Have your say on draft Service Review Policy
Published on 29 October 2025
We're inviting you to have your say on a new policy that will help prioritise and guide future reviews of our services.
Council delivers more than 100 services, designed to meet a wide and evolving range of community needs and priorities.
The Draft Service Review Policy recognises that all services should be regularly reviewed to check that they are:
- Being provided in an equitable manner;
- Accessible to the people they’re intended for;
- Providing good value to the community; and
- Can be delivered in a way that allows Council to remain financially sustainable.
The draft policy features nine principles that would be considered when carrying out service reviews in future:
Strategic alignment
Services must respond to the priorities of the community set out in the Council Plan and the Community Vision.
Current and future needs
Services must address the current priorities of the community and balance the need to plan for future needs.
Equity and access
Equity and access to services is provided, recognising that the capacity to pay can impact both.
Financial sustainability
Reducing the level of rate subsidy for the cost of delivering services is important for the long-term financial sustainability of Council.
Alternative providers
Council may transition service delivery to another provider where there is a viable, equivalent alternative service provider for its community, including partnering with others to enhance or deliver services more efficiently.
Evidence-based decision making
Evidence informs decisions about services so the facts are known before acting, including consideration of customer feedback about services.
Community engagement
Consultation about service reviews will take place with service users and others impacted.
Transparency
The service review process is open and transparent unless it is not appropriate to do so.
Compliance
Services are compliant with relevant legislation and the legal obligations of funding providers.
The draft policy also provides a method for prioritising which services will be reviewed.
Councillor Tony Phelps said periodically reviewing services was good practice and would help Council deliver services that best meet the needs of the community.
“The need for services can be affected over time by things like increasing or decreasing demand, advancements in technology, or other providers coming into the market,” Cr Phelps said.
“Introducing this policy will give us a solid base to review our services regularly, and help us decide if we’re offering the right services at the right levels, and whether our cost recovery method is the most appropriate.
“I encourage everyone in the community to read the draft policy and have their say by completing our short online survey.”
The draft policy is open for feedback until Friday 28 November.
All feedback will be considered before a final policy is presented to Council for endorsement later this year.
The proposed policy aligns the new Council Plan 2025-29 and its strategic direction of ‘High Performing Council,’ which includes the following priority: ‘Service reviews and a culture of continuous improvement utilised to achieve cost efficiencies and deliver services that meet community expectations.’
The policy would also help ensure the Council meets its legislated requirements for service delivery under the Local Government Act 2020.