Council
27 June, 2025
Councillors unite behind clarified positions
CORANGAMITE Shire councillors have endorsed positions across a range of current issues, with wording designed to “cut through” in its advocacy.
Corangamite Shire councillors agreed at last week’s Ordinary Meeting of Council to endorse an official position on 11 different items impacting shire residents following an alternative motion which will see some minor changing to the final wording.
The position statements will provide formal views and policy positions across each of the matters, which can be used as part of advocacy campaigns in addition to supporting transparency on public interest matters for residents.
The topics to receive a position statement are: Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, drought support, roads funding, climate action, importance of agriculture, impact of timber plantations, childcare, housing, the Twelves Apostles Precinct Development, gas and transition of net zero and seismic testing.
Councillor Geraldine Conheady endorsed the item in principle, but moved the alternate recommendation which would allow the chief executive officer to make minor alterations.
“I’ve advised some minor alterations I would like to see in those position statements which don’t really change the overall context of them or the messaging in them, but just little tweaks which I think will make them more concise and clearer about what our position is on certain matters,” she said.
“We have a lengthy list of issues before us and quite often the community may not be able to have a clear perception of what the council position is on certain matters which might be out in the public domain.
“I think that it’s a good move to provide these position statements so that we’ve all got that concise information that is clear, and can also be useful for our advocacy.”
Councillor Jo Beard, as seconder, said she supported a change of wording to ensure the shire’s view held greater weight.
“It’s important that to cut through we need it to be punchy, and there was a few little words I thought we can just get a little bit stronger on our intent,” she said.
“It alights, particularly when I look at the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund as one example, with things getting around like ‘Scrap the Tax.’
“How do we incorporate that into our messaging as well and make sure what we’ve been saying out there in the media cuts through with the position statements as well.
“There’s just a few minor alignments but the context of the intent is something I’m really rapt with because this sort of thing does bode well for us.
“I’m happy to support it, but happy to have a little work done around some of the words.”
The recommendation was carried in a unanimous vote from councillors.
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