The Council Plan is the City’s primary strategic document. It sets our direction and priorities for the next decade, and outlines how we will deliver outcomes for the community over the next four years.

It will be the key reference point for:

• decision-making;
• setting organisational priorities;
• allocating resources; and
• measuring performance.

The Council Plan helps everyone understand not just what the City does, but also why we do it,

If you're on this page, it's quite likely that you have contributed to past consultations organised by the City - or at the very least, are aware of them.

So what makes this one different? Think of this as the Big Picture.

If you could construct the perfect place to live, work or play, what would it look like? How would it feel? What would you need in order to live your best life?

Once the City has the answers to these questions, everything we do will be viewed through that lens. Whether we're reviewing plans, working out budgets or developing policies, we will always ask ourselves - how does this contribute to realising the community's aspirations for this place?

As part of the development of the Council Plan, our team is reviewing over 3,000 submissions received about 63 different projects and topics in 2025.

This treasure trove of insights will be combined with the bigger picture feedback received through this consultation process.

The end result will be a Council Plan that truly reflects the aspirations of the community.

Once the draft Council Plan is complete it will be reviewed by Council and approved for public advertising. We anticipate that this final stage of consultation will occur in mid 2026.

All feedback is reviewed and analysed to identify key themes and priorities.

These insights inform the draft Council Plan presented to Council.

We will publish a summary of what we heard and explain how community input influenced the draft.

Yes. A “What We Heard” report will be released before the draft Plan is finalised.

No. This engagement is designed to test and shape priorities before a draft is prepared.

Council is ultimately responsible for adopting the Plan. Community feedback informs that decision-making.

There will be an opportunity to provide feedback on the draft Plan before it is adopted

Yes. The Council Plan will bring together the content previously captured in the Strategic Community Plan and Corporate Business Plan into one clear, integrated document.

Having one integrated plan:

• reduces duplication
• makes priorities clearer
• strengthens the link between strategy, delivery, and resourcing
• makes it easier to understand how decisions are made

A single document int the form of a Council Plan that replaces the Strategic Community Plan and the Corporate Business Plan will become a requirement for all Local Government Authorities under new planning and reporting legislation.

While changes to Western Australia’s planning and reporting legislation are still being finalised, the Local Government Act 1995 already requires local governments to have a plan for the future that:

• reflects community aspirations
• considers available resources
• outlines how performance will be measured

The City can adopt a Council Plan under the current legislation. This approach aligns with the direction of local government reform and positions the City to transition smoothly once legislative changes are confirmed.