Central Otago has an issue with the "same old face" mentality - like many other rural areas, community development workshop facilitator Peter Kenyon told 25 residents at Alexandra yesterday.
Mr Kenyon was hosted by the Central Otago District Council to hold a workshop on community development and future planning for the district.
People from Ranfurly, Roxburgh, Clyde, Cromwell, Pisa Moorings and Alexandra attended.
Mr Kenyon said often in small rural areas and towns the same people tended to take leadership roles within the community, which made it difficult for others to participate and provide alternative points of view.
"We need to broaden local leadership and be more inclusive of others because spreading the leadership load is of critical importance.
"Today is about understanding what makes for effective community development and learning fun methods of implementing new strategies," Mr Kenyon said.
In order to better involve community residents in aspects of their towns, both young and old and male and female needed to be included in discussion and decision-making, he said.
"Here [at the workshop] we have a great diversity of people with different skills and backgrounds, including those from the corporate sector, farming sector, parents, early childhood teachers, and people involved in art organisations, as well as local councils and community boards," he said.
Mr Kenyon urged people to take the plunge with new initiatives and learn from the journey rather than waiting to be completely comfortable with plans and ideas.
"Sometimes we have to take the leap and develop wings on the way down," he said.
CODC community development manager Mathew Begg said the workshop was aimed at getting people enthusiastic about their communities and about what they could achieve by working together.
