Eurobodalla 2030 on public exhibition

Tuesday, 12 July 2011

The community is encouraged to comment on the Eurobodalla Shire's first Community Strategic Plan, Eurobodalla 2030, which goes on public exhibition for six weeks from Monday 18 July.

A requirement of the Local Government Act (1993), the plan will be used to guide responsible social, economic and environmental decision making in the Shire for the next 20 years and has been produced by Council in consultation with the community in line with the NSW Government's Integrated Planning and Reporting reforms.

Charged with ensuring the community gets to have a say about where it wants the Shire to be in the year 2030 and how it will get there, Council staff have consulted with well over 2,000 people in the last 12 months through surveys, forums, workshops and its community reference group.

The Mayor, Fergus Thomson, says through this process, the community laid the foundations for the plan. "They have helped Council to draft a simple, but bold vision for the next 20 years. The vision isEurobodalla 2030: friendly, responsible, thriving and proud."

"The community has identified some principles to support this vision and they arecooperation, community spirit and mutual respect; care, trust and participation and responsible leadership, as well as utilising innovationwhen we plan for the Shire's balanced and prosperous future," he said.

To turn the vision into actions, the draft community strategic plan features four focus areas,liveable, sustainable, productive and collaborativecommunities. "Each of these focus areas identifies specific objectives and strategies and the people or organisations responsible for making them happen," Clr Thomson said.

The community was able to comment on the draft Plan up to 30 August 2011 at Shire libraries, Council's administration building in Moruya and online.

Councillors and Council staff will be available to discuss aspects of the draft Plan with the community during Local Government Week on Thursday 4 August at Narooma Plaza; on Friday 5 August at the Village Centre in Batemans Bay and on Saturday 6 August 2011 at Moruya Markets.

While the Community Strategic Plan is on exhibition, Council staff are busily developing medium and short term delivery and resourcing plans for exhibition that will determine how the Shire will successfully carry out its Community Strategic Plan responsibilities. "It will be at this point the community will be asked to make some hard decisions about the services they want and how much they are a prepared to pay for them," Clr Thomson said.

"Council will also work with the State and Australian governments to ensure the other aspects of the Plan such as health, education, major road infrastructure and regional facilities are addressed."

For further information on the exhibition of the draft Eurobodalla 2030 Community Strategic Plan, please contact Steve Picton, Council's Community Strategic Planner on (02) 4474 1066.