A draft 10 year plan that outlines how Willoughby City Council will sustainably deliver services and infrastructure to the community has been released for public comment.
The draft 10 year Long Term Financial Plan 2023-2033 supports the implementation of the draft Operational Plan 2023/24 which is also out for public comment. These documents are guided by Willoughby’s ten year Community Strategic Plan and four year Delivery Program, which were last updated following extensive community feedback in 2022.
Willoughby City delivers a range of services and facilities to the community. Feedback from the recent Community Perception Survey formed the basis for the plan including prioritising environmental sustainability, cooling and greening of streets and better sports facilities.
Willoughby Mayor Tanya Taylor said that it is a requirement of the Local Government Act for Councils to prepare a 10 year Financial Plan.
“Council is committed to operating in a financially sustainable way to continue to deliver, reprioritise, improve or increase services that benefit the whole community.
“It is important that both Council and the community are realistic and understand we are not immune to the global economy and we are facing headwinds as a follow on effect from hardships faced in recent years which are undoubtedly putting pressure on us from a variety of directions.
“The draft plan has been prepared to consider all of these factors, and we welcome the community’s feedback on this approach,” Mayor Taylor said.
Feedback is being sought on the Council’s:
- Operational Plan for 2023/24, which details the services and projects the Council will provide and how the Council will fund these. It also includes the annual budget and annual rates, projects and capital works and fees and charges.
- Revised Long-Term Financial Plan 2023-2033, which outlines how the Council proposes to manage its budget and financial sustainability in the coming decade.
The exhibited documents collectively show how the Council is proposing to navigate ongoing difficult economic conditions in 2023/24 and beyond, including high inflation, employee costs growth, lingering COVID-19 revenue impacts, repairing storm-damaged infrastructure, higher depreciation expenses and increased community expectations.
