MANDURAH TO HOST NATIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN 2010

13-11-2008
Mandurah has won a bid to host the Australian Learning Communities Network conference in 2010 following a successful presentation by the City of Mandurah to the ALCN conference in Adelaide last month.

Presenting for the City was Mandurah Councillor Bruce Blay, who highlighted a wide range of lifelong learning initiatives in Mandurah and the Peel Region, including the award-winning education campus of Murdoch University, Challenger TAFE and a senior secondary college, with links to more than 30 private and government schools in the Peel Region.

A working group, led by Mandurah’s Active Learning Communities Taskforce chairman Mandurah MLA David Templeman, has already met to start work on preparations for the 2010 conference.

Mayor Paddi Creevey said winning the bid for the national Learning Communities Network conference was fantastic news and a great opportunity to showcase everything Mandurah and the Peel Region had to offer.

“Not only do we have wonderful waterways and natural attractions, we are fortunate to lead an enviable lifestyle in a vibrant community that has always keen to be involved in learning initiatives catering for all age groups right from babies to older citizens,” Mayor Creevey said.

Mandurah Chief Executive Officer Mark Newman congratulated the Mandurah delegates on their work in bringing another conference to Mandurah.

“These conferences, or ‘business tourism’, are an important part of our economic growth because they draw additional visitors to the region so we can showcase new business opportunities here,” Mr Newman said.

“Holding the Learning Communities conference in Mandurah in 2010 will also be timely because it will coincide with the roll-out of our Southern City strategy in attracting further education and training programs and facilities.”

Examples of community and learning programs hosted in Mandurah and the region presented by Cr Blay at the ALCN conference included Mandurah’s active community of mature age learners (MALA and U3A), alternative education programs for young people at the Billy Dower Youth Centre, community-based online learning programs offered by the E2C centre, and the heritage storytelling program ‘Tales of Times Past’.

The Council’s delegates will be reporting on the ALCN conference and plans for the 2010 conference to the Council meeting on November 18.    

RELEASE ENDS

10 November 2008

Last modified 13-11-2008 07:48 AM