Hello everyone,
While I like to use this weekly Mayor’s Message to talk about what’s ahead, I can’t let the opportunity pass without reflecting on the long weekend.
Despite the heat, our towns were buzzing with huge numbers of visitors strolling through the streets, or attending the many events on offer.
The annual Tastes of Rutherglen saw great attendance, as did local markets and the Chiltern Rodeo, which was an incredible spectacle.
Arts Rutherglen put on another fantastic show with the Rutherglen Tastes of Art Prize 2024 featuring 500 artworks on exhibition from local and interstate artists. I’ve also heard wonderful feedback about the Beechworth Biennale, demonstrating the strong interest our community and visitors have in the arts.
The diversity of events and attractions that Indigo Shire offers is extraordinary, making it such a popular destination, and weekends such as the Labour Day holiday, Easter and King’s Birthday are vitally important to our economy.
I want to congratulate all the event organisers, volunteers, businesses, and participants for making the weekend such a success and to our staff who play an important support role in ensuring these events happen in the first place.
I now want to turn my attention to the future, specifically our long-term future and the type of Shire you want to see developed over the next decade and beyond.
We’re starting work on a review of our 10-Year Community Vision which we adopted in June 2021. We want to check in with the community to ensure that our vision statements, developed in consultation with the community, continue to reflect the aspirations and priorities that were identified three years ago.
The Community Vision is an important document that helps to shape the strategic priorities and actions that will inform the next four-year Council Plan that will be adopted in June 2025.
At this stage, we’re inviting feedback via our online ENGAGED INDIGO platform, and we will have more details about other opportunities to contribute to the vision review in a future edition of YOUR INDIGO.
I hope you have a safe and enjoyable weekend.
Cr Sophie Price.