Council plans big for the future
Wed 17 June 2009
Stacey Roberts, Bachelor of Journalism
The Sunshine Coast Regional Council has pledged to make the area Australia’s most sustainable region, according to the Corporate Plan released recently.
Corporate Plan 2009-2014 was formed to tackle emerging priorities and key strategies on the Sunshine Coast, and is required by law to be adopted by July 1 of this year.
The Corporate plan will guide council’s decision-making, budget, operations and resource allocation.
Sunshine Coast Regional Council manager of corporate development Michael Jacobson said council was required to consult with the community, which they did with a conference of 20 residents representing local areas last November.
“It was really well received, over 600 ideas were raised for council to consider,” he said.
Some of those ideas centred on climate change, population growth, affordable living and securing the area’s financial future.
The eight areas eventually outlined in the Corporate Plan were: economy, ecological sustainability, innovation and creativity, health and wellbeing, social cohesion, accessibility and connectedness, managing growth and great governance.
The eighth priority of “managing growth” was identified at the conference, to join the seven generated at a strategy retreat for councillors in July last year.
According to the plan, the current Coast population of 300,000 is expected to rise to almost half a million by 2026, so such an increase needs to be supported while taking into account the environmental, economic and social values of the region.
Overwhelmingly, the retention of the region’s unique character was of great importance to the conference delegates, and Mr Jacobson said council has acknowledged such feedback.
“That came through a number of times,” he said.
“Town planning itself will carefully consider what’s been said in the community conference, the delegates sent a very clear message to council where they want the future to be”.
The plan also describes the amalgamation of separate water services into a single water distribution business made up of Noosa Water Services, Maroochy Water Services and CalAqua.
Likewise, council is reviewing the possibility of merging and consolidating like business activities of the three former branches of council.
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