Guest Speaker Craig Lloyd CEO Murrindindi Shire Council
• Last few days have been chaotic as shire shares borders with 4 shires in lockdown and Craig is fielding up to 100 calls a day answering queries, and Shire staff doing similar• Some confusion over holiday homes and was remarkably busy Weds as people rushed to homes or be out of Melbourne before the commencement of lockdown
• Craig spoke of Shire surveying people within the Shire in last few weeks and overall people are quite positive, which was a little surprising and he said Yea came out the happiest town in the Shire – (4 on a scale of 5) which people less happy in the parts of the Shire closer to Melbourne
• Since COVID-19, Shire has learnt lots. Their aim was to go paperless in 3 years and they have almost achieved it in 3 months!
• Everyone is working remotely from home except for grounds staff and Library staff and it is going well
• For a very conservative Council, there have been big changes. All Council meetings are now live streamed
• Craig believes lockdown has assisted communication for example comparing a community meeting in a hall with a few dominating questions, to now being online, there is far more interaction with more people – a great outcome of being online – much more inclusive. Shire will use this meeting technique some of the time post COVID but acknowledged it is hard for those not online.
• Craig commented that the call out by the Shire early in the COVID crisis resulted in almost 200 people volunteering to assist should they be called upon. Craig said these people have not been needed but what was interesting was that most of them are not connected to any other club or group. Volunteers ready to 0 harvested for Rotary perhaps as are currently an untapped resource.
• Craig commented that meeting with councillors via computer is more efficient and meeting are usually shorter.
• Craig said he has spent a lot of time working with the state Government re decisions relating to Job Keeper and the like and saying that decisions made are not necessarily appropriate for rural Shires.
• New Local Government Act means changes come 1st September.
• Craig encouraged Rotarians who might be interested to consider applying to be a councillor. There is a mandatory one hour training course prior to applying and this year, elections in October there will be 7 councillors for 7 wards.
• All council elections will be via postal votes and unlike previous elections (where if you were over 70 you did not have to vote) now everyone has to vote.
• With the new Local Government Act, the new council will be required to seek more community consultation.
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| Keith and Joan | President Carol and Russell |
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| Glenn | Secretary Ian |
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| Ken | Terry |