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\Tollongong Futures is an exciting project involvingthe whole community. Together, we can create a visionfor our city and plan a future that generations to comecan enjoy and share.

\7ollongong Futures is a chance to get involve d andhelp ensure we all work towards reaching that vision.

BrieF ttistoryA communily survey identified the need to establish a rision for the Cin- of .J(ro11ongong. At the sametime, there was a clear need to review the ciq-'s staruton- planning rooi. the Local Envir5nmlnt plan (LEp).

That orovided a-n exciting oppor-tuniry to begin a planning process to draw-together all elements ofthe ciry and its future.

W'ollongong Futures, as it is now knos.n. rr'ill produce a vision and goals for the city, and ensure thatall subsequent plans support that vision.

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hl\Y Ao \le ^d q Vieioning t"pzf?

N(ollongong faces many challenges. Like many cities around the world, we are in a transitiol.p€fiodfrom traditional industries to a more diverse economy.

This impacts directly on local areas through issues including:

. Economic issues (unemployment, closing down of traditional industries, etc);

. Demographic trends (gentrification, ageing population, diversity, etc);

. Changing social needs (housing, education, social services, etc);

. Social problems (drug use, crime, etc);

In modern cities the world over, local government finds it hard to fund and manage the multitude ofemerging issues, and is in a continual state of crisis management.

W'ollongong Futures, with its community visioning process, was developed out of these circumstancesto address the issues by:

. Focussing on a wider range of concerns,

. Seriously considering and incorporating community values,

. Gearing towards the future and preparing for uncertainty and change,

. Developing a shared vision to focus development efforts.*

hl\qt is wohngo^g Friura?'W'ollongong Futures is a strategic planning initiative.

Strategic planning determines where an organisation is going and how it is going to get there.

In strategic planning, flexibility is very important in order to be creative and react to new developments.

To develop a strategic plan an organisation needs to develop a vision. A vision provides guidance andmotivation for the following strategic planning process.

Visioning is a process in which a communiry thinks about the future it wants, develops a shared vision,and plans how to achieve it.

The visioning process:

. Provides a clearer understanding of community values and incorporates it into planning;

. Identifies issues and trends that influence development in communities;

. Conveys a comprehensive future-orientated view to guide short and long-term decision making inthe ciryl and

. Develops action plans and implementation tools to achieve a prefer:red future in the city.

If the visioning process does not lead to a vision - and an action plan to reach the vision - then thereis little point in undertaking it.

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*Ama, Steuen C. (Ed), A Guide to Cornrnunib) Wianing (American Plttnning Association, Wctsbington DC, 1998): P 3 - 5

a\re't\e rrnderlyiq prinai ple*The,underlying principles of Wollongong Futures are sustainability and inclusiveness.

SusainabilityA sustainable communify can face the future with confidence because it has a secure and renewablesupply of resources, a strong social fabric and a healthy environment, which combine to support allvarieties of life for the long term, both locally and globally.

\Tollongong Futures will endeavour to promote the economic, social, cultural and environmentalwellbeing of current and future generations.

Inclusiveness

Participation, communication and coordination are vital aspects of strategic planning. \Tollongong CiqrCouncil accepts the communiry's crucial role in the development of \il/ollongong Futures. As part of

'

that process, Council is committed to moving away from a semi-bureaucratii leadership style to asystem of involved communiqr governance.

It is important to get genuine community representation and involvement during the process. Careshould be taken in compiling representative groups to involve everybody, including the traditionally'silent voices'.

Consislanc\ Wit\ o-t\a i^itiqtiv4\Tollongong Futures is consistent with both the Plan First initiatives of the NSW Government and LocalAgenda 27.

Plan FirstThe Plan First State Government initiative, to modemise the plan-making system in NS'!(, endeavourst^o promote sustainable.economic development. Plan First's aim is to enable cioser working relationships,for effective coordination of actions, to reach a preferred future.

Like the Plan First initiative, N7ollongong Futures is a global and holistic sffategic approach that willflow through to different levels of planning to achieve sustainability

Local Agenda2lAgenda 21 refers to the agreement between 160 countries participating at the United Nations Conferenceon Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio in t992. fhe inient of this conference was to getthe wodd leaders to comrnit and work towards global sustainability. Chapter 28 of Agenda 21 describesthe role of local authorities and is referred to as Local Agenda 2i.

As with LocalAgenda 21,'Wollongong Futures also:

. Takes a long term perspective,

. Aims at sustainability and inclusiveness,

. Is implementation oriented.

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ttoW Ao Ve a\an3e t\e Friure?The role of the vision is to define _a

preferred future for the city and to align the Council, communiryand other relevant agencies or stakeholders' effofis to reach the goal.

The elements used to ensure implementation and support of the plans in the 'Wollongong Futures process

include:

. The positioning of the \Tollongong Futures Vision as the, or part of the, \Tollongong Strategic Planthat drives the corporate plan;

. An action plan as pat of the visioning process;

. Internal and external coordination and pafinerships within council, with stakeholders and thecommunity;

. The development of a decision suppofi system that addresses the vision;

. The development of a monitoring and evaluation system to measure how the cily is developingin relation to the specific goals under the vision or strategic plan;

. Review of the strategic plan in the future.

FiSore l. Feae\in3 'il,e PreFerreA €olore

4qpitql \tor[;

DaFinirrg 'lt e preFerred FoloreerrJ alignin3 qll e'F.forts of t\e

eomurni\ buSinesS qnd

goVernnent ta it is arueiql inreqa\ing tLqt desired f,r.rture.

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ouq^A oeelfransportPlanning

€ c,rrtotric Develapr,at

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6nVironnevttql Managenevrt

Sa;eUl qnd 4,rlturql

Planning

€qil,re lo identif,y l\,e preFerreA Ftlore or ta alignall driviq Forceg lo t\is r-onnmon g"al will result in qn

rrndesirqble f,ufure

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FiSore Z. Plqee in organisational |lr'telore

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€xeectdiong f,ronn Wollongong FotoresAim

The broaC aim of the $(rollongong Futures Project is:

. To establish a vision based on the principles of sustainability and inclusiveness to take Wollongonginto the future,

. To formulate an implementation plan to do it, and

. To establish a monitoring and reporting process to evaluate progress.

Dg4lglor.l MAHNI6

Co.rnail ManagenentDiuigia^al gl.lteires

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lndieators, t'r\anitorin3, 6VqlLrqtion

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Objectives

The objectives following the aim of the project are:

o create an overarching plan that will drive subsequent strategies and plans,

. Acknowledge changing character and pro actively plan for it,

. Identify a tange of key issues and subsequent strategies,

' Facilitate participation in all sectors (community, political and inter-agency),

. Identrfy and build on community values,

o Create general common ownership of plans,

. Design and implement (contribute to) a decision suppolt system,

. Develop indicators to measure progress,

. Develop a reporting system that will flow back into the strategic plan.

Partnerships

Partnerships are vital to achieve the vision for \follongong,s future.

Coordination, the facilitatigl .gf participation and the role thar partnerships play in this regard is animportant element of the \Tollongong Futures pro,ect.

Partnerships refer to:

' Active involvement of different groups in the \7ollongong Local Government Area,. The establishment of dialogue between groups,

. Consultation and consensus building with groups,

. Coordination and communication.

These groups refer to the:

. Citizens (the community),

. Elected officials (councillors),

. State goverrunent agencies,

. Key stakeholders.

. Council staff, etc.

Products

It is expected that thd -Wollongong Futures project will provide the following primary product:

A vision statement and action plan that will:. Drive the corporate plan;

' Contribute to other strategic planning initiatives like the LEP, social plan, budget, etc;

' Contribute to a decision suppofi system to support implementation; ando Contribute to the development indicators that will support the evaluation of \xtrllongong,s development.

'11

The process fbllowed in the lWollongong Futures proiect is based on the Oregon Model

€i3ore 9.1\e NollangonS €ol'sres Pro.e99

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WftERg AR' N6NloN ?

Prof,ile 4onnrnuni{y

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Dqtq Colleetian,

Data Conpilation,

Data Analyses,

6annunily6ansultqtion,

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frends qnd

Probqble

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Monitorin3 and 6valuation,

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Aetion/lnnplennentqtion Plqn

ldentify 6oals

Develop 9lroP.e1ies

Settin3 Pnorities

DeVelop qetion qnd lnpler,'ent a3endo6

Corp orate Plan, B,,dgat,Capital \r',larLr Progranr, Lqnd tlse Planning,frantport Plq^ning, ,coroF\ie Developnaeni

6nvironrnentql Mana3enentSoaiql qnd 6,.rltural Planning ate.

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lnpbnnartationSeveral overlapping implementation elements are crucialdo not form part as a distinct phase in the process as setform part of it throughout the process.

to the success of the project. Although theyout under the previous heading, they will

Community ParticipationThe aim of this element is involve the community and build community and political support for theproject.

The community participation element of \Wollongong Futures aims to involve the community in allphases of the process.

The objectives of this initiative will be to:

. Facilitate real community participation,

. Promote community ownership,

. Build public awareness.

?4ore 4. 4.onnnurni\ Partieipation in Nollon3on3 Folores

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Organisation/Coordin*ionThe interaction belween the Council, citizens, and all other key stakeholders will need to beorganised and coordinated. As it is not possible to run the visioning process with all individualsin the city, various advisory and working groups will be essential to the success of the process.

RoN AR6 N€ GoI$G?

Monitoring qnd 6vql rqtion

WttsRg ARg tE Golt ?

frends qnd Probable tze ^fio9

Communiccion and PromotionCommunication is very important throughor-rt the visioning process. A specific communication strategywill be put in place to ensure the community is educated, informed and invited to become involved.The main aim of the tWollongong Futures communication strategy is to engage and activate the communityon the question: 'what sort of city do you want W'ollongong to be?'

The communication strategy will ensure that:

o A widespread positive awareness is created about NTollongong Futures;

. Participation is encouraged in the project;

. Information is disseminated;

. The community is interested and involved in the exchange of ideas ecross the city;

. The'Wollongong Futures communication strategy will even go further than the immediate projectactivities and seek to promote the project's broader themes of innovation and creativity, and ceiebrationof the city's cultural diversify.

€i1o@ 9 Nollangong Foloreg 4oordinqtion glroelore

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NoLLoNEaNE 4l1Y 4aUNl4lL

fo rati€y t\e strategy ?ro.egt and developr.'ent

Io zoordivtde deVelopnent qnd revieW of t\e sFeale3xl and prorJide reeon^nnendqtions / qAtliLe

to Co,tneil on t\e developrnent of, t\e visian and aatian plans (Nollon3ong Folores ).for t\e ei\.

Mana3e 'i'e proiezl, coorAinqte inFornqtion qnd qetivities. 6nsurre 't\qt important dlvisiono,l i99oe9 qre qAAresseA.

lntegration of, \lollongong €ot'res into a't\er plqnt qnd polieies. A;gist in regeqrc\, q^d provigio^ af, inf,oncqtian

4oN\r.l\Jr.ltTY ADVlSoRy GPoup

ProviJe braqd bqse invalvennevrt in review o.F

t\e autzoneg in eqa\ o,F t\,e \le\ ,tq3e5 i^t\e progrart. f,etively partiaipate in t\e

vqriolrg iv\put/,.JorLAop 9e99io^9 t\at develap t\evigion q^d aetion plan. Provide linV/Fe-eAbqcV +o

t\eir stqVe\ol Aers te neig\bour\ood 4ohr\ilteeoe Sroop elcl

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Provide slralejie Aireetion qnd ideqg to qddress in

slodxl. €nsore ar3anisatianal/zi\ Wde i99oe9 q(e

identified qrd qddressed. Provide sounding boqrd inrelqtian to vigio^ and strategy Airezlion (reali'ly

a\eeL plad. fea\.niaql qdviee on co,rge oF qa\on.ortc-e qclonplan dazloped er$tre qdrortg dalelogAqre ivieSrqleA ivrto 6aunell's plqns and /or aSevtcy

bt'rsiness Plans'

gpeeiFic worhng 3.oo?9 +o qddreEs AiFFereri isg,tes

anJ identif,ieJ t\enneg.

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Communication Tools'Will. The logoo Newsletters. Special publications

Program and Timing

lnclude:a

O

Jan -Jun 2002 TASKS. Profiling the community

. Trends and probable scenarios

. Internal LEP review

. CommuniV sutvey

. Community participation design

o Communication strategy

PRODUCTS. Project outline

. Promotion mateial

Jul-Dec 2002 TASKS. Profiling the community

. Trends and probable scenarios

o Visioning

o Internal LEP review

. Community survey

. Communication

PRODUCTS. Community profile

. Community values

. Technical working group andcommunity advisory group

Jan -Jun 2003 TASKSo Visioning

. Action planning

. Vollongong Local Plan review

. Visioning feedback

. Communication strategy update

PRODUCTS. Vision strategy framework

Newspaper articles'Web site and GeographicalInformation System

Public service announcements

. Editorial endorsements

. Public meetings

. Special events, etc

Jul -Dec 2003 TASKS. Action planning

. \flollongong Local Plan review

. Vision survey

o Action planning workgroups

r Place Based LocalPlat/DevelopmentControl Plan (DCP) workshops

. Communication

PRODUCTS. Action Plan

. Vision document

Jan -Dec 2004+ TASKSo Monitoring system development

. -Woilongong Local Plan review

. Place Based LocalPlan/DCP workshops

. Communication

PRODUCTS. Place Based Local Plan (DCP)

Concbsion'Wollongong Futures is a veryimportant strategic planning process.It will help decide the future pathsthat the community takes to create acity where they want to live.'Wollongong Futufes v/ill help the cityto take control of its own destiny.

A detailed project program has been compiled for the \Tollongong Fulures process up to the completionof the visioning element of the process. The rest of the project has been preliminarily scheduled. Thefollowing table sets out the main tasks and general timing of the project.