Regional Community Strategic Plan
The Regional Community Strategic Plan (RCSP) outlines the aspirations of the region and sets strategies to achieve them. It is split into three sections, introduction, regional findings and Community Strategic Plans (CSP). Each participating Council has a chapter outlining their CSP. Each CSP is framed by five themes essential to the liveability and prosperity of local communities: community, economy, environment, infrastructure and civic leadership.
Introduction
In 2021, the Canberra Region Joint Organisation (CRJO) and seven member Councils resolved to collaborate to review their current Community Strategic Plans (CSPs) and apply a regional lens to identify the region’s challenges and opportunities. The Regional Community Strategic Plan (RCSP) project was established with an outlook to 2042 and publicly named Towards 2042. CRJO engaged Projectura to work with the group and the broader community to deliver the Draft Regional Community Strategic Plan.
Community Strategic Plan
All NSW Councils must have a Community Strategic Plan (CSP) under the Local Government Act 1993. The CSP documents the community’s vision, aspirations, and priorities. It must have a minimum outlook of ten years and be reviewed with the community every four years to ensure it is relevant. The CSP is the Council’s highest level planning document and informs the strategic direction of the Council’s integrated planning and reporting framework. Guided by the aspirations in the CSP, Councils will prepare a suite of supporting documents, including the Delivery Program, Resourcing Strategy, and Operational Plan, to deliver the community vision.
A Regional Approach
The Towards 2042 project was built on the success of the Tablelands Regional Community Strategic Plan, which was developed in 2016 by Goulburn Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan, and Yass Valley councils. It also seeks to build on the work of participating councils who have worked with their communities to develop CSPs that outline the long-term aspirations of the community.
From past work developing Community Strategic Plans, it was clear that each village, town, and municipality have separate identities with their own unique set of aspirations and priorities. Since its inception, CRJO has noted that the priorities identified in one Council area are shared across the region by fellow Councils in many instances. Similarly, some challenges and opportunities share a regional status.
This RCSP provides a local CSP for each contributing Council area that articulates local priorities and places a regional strategic lens across each Council’s findings to build a solid evidence base for collaboration and advocacy. The RCSP shares a 20- year outlook with local CSPs and ensures an integrated approach to planning, monitoring, and performance across the region. The regional approach presents a range of progressive, cooperative opportunities.
The benefits of this joint approach are value for money through joint procurement and the strengthening of regional priorities and strategies via measuring community sentiment through a coordinated engagement approach.