Council is reviewing the long-term community plan, Warrnambool 2040 (W2040), which was formally adopted by Council in December 2018 after a rigorous process that included extensive community engagement over more than a year.
Having a long-term community plan or vision became a requirement under the Local Government Act 2020.
The plan is considered to be “owned” by the community, including the groups, organisations and individuals who contributed to its development. Ultimately, however, while Council is a plan partner, it is effectively the caretaker of the plan and takes the lead on its development and maintenance.
Although the scope of the plan must cover at least a decade, the Local Government Act directs Councils to either develop or review the plan by 31 October in the year following a general election.
A review of the plan began this year with the Mayor writing to the organisations who were involved in the development of the plan in 2017 and 2018.
The summary of actions taken by Council and partners reveals that strong progress has been made towards achieving most of the W2040 objectives.
It is important to point out that achieving the plan’s objectives is not the sole responsibility of Council and will depend on the actions of other groups, organisations, government agencies and individuals.
The objectives of the plan remain the aspirations the community holds for itself. Given that W2040 is a long-term plan that was endorsed after the extensive consultation that took place over almost two years, it is not anticipated that significant changes to the long-term plan should, or will, be made.
Council continues to strive for positive outcomes from the plan for its areas of responsibility, through our Council Plan. However, some refinement of W2040 has been made, that is a response to the passage of time. For example, short-term initiatives which were to be implemented quickly following adoption of the plan have been largely completed and no longer feature in the plan.
You can read the revised W2040 here and have your say below.