A new Council brings a refreshed focus and vision for the Shire, and Wollondilly residents will soon have the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft Community Strategic Plan, Delivery Program and Resourcing Strategy, following Tuesday night’s Council meeting.

The Community Strategic Plan seeks to identify Wollondilly’s priorities for the future, and articulates where we want to be as a community within the next 10 years. It is the highest level plan for Wollondilly Shire Council, and is used by Council, as well as other agencies and stakeholders, to guide policy and service delivery.

The refreshed plan has five focus areas: People, Environment, Place & Landscape, Economy and Performance.

Mayor Matt Gould said, “The new Council is listening to the people of Wollondilly, and we believe that our updated plans and focus areas reflect the key priorities of the community.”

He noted, “Our Shire is growing and changing. We have issues we need to fix now, and we also need to adapt to these changes and shape the future of our Shire.”

“Not surprisingly, roads have come through clearly as the top immediate priority within our community. This is followed by the desire to preserve and enhance the character of the Shire while sustainably managing growth and development. Our community wants vital infrastructure in place to meet the needs of the growing population whilst keeping what makes Wollondilly so special, as well as local jobs, tourism and agribusiness to support our local economy.”

“Our community also wants to see investment in major infrastructure including new community and sporting facilities. They rightly expect a positive customer experience when doing business with Council, as well as sound financial management.”

He added, “We want a safe, inclusive and resilient community, with access to services that support good health and wellbeing.”

“Wollondilly’s pristine and beautiful natural environment needs to be protected, responsibly managed and enhanced as we grow and play our part for the future.”

“Our unique towns and villages sit within this amazing natural landscape, and we are shaping growth to ensure any change respects what we have and where we want to be. Our communities should have the functional infrastructure and safe roads they need.”

“As we build our diverse local economy, we will seek to attract new viable business to support the region while also supporting our towns, villages and rural lifestyle.”

“We are striving to be a leading local government area and we want the community to see this as we listen and respond to their needs, delivering excellent customer experiences.”

“We live in an amazing Shire and our vision is to make it an even better place for everyone.”

The Delivery Program is a four year action plan that sets out the activities to implement the strategies in the Community Strategic Plan within the resources available under the Resourcing Strategy.

Council will be checking in with the community to ensure their priorities and vision for the future are adequately captured.

In the next few weeks, residents can visit Your Say Wollondilly www.yoursay.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au or stop by Council’s Customer Service Centre to take a look at the draft documents, and provide feedback.

Residents will also be invited to a Community Drop-In Session to find out more about the Shire’s strategic direction, including the vision, objectives, outcomes, priority projects and actions. Keep an eye on Council’s website and Facebook page for dates and locations.

After a 28-day exhibition period, Council will consider any submissions and make necessary adjustments, with the final Plan, Strategy and Program then submitted to the June 2022 Council meeting for adoption.