Community Trends Post

Collie is in an exciting and challenging phase. Collie is looking to meet these challenges and
ensure that Collie is well positioned moving forward and recognised as a great place to live, visit and invest.
Local Government has been subjected to considerable scrutiny in 2009 & 2010 with strong overtures from the State
Government to reform and reduce the number of local governments from 138 to less than 100. Our Council was
identified as one which should amalgamate, within the Bunbury Region. Our Council is strongly opposed to this
proposal as it is not evident that such an amalgamation would benefit our community.
The strategic plan for the future that we have developed builds on the 2008 plan, adjusted as a result of community
feedback solicited through community survey and stakeholder workshops. I am confident that the plan we have put
forward will provide our elected members and staff with a real focus moving forward. It is an exciting plan, and one
which provides the community with an insight into what we are trying to achieve and how we think we may be able to
achieve it. It is not however set in concrete. The Council understands that we are working in an environment which is
changing quickly and as such local government organizations must be prepared to move with these changes and
have a plan which is flexible enough to give consideration to new developments or issues without compromising our
broad objectives.
A key component of any change management is communication. The Council is committed to communicating in an
effective way with our stakeholders. This has in the past, and will in the future, be a primary focus of how we go about
our business and the Council is committed to finding new and improved processes to facilitate this objective.
Planning is an important role within any organisation and local government is not different. However planning in its self
is not an outcome. This Council is focused on achieving results and throughout the document you will notice that for
each of our identified key performance area’s we have established a range of initiatives and establish target dates for
their implementation. This aspect of the plan is important and the Council, along with our CEO and staff are committed
to achieving these.