A Pathway to the Future.

There is a new spark in Hilltops as covid restrictions ease and our community activities reactivate.

It has been a delight to be part of the re-awakening of community life in our region and be one of many Hilltops residents taking advantage of the joys that our region has to offer. For me, it seems to have centred around gastronomic delights tempered by some moderate exercise.

What better way to walk off lunch in Mur-rumburrah than to check on the progress of the silo murals and then try out the new exercise equipment installed on the walking circuit at Robert’s Park.

The Sunday roast special in Boorowa was a ‘come again’ event whilst a lap of Young included checking on the progress of our amazing new library and the commence-ment of the revamping of the Chinese Tribute Gardens.

A weekend highlight was to see the energy that has been injected into Koorawatha by the opening of the revitalised pub – a community hub in action once again. Covid19 restrictions gave many of us a much-needed break from the round of so-cial, sporting and volunteer commitments and time to re-evaluate our individual and collective lives.

For me, that included thinking about a pathway to the future for our Hilltops region and the role that each of us can play in the mapping of that path. There are the statuto-ry documents that provide a framework but we should always remember that where we live is ‘our place’ – that this is ‘me’!

As a councillor but also as an individual, I asked the question – what role do I have to play in mapping out a future path that will wind right through the Hilltops region? The questions that we might ask are not easily faced or answered – it takes courage to do both.

What is our preferred future – what will it look like – what will we foster – how do we prepare for the business world of tomorrow – how can we mitigate and cope with climate change – how can we minimise the plastic waste that threatens to overwhelm us…?

All of us want a sustainable world and Council has long supported the principles that underpin global sustainability goals. I applaud the efforts that are made to bring these into council planning frameworks and look forward to a body of policy being developed that will further support these goals.

It can all become a bit overwhelming but I take heart – as I hope will you – from Earth-Care’s motto ‘Do it together, focus on the positives, share the solutions and do what we can.’

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• Local Council