The council’s updated 2017-2026 strategic plan was endorsed at the council’s July meeting last week. 

The plan involves four key goals, including leadership and governance, economic development, natural and built environment, and livable communities. Mayor Greg Howard said the plan aims to better the whole region. 

“The strategic plan is the direction the council needs to take in to the immediate future. It basically talks about where we want to take the council and the community in the next 10 years,” he said. 

Despite the current council’s term ending in October 2018, Cr Howard was confident the new council would adapt the same goals. 

“I’d imagine any new council will, whilst they’re not bound by them, still take them on,” he said. 

“Where they place their favourites – that might vary between councils but their goals won’t change.”

Cr Howard said the goals were “absolutely” achievable. 

“We’ve already partly achieved a lot of them. But they’ll always be there and will always be long term goals,” he said. 

“If you successfully look after the natural and built environment for four years, it doesn't mean the work is done. There is always going to be maintenance needed and ongoing infrastructure upgrades.” 

Councils are required to review their strategic plans annually. 

“Every year we review it. We set it soon after the election of a new council and then we have minor yearly reviews,” he said. 

“Some of the targets have actually been achieved, so the minor targets that are part of the large goals get achieved in the long term. Once they get achieved we can take them out.”

The council identified the achieved goals and removed them, allowing capacity to add to the updated plan. Cr Howard acknowledged not everyone in the region would be constantly happy with the council’s decisions. 

“The vast majority of the community accept that we’re getting things done and we’re in a much better state than what it was a few years ago,” he said.