Public Exhibition

DRAFT | PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURE (PID) POLICY(PDF, 593KB)

Council at the Ordinary Council Meeting of 20 February 2025, resolved to place the Draft Public Interest Disclosure (PID) Policy on Public Exhibition.

Weddin Shire Council's current PID Policy was adopted in November 2020, prior to the current Public Interest Disclosure Act 2022 coming into force.  The draft PID has been developed consistent with the NSW Ombudsman Model PID Policy and is now on Public Exhibition.

Council welcomes submissions to mail@weddin.nsw.gov.au by 5:00pm Monday 31 March 2025. 

DRAFT | COUNCILLOR EXPENSES AND FACILITIES POLICY(PDF, 486KB)

Council at the Ordinary Council Meeting of 19 December 2024, resolved to place the Draft Councillor Expenses and Facilities Policy on Public Exhibition.

Council is required to review Councillor related policies within 12 months of the commencement of a new Council term or otherwise specified.

The Office of Local Government’s (OLG’s) policy template for the payment of expenses and provision of facilities to Mayors and Councillors was used to develop the attached draft policy.

The policy once adopted, will support Councillors in their professional development. In accordance with the model policy, detailed reports on the provision of expenses and facilities to Councillors will be publicly tabled at a Council meeting every six months and published in full on Council’s website. These reports will include expenditure summarised by individual Councillor and as a total for all Councillors.  The reporting periods being 1 July to 31 December, and 1 January to 30 June each year.

Council welcomes submissions to mail@weddin.nsw.gov.au by 5:00pm Thursday 3 April 2025.

DRAFT | COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 - 2035 & DELIVERY PROGRAM 2024 - 2028(PDF, 11MB)

Council at the Ordinary Council Meeting of 20 March 2025, resolved to place the Draft Community Strategic Plan 2025 - 2035 on Public Exhibition.

Weddin Shire Council's Community Strategic Plan:  The vision of the Weddin 2035 is a “a vibrant, growing and welcoming community, rich in history, embracing its natural environment”.   Weddin 2035 involves five themes of:

·    Weddin’s People

·    Weddin’s Economy

·    Weddin’s Infrastructure

·    Weddin’s Environment

·    Weddin’s Leadership.

The Delivery Program is a four year plan which details the principal activities to be undertaken by the Council to perform its duties including any implementing strategies set out in the Community Strategic Plan.

Council welcomes submissions to mail@weddin.nsw.gov.au by 5:00pm Monday 21 April 2025.

DRAFT |OPERATIONAL PLAN 2025 - 2026(PDF, 12MB)

Council at the Ordinary Council Meeting of 20 March 2025, resolved to place the Draft Operational Plan 2025 - 2026 on Public Exhibition.

Weddin Shire Council's draft Operational Plan details the activities to be engaged in by the Council during the year as part of the delivery program covering that year. It provides the statement of revenue policy, annual actions and annual budget. 

Council welcomes submissions to mail@weddin.nsw.gov.au by 5:00pm Monday 21 April 2025.

DRAFT | LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLAN 2025 - 2035(PDF, 996KB)

Council at the Ordinary Council Meeting of 20 March 2025, resolved to place the Draft Long-Term Financial Plan on Public Exhibition.

All NSW councils use the Integrated Planning & Reporting Framework (IP&R) to guide their planning and reporting activities. The requirements for IP&R are set out in the Local Government Act 1993 and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021. Council must post a copy of the Resourcing Strategy on its website.

Council must have a long-term Resourcing Strategy for the provision of the resources required to perform its functions. Some strategies in the Community Strategic Plan will clearly be the responsibility of the Council, some will be the responsibility of other levels of government, and some will rely on input from business and community groups.

The Resourcing Strategy consists of 3 components:

1. Long-Term Financial Plan (2025-2035)

2. Strategic Asset Management Strategy (2028)

3. Workforce Management Strategy (2028)

The Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) is a 10-year rolling financial plan that informs decision making and demonstrates how the objectives of the Community Strategic Plan (CSP) and the commitments of the Delivery Program (DP) and the Operations Plan (OP) will be resourced and funded.

The LTFP captures what financial resources are required in connection with asset management and workforce planning. It is a tool to aid decision making, priority setting and problem solving. It is a guide for future action and is reviewed and updated annually.

Council’s LTFP addresses the following key points:

·    How council will survive future financial pressures

·    Opportunities for future income and economic growth

·    Whether council can afford what the community requests

·    How council can achieve outcomes agreed with the community

·    Projected income and expenditure, balance sheet and cash flow statement

·    Planning assumptions

·    Sensitivity analysis, highlighting factors and assumptions most likely to impact the LTFP.

·    Financial modelling for different scenarios

·    Methods of monitoring financial performance

·    Major capital and operational expenditure implications.

Council welcomes submissions on the draft Long-Term Financial Plan 2025 - 2035 to mail@weddin.nsw.gov.au by 5:00pm Monday 21 April 2025.

DRAFT |STRATEGIC ASSET MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 2028(PDF, 2MB)

Council at the Ordinary Council Meeting of 20 March 2025, resolved to place the Draft Strategic Asset Management Strategy on Public Exhibition.

All NSW councils use the Integrated Planning & Reporting Framework (IP&R) to guide their planning and reporting activities. The requirements for IP&R are set out in the Local Government Act 1993 and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021. Council must post a copy of the Resourcing Strategy on its website.

Council must have a long-term Resourcing Strategy for the provision of the resources required to perform its functions. Some strategies in the Community Strategic Plan will clearly be the responsibility of the Council, some will be the responsibility of other levels of government, and some will rely on input from business and community groups.

The Resourcing Strategy consists of 3 components:

1. Long-Term Financial Plan (2025-2035)

2. Strategic Asset Management Strategy (2028)

3. Workforce Management Strategy (2028)

Council delivers a variety of services to the community and in doing so, must ensure that the assets supporting these services are managed sustainably.

Asset management is a “whole of life” approach that includes planning, purchase, construction, operation, maintenance and renewal/disposal of assets. Asset management supports Council’s achievement of organisational objectives which include economic, environmental and social goals, while meeting governance requirements and community expectations. Council’s infrastructure assets include:

·    Buildings

·    Roads (sealed and unsealed roads, bridges, footpaths, cycleways, kerbs, bulk earthworks, car parks and other roads and street infrastructure and assets)

·    Sewerage

·    Stormwater drainage

·    Recreation, swimming pools and open space.

The Strategy has been developed in accordance with the Integrated Planning and Reporting and the Institute of Public Works & Engineering Australia (IPWEA) frameworks and guidelines and provides the basis for consistent and effective asset management across our infrastructure asset classes.

Council’s asset management planning is supported by these three key documents:

·    Asset Management Policy – endorsed by Council

·    Strategic Asset Management Strategy – identifies assets that are critical to the council’s operations and outlines risk management strategies for these assets

·    Asset Management Plans – for all assets under council’s control, which identify asset service standards and contain long term (at least 10 years) projections of asset maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement costs. These costs should then be reflected in the LTFP.

Council welcomes submissions on the Draft Strategic Asset Management Strategy 2028 to mail@weddin.nsw.gov.au no later than 5:00pm Monday 21 April 2025.

DRAFT | WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 2025 - 2029(PDF, 15MB)

Council at the Ordinary Council Meeting of 20 March 2025, resolved to place the Draft Workforce Management Strategy on Public Exhibition.

All NSW councils use the Integrated Planning & Reporting Framework (IP&R) to guide their planning and reporting activities. The requirements for IP&R are set out in the Local Government Act 1993 and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021. Council must post a copy of the Resourcing Strategy on its website.

Council must have a long-term Resourcing Strategy for the provision of the resources required to perform its functions. Some strategies in the Community Strategic Plan will clearly be the responsibility of the Council, some will be the responsibility of other levels of government, and some will rely on input from business and community groups.

The Resourcing Strategy consists of 3 components:

1. Long-Term Financial Plan (2025-2035)

2. Strategic Asset Management Strategy (2028)

3. Workforce Management Strategy (2028)

The Workforce Management Strategy (WMS) is a four-year document that shapes the capacity and capability of council’s workforce to ensure Council’s strategic goals and objectives are achieved. The WMS assists council to plan and address for future workforce needs. It does by considering council’s current workforce needs and capabilities, whilst also ensuring it has a diverse workforce and strategies in place to deal with change, skills shortages, an ageing workforce and succession planning. The future planning enables greater flexibility and responsiveness and place council in a stronger and more stable position for a sustainable future.

Council has an experienced workforce with 28% of employees who have served more than five years with Council, and this serves as a strength in our business continuity. Council’s workforce is further supported with new employees who will be employed under the Office of Local Government’s Fresh Start program which will inject new personnel into our workforce whilst ensuring that skills are passed onto other employees.

Council’s weaknesses and challenges are not unique to our Council and other industries, this includes:

Council does experience a number of weaknesses and challenges that are not unique to our council and other industries, this includes:

·      Our financial constraints and our heavy reliance on grant funding to undertake ‘business as usual’ activities such as asset management of our roads, parks and gardens and other assets.

·      Our financial uplift during the last reporting period that will likely impact on our employment numbers as those grant funds are ceased and our casual employment numbers are reduced.

·      Our skills shortages in a number of areas across our business.

·      Our ageing workforce including those who are likely to retire over the next five years.

·      Lack of business continuity for certain positions that do not have a sustainable mid to long term back up plan.

·      Our ability to compete with other sectors for wages that are in line with market standards.

·      Our lack of ability to uplift wages above and beyond the Award increases due to a number of reasons including lack of funding.

·      Cost shifting/Service shifting on to local government which may lead to our organisation unable to keep up.

The WMS provides five workforce strategies including:

1.   Build leadership capabilities across all levels of our council including aspiring and emerging leaders.

2.   Invest in our talent and ensure clear pathways for career success.

3.   Create a proactive safety and wellbeing culture where managing risks is at the forefront of our day-to-day activities.

4.   Attract and retain our employees.

5.   Develop and implement strategies and plans to support our team to embrace a values-based culture.

Council welcomes submissions on the Draft Workforce Management Strategy 2025 - 2029 to mail@weddin.nsw.gov.au no later than 5:00pm Monday 21 April 2025.