Every four years, council sets strategic objectives for the shire through a formal Council Plan process.
This involves a range of different analysis, consultation and engagement initiatives to ensure the plan accurately addresses the needs and aspirations of the community.
The Council Plan is a four-year roadmap outlining how we will work towards achieving the Northern Grampians Community Vision 2041, which was developed in 2021 and reflects the community's hopes for the next 20 years. It also helps guide important decision-making and facilitates collective action so we can operate as efficiently as possible. The Council Plan also informs short-term planning materials such as the annual Budget and department business plans.
The Council Plan is a central planning material that identifies what council aims to achieve over the next four years, considering key challenges and opportunities we expect the community may face during that period. These considerations are informed by community engagement and consultation, current population data, long-term planning materials such as the 10-year Economic Development Strategy, township framework plans, and other strategies that might have been developed within council or regionally.
The plan aligns with the Local Government Act 2020, which requires councils to work with the community to set clear priorities. The material must include:
- Council’s goals for the next four years.
- Clear strategies to achieve these goals.
- Clear indicators to monitor and report on progress.
The plan is reviewed annually and adjusted where required to ensure it is always relevant, responds to changing economic or environmental circumstances, seizes new opportunities within the shire, and highlights completed milestones. The community receives regular progress updates through various reporting mechanisms, such as the quarterly Council Action Plan report and our Annual Report material released after each financial year.
The following diagram aims to highlight the central importance of the Council Plan and illustrate where other important planning materials, such as the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, support its development to ensure a fully integrated approach is achieved. If the below is challenging to road on mobile devices, you can also download a PDF version here(PDF, 128KB).
