APenola and District Residents and Ratepayers Association Incorporated committee has been established.

The committee was formed at the recent Penola and Districts Ratepayers Association Incorporated Annual General Meeting.

The group was recently brought out of recess to address local issues and support the local councillors.

Penola and District Residents and Ratepayers Association Incorporated Committee president Jodi Strother said the meeting was a success and there were new faces in attendance.

“It is starting to gain a bit of momentum,” Ms Strother said.

“It is a vast cross-section of the community that are involved in it and hopefully we can all come together and work together and work with council to make sure that Penola does get the attention that it deserves.

“We will hopefully move forwards onwards and upwards and see where we end up.”

The executive committee consists of Ms Strother, Leigh and Anne Miller, Dean Burrow, Robin Mulligan, Melinda Moore, Trudy Taylor, Karyn Prelc, Kathy Fennell and Eleonor Burrow.

Ms Strother believed the group would likely focus on bigger issues around Penola, such as driving tourists into the town and Greenrise Recreational Reserve not having any water.

“Our key focus will be to address local concerns, such as things around the area that need some attention,” Ms Strother said.

“Working with council to make sure that Penola is being serviced and looked after properly.

“It is basically to try and get things happening in a positive manner around Penola.

“We have a good, close working relationship with our new councillor Emma Castine.”

“We will probably be looking at, in consultation with council, ensuring things that are raised are followed up on in a timely manner.

Ms Strother said the group would meet in December to examine the constitution and the first ratepayers meeting would be held in February.

“Being a very old constitution it would be a requirement that it actually does get brought up to date,” she said.