Speak Up Moree is a new initiative from the Moree Plains Shire Council, which aims help the community give feedback easily.

Rather than holding the usual town hall meeting on the plan, this year, the council have broken up their community sessions into a series of detailed topical workshops, kicking off next Monday.

All Moree residents are invited to attend the workshops, which will cover retail, agriculture, government agencies, industry, professional services, education and health. Sessions on art and culture, sport and recreation are also upcoming.

“The reason why there’s so many workshops is this 10 year plan that we’re talking about is not just council’s plan, it’s the community’s plan,” integrated planning and reporting manager Libby Carter said.

“We really wanted to be a little bit more targeted than we have in the past, to understand for each of those segments of our economy, what matters most to them,” she said.

Ms Carter said that the council had noticed that they weren’t engaging thoroughly enough with the community during town hall meetings, and hoped the targeted meetings would attract more interest. 

“It’s incredibly important for community members to come along and have their say,” she said. Most meetings are held in the mornings and evenings to be more accessible to working residents.

“What we’re hoping for is 10-20 people to come along to each of these focus groups and really put forward what they believe are the priorities in those areas, and that will help us inform the plan,” Ms Carter said.

Ms Carter said the four prime areas the council was focusing on in their community plan were creating an inclusive caring community and vibrant regional economy, being an environmental leader and having co-ordinated leadership.

All NSW councils are required by the state government to take part in integrated planning following local election, reviewing the 10 year community plan, the council’s own four year plan and annual plans.

To see a workshop schedule, RSVP or learn more, visit the council website or call  6757 3222. Anyone unable to attend can still have their say by emailing speakupmoree@mpsc.nsw.gov.au.