FAQ

Check out the Reference Panel Charter and FAQs before completing the online nomination form (printed copies are available from all libraries and the Civic Centre).

Nominations must be received by Sunday 15 January 2017. Enquiries to Danielle Lidgard on 02 4868 0874 or email danielle.lidgard@wsc.nsw.gov.au(External link).

An independent research company, Micromex Research, will be conducting a telephone survey with a random representative sample of residents, businesses and organisations in October 2016.

They are also offering an online version of the survey for completion. Click here to complete the survey.

The survey will close at midnight on Sunday 20 November 2016.

Wingecarribee 2031+ is a long term Community Strategic Plan (CSP) that identifies where the community wants to be in the future. It outlines the community’s priorities and aspirations and how these will be achieved. This plan helps to shape the future of the Shire, and enables us to collectively respond to emerging challenges and opportunities. It provides direction for the provision of key projects and services which enable us to meet the needs of our community and deliver good quality services and facilities.

Wingecarribee 2031+ is a whole-of-community plan for the Shire, in which all levels of government, business, educational institutions, community groups and individuals have an important role to play. It includes a shared vision of what the community values and aspires to for the long term future and outlines goals and strategies to achieve this vision.

The CSP guides and informs our decisions when developing the four year Delivery Program and annual Operational Plans that together detail the specific actions that we will take to achieve the goals and strategies in the CSP.

In developing the plan, the Council had to: 

• Address civic leadership, social, environmental and economic issues in an integrated manner
• Apply social justice planning principles of equity, access, participation and rights
• Have regard to the State Government’s State Plan and other relevant State and regional plans of the State Government

All councils in NSW are required to have a Community Strategic Plan (CSP) with a minimum 10 year timeframe and the plan must be reviewed with the community every four years. Council developed the plan locally with input from the community and other government agencies in 2009 and 2010.

It is important to remember that Wingecarribee 2031 is a Community Strategic Plan for the whole Shire and every government and non-government agency, community organisation and resident can play a part in realising the vision, goals and strategies in it.

Council translates the goals and strategies of Wingecarribee 2031+ into actions in a 4 year Delivery Program and annual Operational Plan. All plans, projects, activities and funding allocations undertaken by the Council over its four year term must be directly linked to this Delivery Program which by legislation must respond directly to the Wingecarribee 2031+ community endorsed action plan.

Council is not directly responsible for delivering every goal and strategy of the CSP, instead it has an advocacy or facilitation role. For instance 2031+ includes the strategy “Foster preventative health systems and activities to promote physical, mental and social health”. Other levels of Government are directly responsible for delivering this strategy, however council has an important role in lobbying and advocating to the Government the needs of its community.

Each council in NSW is required by legislation to review their Community Strategic Plan within nine months of being elected and roll the plan forward by at least 4 years (so that it is always covering a period of at least 10 years).

The NSW government stipulates that a review of the plan will include the following:

• A report from the outgoing council on the implementation and effectiveness of the Community Strategic Plan in achieving its objectives over the past four years (see link in Library section to view the End of Council Term Report )
• A review of the information that informed the original Community Strategic Plan
• A community engagement program

Council’s review of Wingecarribee 2031+ will include:

• Review and analysis of key information originally informing the plan as well as from the End of Council Term Report, trend data, the 2011 Census data, asset management and financial planning work and other key sources.
• Review of Federal, State, Regional and adjoining Local Government strategic plans that impact on the Southern Highlands.
• Assessment of recent community engagement outcomes for the asset levels of service review; special rate variation proposal; the survey of resident perceptions of Council service delivery performance; engagement activities with community groups to identify needs of different age groups and interest groups;
• Community Strategic Plan Review Survey, resident panel and formal public exhibition of the draft revised plan. 
• Consideration of submissions received over the engagement period and the formal public exhibition period.
• Presentation of the final updated Community Strategic Plan to the Council in June 2017 for formal adoption with the 10 year Resourcing Strategy and 4 year Delivery Program and annual Operational Plan that responds to it.

To assess our progress, key measures were developed against the Goals and Strategies of each key theme in the Plan. Progress against these measures is documented in the End of Term Report, produced by the Council every four years. This report from the outgoing Council to the community, presents the achievements and effectiveness of the Council over the past four years in meeting the objectives of Wingecarribee 2031+.

Trend data on our progress against these measures as well as customer satisfaction ratings is also being tracked.

You can download and read recent End of Council Term and Annual Reports at www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/council-reports

In 2010 Council conducted surveys, forums, workshops and more to develop the vision and goals of the Community Strategic Plan Wingecarribee 2031+. The level of consultation undertaken to develop the plan had been unprecedented at this time and a report about it can be read at http://www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/uploads/2515/report-on-w2031-community-engagement-strategy.pdf