Strategies & Plans

Councils are guided by the Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) framework, a fundamental aspect of local government in New South Wales. This framework is designed to support councils in planning comprehensively and sustainably for their communities. It enables councils to establish a clear vision, set strategic goals, and outline the actions needed to achieve them. By integrating community priorities, service expectations, and regional and state objectives, the IP&R framework ensures transparency, accountability, and consistency, all while emphasising long-term sustainability.

The IP&R framework is built on a series of interconnected documents that drive planning and track progress. These include the Community Strategic Plan, which defines the long-term vision for the community, along with the Delivery Program, Operational Plan, and Resourcing Strategy. Collectively, these documents allow councils to address immediate priorities while preparing for future challenges. By aligning its plans with community aspirations, the framework helps council promote collaboration, improve efficiency, and establish a shared direction toward achieving sustainable long-term outcomes.

Councils Integrated Planning and Reporting processes are identified diagrammatically, as below:

The Community Strategic Plan (CSP) is the highest-level plan Bourke Shire Council prepares. It identifies the community’s main priorities and aspirations for the next 10 years and provides a roadmap to achieve them. The CSP is not just a Council document – it’s a whole-of-community plan that may involve partnerships with state agencies, businesses, and non-profits.

Key features include:

• Developed with extensive community consultation;
• Must be reviewed every 4 years after council elections;
• Identifies strategic directions like liveability, sustainability, economy, and community wellbeing; and
• Councils are responsible for implementing the parts of the plan that fall under their jurisdiction

Building strong community engagement helps build public trust in local government and ensures that council decisions and plans align with the values and priorities of the community. Bourke Shire Council’s Community Engagement Strategy (CES) sets out how the Council will involve residents and stakeholders in shaping decisions, particularly during the development and review of the Community Strategic Plan (CSP) and other major plans.

In line with Section 402A of the Local Government Act 1993, the CES must:

• Describe the guiding principles and engagement methods to be used (such as surveys, public meetings, and online submissions);
• Promote inclusive participation, with a focus on reaching underrepresented groups including young people, Aboriginal communities, and people with disabilities; and
• Be open, transparent, and easily accessible to the public.

Council’s Resourcing Strategy outlines how Council will utilise its available resources and assets to implement the Community Strategic Plan and Delivery Program. It provides the foundation for supporting the CSP by detailing how Council will plan for and manage its financial, workforce, and infrastructure needs over the long term.

The strategy consists of three interconnected parts:

• Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP).
• Workforce Management Strategy.
• Asset Management Strategy and Plans.

Together, these components ensure that Council’s services and infrastructure remain financially sustainable and well-maintained into the future.

The Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) is an essential tool for maintaining the Council’s financial sustainability over time. It is reviewed annually to ensure it aligns with the budget forecasts in the Operational Plan and Delivery Program. The LTFP covers a period of 10 years and:

• Estimates income and expenditure, including rates, grants, loans, and asset renewal costs;
• Evaluates financial risks and the impact of changing factors such as inflation; and
• Helps guide strategic decisions on infrastructure investments, service delivery, and operational performance.

The four-year Workforce Management Strategy (WMS) focuses on building workforce capability and capacity to support Council’s strategic priorities. It outlines the approach Bourke Shire Council will take to meet future staffing and skill needs through recruitment, training, career development, internal mobility, and succession planning.

Council is responsible for overseeing vital community infrastructure, including roads, footpaths, bridges, buildings, stormwater systems, parks and open spaces, water supply and sewerage infrastructure, and more. In order to keep these assets safe, operational, and in line with community needs, the Asset Management Strategy (AMS) describes how they will be periodically maintained, updated, and replaced. Lifecycle costing, condition inspections, service level benchmarking, and coordinating asset choices with long-term financial planning are important elements of the strategy. Throughout their useful lives, this ensures that assets are managed sustainably and cost-effectively.

Council creates distinct Asset Management Plans (AMPs) for every significant asset class in order to support this strategy. These ten-year plans offer comprehensive data on asset inventories, projected maintenance and renewal expenses, anticipated service levels, and financial needs. The Council makes sure that infrastructure is prioritised, maintained, and renewed in a way that satisfies present demands and gets ready for future ones by incorporating these plans into its larger strategic and financial planning.

The Delivery Program is a 4 year plan that translates the community’s strategic goals into actions. It represents Council’s pledge to the community regarding the services it will provide throughout its elected term.

The Delivery Program is reviewed each six-months for implementation progress and forms the basis for the Operational Plan.

The annual Operational Plan is a sub-plan of the Delivery Program. It lists individual actions that will be undertaken during the financial year to achieve outcomes stated in the four-year Delivery Program. The Operational Plan includes the Fees and Charges, Revenue Policy, and Rating Maps. It also includes a detailed budget to support the activities to be undertaken during the year, along with projects, activities, and service delivery targets for the financial year

In addition to the IP&R requirements, Council is required to publish a range of additional strategies to meet local needs and statutory requirements which are aligned with the CSP and contribute to achieving broader community goals. These documents are linked below: