Yorke Peninsula Council, in partnership with Regional Development Australia Yorke and Mid North, has facilitated 12 Township Activation workshops empowering communities to help shape the future of their towns.

Eight workshops were hosted during February at Ardrossan, Port Vincent, Price, Clinton, Balgowan, Port Victoria, Coobowie and Point Turton, attracting more than 300 participants.

These sessions built on earlier workshops held in Marion Bay, Corny Point, Edithburgh and Stansbury late last year, which were attended by more than 80 community members.

Surveys were also undertaken across townships ensuring more local voices were heard.

The workshops were designed to identify what communities value most about their towns and what priority focus areas are important to the community in the short and longer term.

This latest phase of engagement focused on coastal towns and was made possible through grant funding from the Northern and Yorke Local Government Association, supporting algal bloom recovery across the region.
Yorke Peninsula Council Economic Development and Tourism Officer Brooke Liebelt said the strong level of participation highlighted the passion people have for their local communities.

“It’s been incredibly encouraging to see people across our coastal towns come together to share their ideas, priorities and aspirations,” Mrs Liebelt said.

“These workshops give our communities a genuine voice in shaping the future of their towns from small-scale improvements to larger, transformative long-term projects.”

“Importantly, the feedback we’ve gathered strengthens Council’s ability to advocate for funding and align future grant applications with projects that truly reflect community values.

“When funding opportunities become available, such as the recently announced Algal Bloom Community Infrastructure grants, we are better positioned to act quickly and strategically because we have clear, community-endorsed priorities ready to go.”

Yorke Peninsula Council thanks all community members who attended workshops or completed surveys and looks forward to continuing to work alongside towns to bring priority projects to life.