GAINS ON THE HEART AND ARTERIES AND ON THE CENTRIC FEATURES

3.      TRAINING SUFFICIENT LEADERSHIP AND AGREEING ON SUCCESSION – COMMUNITIES REFULARLY FAIL WHEN THE BATON IS NOT PASSED ON EARLY ENOUGH TO THOSE READY TO RUN

4.      LAYING DOWN THE VISION IN 5 YEARS LOTS – THE WHAT IFS ARE READILY UNDERSTOOD BY FARMERS AND COMMERCE, NOT ALWAYS BY RESIDENTS – for example, THE AGED housing PROBLEM IS TODAY’S PROBLEM IN GLENLYON

5.      REVIEW AND APPRECIATION PROCESS AT SUFFICIENTLY SMALL INTERVALS – THE THANK YOUS AND WE GOT IT WRONG ARE VITAL

6.      BRIEFING AND WELCOMING ALL NEWCOMERS INTO THE PROCESS AND FINDING THEM A ROLE AND ENSURING THAT DIVERSITY IS CELEBRATED – THE PROCESS CANNOT SUCCEED WITHOUT INCLUSIVENESS

 

hEPBURN SHIRE COUNCIL WANT TO HELP IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS JOURNEY. WE CAN BE A RESOURCE. WE CAN BE A SAFETY NET. WE CAN WALK BESIDE YOU FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT US THERE.

 


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