|
Click
On the Logo for Warburton Online Web Site |
Our Mission
As part of a new sustainable townships pilot, a number of townships in the
Yarra Ranges have been encouraged to support the work of all of their
existing township groups and residents by forming a fully representative
'whole of township' committee. Members of the new committee have been working with the Shire of Yarra
Ranges and a township facilitator to ensure better flows of communication,
both internally within the township and its individual residents and
interest groups, and externally, with all levels of governments, local,
state and federal. The new committee also acts as a board of review helping council assess
funding and budget allocation.
Preliminary History
If you've followed the evolution of the Township Committee in the 3799
postcode area (Wesburn, Millgrove, Warburton, Warburton East, Reefton,
McMahons Creek and eastward to St Clair) you'll have some idea of its
progress since the preliminary public meeting on 26 April, 2001. Following this meeting, a voluntary working party
met every Monday for three months to thrash out the the vision, structure, function and
priorities of the new group. Behind the scenes, individuals formed subcommittees to address such matters
as the drafting of the constitution and to hold working bees to organise
mailouts, in order to keep the community informed. The Inaugural General Meeting was held on 30 July, 2001, when the draft
constitution was ratified and the Township Committee elected. The second Annual General Meeting was held on 26 August, 2002, when nine of
the original 12 members retired and were replaced.
What's in a name?
The name for the new committee, Bridge 3799, was chosen after lengthy
discussions within the working party. To paraphrase the reasoning behind
this name, its function is 'to embrace all the communities involved; to
prevent any perceived limitations of the new group's function which may
arise from words like 'Committee', 'Board', 'Review', 'Reference', etc.; to
work on several levels: bridging past / present / future, bridging divisions
in the local community, bridging our district with the rest of the world' (and, of course, bridges are a distinctive
feature of the district).
Our Achievements
- Establishment of a monthly newsletter in October, 2001, to report on
Bridge 3799 activities and of those of other locally-based community
groups, as well as reporting other local news;
- Significant input into the Thomas Avenue redevelopment, which won an
award for Planning Excellence from Planning Institute Australia;
- Assisting in the co-ordination of landscaping around the Water Wheel
Centre in consultation with the Shire and other community groups;
- Proactive in projects such as: solar-lighting for Thomas Avenue, an
innovative self-guided tour around the Main Street, researching the
feasibility of providing 'self-help' first aid books to all households in
the region, and pursuing the establishment of after-hours emergency medical
care in the Upper Yarra;
- Establishment of the Community
MayFair;
- A commitment to conducting at least two community forums per year (our
first two have been successful).
Further Information
If you wish to know more about Bridge 3799, or would like to participate in
the township development process, write to P.O. Box 256, Warburton, Victoria
3799 (Australia) Email: bridge3799@bigworld.com
|
