By Kath Gannaway
The Badger Creek community came out in force on Sunday, 18 June, celebrating its unique character and community, and looking to its future.
The Badger Creek Community Celebration focused around the Badger Creek Hall, old school building, CFA station and the Men’s Shed, showcasing local organisations with music, information stands, free children’s activities, demonstrations and good food as part of the Badger Creek Community Planning Process (BCCPP).
Yarra Ranges Council initiated the BCCPP last year, facilitating the formation of a committee tasked with community planning.
BCCPP Chair Doris Pozzi said the event exceeded expectations with around 1000 people filtering through during the day and with many taking the opportunity to have a say on what they love about living in Badger Creek, and what they would like to see happen there.
She said the responses were consistent.
“What they love is the nature, the beautiful greenery and the country feel,” Ms Pozzi said.
“What they would really like to see is some footpaths and bike paths to enable people to get around safely.”
Yarra Ranges Council Community Development Officer, Jessica Adams, said working with the Badger Creek community was a positive experience.
“It’s a great bunch of generous, committed people who have heaps of good ideas for building on the strengths of Badger Creek and its community,” she said.
She said the next steps were to gather more ideas from community members, hold a community workshop to work out priority areas and community projects for action, and to write a community plan and share it with people who can make it happen.
The process has already resulted in positive outcomes including bringing an awareness of Badger Creek as a community as reflected in feedback from one of the committee members who wrote:
“Just the fact that we got together with the four facilities for this event gave the incentive for big clean-ups, amazing work at the old school with landscaping, a lovely clean-up of the hall and other buildings, meeting with community-like people, involving the school, and progress on the Roma Avenue park.”
Ms Pozzi thanked the council, saying without their encouragement and assistance the process would never have happened, but also recognised the work put in by the community and the BCCPP committee.
“We’re really grateful they chose Badger Creek for this process,” Ms Pozzi said.
She said the celebration brought a lot of people together, but was really just the start.
“We would like a few more people on the committee, and everyone is welcome to come along to our meetings,” Ms Pozzi said.
The next meeting is on Tuesday, 18 July, 4pm at the Badger Creek CFA meeting room.
Phone Ms Pozzi for more information on 0400 494 966, or keep updated on facebook Badger Creek Community.
