DCSCA at SpringDale Business Network Breakfast

On May 24, DCSCA Secretary Patrick Hughes was invited to address a breakfast meeting of the SpringDale Business Network. The Network fosters communication between businesses in the broad area of Drysdale & Clifton Springs, focused on quarterly breakfast meetings that are addressed by a diversity of speakers.

Today's meeting heard briefly about Wesfarmers' insurance services and about Youth Foundations Victoria; and at greater length about the City of Greater Geelong's Economic Development Unit. DCSCA's presentation came towards the end of the event and was accompanied by a handout, an expanded version of which follows.

SpringDale Business Network Breakfast. 24 May 2010

'The Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association: What can it offer local businesses?'

1. Context: DCSCA's aims for 2010-2011
To make DCSCA more visible to local people
• We have a quarterly newsletter (online and in print), plus single-issue mail-outs
• We've significantly increased coverage of DCSCA in the local papers
• We've launched a DCSCA 'blog' - drycliftdays.blogspot.com

To make DCSCA more representative of the local population
• We've initiated quarterly meetings with each local CoGG Councillor
• We hold quarterly Public Meetings aimed at broad, diverse audiences
• We've contacted each local school around teaching civics and citizenship
• We've initiated associations with local youth organisations.

To embed DCSCA more widely in the local community
• We're a member of the Affiliation of Bellarine Community Associations (ABCA)
• We supported a grant application by the Men's Shed
• We're supporting a grant application by local youth organisations
• We're organising the Festival of Glass in February 2011 ('art, craft and industry').

2. What's on offer? Advocacy, Advice and Action
• The Bellarine Strategic Plan 2006-2016
- we initiated a review via ABCA, linked with a review of infrastructure needs.
• Amendments C103 and C194 to the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme
- we made a written submission (see blog)
- we ran an information session about Planning Panels for people thinking of appearing before one
- we appeared before a state government Planning Panel (reports on blog).
• The 'Springs Street Community Plan'
- we made a written submission re C194 in collaboration with local residents (see blog)
- we assisted local residents to make written submissions and to appear before the Planning Panel
- we're advising local residents on conducting a survey & writing a report.
• The 'Special Charge' for the Central Road area
- we made a written submission in collaboration with local residents (see blog)
- we will appear before a CoGG Submissions Panel.
• The City of Greater Geelong's Consultation Policy
- we proposed initiating broad benchmarks and measures (see blog)
- no response, so we wrote a draft detailed policy.

3. The focus: CoGG's economic and employment (non-)strategy
• Our towns are becoming dormitories for Geelong and Melbourne
• CoGG's Bellarine Strategic Plan and Structure Plan for Drysdale & Clifton Springs: more shops, another supermarket and a motel - and that's all!
• No high-wage, high-tech jobs (e.g. post-carbon technologies) to retain youth and wealth in the area
• Inadequate public transport makes increasing numbers of people drive to work, clogging the roads and increasing emissions of greenhouse gases
• There is clearly a need and a role for some form of business association in our towns - DCSCA would be glad to support and assist such an association however it can.