Council toys with Facebook

By Bridget Brady
CASEY council may soon be accepting friend requests on Facebook after councillors voted to investigate the use of online social networking sites.
River Gum Ward councillor Wayne Smith on Tuesday night suggested the council explores the idea of using popular online communication forms such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
The council already has a Twitter page, with 170 followers that is accessible through its website.
The council’s latest ‘tweets’ on Twitter included news of the upcoming Casey Idol final and that community leaders had been briefed on the 2009/2010 council budget.
Cr Smith said he was not swayed either way about whether to join such sites, but said an investigation would not hurt.
“Maybe we should, I don’t know. But, I believe we should consider it,” Cr Smith said.
Springfield Ward councillor Lorraine Wreford said she supported the idea and said it could be used as a form of communication from councillors to residents, especially younger ones who were frequent users of social sites.
“It’s important to keep up with modern trends,” Cr Wreford said.
“We are up with the 21st Century, but maybe there is a little more we could do,” she said.
Edrington Ward councillor Simon Curtis said he supported the idea, but said it was important to be mindful of a number of dangers inherent in social networking sites. Council officers will report back to council by the end of October about the possibility of the council and councillors safely using communication sites.