Council issues spotlighted online
AMANDA PEPPERNELL is the moderator behind the Dubbo Regional Council Discussion Group and she says she’s optimistic about the future of local government here as she sees vitriolic arguments morph into more reasoned discussions and debates on the page.
She now calls Dubbo home and says she wanted to do things in the community that made a positive difference, now spending hours each week summarising Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) meetings and committee meetings, researching issues and sparking community discussion.
“I’ve lived in Dubbo for nearly seven years now. I grew up in Mt Druitt and I’ve lived all around NSW and Victoria. I travel a lot for work, and found myself in Dubbo – I’m now very happy to be here, I love it here,” she told Dubbo Photo News.
“I’m an IT trainer in change management, a consultant, I could live anywhere with my work but I had family here and came for a holiday and decided not to leave.”
She became involved with the page prior to the last council election. She believed there should be an online platform so the average person could get involved in debates on issues affecting the council area, so the page was set up to inform voters and invite
discussion.
“Our community has such a great wealth of opinion, experiences, voices and I believe they need to be heard in a fair and safe platform, so that’s why I decided to really work hard on a page like Dubbo Regional Council Discussion Group so people are able to have a voice.
“It’s really important to include Wellington and our villages in the public discussions, they’re part of our region, part of our council, and it’s important that people can have their say on a platform where they know they won’t feel bullied or harassed and where
they can express their opinions in a positive way,” she said.
With so many individuals and organisations trying to get their voice out there by way of bombarding pages using strategies such as fake profiles, she said a firm hand on this page has given participants strong guidelines that they must keep any discussion and debate civil.
“I definitely think people are getting the message. The turnaround of the page since the council elections has just been incredible, so we’re reinforcing that and making sure people do feel safe, that the rules around the group allow them to express their opinions,” she said.
“We don’t block people very easily, we give people fair chances and people get passionate, that’s what’s great about the community. I understand that passion, and things can get a bit tense at times, but that’s just why this community is so great, because people can express what they’re feeling.
“I think it’s imperative we’ve got this type of forum. I think it’s so important that we’ve got key people like some of the councillors along with former councillors who can advise people and explain why things have happened in certain ways. It creates more transparency so people can see what’s happened, and also what’s going to happen in the future.”
Half the DRC councillors are currently active on the page and she said they often get tagged into issues and they do respond.
She said the stress and sheer workload to be admin or moderator of a popular Facebook page can be overwhelming.
“It can be very, very stressful but at the end of the day it’s worth it, and you have to put things in perspective and not take things so personally.
“I just feel that I’m doing good at the end of the day and that keeps me going – I only cried once,” she laughed.
“Dubbo I think is a bit of a blank canvas at the moment, we’ve got so many opportunities.”