By REBECCA BILLS
RESIDENTS in Upwey are dedicated to breathing new life into the town.
Project Upwey “Our Future, Our Plan, Our Community – Your Vision, Your Voice” is an opportunity for the whole community of Upwey to come together in conversation to workshop ideas in designing the future of the community.
Project Upwey leaders Andrew Fullagar and Michelle Johnson said the event was community inclusive with anybody who worked, lived and played in Upwey welcomed to come along.
“The project is to come together as a community to write a community plan,” Ms Johnson said.
“The idea with the community plan is to get everybody in Upwey’s thoughts and feelings of how they want to see Upwey in the future and whatever is important to them.”
Ms Johnson said from initial conversations with the community, people had suggested that they would like an off-leash dog area, the rear of the shops refurnished and the old community buildings replaced with something a little more updated.
Mr Fullagar said Project Upwey started up in the last few months however he and the Upwey Township Group had been attending a number of seminars about the idea of a master plan for the community.
“We now want to take the next step of creating the plan and not just talk about it,” he said.
“On the night, there are three main things we want to do – gather ideas, prioritise and form little task groups.
“Then we as the Project Upwey team will empower these group to actually achieve.”
Ms Johnson said the Community Conversation and Workshop will be facilitated by Peter Kenyon from Bank I.D.E.A.S.
She said Mr Kenyon’s community planning workshops were renowned throughout Australia and New Zealand and would really help in achieving the best plan for Upwey.
“On the night, we will be looking for about three to four short- term projects and then some larger projects so people can see things starting to get moving,” she said.
“What’s really important is that the community really drives this so everyone’s voice is heard.”
The Upwey Community Conversation and Workshop is on Monday 19 May from 6.30pm to 9pm at the Upwey Community Hall, 1443 Burwood Highway, Upwey.
Register for this free event to lend your voice and ideas to the shaping of Upwey at projectupwey@outlook.com.
