Hobsons Bay City Council developed the Better Places program to provide a more holistic and integrated approach to thinking about designing for change for the future.

Better Places aims to actively involve the community in the process of shaping the place that they live in, helping to create a vision that not only reflects their values, ideas and priorities, but also provides practical ideas and clear steps towards turning the vision into real improvements into the future.

Better Places Spotswood & South Kingsville is the second project to be undertaken by the program and the establishment of a Better Places Spotswood & South Kingsville Local Leaders Focus Group was identified as a key framework for gaining community input. The aim is that the Focus Group consists of key and emerging community representatives that would become a central ‘think-tank’, action group and voice for Spotswood & South Kingsville.

The key focus of the Better Places Spotswood & South Kingsville Local Leaders Focus Group will be to foster the local energy and leadership within the local community to help deliver the Spotswood & South Kingsville Vision. They will do this by playing a lead role in supporting, planning and delivering the projects and programs identified in the Spotswood & South Kingsville Place Guide as well as identify new activities and events that will help to activate key areas in Spotswood & South Kingsville.

Take a look at the group’s Terms of Reference.

The group would complement other existing groups and would have the opportunity to:

• work with Council to explore new ideas and to help identify local priorities, opportunities and precincts for activations to get the best possible outcomes for the activation, diversity and character of the village centres and wider community
• encourage local action for local benefit
• identify and apply for grants
• encourage local leadership development
• promote local activities and market them to increase awareness and participation.

The Better Places Spotswood + South Kingsville Local Leaders Focus Group will assist to deliver the community’s vision for the future as outlined in the Better Places Spotswood + South Kingsville Place Guide. Click here to view the guide.