Council's GM selected for national planning panel
Published on 22 March 2024
General Manager Infrastructure & Planning for Mansfield Shire Council, Melissa Crane, was selected to participate in a panel discussion on behalf of the Women in Planning Network for the Planning Institute of Australia’s Rural Regional and Remote Conference 2024.
Melissa said it was an honour to be asked to present as a member on the panel, which was themed ‘Coming together in a time of change – networking and success.’
“The virtual conference brought together planners from throughout rural and regional Australia, with the program focusing on the latest rural planning trends and thought leadership from across Australia,” said Melissa.
“We are living in an era of unprecedented change, which planners must address. Planning is in the spotlight in Australia more than ever. Planning system changes and improvements will be crucial to address a broad range of challenges, including the housing crisis. This is why the theme of the conference overall is ‘Reinvention: Planning and a time of change,’ which is fitting for the current climate.
“It was a great experience to participate in this national conference. For me, this was an opportunity to show talented planners why the work we do at Mansfield is critical. We have an engaged community that really cares about how our townships and spaces develop, an incredible and raw natural beauty and the challenge of significant growth that we have to accommodate without losing what we love about our natural and open spaces.
“I was glad to be able to share my experience in leading the planning function at Mansfield Shire Council with the best of Australia’s rural and regional planners.
“As a rural planner you have the benefit of gaining experience in almost every facet of planning. You work with a community who are really close to their spaces and who are heavily invested in advocating for everything they love about their town. The work you do really matters in people’s day to day lives,” Melissa said.
Mansfield Shire Council is currently seeking a talented and community-focused strategic planner. Go to mansfield.vic.gov.au/work-with-us to find out more.