Draft Delivery Program 2017-2021 and Operational Plan 2020-21

A high priority for our community is improved community engagement and access to information about decisions that affect us, including more opportunities to engage with Council. A sense of community is the main driver for our community in achieving quality of life. 

We understand the need to improve community engagement including providing more information to enable better decision-making and consideration of community views. We know that an engaged and informed community is more able to participate in a meaningful way about decisions for Sutherland Shire’s future, particularly on areas of concern including development, growth, facilities and services

Our community strongly values our access to the special natural environment of Sutherland Shire, especially our beaches and national parks, our parks and nature reserves. We have over 1,000 parks and reserves and 3,000 hectares of land containing remnant vegetation.  In addition to providing us with places to improve our health and wellbeing and build community, our natural environment cools our streets, and supports a more sustainable future for our Shire and our country. However, our weather is changing, our city has experienced record-breaking heat trends, and at the same time our street tree canopy is reducing, making our streets hotter and increasing our energy bills. Our changing climate also has the biggest impacts on the most vulnerable members of our communities including our ageing population, our small children and our economically disadvantaged. We also have concerns about the impact of development on our beaches, parks and trees. We want to maintain biodiversity, our natural resources and our access to them.

Through consultation our community has talked about the importance of having a sense of community. We want to belong to Sutherland Shire as a place and as part of a community. Access to quality community facilities and services to meet the needs of our growing community helps us to belong.23% of our population is aged under 17, but our future shows we have an ageing population, who may need additional care, community support and access to services. There are opportunities to create a stronger community through volunteering, inter-generational programs, the delivery of accessible community services, and community celebrations.

Culture is a vital part of a healthy and connected community. We not only live here but we play here. We love our cultural centres such as Hazelhurst Gallery and Arts Centre and our cultural events. These help us create a unique cultural landscape and identity. Our shared culture helps us bond and helps us create a strong and respectful community of which we are proud. We are becoming more culturally diverse and have significant Aboriginal heritage in our area that we want to celebrate.

Investing in education and learning (from early childhood to later years) is not just good for those involved - but for communities as a whole. It can build neighbourhood connections, bring more and better jobs to an area and improve local business and economic outcomes for everyone. Our community is relatively prosperous, with low unemployment rates and high average household incomes. However, there are still disadvantaged people living in our community. In addition we need to improve travel times to work within and out of the Sutherland Shire. By helping our local economy grow and increasing opportunities for all in Sutherland Shire we build a strong base for our community.

Quality of life is important to us. Around 90% of us rate our quality of life as good or excellent. However, we are concerned about traffic, congestion and local development detracting from our quality of life. We are an active community, and with recent and forecast growth, the use of our parks ovals and playing fields is nearing capacity. How liveable Sutherland Shire is impacts greatly on our quality of life. Roads, parking, access to affordable housing, playing fields, and community facilities, and the design of our public spaces all influence the experience of life in Sutherland Shire. Even though we have been rated as the fourth safest place in Sydney, and we have 70% less major crimes than other local government areas. Community safety has also been identified as a high priority.

Capital expenditure is work that is undertaken on infrastructure to either renew it or upgrade it. This is done with a view to improve its condition and extend its useful life. Capital expenditure can also be creating new assets.

Council’s budget tells the community how it is going to spend its funds over the course of the financial year. It sets out how it intends to raise revenue and also how that revenue is then going to be spent on services delivered to the community.