GREATER Bendigo's small towns are on the agenda for one first-time council candidate for the Eppalock ward.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Redesdale resident Robin Chapman said he hoped to highlight the issues for small towns on Bendigo's surrounds.
Mr Chapman said many issues were the same for small towns, whether they were in Eppalock, Whipstick or Lockwood.
His platforms include greater cooperation between council and the fire brigade groups around fire mitigation control measures, small towns meetings and aged care services.
Mr Chapman said he did not have plans to advocate for any specific measures around fire mitigation cooperation yet.
He said he believed the best thing to do was to mention it as an issue to other councillors, if elected, and speak to the brigades.
I felt like there were so many other things that needed to be brought to light on our country areas that needed to be brought to light outside of CBDs.
- Robin Chapman
Mr Chapman said it was harder for people to get in touch with council, since it had dropped small town meetings.
He said it would help people in small towns feel council understood their concerns.
Mr Chapman said council plans needed to encourage young people to come into small town areas, so they did not lose their schools or fire brigades.
"I felt like there were so many other things that needed to be brought to light on our country areas that needed to be brought to light outside of CBDs," he said.
"It doesn't really matter if it's in the Eppalock ward, the Whipstick ward or Lockwood. It comes down to making sure those communities have a good shape."
OTHER NEWS:
Mr Chapman said his vision for the City of Greater Bendigo was to find out what the people, and what traders wanted.
He said constantly fiddling around with the central business district wasn't helping traders.
Mr Chapman said he would probably advocate to make Hargreaves Mall open to one-way traffic only, keeping up an expanded pedestrian area.
Encouraging cycle tourism was an issue which Mr Chapman named as particularly relevant to the Eppalock Ward.
Mr Chapman said he was not a member of any political party.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.