WEDDIN SHIRE COUNCIL WEDDIN 2026 DELIVERY PROGRAMME 2017-2021 Adopted 15 June 2017 Weddin Shire Council 2017-2021 Delivery Programme 1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 3 INTEGRATED PLANNING & REPORTING 5 DELIVERY PROGRAMME REQUIREMENTS 7 CORPORATE STATEMENTS 9 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE 11 ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES 12 PARTNERS & STAKEHOLDERS 13 DELIVERY PROGRAMME STRUCTURE 14 SO # 1 COLLABORATIVE WEALTH BUILDING (STRONG, DIVERSE AND RESILIENT LOCAL ECONOMY). 19 SO # 2 HEALTHY, SAFE, AND EDUCATED COMMUNITY 24 SO # 3. DEMOCRATIC AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY 28 SO # 4. CULTURALLY RICH, VIBRANT AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY 32 SO # 5. CARED FOR NATURAL, AGRICULTURAL & BUILT ENVIRONMENTS 35 SO # 6. WELL MAINTAINED & IMPROVING SHIRE ASSETS AND SERVICES 40 Weddin Shire Council 2017-2021 Delivery Programme 2 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW It is with pleasure that I present you with Weddin Shire Council’s four-year Delivery Plan (2017-2021) and the 2017-2018 Operational Plan. Weddin Shire Council has seen significant change over the last four years since it developed its first Community Strategic Plan (2013-2023), Delivery Plan and Operational Plan. This Plan reflects these changes. The new Plan is a requirement of the NSW Government and assists the community in better understanding where we are and how we can get to a sustainable future that best meets the whole of community needs. The Weddin Community values its independence and sense of place. Since 2012, the community has continued to express a strong commitment to remaining as an independent Council and improving community amenities so that skills and resources can continue to be attracted to Weddin. In doing so, Weddin embraces the opportunity to work with neighbouring and regional councils and a broad range of government bodies so services can be more efficiently and effectively delivered through a broadly collaborative and inclusive plan. As part of delivering on the 2013 Community Strategic Plan, the overarching objective of ‘bucking the trend’ in projected population decline required finance to provide community amenities and led to aSpecial Rate Variation application which saw the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) approve a rate increase to secure a strong financial future and to deliver the Aquatic and Fitness Centre and Grenfell Health Hub. Weddin Shire Council has also utilised loan funds to complement grants and rates income in order to afford these facilities and facilitate intergenerational equity, i.e. those who use the services pay for them. Since 2012, positive activity on the part of Weddin Shire Council has sought to address population decline by improving community amenities. Addressing improved community amenity is one tool that is working in impacting population drift, as indicated in the most recent ABS data where population decline has stalled and is now trending on a slight uptick. The focus has been on delivering community swimming pool renewal with an accessible aquatic health and fitness centre (located in Grenfell) in addition to progressing Grenfell Health (the medical centre development) and the installation of a Visitor Information Centre (now complete) as articulated in the 2013-2023 CSP (with a community priority rating of 60.32%). The final major priority is also the enewalr of Main Street (Grenfell) and has been identified in the Local Economic Development Strategy (LEDS) as requiring further community discourse. Another priority, the main street’s renewal, requires that the community better articulate what they feel is the best outcome as well as the relationship of this to building conservation over time. Main Street has dropped behind the importance of aged care as a Council priority into the near future. During 2009, the NSW Government enacted the Local Government Amendment (Planning and Reporting) Act which set out requirements referred to as the Integrated Planning and Reporting framework (IP&R). The IP&R framework is intended to ensure that the long-term goals of the community are known and articulated and that the activities of Council link directly to them. During 2011, Weddin Shire Council carried out an extensive community consultation process and from this, in 2012, for the first time finalised a full suite of IP&R compliant planning documents. In short, these comprised the: • Weddin Shire Community Strategic Plan 2013-2023 (CSP), endorsed by Councillors on behalf of the community; • Weddin Shire Council 2013-2017 Delivery Programme; • Supporting Resourcing Strategy encompassing a Long-Term Financial Plan (10 years), Workforce Management Plan (4 years) and Asset Management Strategy & Plan (10 years); and, • Weddin Shire Council 2012-2013 Operational Plan. As already indicated, the overriding issue highlighted during the 2013-2023 CSP development process was declining population. The community indicated a desire to see the local population increase to at least 4,700 people (an increase of about 1,000) by 2023. This revised set of IP&R documents seeks to sustain this objective into 2026 and ensure that the Council is sustainable into the future. Weddin Shire Council 2017-2021 Delivery Programme 3 The September 2016 Council elections were the first elections following agreement with the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet on the Improvement Plans which have allowed Weddin Shire Council to remain a standalone Council and not subject to merger. The Council has agreed to a number of strategies in order to secure their future; these where identified in the letter judging Weddin as ‘Fit’ and included a reduction in the number of formal Council meetings to six per year as well as the introduction of planning workshops. The Council has also agreed to a reduction in Councillor numbers to seven, at the next election, among other things. The IP&R framework stipulates that IP&R documents be refined post Council elections. At a Councillors and Senior Management workshop held in early February and again on 10 March 2017, the major assumptions and goals of the Community Strategic Plan 2013-2023 were confirmed as still valid and a refined Community Strategic Plan has been prepared. At that same workshop, the major initiatives that were incorporated into the 2013-17 Delivery Programme were reviewed in detail. These have subsequently been prioritised by Council. This 2017-2021 Delivery Programme is a refinement of the 2013-2017 document and reflects the required changes while also including a range measures and standards not included in the 2013-2017 document due to resource limitation at that time. The supporting Resourcing Strategy that addresses Council’s Asset Management, Long-Term Financial Planning and Workforce Planning has also been reviewed in conjunction with the Delivery Programme. The document will subsequently be placed on public exhibition for adoption at Council’s ordinary meeting on 15 June, 2017. MARK LIEBICH GLENN CARROLL MAYOR GENERAL MANAGER Weddin Shire Council 2017-2021 Delivery Programme 4 INTEGRATED PLANNING & REPORTING Below is a summary of the Local Government Planning and Reporting Framework which requires long-term and supporting planning, introduced by the NSW Government in 2009. PLANNING & REPORTING REQUIREMENTS - SUMMARY IPR PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM SOURCE – NSW STATE GOVERNMENT Community Community Focus IPR PROCESS - COMPONENT LINKAGES Workshops Surveys Groups Community Delivery Operational Strategic Plan Programme ( Plan (CSP ) DP ) ( OP ) Min. 10 years 4 years Review 1 year Review every 4 every year Prepare Community years before OP each year Strategic Plan 10 years+ OBJECTIVES Resourcing Strategy Assets, Financial, STRATEGIES Workfrce ACTIONS TASKS Delivery Program 4 years ANNUAL BUDGET CONTINUAL MONITORING AND RESOURCING STRATEGY REVIEW Operational Long-Term Financial Plan - 10 years Plan Annual Workforce Management Plan - 4 years Asset Management Strategy & Plan - 10 years Update annually (when updating the OP) Annual Report (including SoE Report) The two diagrams above outline the overall process flow as well as the linkages and overlaps between the various outputs. The underlying principles are that: • The community is engaged and determines the long-term vision and approach, with the main components being: (1) Where are we now? (2) Where do we want to be? (3) How are we going to get there? (4) How will we know when we’ve arrived?; (The above is documented within the Community Strategic Plan and refined regularly.) • After each Council election, a four-year Delivery Programme of activities is derived from the above long-term plan and progressively implemented during the term of the Council; • Each year, a 12-month Operational Plan is derived from the four-year Delivery Programme and implemented by Council; and, • Monitoring and reporting on progress of both the four-year and 12-month Plans is conducted at regular intervals, and at the end of each year in an annual report. Weddin Shire Council 2017-2021 Delivery Programme 5 MEASURING & REPORTING The following table outlines the measuring and reporting methods that Council will adopt across all Integrated Planning documents: Plan What are we What measures When will results be measuring? will be used? reported to the community? Community Strategic Progress towards the goals Assessment criteria Plan reviewed every 4 years. Plan Weddin 2026 that focus on the key themes: relevant for each A report to be prepared at the 2017 – 2026 key theme: A range • Community; end of each Council term. of statistics, broad • Environment; community surveys and • Economy; and, consultation. •