Navigating Local Government

1. Navigating Local Government Information from Becoming a Councillor Division of Local Government NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet in cooperation with the Local Government Association of NSW and the Shires Association of NSW

2. What is Local Government?

3. The Local Government Charter (Local Gov Act, 1993) • Council has a charter to conduct the following: • services and facilities for the community • community leadership • the principles of multiculturalism • the needs of children • manage the environment • long term effects of its decisions • custodian and trustee of public assets • long-term strategic planning • social justice principles • involve councillors, members of the public, users of facilities and services and council staff • raise fund • keep the local community and State government informed • acts consistently and without bias • responsible employer.

4. Services and Functions of Council • Providing and maintaining infrastructure • Planning for sustainable development • Protecting the environment • Supporting community development • Safeguarding public health

5. Services and Functions of Council • Why does local service provision vary between councils? • Availability of finance to fund certain services • Size, location and demographics of a local government area • Commitment to maintaining existing services • The views, wishes and needs of the community.

6. How are Councils funded? • Local community by rates • Borrow and invest money • Fees for the use of publicly owned facilities and for giving information, supplying products or receiving applications • Commonwealth financial assistance grant • Grants from other sources • Income from the interest on surplus funds

7. How are Councils structured? • Five and fifteen elected councillors • Board of a public company, not involved in the day-to-day running of • the council • Specialist committees • Employed staff to administer the council • General manager most senior member of staff • Council staff responsible to the general manager, not the councillors • Councillors cannot direct staff • Roles defined in the Local Government Act.

8. How are Councils structured?

9. How do Councils Plan? • A new planning and reporting framework replaces the former Management Plan and Social Plan with an integrated framework. • The new framework recognises that communities do not exist in isolation – they are part of a larger natural, social, economic and political environment that influences and, to a large extent, shapes their future direction. • Neither do council plans exist in isolation – land use and infrastructure planning produces social, environmental and economic outcomes, and vice-versa – they are connected. • This framework encourages councils to draw their various plans together, to understand how they interact and to get the maximum leverage from their efforts by planning holistically for the future.

10. How do Councils Plan? • Community Strategic Plan • 10 year vision • identify the community’s aspirations and priorities • Delivery Program • point of reference for all activities undertaken by council during each four-year term of office • Operational Plan • spells out the details of the Delivery Program • includes the budget for that year. • Resourcing Strategy • time, money, assets and people • three components: • Long Term Financial Planning • Workforce Management Planning • Asset Management Planning

12. What happens to Council’s Social Plans? • Councils will no longer be required to complete a separate Social/Community Plan. • Instead, social and community planning becomes an integral part of the development of the Community Strategic Plan. • Councils must ensure that their Community Strategic Plan adequately addresses social as well as environmental, economic and civic leadership issues. It must also reflect the four social justice principles of equity, access, participation and rights. • Councils will need to consider the social issues and priorities in these plans, and consider how they fit appropriately into the Community Strategic Plan, the Delivery Program and Operational Plans.

15. Where can I find a copy of these plans? www.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au > Visit the ‘Integrated Planning and Reporting’ tab in the right hand column www.kiama.nsw.gov.au > Visit the ‘Your Council’ tab and click Public Documents

16. Other Council services might you be interested in… Current and future population demographics How many people live in Shellharbour or Kiama? How many recently arrived? From where? How old are they? Where do they work? How much income do they have? How many people are studying and where? • Community Profile: ABS data summarised in text, simple tables and charts • Community Atlas:key socio-demographic characteristics presented as interactive maps • Population Forecasts: population projections up to the year 2031 for the City of Shellharbour and its suburbs

18. Where can I find these tools? www.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au > Visit the ‘City Demographics’ tab on the left of the site www.kiama.nsw.gov.au > Visit the Community Tab and Then click Community Services Plans

19. Questions?

20. Contacts General Managers Kiama Council Michael Forsyth 4232 0444 michaelf@kiama.nsw.gov.au Shellharbour Council Michael Willis 4221 611 Directors , Community Services Kiama Council Clare Rogers 4232 0474 clarer@kiama.nsw.gov.au Shellharbour Council Carey McIntyre 4221 6170 Managers , Community Services Kiama Council Nick Guggisberg 4232 0433 nickg@kiama.nsw.gov.au Shellharbour Council Kathryn Baget – Juleff 4221 6170