Q.4: What actions should be taken to strengthen local environments and communities?

Reduce the level of government and large scale developer involvement and strongly encourage community driven activities and development. Community ownership and control will build stronger communities with higher levels of pride and environmental responsibility.

Strategic partnerships between agencies (including local government) - linked to Performance/funding based outcomes.

More equitable way of funding that addresses the real needs of the region. Funding is more consistent and longer term that enables not for profit organisations to develop strong, viable services to support the local communities. Integrated approach across whole of government to the distribution of funding that breaks away from competitive tendering and works more closely with the communities and regional bodies in the distribution. This would ensure services are well placed to support the strengthening of local communities.

Actions on affordable housing and homelessness is vital because people cannot participate effectively in society if they do not have a secure home. Benefits do not cover the cost of private rent and there is no real access to public housing except in priority cases. This is an urgent matter to be addressed to strengthen communities

Less government

Increase focus on community activities and events with the aim of reducing anti-social behaviour and interacting with others in a positive way. Sport provides individuals with an opportunity to increase ones self esteem, helps to contribute to a sense of belonging and develops leadership skills. However sport is becoming more and more expensive each year for individuals and families to participate in local sport. An action could be to provide incentives for large commercial organisations to support 'unstructured' or social sport targeting diadvantaged communities or youth at risk.

Maintain and increase community development projects, support existing development projects, and co-ordinate Local, State and Commonwealth projects to maximise whole of life/community outcomes.

Give land owners and residents more say in how local government is managed. Local Government should be more accountable to the money spent/wasted in their electorates.

Strengthen consultation between businesses and residents.

Promote tourism within communities.

Council mayors should not be earning more money than the Prime Minister. Ratepayers are 'shareholders' and should be given a voice (not just lip service) and the ability to be more involved in Council decisions. Councillors should be accountable to the ratepayers.

Allow investors/landowners from outside of the electorate/state to vote in council elections.

Return to local area AGM type of town meetings (outside of office hours), where development and decisions that affect the local areas are made know to and discussed with the local people. Might we see some of the unemployed in our areas discover projects they can work on to improve and take pride in their local community, gaining great experience for future employers. Might we see people realise what is happening in the area where they live that they want to get involved in seeing fixed. You may think people won't bother to go to these meetings, but if people start to learn that the only way to see things change is to go and encourage other people to go to these meetings then maybe we will see change.

Lets encourage the community to connect again with their neighbours and care about what is happening around us.

Creating environmental projects involving community participation is the only way to go. Greening and recycling approach smartly can benefit the community and in the long term be self sustainable - not a bloody carbon tax!