Towards2042 Community Engagement Report

Published on 24 July 2024

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Council has released its Towards2042 Engagement Report following a successful community engagement process undertaken earlier this year.

Between January and February, more than 450 people shared their perspectives through the Towards2042 project, contributing to the review of the Snowy Valleys Community Strategic Plan (CSP).

During the engagement process council staff guided the community through important discussions on the main ideas and priorities for the local government area for the next 18 years.

People had their say through a variety of methods, including community workshops, an online survey, discussion guides, drawing sheets and written submissions.

More than 160 surveys were completed and 178 people contributed to discussions during the community engagement process which included six separate town/village workshops.

The feedback received will shape the updated CSP, Council’s most important planning document, which highlights the community’s aspirations and priorities through to the year 2042.

Interim General Manager Steven Pinnuck thanked participants for openly sharing their vision for the future.

“Council plays an important custodial role in developing and reviewing the Community Strategic Plan and works in partnership with various community organisations and government agencies to achieve the community’s long-term goals,” Mr Pinnuck explained.

“It’s an important part of the process to check in with the community every four years or so to ensure that the CSP continues to represent the community’s ambitions and future aspirations,” he said.

Key engagement findings included:

  • Respondents identified the beautiful natural environment, lifestyle, sense of community peace and quiet, and sport and recreation as aspects that made their community a great place to live.
  • The main challenges facing the community were council issues, services, housing availability and affordability, amalgamations, boundary alignment and infrastructure.
  • A better council, economic growth, sport and recreation, health services and infrastructure were seen as the main priorities respondents would like to see achieved over the next 10 years.
  • 79% of people agreed with either all or some of the five strategic themes outlined in the CSP and more than half the respondents perceived that achievements were being made against the five themes.

The next steps in the Towards2042 project will be to consider the community’s feedback and prepare a reviewed Community Strategic Plan, to share with the community in the new year.

The updated CSP must then be endorsed by Councillors before 30 June 2025.

For those interested in more details, the engagement report is available on Council’s website at www.svc.nsw.gov.au/csp

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