A rallying call has been issued for Moray residents to throw their weight behind an ambitious bid to attract funding to the region.
The council is bidding for “tens of millions” of pounds for the area as part of a city deal.
The project has already received a boost this month with Scotland Office minister Lord Ian Duncan declaring himself “impressed” by the bid.
Now residents and businesses have been called on to pledge their backing to make the case for the money, which has been christened My Moray, overwhelming.
City deals are packages of funding from UK and Scottish Governments to help deliver large-scale projects.
A shortlist of 14 schemes is currently being whittled down to establish the final proposal.
The projects have been designed to provide infrastructure for housing projects, boost job opportunities and improve digital connections.
Chairman of Moray Economic Partnership, John Cowe, said: “I’m greatly encouraged by Lord Duncan’s response to our bid.
“I hope this will spur our local residents to get behind it and complete a survey, as both governments will want to know it has public support before they commit to funding it.
“The My Moray campaign was launched to encourage people to get behind the deal and think about what the future of the area will look like.
“From increased job opportunities, higher wages and better education and cultural offerings – we can work towards tangible improvements for residents and businesses if it is successful.”
Talks have already been held with MSPs with more planned for the future.
Projects included in the final bid are expected to be spread across the region.
An online survey has been launched on the My Moray website to determine the priorities of locals.
People have been asked to rank their ambitions for the region from a list including public transport, choice of shops, outdoor facilities and education.
The results will be analysed before being used in a report for the Scottish and UK Governments.
Residents have until September 30 to have their say online at www.mymoray.co.uk
