By Victoria Stone-Meadows
TARGETED residences from across the Casey municipality will receive letters from the mayor in the coming weeks inviting them to apply to be on a people’s panel.
Casey Council is establishing the people’s panel to allow the community to directly inform the direction of infrastructure and community spending over the next four years.
The panel will be made up of 60 residents from the City of Casey, selected by an independent consulting company, to give a representative cross-section of the community.
The panel will meet four times in March and be presented with budgetary and cost balancing problems to solve that will inform council on what the community wants prioritised.
While the recommendations and decisions put forward by the panel will be presented to councillors for consideration, the panel’s recommendations are not binding on council decisions.
Mayfield ward Councillor Amanda Stapledon said the people’s panel would be a positive way for council to stay better connected to the community’s needs.
“I think it’s a great thing and I think it’s important we consult with the community and have good strong voices to give us that feedback,” she said.
“To some extent council is a people’s panel already, so this is an extension of that.”
Cr Stapledon also said the panel would allow people to understand council processes better and dispel some of the misunderstandings about council.
“The panel will allow people to feel more engaged and understand why things are done a certain way, and realise how they can help get things achieved.”
However, while Cr Steve Beardon agreed that council was already a people’s panel, he saw this initiative as an unnecessary extra.
“They have 11 people representing the people of Casey already called councillors,” he said.
“I think consultation is good idea when it is done broadly by elected councillors and I’m more than happy to doorknock 100 houses and by 50 we would have the answers this panel will give.”
Cr Beardon believes the new people’s panel is an expense to the people of Casey that could be put to better use.
“The number of parks and playgrounds in Cranbourne alone that could benefit from the kind of investment immediately is huge; as well as graffiti removal, home and community care services etc.
“The questions aren’t going to be as I would put them; just asking residents what they are prepared to give up to remain in the rate cap is a skewed way to put it to people.
“I would rather we just ask people what they need and if they can afford a rate rise or if we can work harder to achieve goals within the current budget; people want us to work harder and smarter.”
Council have engaged the services of Capire Consulting Group for an undisclosed amount to help select the panel and ensure all facets of the community are represented.
Council has confirmed the data used to benchmark this cross-section will be a combination of Census data from 2011 and their own council records.
“Our city is one of Victoria’s fastest growing and council needs to ensure it is meeting community needs and expectations within the tough financial environment caused by State Government imposed rate capping,” Casey Mayor Cr Aziz said.
“Council and the community will have to make some tough choices about the level of services and infrastructure it wants.”
Members of the people’s panel will be reimbursed $320 per person, a total of $19,200, for their involvement at the conclusion of the project.
Those interested in being a member of the people’s panel that don’t receive a letter from council can apply to be part of the project on council’s website www.caseyconversations.com.au/peoplespanel.
