Western Downs Regional Council is inviting the community to share their perspectives on the Dalby Cultural Centre project by way of a public survey.
Mayor Andrew Smith said Western Downs Regional Council recognises the invaluable insights that diverse perspectives provide and is actively seeking community input on the Dalby Cultural Centre project.
“This latest survey provides an opportunity to test the draft community values for the Cultural Centre which have been informed by the outcomes of previous engagement activities. The survey also seeks feedback on potential options for a location for the Cultural Centre,” Mayor Smith said.
“The perspectives provided by the community will help shape the project brief and ultimately guide a way forward for this project, so I encourage all residents of our region to have their say to ensure we come up with a plan which best meets the needs of our locals and visitors.
“We are aware that members of our community prefer to engage in different ways, so Council is utilising a range of different methods to gather community feedback.
“To gather feedback from community members who are not on social media or who prefer to engage in more traditional ways, Council is doing a blanket mailbox and PO Box drop of Have Your Say postcards delivered to residents in the 4405 postcode this week. These postcards have also been offered to businesses in Cunningham Street to provide to members of the public.
“We’ll be having pop-up Have Your Say stalls at Dalby Shopping World this week and Council’s engagement team have been out and about at local sporting and community events over past weekends to chat to families and young people about their aspirations for a new Cultural Centre.”
In addition to broader community engagement, Council has also established advisory panels to assist with sharing two-way information, insights and ideas about the endorsed project. There are also a number of stakeholder interviews taking place.
“Expressions of interests for the refreshed Community Advisory Panel (CAP) closed on Thursday 9 May. Of the 46 applications received for the 13 available positions, many were scored highly by the panel and so to ensure good cross representation as outlined within the selection criteria, an additional two positions were made available.
“The 15 CAP members represent a diverse range of perspectives, interests and community groups which include local arts and culture, library, education, local business, open spaces, events, other community groups and families. Specifically, there are members of many community groups and organisations including Western Downs Libraries, Dalby Chamber of Commerce, Dalby Regional Arts Council, Gallery 107, Save Thomas Jack Park group, Dalby Little Players Theatre and more.
“The new CAP will act in representation of the broader community, reflecting their varied interests and aspirations for new and revitalised cultural facilities and experiences in Dalby. They met for the first time last week to discuss the key topics in the community survey.
“A comprehensive overview of the project and information about upcoming future community engagement opportunities for the community are available on Council’s Have Your Say platform, where people can also find all the information about the CAP and the ground we’re covering in the engagement workshops.
“In partnership with local high schools, Council has also established a new Youth Advisory Panel to allow the future of our region – our young people – a voice in this project which will benefit them and other young people of the Western Downs for decades to come.
“The Youth Advisory Panel met for the first-time last Monday for an engaging workshop on all the potential sites for the Dalby Culture Centre. It was a fantastic night with plenty of energy in the room, and creative ideas and lively exchanges of views being shared. It’s great to see the next generation excited about this project and keen to be a part of the conversation.
“The Dalby Cultural Centre project presents an incredible opportunity to restore the town’s cultural offerings and pave the way for new cultural pursuits for future generations. Council is committed to engaging with the community on this exciting project throughout the entire process and delivering a Cultural Centre we can all be proud of.”
The public survey is now open and will close on Sunday 26 May 2024.
