Check-in on the MyCoffs Community Strategic Plan
Published on 07 October 2021
In NSW every council area must develop a Community Strategic Plan (CSP) with local residents and organisations to set the direction and agenda for the region over the following 10 years.
In 2016, Council asked our community - Where are we now? Where do we want to be in 10 years’ time? How will we get there? How will we know when we have arrived?
“More than 3,000 community members contributed to the development of the MyCoffs Community Strategic Plan through community events, workshops, meetings, focus groups and online,” said Fiona Barden, Acting Section Leader - Community Planning & Engagement.
“Back then, the resulting community vision and goal that was created was that we will be ‘connected, sustainable and thriving’ by 2037.
“But a lot has happened since 2016, including the pandemic and bushfires, and it’s now time to check-in with the community to ensure the 10-year vision and strategic objectives in the current MyCoffs CSP are still relevant - and to determine if we are on track for where we want to be heading as a community.
“So Council, as the lead agency in the CSP, is about to start a staged process to give everyone who lives, works, studies or visits the Coffs Harbour local government area the opportunity to have a say on the MyCoffs CSP check-in. Community input now will ensure this long-term plan continues to reflect and achieve the community’s vision for the future.”
Some of the questions posed through the check-in will include - How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anybody better off as a result?
This month, local Community Leaders will be invited to take part in online workshops. These Community Leaders will include state agencies, non-government agencies, local schools, neighbouring councils, industry representatives and members of Council voluntary committees.
Then in February and March 2022, we will be reaching out to the wider community seeking feedback on the CSP both online and in-person.
The goal is to have a revised Community Strategic Plan out for public comment by April 2022.
To stay informed on progress – and to find out how you can contribute – go to the MyCoffs Strategic Plan page on Council’s Have Your Say website and register for updates and invitations.