This week sees the launch of a community-driven visioning document, 'Epicentre@Heathcote', for our community of Heathcote Valley. It is an inspirational document that can be referred to for the next 5 or even 10 years as we walk into our future in this community, can stimulate locals to action about what matters to them in this community, and inform council decisions that impact this area.

The story of this document starts just over two years ago.

In the immediate days after the February 2011 earthquakes, the Heathcote community sat incapacitated and stunned. We lacked many basic needs such as water, toilets, and fresh milk, but we also lost many of our facilities, access, and structure. Most of all we craved connection.

But as the days stretched to weeks we began to find ways to move again, and over the last two years have been a community that has responded to our adversity with positivity and courage, where neighbours and strangers have become friends, where the future is being faced with creativity and a strong value on relationships and belonging. In many ways this response is not surprising given the rich culture and history of this community and these Valleys.