Ten meetings between March 6 and March 21 will provide the community with access to interim general manager, Glenn Handford and directors Lisa Schiff, Steve Embry, Paul De Szell and Ron Hartley.

It is a forum for council staff and residents to “chat about opportunities, challenges and concerns”, says Mr Handford, and it is a foundation on which MidCoast Council intends to build its relationship with more than 90,000 residents in the local government area.

Building relationships is an aspect of Mr Handford’s management style that is being stamped on MidCoast Council after making its impression on former Great Lakes Council residents.

“I had a personal philosophy of going out to the public and used to do it twice a year ... I would only talk about corporate strategy, finance and asset management and about what we needed to do in the future.

“When I became general manager of MidCoast Council I just up-scaled it to across the region. 

“I’m not saying it’s the right way or the wrong way to connect with our community but I believe it brings the community along because it has a very deep understanding of what we are doing.

“I want to really stress that we are not the former three, we are MidCoast Council. The area of most need at the moment is the Manning region and so we are putting our money into the Manning area.

“It’s about asset management and putting the money where it is needed. So what we are doing is maintaining expenditure in the former three’s, so your base budget is still being spent, but any additional money we can secure is going mainly to the Manning and to Gloucester.”

The meetings will be held at:

Hallidays Point - Black Head Surf Club Monday 6 March 6pm

Tea Gardens - Baptist Church Hall Tuesday 7 March 6pm

Wingham – Wingham Golf Club Wednesday 8 March 6pm

Harrington – Harrington Function Centre Thursday 9 March 6pm

Bulahdelah – Bulahdelah School of Arts Tuesday 14 March 6pm

Taree – Taree Council Chambers Tuesday 14 March 6pm

Gloucester – Gloucester Senior Citizens Centre Thursday 16 March 5.30pm

Old Bar – Club Old Bar Thursday 16 March 6pm

Forster – Forster Council Chambers Tuesday 21 March 10am

Stroud – School of Arts Hall Tuesday 21 March 6pm