Three strategic documents released for community comment

Published on 08 September 2021

Benalla Rural City Council has released three key strategic documents for community comment.

Council’s draft Community Vision 2036, Council Plan 2021-2025 and Financial Plan 2021-2031 are all on public exhibition until 30 September 2021.

Originally developed in 2015 as part of a Community Plan, the proposed Community Vision 2036 has been reviewed and updated by community representatives. The Community Vision contains a central statement:

Benalla Rural City is welcoming and friendly, thriving and prosperous, sustainable, innovative and industrious, caring and supportive and engaging for all residents and visitors – a place where people want to continue to live, move to and are proud to call home.

The Vision is supported by seven guiding themes:

The draft Council Plan 2021-2025 is the Council’s key strategic document to guide decision making and resource allocation for the next four years. The plan describes the outcomes the council seeks to achieve, outlines how it will achieve these and sets out how it will measure success.

Benalla Rural City Council’s Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan is integrated in the Council Plan due to the inherent role Council plays in fostering community wellbeing.

This document provides a 10-year forecast of Council’s finances to guide how the community’s needs and aspirations in both the Community Vision and Council Plan will be resourced.

The Financial Plan communicates key pieces of information, including assumptions for Council’s income and expenses, details on proposed capital works over the next 10 years and any proposed borrowings.

Mayor Cr Danny Claridge said comprehensive community consultation had already been undertaken and encouraged the community to have their say to help finalise such critical documents.

“The Vison and plans are important, and I thank the many people and groups that have had input into their development,” Cr Claridge said. “Council uses these documents to ensure the needs and aspirations of ratepayers and residents are met and I encourage everyone to share their thoughts to ensure we are on the right track.”