Have your say on the draft Council Plan

Published on 26 June 2025

Surf Coast Shire Council has released its draft Council Plan 2025-2029, which sets the strategic direction for the next four years, and is inviting the community to provide feedback.

The draft Council Plan identifies five themes, with a series of outcomes for each:

Assets and Infrastructure
Climate and Environmental Leadership
Community Wellbeing
High Performing Council
Sustainable Communities

The Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, which is integrated into the draft Council Plan,

includes the following priority areas:

Increase Healthy Eating and Active Living
Advance Gender Equity and Address Family Violence
Improve Mental Health and Social Connection
Reduce Harm from Alcohol and Vaping
Tackle the Impacts of Climate Change on Health

The draft Council Plan has been informed by extensive community engagement, including a shire-wide survey and a community panel.

“Our Council Plan sets our direction, so it’s really important that it’s shaped by community views,” Mayor Cr Mike Bodsworth said.

“I want to thank everyone who provided input via the Our Focus Our Future survey or other means. We received more than 1,000 community contributions, which was fantastic.”

The survey, undertaken between November and February, revealed a highly engaged community with clear priorities and concerns in relation to the environment, cost of living, housing affordability, roads, health and wellbeing, and the management of tourism.

Earlier this year, a 43-member community panel was also appointed with participants selected at random according to criteria of age, gender, location and housing tenure.

To achieve a representative sample of Surf Coast Shire communities within the panel, an expression of interest was run by the project consultants to ensure independence.

“We’re so grateful to the 43 community panel members who came along to the sessions and shared their different perspectives, insights and advice. It was great to hear from a diverse range of voices,” Mayor Bodsworth said.

The panel spent three Saturdays in March grappling with key dilemmas facing Council and developed principles to help shape strategic plans and inform ongoing decision making.

“All of this community feedback together has informed the development of the draft Council Plan, and we’re now asking people to review it to make sure it reflects community needs and aspirations,” he said.

View the draft Council Plan and provide feedback
by 10 August.

The first phase of community engagement, including the survey, designed to capture diverse perspectives and priorities from residents of all age, included:

858 survey responses (including eight hard copy surveys)
83 youth survey responses
16 group submissions
80 kinder children’s feedback
16 pop-up events across all wards in the shire.