Community Plan 2030

We plan for our city’s future by setting clear, responsive and responsible direction – then doing what we said we’d do to achieve it. We do this through our Community Plan and supporting strategic plans. Each strategic plan looks at a topic important to our city, and defines what we can, should and will do, to support our city’s progress.

We regularly ask for feedback from community members when developing Strategic Plans, so register for Your Say to learn about upcoming opportunities.

We use the following role statements to guide its decision making and to ensure it stays focused on its areas of responsibility, uses resources efficiently and effectively engages in partnerships with others where necessary. 

Service provider

Regulatory

Council is required by legislation to provide a specific service (e.g. development policy and assessment).

Direct

Council is responsible and provides full or majority of the resources for a service (e.g. recreation, sports, arts facilities).

Part

Council contributes minority/part resourcing to a service for which others have responsibility (e.g. major events such as Tour Down Under).

Agent

Council provides a service on behalf of others (often with funding) that involves ‘hosting’ or other in-kind use of Council resources (e.g. home and community care programs).

Owner custodian

Council own or manages infrastructure, facilities, reserves and natural areas. This is a supporting role to ‘Service Provider’ and will appear together with one of these provider roles, and has particular public liability responsibilities.

Advocate

Council will make representations on behalf of the community and seek support from others who are able to apply influence to an issue, or funding/investment/resources to a service, project or area. 

Initiator / Facilitator

Council will bring together or connect stakeholders to pursue an issue, opportunity or shared interest or service and determine appropriate action. 

Information provider / Promoter

Council will provide information or promote opportunities related to community services, events, people and places.

These policy principles underpin all of the decisions made by Council. They guide our strategic planning and action, the design of processes, facilities and services, and the management of our assets.

Putting people first

We place people first through the promotion of leadership, imagination, initiative, learning, trust, participation and service. We focus on the needs and aspirations of people and then shape services, processes, products, places, infrastructure, and facilities, to suit. We build personal safety and promote choices for healthy, active living.

Enabling equity

We value equity, recognising that there are inequalities across our region and in our communities (whether due to history, socioeconomic factors, location, age or culture). We work to address these inequalities so that our communities have equitable access to opportunities and services. We protect the options and aspirations of future generations.

Promoting strengths

We recognise and respect our strengths - protecting and celebrating our natural, cultural, and economic strengths and heritage, and building upon these in developing the region. We aim to increase the integration between social, environmental and economic activities. 

Seeking to understand

We make informed decisions that rely on input from genuine community and stakeholder engagement and the best available knowledge, applied to the Onkaparinga context.

Being resourceful

We are resourceful and live within our limits and means, focusing on possibilities, solutions, adaptations and initiatives that catalyse and add value. We learn from mistakes and use land, energy, resources, infrastructure and facilities efficiently. 

Encouraging investment

We invest in our region – maximising potential for local business, employment and market-based competition. We recognise the strengths of the private, government and non-government sectors working together for community benefit. We pursue sustainable growth, including the ongoing renewal of older areas.

Working strategically towards our vision

We are strategic and apply a systematic approach that sees the bigger picture, understands immediate and longer term implications, anticipates opportunity, manages uncertainty and determines policy to guide activity. Our dealings are transparent and we are accountable for our performance.