Urgent community meeting

Can you imagine a world where you can't forage for blackberries or pine mushrooms on public land? Where you are not allowed to scrounge at the tip for materials to repurpose? Can you imagine having to ask council for permission when you want to throw a birthday party at the pub? Or plant a tree on your nature strip?

After ten years, Hepburn Shire Council is making changes to some of its local laws about what can and can't be done on public land and in public places. While the laws are not too dissimilar to the ones made ten years ago, the new laws are more controlling and more suburban in flavour, and are completely at odds with the recent Climate Emergency declaration and the acceptance of the award winning Z-Net Plan, a 10-year masterplan for the Hepburn Shire to reach 100% renewable electricity supply, zero-net energy and zero-net emissions by 2029.

Representatives from the shire's sustainability groups: SHARE, Hepburn Relocalisation Network, Hepburn Z-NET, Daylesford Community Food Gardeners, Daylesford Repair Café, Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, Localising Leanganook, Yandoit, Clydesdale and Franklinford Community Planning Group, Goathand Cooperative, and Hepburn Wind are hereby calling a community meeting.

The intention of this meeting is to make sure community members are informed about the proposed changes and how they will impact our lives. The purpose of this meeting is to talk constructively about a way forward in collaboration with council. The aim of the meeting is not to abuse or insult council as an institution of any of its employees.

If you are on FB, you can RSVP here.

Please have a read of the new proposed laws. If, like so many of us, you are feeling outraged by the proposed laws, you have until 5pm on Friday December 13 to send a submission to Hepburn Shire Council to let them know.

Submissions clearly marked ‘Local Law Submission’ should be addressed to:
Evan King CEO, PO Box 21, Daylesford 3460 or by email to shire@hepburn.vic.gov.au.