Our Darebin

Published on 17 December 2024

People having a conversation doing a consultation 2
December 2024 Update

Earlier this year, Darebin Council launched ‘Our Darebin’, a project to review our Community Vision, and develop our Council Plan (including our Health and Wellbeing Plan), and other important forward-looking documents.

Like many in the community, Council is facing financial challenges. We need to focus our efforts on what matters most to Darebin residents.

For seven weeks, starting in July we engaged with the Darebin community through nine face-to face pop-ups, an online survey, and 80 targeted engagement activities. In total, we engaged with almost 3500 people about what was most important to them. Thank you to everyone who took part.

A cornerstone of Our Darebin was the deliberative engagement which took place from 13 November to 7 December. The Our Darebin panel, a group of around 40 residents randomly selected to reflect the diversity of the Darebin community, came together over four days to deliberate and provide input on key strategic plans. The panel’s recommendations will be central to shaping Darebin’s future direction, helping steer our city towards a financially sustainable future.

We have also been working collaboratively with Darebin’s diverse communities to ensure all voices are heard and respected, embedding perspectives and priorities into the Community Vision and Council Plan to help build a more inclusive and meaningful future.

Zeo, a panel member from Reservoir, described his deliberative engagement experience as rewarding, saying, “Participating in the Our Darebin panel was a great experience. I’ve been a resident of Reservoir for more than 10 years, and the panel was a great way to give back to the community and contribute to conversations that will shape Darebin’s future”. He added, “Safety is a key priority, and being able to live and work safely in our city is important to me”.

In 2025, the community will have an opportunity to review the draft Council Plan (including our Health and Wellbeing Plan), Financial Plan and Asset Plan and provide feedback before they are adopted by Council. Our Darebin is Council’s commitment to inclusive decision-making and community collaboration.

Together, let’s ensure our Vision and Plan represent Our Darebin.

July 2024 Update

In 2021, we joined forces with our community to develop Darebin’s 20-year Community Vision, Council Plan 2021-25 (incorporating our Health and Wellbeing Plan), and other important forward-looking strategies.

In 2024, we’re reviewing the Vision to ensure it continues to reflect your priorities for Darebin. We want you to tell us if it still feels right or if we need to shift our focus. 

Darebin 2041 Community Vision

  • Darebin is an equitable, vibrant and connected community.
  • Darebin respects and supports First Nations People, values country, our diverse communities and places.
  • Darebin commits to mitigating the climate emergency, creating prosperity for current and future generations.

We're also creating our next four-year Council Plan - our promise to the Darebin community. With a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing, this plan will be shaped by your priorities, needs, and values, and will guide our long-term financial planning.

Your input will be crucial in helping us decide where to focus resources and efforts to best support our community.

Economic pressures impacting Council's financial sustainability mean we must ensure we deliver the projects and priorities that matter most to our community, while managing our budget responsibly.

There are lots of ways to get involved have your say about our Vision and Plan until 1 September 2024:

  1. Visit yoursay.darebin.vic.gov.au/ourdarebin and complete the survey in your language
  2. Pick up a paper survey form from any of our Customer Service Locations
  3. Email us at ourdarebin@darebin.vic.gov.au or call 8470 8888
  4. Visit us at a pop-up session in your neighbourhood:

Our Vision. Our Plan. Our Darebin.

 

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