The Great South Coast Group – the peak advocacy and lobbying group for an area bounded by the Shires of Southern Grampians, Glenelg, Moyne, Corangamite, Colac Otway and the City of Warrnambool – seeks to appoint a passionate individual or organisation as its Executive Officer.
To succeed in this role, you will need capacity to build relationships with multiple stakeholders and a firm commitment to regional collaboration.
Your high-level advocacy/lobbying skills and a capacity to influence outcomes will also be of interest.
With responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day management of the organisation, you will ideally have some experience in Board and Company administration, along with sound leadership skills.
Appropriate tertiary qualifications and active professional networks across government, media, community and industry will be highly regarded.
Remuneration will be negotiated with the successful applicant.
Click here to download the position description
Click here to download the conditions of employment
A cancer centre for Warrnambool, better roads, tourism and passenger rail have all been singled out as the Great South Coast region’s top priorities.
The Great South Coast Board met in Hamilton on Friday to collectively decide which issues it would take to the Federal and State Governments in the lead-up to elections later this year and in 2014.
Chair Chris O’Connor said there had been universal agreement that Warrnambool’s integrated cancer centre was this region’s highest need.
“This centre will mean people living in the Great South Coast region can access specialist cancer treatment close to home,” Cr O’Connor said.
“At the moment, they’re forced to travel long distances to get the care they need, and that often means long spells away from their family and other supports.”
Second on the group’s priority list was roads – specifically, the lack of government funds to maintain and repair regional roads.
“Those of us who travel across our region on a regular basis know that our roads are the worst in the state,” Cr O’Connor said.
“Our aim is to position this region as the region of highest need so that we can get the resources we need to fix our roads.”
The Great South Coast Group’s third highest priority was tourism.
In particular, the group will focus on attracting funds to develop two iconic tourists walk – the 12 Apostles Walk and the Grampians Wild Walk.
Cr O’Connor said the region, with its plethora of natural assets, had enormous untapped potential for nature-based tourism.
“We’ve got the Grampians in the north and this incredible coastline as well as some of this country’s most significant cultural heritage sites.
“It’s time we started telling the world about those things.”
Lobbying for extra passenger rail services on the Geelong to Warrnambool line and exploring the potential for passenger services from Ararat to Portland via Hamilton are also high on the Group’s priority list.
Cr O’Connor said this priority was around boosting the connectivity of the Great South Coast’s towns.
“It’s about making sure we have regular, reliable connections to Geelong and Melbourne, but it’s also about seeing whether it’s feasible to introduce
Beyond the top four priorities, Cr O’Connor said the Great South Coast Group would also work on a range of other issues in the coming year.
These included:
Media information:
Karen Foster
Great South Coast Executive Officer
Phone: 0407 312 836
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The Great South Coast Group has set its sights on this region’s “unacceptable” Year 12 attainment rates, vowing to work for cultural change.
At its Board meeting in Port Fairy on Friday, the region’s peak body formally endorsed Year 12 or equivalent attainment as a priority area of focus and action.
Great South Coast Chair Cr Chris O’Connor said a recently released Auditor General’s report on student completion rates revealed that Year 12 completion rates for this region were among Victoria’s lowest.
“In some parts of our region, less than 50 per cent of our young people are achieving Year 12 or equivalent,” Cr O’Connor said.
“That’s simply unacceptable.”
Cr O’Connor said completion of Year 12 or equivalent was arguably a young person’s the best opportunity to secure a solid foundation for a healthy and happy future.
“There is sound research that shows that young people who leave school before they finish Year 12 are more likely to be socially and economically disadvantaged later in life,” he said.
“So we know that education is the key to lifting people’s health and wellbeing.
Cr O’Connor said the Great South Coast Group had formed a working party to explore a whole-of-community approach to boosting Year 12 attainment rates.
He said the working group acknowledged the importance of addressing the issue of Year 12 attainment across the entire life cycle, beginning at birth.
“This is not just a problem for our secondary schools – this is an issue for our entire community.
“And while there might be some short-term measures we can put in place, this is likely to be a long-term thing.
“It’s likely to involve a real shift in our culture and our attitudes to learning and education.”
Cr O’Connor said the Board’s decision to make Year 12 attainment a priority was in step with government policy, with the Victorian and Federal Governments also recently announcing measures to address school retention rates.
He said the working group would now seek the views of a broad range of stakeholders, including education providers and community groups and agencies, to explore next steps.
“This is a big job and we don’t expect overnight results, but the Great South Coast Group is intent on bringing together all the people who can make a difference to our young people’s educational outcomes,” Cr O’Connor said.
Media information:
Karen Foster
Great South Coast Executive Officer
Phone: 0407 312 836
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The Great South Coast highlighted the importance of governments becoming more “regionally literate” at last week’s VECCI Regional Business Convention.
The Great South was one of seven regions represented at the two-day conference in Geelong, which was attended by Premier Ted Baillieu and Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews.
A delegation of five business and community leaders explained to other delegates the important role the Great South Coast and its agricultural powerhouse would contribute to the Victorian economy in the coming decade.
Speakers Great South Coast Executive Officer and local business owner Karen Foster and Mike Weise, of Mike Weise Consulting, highlighted this region’s ‘clean, green’ environment and the opportunities to significantly build upon agriculture.
Importantly, the delegation introduced the notion of “regional literacy”.
“What we find is that there is a high level of ‘regional literacy’ – a genuine understanding of the issues, opportunities and challenges the regions face – here among our communities,” Ms Foster said.
“Our sense is that regional businesses and economies could benefit from a higher degree of ‘regional literacy’ in Spring Street.”
Other issues the Great South Coast raised during its presentation to the VECCI convention included the need for a regional education strategy to address this region’s poor Year 12 attainment rates and the need for investment in vocational training.
The Great South Coast delegation also impressed upon the delegates the need to build stronger connections, relationships and regional alliances and called for much stronger investment in regional infrastructure.
VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone said regional growth was putting pressure on infrastructure.
"Roads, bridges, airports, public transport systems, hospitals and educational facilities, arts and cultural facilities, and more basic community services, are all beginning to feel the strain of our expanding regions,” Mr Stone said.
The Convention, held every two years, commenced with workshops held in each Victorian region.
Around 70 people from the Great South Coast region attended the Warrnambool workshop, with delegates Karen Foster and Mike Weise joined by Kylie Gaston, Greg Walcott and Richard Zerbe to represent the Great South Coast in Geelong last week.
“The Great South Coast region can contribute many things to Victoria’s competitiveness and sustainable growth over the next decade,” Ms. Foster said.
“It was important for us to have opportunity to put this region squarely on the Government’s radar.”
Media information:
Karen Foster
Great South Coast Executive Officer
Phone: 0407 312 836
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
A support process for developing a preventative health strategy for the Great South Coast will be outlined during a meeting at Hamilton on Friday.
Deakin University and South West Primary Care Partnership (PCP) and Southern Grampians Glenelg PCP leaders will meet to discuss the identification of priority health issues in support of the Great South Coast Group.
Local Governments, PCP member agencies and Deakin will work on identifying health issues that will be addressed in local government municipal health plans in a partnership approach.
The Department of Health has funded a municipal preventative health and well being planning support strategy to prepare for the development of new local government health plans.
Vicky Mason, Director of Community Development and GSC Group Pillar leader, said the strategy would focus on the major health issues affecting the whole region.
“We are looking to identify major issues that are of concern to all local government areas in our region,” she said.
The support strategy complements the Great South Coast strengthening our community pillar and is designed to help municipalities produce better health plans.
The Deakin and PCP alliance will support the priority research.
The initiative follows the formation of an Australian-first partnership between Deakin and South West PCP to address local health workforce issues and grow the health and wellbeing capacity and health promotion expertise of the region.
The PCP is now based at the Warrnambool Campus and it is expected the partnership will help Deakin health students to gain practical experience in the field and improve research.
Photo opportunity:
| Venue: | Dariwell Farm in Hamilton |
| Date: | Friday, 24 August 2012 |
| Time: | Noon |
To arrange interviews or photos please contact Rick Bayne on 0418 140 489.
Issued by: Rick Bayne, Deakin University, 0418 140 489.
Great South Coast councils have been dealt a surprise $1.5 million blow after a technical correction to the Australian Government financial assistance grants.
Great South Coast Group Chair Matt Makin said the six regional councils would have to find a collective $1.54 million to maintain their current service levels after a funding ‘redirection’.
“Basically, the Federal Government is clawing back this money at a time when councils have already set their 2012-13 budgets,” Cr Makin said.
“This means we will either be forced to cut promised services or or add to our debt levels.”
Cr Makin said the basis for the funding redistribution was largely in response to a technical correction to Victoria’s population figures in the wake of the 2011 Census.
He said this formula was based on consumer price movements that did not in any way reflect the increasing costs associated with local government.
“Our biggest cost is around people – paying the salaries of the people who deliver services like child care and kindergartens, home care, libraries, maternal and child health visits.
“These costs are simply not reflected in CPI movements.”
Cr Makin said the Great South Coast Group would be writing to Federal Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government Simon Crean to express its frustration at the funding redistribution.
“This is a huge blow for Great South Coast Councils and it comes at a time when we are already grappling with the fallout of the defined benefits superannuation issue.”
Estimated impact of the Australian Government’s financial assistance grants redistribution per Great South Coast council
| Council | Estimated impact |
| Colac Otway Shire | $180,000 |
| Corangamite Shire | $300,000 |
| Warrnambool City | $172,000 |
| Moyne Shire | $557,000 |
| Southern Grampians Shire | $146,000 |
| Glenelg Shire | $186,000 |
Media information:
Matt Makin
Great South Coast Chair and Corangamite Shire Mayor
Phone: 0427 322 282
0.5 EFT, Warrnambool
The Great South Coast Group is the region's peak regional advocacy and strategic planning body. It takes in an area bounded by the Shires of Colac Otway, Corangamite, Moyne, Southern Grampians, Glenelg and the City of Warrnambool.
A highly organised and efficient person is sought to take on the position of Secretariat Support Officer.
Working with the Executive Officer and supporting the organisation's four Pillar Groups, you'll be responsible for planning meeting schedules and business calendars, taking and distributing minutes of meetings and general research and administration. This is a diverse role in which your exceptional communication and organisational skills will be paramount.
The position is fixed-term (until June 30, 2013) and is based in Warrnambool with a requirement to travel across the Great South Coast region.
For details and a position description, please contact the Executive Officer, Karen Foster, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone 5568 3095.
Applications close Friday 3 August.
The Great South Coast region is set to embark upon its largest regional infrastructure project yet, having been awarded more than $1.4 million for a regional street lighting project.
The Great South Coast Street Smart Lighting Program will see some 7500 street lights replaced with environmentally-friendly globes in a number of key residential streets.
Australian farmers and their families face a number of significant health, occupation and environmental hazards. Research indicates they often experience poorer health outcomes than their urban counterparts, have higher mortality and morbidity rates and are over represented in accident and injury statistics.
A special live satellite broadcast on Tuesday 8 May will explore these issues and potential solutions.
The panel includes ABC commentator Dr Norman Swan, National Centre for Farmer Health Director Susan Brumby and other notable experts in the field of farmer health.
The region’s peak body has expressed its concern at having missed out on the next phase of the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout.
Great South Coast Group Chair Matt Makin said he and his colleagues were “disappointed and confused” at the logic that has seen this region excluded from the NBN’s latest three-year rollout announcement.
The plan will connect 3.5 million additional premises in 66 towns or localities – none of which are in the Great South Coast region – to high-speed broadband by June 30, 2015.
“The Great South Coast is one of regional Australia’s success stories,” Cr Makin said.
“We in the thick of unprecedented growth and yet we’re already so far behind urban Australia in terms of broadband access and speed.
“A lot of the investment flagged for our region could be jeopardised without access to the NBN.”
Cr Makin’s concerns were echoed by Warrnambool businessman Rod Brugman, co-owner and Director of IT support company, eResources, who said regional businesses would be disadvantaged without high-speed broadband access.
“A whole range of industries and businesses are dependent on the internet,” he said.
“(This announcement) puts us three years behind other centres like Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong who, because of high-speed broadband, are now going to be a whole lot more competitive and whole lot more attractive to investors.”
Mr Brugman said his business worked with around 150 small to medium enterprises in the Great South Coast region whose futures could be reliant on having access to high-speed Internet services.
“It’s not so much that we’ll feel it today, but in three, five even 10 years’ time, we won’t be able to do what the world is expecting us to do because we won’t have the access we need to high-speed broadband.
“It’s the technology lifeblood – it’s the pulse that is going to keep business moving forward and I don’t think people truly understand the full impact of that.”
Cr Makin, also Corangamite Shire Mayor, said his Council had heard a presentation just last month from NBN Co. which had assured Councillors the rollout process would be merit-based and apoliticial.
“Clearly, our region has a high need and yet we have missed out yet again,” he said.
“I ask why, given the projected industry expansion and rapid growth in centres such as Warrnambool, would we be overlooked?
“We’ll be maintaining our pressure on NBN Co and keeping close tabs on developments from here,” he said.
Media information:
Karen Foster
Great South Coast Executive Officer
Phone: 0407 312 836
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
An outstanding opportunity has arisen to make a substantial contribution to Victoria's Great South Coast Region.
The Great South Coast Group – the peak advocacy…
