Our Community Action Plan

Many, many thanks to Annette Smith for collating our ideas for the Community Plan into such a user friendly format. Please read through and contribute your ideas.

If you scroll to the bottom of this post you will see the words "no comments", if you click on that you will open up a text box where you can leave your input.

Our plan must be submitted to council by the end of next month, ie May. This is going to make our next HPG meeting a very crucial one, and we warmly invite every one in the community to attend even if you've not been to any previous ones.

Harcourt Community Action Plan
1.       Communication
Strategy	Actions	Who will lead	Timing	Priority	Comments
a)      Promote what is happening in Harcourt to residents	Create, maintain and manage a Harcourt Progress Association newsletter and blog Regularly submit photos and articles to the Castlemaine Mail and Express
b)      Promote and support local businesses	Develop a support your local businesses/ services campaign
c)       Attract visitors to town	Develop a tourism map of Harcourt showing local attractions Develop a promotional strategy to attract visitors to Harcourt Promote the town as being family friendly
d)      Local Councillor to be available to talk with Harcourt residents	Have a listening post at the local shop regularly Local councillor to attend Harcourt Progress Group meetings
2.       Arts, Crafts, Culture, Events
Strategy	Actions	Who will lead	Timing	Priority	Comments
a)      Support and sustain existing community events and activities	Assist with the promotion, development and running of the Applefest
b)      Promote new community events and activities	Develop and promote a Food and Wine Trail for the Harcourt district
3.       Sustainability and Skills
Strategy	Actions	Who will lead	Timing	Priority	Comments
a)      Improving and protecting local landscapes	Explore the possibility of community management of the Oak Forest Improvement of the area along the creek to create a walk way
b)      Attract, recognise and retain volunteers to support community initiatives	Create a pool of volunteers from the community
4.       Facilities and Services
Strategy	Actions	Who will lead	Timing	Priority	Comments
a)      Increase access to sustainable transport options	Lobby to open the station Lobby to increase the bus service to  and from Harcourt			High
b)      Identify and support activities for young people	Set up a group to facilitate support for young people, particularly those at risk and explore opportunities to create activities and venues within Harcourt for their use.
c)       Primary school as a community venue	Use the primary school facilities and resources as a venue for community  and educational activities in Harcourt
d)      Recreational facilities	Improve the facilities in central Harcourt – eg – barbecue, lighting, toilets Provide a fenced playground Make Harcourt a destination for cyclists and cycling events
e)      Create a permanent performance space in James Park	Work with local organisations to lobby council to get this done.  Also consider the use of volunteer labour to assist with the work Investigate the possibility of applying for a regional arts grant to construct this.  Apply if appropriate.
f)       Improve the drainage in James park	Work with local organisations to lobby council to get this done.  Also consider the use of volunteer labour to assist with the work
g)      Create a multi purpose community hub in central Harcourt	Approach council to assist with the purchase of an existing building in Harcourt			High
5.       Beautification
Strategy	Actions	Who will lead	Timing	Priority	Comments
a)      Promote walking tracks and trails	Create a resource which provides information on the tracks and trails in the Harcourt area
b)      Town Centre	Explore and develop ways to create a town centre
c)       Visual Statement	Create a visual statement along the Freeway and in the town centre to draw people into Harocurt