Pinjarra and Dwellingup are on the move thanks to passionate, hands-on residents, creatives and business owners and a local government’s commitment to community-led initiatives.
Pinjarra’s place-making group, Pinjarra Connect, has been operating for over 18 months, working closely with the Shire of Murray to revitalise the town.
The group has implemented several initiatives offering significant opportunities for residents, entrepreneurs, creatives and business owners.
Regular Music on the Murray events provide local musicians a picturesque stage to share their talent with welcoming crowds. Soup crowdfunding dinners gave voice to community-led initiatives. Neighbourhood harvests promote locals getting together to share stories over a meal and movie nights, and twilight yoga provides additional social and health benefits.
Pinjarra Connect’s most-momentous achievement to date was realised last week with the opening of The Court House. The facility boasts a meeting room and hot desks as well as a space for local creatives to produce, display and sell their works, and is an ideal venue to host workshops.
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Over the next year, the group will focus on projects that continue to encourage and support street art and vibrancy within the town centre.
Dwellingup’s place-making group, Dwellingup Creative, formed in 2018, with the December Carols in the Forest event one of their first initiatives. The group have also undertaken a planting project within the main street, and are considering public art and re purposing under-utilised outdoor spaces.
The place-making groups both share a common theme – the creation of a main street environment where innovative ideas and projects bring the community together, inspire others and contribute to a vibrant, diverse and unique local experience.
Place-making will increase the quality of life for local residents, create unique experiences for visitors to the towns, encourage return visitation and have flow-on benefits for local business.
Through place-making, the skills, experiences and resources within our community in private, public and voluntary sectors, can be harnessed, to better our localities for the benefit of our people.
A new place development team established within the Shire of Murray will continue to work with the groups to further the achievements realised to date, and expand the current reach into other Shire areas.
Place-making in Murray is in motion, and we look forward to making places better together.
Cr David Bolt is Shire of Murray president.
