Keep the spotlight on East Gippsland

Opinion piece – Cr John White, East Gippsland Shire Council Mayor

East Gippsland has always been unique: the diversity of landscape; ingenuity of our people; our community connectivity; and our resilience.

I have highlighted on countless occasions over the past six months how the resilience of our community has seen us weather challenges before, and that it would see us through again.

We are certainly drawing on all that resilience and dipping into our reserves. The tide will turn. We must remember that we are not alone, and help is available as we navigate 2020 and beyond.

East Gippsland is vulnerable now, and we are being challenged.

Reports by some media outlets purporting ‘economic ruin’ for East Gippsland following the release of national economic impact data modelling can be a psychological blow. But we shouldn’t let the headline grabbing statements get us down. We already all know, directly or indirectly, that our economy isn’t where we need it to be.

The spotlight being on East Gippsland can be a positive. Metropolitan media, the domestic tourism market, and political audiences hearing we are in for a bigger challenge than most other regions in Australia can only help us in the long run.

I ask anyone who reads or hears these reports to ‘remember East Gippsland’. The pandemic restrictions will be lifted, and you will be able to visit us again. We will be here ready to welcome that second wave of goodwill we started experiencing in the early stages of bushfire recovery.

As a Council, we know businesses, families and individuals are facing some of their toughest challenges. Bushfires and the pandemic grab the headlines, but we must reinforce that’s on top of more than three years of severe, prolonged and yet-to-be-broken drought; the native timber industry ban; and an end to commercial Gippsland Lakes fishing.

These ‘big five’ events will be what I recall as having shaped our short, medium and possible long-term future.

As Council supports the community through these events, there’s no time to sit idle.

The pandemic has added another layer of challenges for everyone. Council is working with the community, daily, on all avenues to assist our social and economic recovery, rebuild and shape the future.

We have a range of rate relief options in place for directly and indirectly impacted people, we are working with individual communities in recovery, we are extending expiry dates on various permits, not increasing commercials leases, enacting planning and business concierge services, and many more.

We are proactively engaging with the business community to understand the impacts of drought, bushfire and the pandemic. Leveraging support for this sector is a priority.

The work our bolstered economic development team, with the support of various other agencies such as Small Business Victoria, is doing directly with business will help most people get back on their feet sooner.

As Mayor, my spirits are regularly lifted when I see or hear what our businesses, community groups and residents are doing in our communities to adapt. While there are businesses reporting strong returns and growth, many are doing it tough. We are in all this together and Council assist wherever it can.

We have been dealt a tough hand of late. Working together, we are sowing the seeds for a return to an East Gippsland where we all love to live, work and invest.