Light Electorate Community Recovery Committee inaugural members: Member for Light Tony Piccolo, Gawler Business Development Group executive officer Caren Brougham, RDA Barossa, Gawler, Light and Adelaide Plains creative industries coordinator Leah Blankendaal and local GP Dr Naomi Rutten. PHOTO: Sam Bradbrook
DOCTORS, local business owners and community advocates are set to come together to discuss the way out of the COVID-19 pandemic for the Light electorate.
Member for Light Tony Piccolo, local GP Dr Naomi Rutten, Regional Development Australia (RDA) Barossa, Gawler, Light and Adelaide Plains creative industries co-ordinator Leah Blankendaal and Gawler Business Development Group executive officer Caren Brougham are the first members of the Light Electorate Community Recovery Committee which met for the first time last week.
The group will discuss economic and social recovery strategies to guide the north through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future.
Mr Piccolo said it was important local knowledge be used to inform any local policy.
“I want to work with local community leaders, at the table together to re-charge the local economic drivers of the Light area, to re-set our local economy,” he said.
“There can be no daylight between what community groups and business know what must occur, and the critically important decisions that will need to be made to support economic and social recovery.
“These groups need to be at the same table empowered to act together.”
The group is currently seeking more members to diversify the voices heard during discussions, with representatives from local government, business, regional development, the arts, unions, education, youth, sporting and service clubs and churches and charities invited to register interest.
Members will meet for the first time at 10am on Saturday, June 27 and will meet monthly thereafter via Zoom while social distancing measures are in place.
“While South Australia appears to have significantly reduced the spread of COVID-19 this is not the case in many other parts of Australia and the world,” Mr Piccolo said.
“The Light Electorate CRC must factor this into its thinking in preparing a local economic recovery roadmap.
“We need to be innovative and agile and include the genuine local expertise we have in decision making and not simply consult later which will create delays we cannot afford.”
