Volunteers are vital to a healthy, vibrant community.

Colac Otway Shire has a strong tradition of volunteers and is fortunate to have a higher level of volunteering (49%) than the Victorian average (34%).

However, the concept of volunteer involvement is changing. In 2007 Colac Otway Shire completed a Volunteer Engagement Project involving over 500 volunteers. It recorded 150 Most Significant Change stories of community history and volunteer work in a booklet and DVD. From this consultation a Strategic Plan Volunteer Engagement and Sustainability for 2008-2012 was developed. Click on the links below to view these documents. The Volunteer Engagement Project recorded more than 70 stories from local volunteers to develop a five-year Strategic Plan (2008-2012).