MOYNE SHIRE ROAD FOCUS GROUP

Presentation to the MAV Local Government Infrastructure and Asset Management Conference.

Presented by Trev Greenberger, Director of Physical Services, Moyne Shire

THE BIG BANG THEORY

• Provides a format for consultation regarding roads

• Provides a forum to educate the public about our work

• Provides a forum to differentiate between arterial and local roads

• Provides a forum for public to raise issues of interest

• Provides a forum to engage industry in our planning

• A strategic lobby group

HOW (NOT) TO MAKE IT WORK?

•Charter included issues such as road maintenance practices.

• A committee of 3 councillors, various council officers and about 10 community representatives

•Hand picked known “issue raisers” from across the Shire

• Arranged meetings at various hotels across the Shire

THE RESULT?

•Minutes were essentially a list of complaints

• Issues raised were generally of specific interest to members

• A lot of comment about road making practices

•Rarely focussed on local road issues but usually Vicroads or legislative issues

• Attack on officers

•Repetitive raising of issues with no outcomes

•Relationship wrecking as opposed to relationship building

THE RECOVERY?

•Removed all officers other than the Director from the group

• A number of individual meetings with group members

•Changed the format of the meetings to allow each member to speak early in the meeting

• Provided a folder of information and maps to all members

• Provided a template for members to complete prior to meetings with a focus on motions to raise

•Regular reports at meetings regarding progress on issues raised by the group and when they were concluded.

WHAT NOW?

•Group has been reduced to 3 councillors, 4 community representatives and the Director

• Focus on change and continuous improvement

•Discussions around budget and allocation of other funds

• Likely to receive a fund within the budget to respond to issues raised by the group

THE LEARNINGS?

•Recruit for skill or interest based members (e.g. industry)

• Focus on local road issues

• Focus on a team based approach to inform each other

• Focus on strategy around use of funds and increasing funding streams

• Agenda needs to be worthwhile and focus on achieving outcomes

• Potentially a larger facilitated forum

THE POTENTIAL?

• Learn from each other

• Strategic approach to use of roads budget

• Buy in from other players such as industry and emergency services

• Partnership approach to problem solving

• Creation of a strong and influential lobby group

• Community consultation evidence for grants and Government reporting