Some exciting developments are under way at CNAV. The association now has 60 member publications, but there are many more community newspapers and newsletters who have yet to hear about the network.

Plans are under way for the 2009 conference. This will be at Toolangi, near Kinglake, on the weekend of 24 October. The Mountain Monthly has been working with the committee to host the annual event. Watch the website for more details. Meanwhile, keep the dates of that weekend free.

The presence of CNAV members in the bushfire ravaged region of Kinglake in October will be one of the events that contribute to the reconstruction of the town.

In another development, CNAV has applications in for government funding to enable us to keep membership fees and conference registration costs as low as possible for members and to strengthen our financial viability.

The committee wrote to the Premier following the February bushfires, to explain the role of community newspapers in times of crisis. Regional Development Victoria has responded and is currently considering our application for some funds in the lead-up to the conference.

Committee member John Ellis (Chewton Chat) has been forging relationships with various government departments, so that CNAV is now a familiar name in State Government quarters.

See the News Roundup for John's summary of his attendance at the Regional Media Consultative Group seminar on 15 May.

On the subject of News Roundup, isn't it a great addition to the CNAV website. Vice president Jo Vondra puts the page together from snippets of information that come his way. It is attracting much interest from members.

In a third development, plans are nearly in place for the first regional roundtable, to be hosted by one of our members.

The committee envisages visiting a member region at least once a year. Watch the website for the date and venue for the first of these visits. The aim, among other things, is to attract participation from people in those regions who have not yet heard about us.

With the growth of membership and increasing interest from government in the activities of CNAV, the committee is mindful of its role to protect the integrity of the organization. Member publications are diverse, some glossy and financially strong, others small, shoestring budget publications surviving month by month. But the underlying philosophy is inclusiveness, built on a belief in the freedom to produce a newsletter for the community, whatever our members decide that newsletter to be.

Community ownership is the key phrase.

In correspondence to the Premier's department this year, CNAV has summarised the association's aim as to facilitate the production of not-for-profit newsletters and newspapers, enable networking and sharing of knowledge, assist networking among members, hold an annual conference in a different region every year, and gather data about member publications, their style, variety, and purposes.

Thank you to all members for your support.

The committee meets on the third Saturday of the month at Borderlands, 2 Minona Street, Hawthorn. Members are welcome to attend.

Liz Hart
President CNAV