The new framework aims to improve the sustainability of local communities by encouraging councils, residents and state agencies to work together on long term plans. The new framework is set out in the following diagram.

Transitional provisions were provided which allowed Council to commence the introduction of the new framework over a three year period. Cooma-Monaro Shire Council resolved to adopt a community Strategic Plan by 31 March 2012 and Delivery Program by 30 June 2012. The newly elected Council in September 2012 must complete a review and preparation of these two documents before 30 June 2013 which will allow Council to prepare its Operational Plan for the following financial year.

The Cooma-Monaro Community Strategic Plan when developed will be a very high strategic plan and an important document which identifies what the community would like to see Cooma-Monaro look like in the next twenty (20) years.

The aim of the Cooma-Monaro Community Strategic Plan will be to develop common goals that helps guide all sections of the community and Council in working together to achieve our community aspirations.

In the planning process strategies for achieving these goals will be developed with consideration of the issues and pressures that may affect the community and the level of resources that will realistically be available to achieve its aims and aspirations.

While Council has a custodial role in initiating, preparing and maintaining the Cooma-Monaro Community Strategic Plan on behalf of the community, it is not wholly responsible for its implementation. Other partners, such as State agencies and community groups may also be engaged in delivering the long term objectives of the plan.

The Plan:

• Relies on Community input
• States a shared vision for the future
• Identifies key themes and priority areas for action
• Provides information for planning and service delivery, corporate plans and budgets for government agencies, local community groups and other stakeholder groups
• Includes a monitoring/review process

The Cooma-Monaro Community Strategic Plan will support the New South Wales State Planning reform, guide Council’s strategic planning processes and incorporate the Department of Local Government’s Social, Economic, Environmental and Governance strategic principals.

The Plan seeks to determine a shared vision for Cooma-Monaro, decide the paths we want to follow, sets out a direction and the tangible way’s that we can achieve those goals.

The Community Strategic Planning process provides an opportunity for the Cooma-Monaro community to learn more about local issues, weigh up options to address them and voice an opinion.

The new planning and reporting framework will replace the current Management Plan, Social Plan and Annual Reporting requirements with an integrated framework, consisting of a hierarchy of documents as detailed in the above diagram.

The Resourcing Strategy

The Cooma-Monaro Community Strategic Plan will provide a mechanism for expressing long-term community aspirations. However, these will not be achieved without sufficient resources – time, money, assets and people – to actually carry them out.

The Resourcing Strategy will consist of three components:

• Long Term Financial Planning (financial modelling & 10 year plan)
• Workforce Management Planning (organisational capability)
• Asset Management Planning (asset strategy)

The Resourcing Strategy will be the point where Council assists the community by sorting out who is responsible for the issues identified in the Community Strategic Plan. Some issues will clearly be the responsibility of the Council, some will be the responsibility of other levels of Government and some will reply on community input from community groups or individuals.

The Delivery Program and Operational Plan

The Delivery Program and Operational Plan are where the Community’s Strategic objectives are systematically translated into actions.

The Delivery Program is a statement of commitment to the community from each newly elected Council. The Delivery Program replaces the former Management Plan requirements. It will be designed as the single point of reference for all activities undertaken by Council during each term of office and identify priorities. All plans, projects, activities and funding allocations will be directly linked to the Delivery Program.

The annual Operational Plan supports the Delivery Program. It spells out the details of the Delivery Program – the individual projects and activities that will be undertaken each year to achieve the commitments made in the Delivery Program. It will also include Council’s operational budget for the year.

The Annual Report

The Annual Report will focus on Council’s implementation of the Delivery Program and Operational Plan.

The Annual Report will also include a report on the State of the Environment and prescribed information from the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005.

The Annual Report is one of the key points of accountability between Cooma-Monaro Shire Council and our community.

Strategic Projects

This year, Council will be undertaking two major pieces of work to help plan more effectively for the community’s future. These projects are:

• The Cooma-Monaro Community Strategic Plan
• Community Strategic Plan Resourcing Strategy

The Cooma-Monaro Community Strategic Plan

The Cooma-Monaro Community Strategic Plan will be prepared in consultation with the community and will have an outlook of at least 20 years. The Plan will be the community’s aspirations and directions for the future and aims to improve the sustainability of Cooma-Monaro. One of the first challenges for the plan will be to define what “sustainability” means to the community. While the term has traditionally been applied to environmental activities, there is a growing understanding that economic and social sustainability are also important for communities.

The Community Strategic Plan will consider a full range of community needs and identify the best means of meeting these needs. This may be through direct provision by Council, provision by State or Federal agencies in partnership with the community, or provision by private enterprise or community groups. The Community Strategic Plan will provide a roadmap for future community development. It will be used by Council to guide its future decisions, but will also assist State and Federal agencies in planning for our region and provide guidance for economic development and future community activities.

Council will be undertaking an extensive community engagement program to help bring the Plan together. It hopes to speak with at least 10% of the population (1000 people) in the development process and is already on the way to achieving this target through meetings with community Associations. A range of community engagement activities will continue into the new financial year. When completed the Community Strategic Plan will contain the following key elements:

• A community vision statement – capturing our aspirations for the future
• A set of sustainability principles – outlining what our community means by “being sustainable” and how we hope to achieve it.
• A set of objectives - these are specific outcomes that the community wants (for example creating more employment, or improving transport)
• A set of strategies - these are the detailed methods that we will use to achieve our objectives.
• Assessment methods - explaining how we will determine whether our strategies are working and how well we are achieving our goals.
• The Community Strategic Plan will be a “rolling plan”, revisited every four years by the community. Each newly elected council will consult with the community to ensure that the Community Strategic Plan is still on track and that it still reflects our community values. The Community Strategic Plan will then be rolled forward for another four years, so that it is always looking at least 20 years ahead.

You may download the Cooma Community Engagement Strategy Policy (258.96 KB)

Take a look at the Community Strategic Plan