By Callum Ludwig
Yarra Ranges Council is asking community members to join the Health and Wellbeing (HWAC) and Disability (DAC) Advisory Committees after the HWAC was completely revised.
The HWAC has been in operation since 2017 and helped advise Yarra Ranges Council on their 2021-25 Health and Wellbeing Plan, and the DAC has been in action since 2013.
Councillor Richard Higgins, who was the Chair of the HWAC from 2017 to 2020, said in the July 26 Council meeting that this item is a strengthening of the 2021-25 Health and Wellbeing Plan.
“The historical committee that has been in place have done an absolutely fantastic job, they are totally committed and professional in what they have done. The reason for this motion is they have actually established there is a bit of a lack of community members,” he said.
“The current committee consists predominantly of healthcare professionals, and they have done a fantastic job, but we need to get our community involved and set up a community-led Health and Wellbeing Committee, assisted by those professionals who will be around in a Professional Network”
The newly-revised Committee will include the Executive Officer of Health and Wellbeing, additional Council officers, and up to twelve community representatives, together with Councillor Sophie Todorov who will be retained from her previous involvement in the original Committee, which she has chaired since 2020.
Councillor Andrew Fullagar spoke to the motion as well, having been on the original Committee as a Hills community representative before his election this year.
“This panel has an important job in bringing outside voices to Council’s Health and Wellbeing policy, and what we are doing here is changing the structure so we have more community input,” he said.
“They will help to monitor the achievements of the Health and Wellbeing Plan and it’s objectives. I now encourage community members to come forward and volunteer, it’s really rewarding, I got a lot of value out of being on the Committee for a number of years, the experience and knowledge I got out of it was invaluable.”
No councillors spoke against the motion and it was carried unanimously.
The DAC’s members serve a four-year term and there are new opportunities for the 2022-2026 term.
Councillor Len Cox OAM said he was privileged to be a part of the DAC for the 8 years since its inception.
“It’s been a great experience for me and the people on this Committee. It is comprised of people with a disability, people who are carers of people with a disability and people who are in the business of caring for people with a disability,” he said.
“There’s a lot of experience in this Committee from all different angles and they are there to help Council make decisions to help people with disabilities. I think this Committee has been a terrific success, they’ve given Council some good advice and Council has certainly picked up a lot of that advice and ran with it in various different programs.”
A special thank you has been addressed to June Smith and Cliff West who have completed two consecutive four-year terms on the DAC.
Cr Cox said the people on the DAC have been real stars in giving advice on people with disabilities and the problems associated with them.
“I don’t know who will want to run for another four years and I don’t know who else will put their hand up but I’m really looking forward to forming the new Committee and going on to the future and working with them to give Council all the help they need on issues with disabilities,” he said.
“June Smith and Cliff West have been extremely helpful, both people with a disability and they are very knowledgeable and it’s been a great pleasure to work with them.”
A balanced representation of people with disability, unpaid carers and service providers will be attempted to be achieved among the new members, but no person can serve more than two consecutive terms. Applications will be shortlisted and interviewed by a panel including a person with lived experience of disability and the Council’s Disability Inclusion Officer.
Cr Higgins spoke to the motion and said this Committee is one of the most essential committees Yarra Ranges Council has.
“These people’s insight into the disability issues in our projects throughout Council from the urban areas to the rural areas, and every time they come up with something that makes our projects better or reinforces that we are travelling in the right direction with our disability protocols,” he said.
“Without them, I’m sure we’d be missing many things that need to be fixed or rectified, they are just invaluable. Thank you to June and Cliff for the fantastic contributions to this Committee, I hope they have fun with a little bit of a rest and I’m sure they will be in the background somewhere giving us their thoughts on little bits and pieces because that’s the type of people they are.”
No councillors spoke against the motion and it was carried unanimously.
