In very exciting news for Bass Coast, the State Government is starting the conversation about a new Junior Secondary School campus for our Shire. The proposed school will cater for students in years 7 to 9 in the Phillip Island, San Remo and Waterline areas.

The Victorian School Building Authority is considering a range of locations for the new school.

To have your say, and provide vital feedback for this project, there is an online survey to fill out, which can be found at engage.vic.gov.au/bass-coast-new-junior-secondary. The Government will also be running a community drop in event, which will be held on Tuesday, 4 June from at the San Remo Recreation Centre from 2.00pm to 7.00pm.

This is a fantastic step forward on this much-anticipated project, so make sure you jump online and have your say, or attend the drop in session.

Here at Council, we are also looking for feedback from the community on the San Remo Cemetery Masterplan and the Draft Arts and Culture Strategy.

The cemetery Masterplan recognises the role of the facility over the next 50 to 100 years. It has been designed as a park, capitalising on the incredible views, as well at the cemetery's rich history. To view the plan and to discover how to provide feedback, head to www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/cemeteries.

The Draft Arts and Culture Strategy 2015-2019 is currently out on public exhibition and we would love to hear your thoughts. The Draft Strategy can be found at www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/artstrategy, and feedback can be accepted until 5.00pm Sunday, June 16. Drop in community event booked on Tuesday 4th June 2-7pm at San Remo Rec Centre.

Last Wednesday, I attended the Employment for All Abilities event in Wonthaggi which was supported by Council and featured guest speaker, Beau Vernon.

Council is committed to increasing employment opportunities for people with disability within Council, which is spelled out in our 2016-19 Disability Action Plan. Council is a signatory to the WorkSolutions 'Gippsland Employers Making a Difference Charter' and have proudly partnered with other organisations to participate in and support a range of local employment and training opportunities and programs for people with disability.

It was a great event, which showcased the capabilities of people with disability as employees, and most definitely dispelled the myths about hiring people with disability.