Committee for Ballarat's community consultative panel starts work

A small band of community members have joined a new consultative panel for advocacy body Committee for Ballarat, which bears the mantra thinking ahead.

Committee has long recognised this only truly works for meeting the region's needs by tapping into a diversity in perspectives that goes beyond its membership.

While this Committee has featured community memberships before, this new panel is charged with taking ideas directly to the board and responding to the big ideas put to them.

Panellists aim to be a sounding board for what matters most at the grassroots.

Joanne Gilbert quipped she was a "big fan of community involvement" always joining different committees. This chance appealed to Ms Gilbert.

She said Committee had an impressive array of high achievers and lots of clever business minds in its mix but in some ways, that could limit insights in championing for the region.

"I live in the Golden Plains Shire, in Cambrian Hill, and I'm particularly interested in the way Ballarat is growing and I'm keen to know how Ballarat will keep up with growth," Ms Gilbert said.

"The town is huge. It's important how we're shaping and molding that. Ballarat is a great place to live, there's so much to offer.

"Maintaining Ballarat's heritage with growth and development is something I'm passionate about."

Committee for Ballarat works across all tiers of government for Ballarat and the wider region's general interests in livability, sustainability, connectivity and leadership goals.

Innovation, lifestyle and employment are important focuses as the region's population grows.

A vision for Australia's first community-owned energy network piqued Matt Bowd's interest.

Sustainability is an important factor for Mr Bowd, who has a diverse career working and living overseas in locations such as the Philippines, India and is now based in Beaufort where he works remotely for a British company.

Mr Bowd is also a director of the Beaufort community bank and like Ms Gilbert is keen to champion a growing city with ripple effects on communities outside Ballarat.

Another driver, he said, was having a son with autism and a passion for developing a more inclusive region for people with "invisible disabilities".

"The panel has a diverse skill set of professionalism and needs," Mr Bowd said. "The more we work together, the more comfortable we will become in generating ideas with each other."

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Committee for Ballarat board member Sara Quon will work directly with the consultative panel. Ms Quon is also Sovereign Hill's chief executive officer.

She said a more structured format for community involvement will benefit Committee's board and management, primarily for the different perspectives and skills members would offer.

"We're so fortunate this cohort's background and perspectives comes from across the region," Ms Quon said. "Committee for Ballarat is about the region and the thought provocation at a regional scale. It is important voices from lots of different communities and industries come together.

"...Each individual brings a different reference of lived experience in background, professionally and personally."

Ms Quon said such a philosophy was what mattered most to her as a Committee board member. She was excited to be involved in helping to shape this new process.

Committee for Ballarat's consultative panel had its first meeting in mid-August.

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