TALKING ABOUT WYNDHAM

Kelly Grigsby, CEO of Wyndham City Council, spoke to the club at the last meeting about some of the plans and challenges facing the community as it continues to grow at a rapid rate.

Some of her key points were:

Focus in recent years has been on new development . However, more emphasis now needs to be on established areas such as the Werribee CBD which needs a major facelift. Planning is underway to ensure that the Werribee River becomes more accessible and prominent. But this can only be achieved by negotiating with relevant business owners to face the river rather than turn their backs to it.
Council is working closely with Victoria Police and other community groups to ensure that Wyndham is a safe place to live and work in. But we can't combat major social issues such as family violence and drugs unless we all work together.
Due to the ever-increasing physical size of our municipality and the challenges many people face in travelling to the Civic Centre for services or advice, Council has established satellite service centres in various areas which has proven to be very successful.
Another key area of focus has been on tourism. We have much to offer for tourists and there are additional plans in place to attract more visitors.
The location of a Youth Detention Centre in Werribee South had the potential to railroad those plans. But, while there was very little chance of convincing the State Government to build the centre in another municipality, she was pleased that they found an alternative location away from the residential and tourist sites. She said that the government was embarrassed and apologetic that they underestimated the backlash from the community and that they should have consulted first before making any decision.
Establishment of the East Werribee precinct will be a major game changer for Wyndham. When built, it will create thousands of new jobs and dramatically improve economic development for the area.