Early in 1995 Redland Shire Council began one of the most extensive community consultation processes ever undertaken by a Queensland Council. The project was designed to determine how the community wanted the Shire to develop in the next 10 years, taking into account the possibility of the Shire accommodating an extra 40,000 people during the 1995-2005 period.
This extensive public involvement process, known as ‘Vision 2005’, not only won Redland Shire Council a Local Government Award for Excellence, it also provided Council with clear community expectations on how the Shire should develop.
Redland Shire Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Hayden Wright, said after the initial consultation Council Planners were able to draft the Shire’s Strategic Plan to accommodate the expected population growth, while still including the key expectations of the community which included preserving lifestyle and maintaining greenspace corridors.
“Council also used the information to establish six goals which were to formulate Redland Shire Council’s Corporate Plan,” he said. “All new and existing activities undertaken by Council satisfy one or more of the goals in the Corporate Plan. “This means we are constantly working towards achieving the community’s Vision.”
The six goals identified in the Corporate Plan include:
- Lifestyle
- Business and Commerce
- Essential Services
- The Environment
- Community Development
- Council Operations
The consultation process included sending information to every Shire household and following it up with more than 100 community and business meetings. Face to face interviews with some 400 people were also conducted.
