Communications project
Background
The Strathewen community has operated a successful community-based communications strategy since Black Saturday. Our first SMS was sent out to 116 numbers collected by word of mouth on the 17th February 2009.
On its formation the Community Association supported community-based communications. We entered into a contract with a commercial web-based SMS service, created a unique email address scra@tpg.com.au and set up our own website http://www.strathewen.vic.au/ The website also links to our web-based community calendar.
We have also provided an ADSL Internet service, fax and telephone at the Community Centre. More recently we have supported a decentralised administration by purchasing a Community Association laptop computer with Mobile Broadband.
The facilities to operate these forms of communication have been provided free or at a greatly reduced rate. It is now time to fund them in an ongoing manner.
VBRRA have approved $ 40,000 for use in supporting our development and consolidation of community-based communications, which will be used over the next two years to continue to deliver newsletters, to maintain an e-mail and SMS service, to develop the Community Association website including a calendar facility, and to provide communications facilities at the Community Centre.
Communications Working Group
The Communications requirements are driven by projects being run by the Community Association and other agencies on behalf of Strathewen. Delivering the communications have been Georgina Robertson-Stecher (website and on the mark with SMS/email requests from the community), Nyree Earps (SMS), Bronwyn South (convenor and email), Brendan Parkinson (printing), David Brown (newsletter editor) and Geoff Raftery (Google calendar).
We are missing artistic input and a photographer, and any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Project management
Administrative and executive support in developing and consolidating our communications systems will be provided through the Bushfire Recovery staff at Nillumbik Shire Council.
