FAQs

A Community Plan is a ten-year plan that identifies the community’s main priorities and aspirations for the future, and strategies to achieve them.

It sits at the top of Council’s strategic planning framework and informs all other key Council strategies and plans providing long-term direction for Council.  

The Community Plan also responds to state, metropolitan and regional plans and priorities relevant to the Sutherland Shire.

We asked our community for feedback on our Community Plan from 27 February – 31 March 2025. Council endorsed the Plan at its 28 April meeting.

The Community Plan, towards 2035 is now available to view on Council's website.

Our draft Delivery Program and Operational Plan outlines actions Council will undertake to achieve the objectives and strategies outlined in the Community Plan, towards 2035 and the resources needed to deliver these.

The document includes:

• Our four-year Delivery Program (2025 - 2029) and one-year Operational Plan (2025 – 2026)
• Financial Management, including budget, projected income, cashflow and financial position
• Capital Works Program
• Statement of Revenue Policy (including Fees and Charges)

Each service outlines the core business activities, Operational Plan strategic actions, challenges, and resources required for delivery of the service. Council provides two types of services to the community, external and enabling.

Council’s budget tells the community how it is going to spend its funds over the course of the financial year. It sets out where Council gets its money and how that income is then going to be spent on services delivered for the community.

Workshops were held with Councillors as part of preparation for the 2025–2029 Delivery Program and our Councillors identified the top five key priorities for delivery over the next four years.

They are:

• Town centres.
• Sport and leisure precincts.  
• Traffic and parking.
• Housing and development.
• Waterways and stormwater.

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 include creating new assets for the community. The work to be undertaken during 2024 - 2025 are detailed in our Capital Works Program.

Our draft Resourcing Strategy outlines how we will allocate resources to deliver the activities, actions and projects within the Delivery Program/Operational Plan to achieve the priorities and strategies set out in our Community Plan.

The Resourcing Strategy consists of four parts which aim to optimise available resources to deliver the services and infrastructure our community wants:

• Resourcing Strategy – Long Term Financial Plan
• Resourcing Strategy – Asset Management Strategy and Plan
• Resourcing Strategy – Workforce Strategy
• Resourcing Strategy – Information Technology Strategy

The Long-Term Financial Plan is a high-level financial strategy that ensures Council has plans in place to sustainably meet the needs of our community now and into the future. It is reviewed and updated annually as part of the development of the Operational Plan.

The Asset Management Strategy and Plans describe how Council will provide, and care for, the assets that support Council services and contribute to our enviable quality of life.

They consider the different types of assets - physical (built and natural), financial, skills and knowledge - needed to deliver and support infrastructure, facilities and services.

Council’s Workforce Strategy addresses current and future needs in response to changing labour market conditions, and employee and community expectations.

It has been developed and will be implemented and measured to adapt to our changing world and the evolving challenges of people leadership and workforce management.

The strategy has been informed by our current workforce profile and employee feedback.

This strategy is a comprehensive roadmap designed to guide the Council in leveraging technology to achieve both its information technology and broader business objectives over the next four years.

The strategy outlines a clear vision for the future, detailing specific initiatives and projects that will be undertaken to enhance community interactions with Council services; improve efficiency, productivity and decision-making; maintain secure and reliable systems; and support innovation.

All submissions received will be considered and reported to Council in the preparation of the final documents. A summary of community feedback will be shared on this page in June.