| Mornington Island Driver Program |
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The Driver Program on Mornington Island offers a unique and innovative model to support the Island's leaders.  "It's exciting for us because we've got some committed people - some passionate people - who want to see things get done. These drivers want to look at the solutions - and they are our solutions - and move forward from there." Moving forward with a shared vision "The Driver Program is a shared vision. We've got some good people on the Island that are driving the same vision." Jack Juhel  The Driver Concept is being initiated on Mornington Island as a means of more effectively supporting the community's leaders and to help drive the community towards a shared vision. The Council on Mornington Island have recognised that Council Mayors from large regional areas have an organised infrastructure in place to support their leadership. When these Mayors require advice for specific issues or initiatives there are people already in place whose job it is to offer considered guidance in their area of expertise. Mayors and leaders in remote Councils do not have these same support structures in place. The Driver Program will address that issue by ensuring Mayors and leaders on Mornington Island are more effectively supported via a team of local leaders and supporters. "The drivers become the experts. They narrow their focus so that they are focussing on a specific issue and then they drive that. They find the support people that they need. Each of the 15 drivers will bring someone else with them and they will mentor that person. That team will also learn together. We will eventually have 30 people and hopefully we can build from there. It's about working towards our vision." Susan Sewter Living and breathing your passion "The Drivers have to come from our community because they live and breathe their passion." Susan Sewter  "I'm really passionate about what I am doing at the moment. I look at the young people today and they seem to have no direction. My job is to help give them that direction - to aim them the right way. Young people today need role models like us to be encouraging them." Ikey Donnelly An integral motivation of the Driver Program is to ensure a continuity in service and program delivery regardless of changes in leadership. Everyone in the community will become aware of who the Drivers are and, as such, what their area of expertise is. Not only will community leaders of the day be able to draw on these experts for advice and guidance, but so too will the community. "The Driver Program will provide a blueprint for future leaders on Mornington so that it survives changing leadership." Glenda Duffy - Support Worker The Driver Program is also aimed at fine tuning community negotiations with government during Round Table negotiations on the Island. The Drivers will present from their area of expertise and offer advice, solutions and innovations that are grounded in a thorough and rigorous examination of the relevant issues by that Driver and continuous consultation with the community. "Drivers will come forward with their own plans and their own goals and use that as a guide to give to government. These 15 Drivers will take their plan to government, based on working all year in their area of expertise and having consulted with the community." Glenda Duffy - Support Worker People working together will make this community much stronger "The most important thing that we need to get our kids to know is that Mornington Island is our community and we are all Mornington Islanders." Susan Sewter. An integral part of the success of the Driver Program will be the support and belief of the community in their leaders and the Drivers. The Drivers on MorningtonIsland recognise that their strength will come from working together, with their community's support, in order to achieve a shared vision.  "The plan will be based on what the community wants and they will drive it." Michelle Cameron Priority Driver Programs Initiatives include:
"It's all about togetherness. We have to change the attitude of those who want to go off on their own tangent by talking to them and getting them to see the big picture. At the moment no one can see the big picture stuff - they're only living from one day to the next. We really need to change that attitude and show them this is where we could be a few years." Michelle Cameron Where to next? The next phase to the Driver Program is gaining funding for and establishing the Mornington Island Community Development Centre. The Centre will offer ongoing capacity building initiatives and practical and administrative support to the maintenance of existing Driver Programs, as well as fostering new programs. There will be three full-time staff employed at the Centre: Office Manager, Project Manager, and Program Development Officer. Stay in touch with this and other exciting initiatives on Mornington Island via this website or contact the community directly through the ‘Contact Us' section of the site. |