June 2018

Dear Community Member,

Thank you for your ongoing interest in the Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership and in our 2018 Regional Assembly which took place in Kyneton on 3 May 2018.

We had close to 200 community members attend the 2018 Regional Assembly and it is important that we keep you, our community, up to date with developments and our work.

With that in mind, I am taking this opportunity to write to you as Chair of the Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership.

The 2018 Loddon Campaspe Regional Assembly – our third – was an opportunity to showcase some of the top priorities the Regional Partnership has been working on, and a further opportunity to hear from our community.

On the night, there were focused discussions on our Regional Economy, Health, Iconic Tracks and Trails, Early Years Language and Literacy and a dedicated Youth room – complete with bean bags.

Read more about the Assembly here

As part of the Assembly, we screened a video about the Healthy Heart Initiative, which we have been working so hard, with others, to make a reality. You can view Loddon Campaspe community members talking about the Healthy Heart Initiative here.

As a Partnership, our role is now to take the messages from our 2018 Assembly, to deepen our regional understanding of each priority, and to input - where we think needed - into Victorian Government thinking. Some next steps include:

• Providing input into the design of the Healthy Heart Initiative which received $5M from the 2018/19 State Budget. 
• Creating a Regional Economic Statement. This work will help us understand what large-scale projects will help fulfil the region's aspirations for the future. 
• Identifying the place-based, community driven opportunities for an Early Years Language and Literacy program.
• Supporting mental health and resilience building for our Youth.
• Advocating for solutions for some of the transport issues which exist in small towns.
• Completing a Digital Plan for the region.
• Presenting to the Victorian Government's Rural and Regional Ministerial Committee on our region's priorities.

We will of course also keep you abreast of announcements relevant to our region, via our website, email and on our Partnership Facebook page.

Again, thank you for giving your time and insight, whether by attending the Assembly, a priority workshop, a meeting, or being active on our Engage page.

Your views are valuable and this process means our region has a direct line into Government.

I look forward to keeping the conversation going.

Regards

Nigel McGuckian
Chair
Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership