Councillors meet with community over a cuppa

Two people from separate ends of life brought to light equally important issues during the cuppa date.

Thirteen-year old Levi Pichler spoke with Cr Mackrell about the sudden pause in Kyabram’s council-led Youth Action Group, which launched in 2022.

The original goal of YAG was to platform youth perspectives and opinions and ask kids what they want to see changed in the community.

Levi said the group of seven to nine teenagers still met at the group’s original spot in the Kyabram library; however, it was difficult to fund events while they met in a council-owned building.

He outlined the importance of funding the group to the mayor, and said it was essential to provide spaces for young people to meet outside school.

On the next table over, Cr Mitchell was fielding questions from former Kyabram Council mayor Kevin Andrews about broken tiles along Allan St.

Mr Andrews, who was part of a committee to revitalise Kyabram after the cannery closure in 1984, said he was disappointed to find that the tiles he had reported to council as being broken two months earlier had not yet been fixed.

Cr Mitchell said she told him she would see what she could do about bringing it to the council officer’s attention.

She said events such as this worked as a way to get their boots on the ground and hear from community members directly about what they would like to see changed in town.

Through the event, and the eight other Campaspe Conversation events held across the shire in the week, the councillors also had the chance to promote the plans for the Draft Council and Wellbeing Plan for 2025 to 2029, which lays out the future of Campaspe in one detailed document.

Council is seeking submissions for the plan, which will be discussed at the September council meeting.

Residents can have their say on the plan by completing the survey on council’s website, where the draft plan can be found.