Sustainable Blue Mountains together (old)

Thank you for your interest in this project. This consultation is now over and the final document can be accessed online at www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au. 

• Report on Outcomes of the together Community Forum

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  The together Community Forum was held at the Blue Mountains Theatre and Community Hub in Springwood on Saturday 18 February 2017. It was independently facilitated by a Sydney-based company - People, Place and Partnerships - in association with Blue Mountains City Council.

  
  

  The goal of the forum was to inform the update of the Blue Mountains Community Strategic Plan by obtaining input from all stakeholders across the City on their key values, aspirations and priorities regarding the future of the Local Government Area. Additionally, it provided an opportunity to assess progress made in the City since 2012, and to confirm the key findings from other community consultations conducted during 2015 and 2016.

  
  

  The forum was well-attended by representatives of all sectors of the City of Blue Mountains - people who live, work, study and recreate in the Blue Mountains. A total of 120 people attended on the day, representing more than 60 different organisations. In addition to organisational representation, there were a number of residents randomly-selected by IRIS Research from each of the five Council Planning Areas.

  
  

  The Together Community Forum Report contains full details on the forum outcomes.

• Release of State of City: End of Council Term Report 2012-2016

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  The State of City: End of Council Term Report 2012-2016 was presented at the final meeting of the outgoing Council in August 2016. This document reports on the Council's achievements and effectiveness over the previous four years in meeting the objectives of the Community Strategic Plan.

  A supplementary document of data sheets presents the evidence base for assessing the extent of progress against the objectives of the Community Strategic Plan, and analyses more than 150 trends for the City.

  

  Key achievements during the 2012-2016 Council term included ensuring the Council was Fit for the Future and remains a stand-alone Council, leading the recovery from the most devastating bushfires in the State's history, and completing the Local Environment Plan 2015, including key provisions to protect village character and our natural environment.

  This period has also seen major investments in tourism within the Blue Mountains, with the reopening of the Hydro Majestic, revitalisation of Scenic World and Echo Point, opening of the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in Katoomba and the Blue Mountains Theatre and Community Hub in Springwood, and completion of the highway upgrade from Lapstone to Katoomba.

  More detail on Council achievements over the past four years and links to the accompanying data sheets can be found on the Sustainable Blue Mountains website.

  
  

• Report on Outcomes of Area Community Workshops

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  In December 2016, Blue Mountains City Council released a report on outcomes from the five area community workshops that were facilitated by IRIS Research in August 2016. The goal of these workshops was to inform the update of the Community Strategic Plan by obtaining public input on the key values, aspirations and priorities of residents regarding the future of the Blue Mountains Local Government Area.

  

  Workshops were held in Blackheath, Katoomba, Lawson, Springwood and Warrimoo, with 130 residents attending across the five locations. Participants were randomly-selected by IRIS Research, with the aim of recruiting a representative sample of residents by age and sex to mirror the population characteristics within each planning area.

  Workshop participants identified the top five priorities for the future of the Blue Mountains as follows:

  • Improving housing diversity;
  • Protecting the environment and our World Heritage Area;
  • Improving public transport and access to it;
  • Improving roads and traffic management; and
  • Maintaining the character of our towns and villages.

  
  

  The Community Workshops Report contains further information on the workshop outcomes.
  

• 2016 Community Survey Results

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  The 2016 Community Survey was commissioned by Blue Mountains City Council as the thirteenth in a series of surveys aimed at monitoring community satisfaction with the quality and level of services provided by Council. It was also designed to identify current major issues of concern at the local and citywide levels, and to identify priorities for action and funding over the next 5-10 years.

  The survey was independently conducted by IRIS Research via telephone interview, and involved 1,000 randomly-selected residents from across the Blue Mountains. Strict sampling procedures ensured that age and sex characteristics of selected respondents mirrored those of the overall adult population.

  

  The 2016 survey results reflect highly on the performance of the Council overall, and in particular on the performance of staff and Councillors. The greatest issues of concern for the Blue Mountains overall were:

  • Roads - congestion, maintenance, safety and access;
  • Western Sydney Airport;
  • Bushfires - prevention, response, safety and management;
  • Environment - bushcare, regeneration, weed control and waterways; and
  • Development - well-planned, not over-development.

  
  

  Further details on resident satisfaction with Council services and priorities for improvement can be found in the Community Telephone Survey Report.

• Interagency Planning Workshop - April 2016

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  The Interagency Planning Workshop was held on 11th April 2016 at the Blue Mountains Theatre and Community Hub in Springwood. The key aims of the workshop were to:

  • Identify key achievements;
  • Obtain input into the update of the Community Strategic Plan;
  • Better understand each organisation's priority focus; and
  • Build relationships so we can work together better.

  
  

  The workshop was well-attended, with 45 participants representing 24 different organisations. These were mostly State Government agencies, with additional representation from adjoining councils and some key non-government organisations.

  

  
  

  Recurring themes that emerged from this workshop were around fostering partnerships and improving collaboration and connectivity at regional, city and local levels, and sharing a strategic vision by aligning planning objectives, strategies and performance measures.

  
  

  Priority focus areas identified for the next four years include:

  • Improve transport infrastructure, network and services;
  • Strengthen disaster management preparedness and response;
  • Develop tertiary education;
  • Develop centres of excellence;
  • Increase employment opportunities; and
  • Improve alignment of planning and reporting between agencies.

  
  

  More detail on the workshop outcomes can be found in the Interagency Planning Workshop Report.

• Consultation with the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

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  The culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) community is defined as those people who were born in countries that are not 'main English-speaking countries'. At the time of the 2011 Census this community totaled approximately 4,700 people in the Blue Mountains.

  In June 2016 the Council held a consultation with members of the CaLD community to gain their input on the review an update of the Community Strategic Plan. This consultation was integrated with the monthly luncheon coordinated by Blue Mountains Food Services, with 13 people from the CaLD community participating in guided discussions and completing a paper questionnaire.

  
  

  

  The top priorities for action identified by participants were:

  
  

  • Personal safety in public spaces and on public transport;
  • Improved access to, and frequency of, trains and buses;
  • Improved resources for new immigrants and those without family networks;
  • Better health services; and
  • More safe work and recreation opportunities.

  The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community Consultation Report contains more information on the consultation outcomes.

• Engagement with the LGBTIQ Community

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  The LGBTIQ community is one of eight groups identified by the NSW Integrated Planning and Reporting Guidelines as essential for targeted community engagement. Whilst there are no exact figures for the number of LGBTIQ people in the Blue Mountains, the Australian Human Rights Commission states that up to 11% of the population in Australia are of diverse sexual orientation, sex, or gender identity. In the Blue Mountains, this would equate to more than 8,000 people.

  
  

  

  The Council held a pop-up stall at the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) event in Katoomba on 21 May 2016. The aim of this stall was to inform the LGBTIQ community about Sustainable Blue Mountains Together and encourage anonymous participation in an online survey.

  
  

  Discussions at the IDAHOT event focused on the following key priorities:

  • Supporting and advocating for an inclusive community that appreciates diversity;
  • Strategies to address youth suicide and mental health issues among LGBTIQ people; and
  • Marriage equality.

  The LGBTIQ Community Engagement Report contains further information.

• Young People Input into the Community Strategic Plan

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  A consultation with the Blue Mountains City Council Youth Council was held on 25 May 2016 at the Council Chambers in Katoomba. The key aims of this consultation were to:

  
  

  • Gain an understanding of key issues of importance to young people;
  • Better understand young people’s priority focus; and
  • Obtain young people’s input into the update of the Community Strategic Plan.

  
  

  

  Participants identified the following as the top priorities for action in the Blue Mountains over the next 10 years:

  
  

  • More options for work, study and recreation in the Blue Mountains;
  • Improved access to, frequency, safety and timeliness of public transport;
  • An inclusive community with religious, racial, political, sexual and economic diversity; and
  • Encouraging the development of a Blue Mountains University.

  The Youth Council Consultation Report contains further information about the workshop outcomes.

• Engagement with Older People

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  Consultation was conducted during July-August 2016 by independent researchers from Elton Consulting to inform the development of the Blue Mountains Ageing Strategy and the review and update of the Community Strategic Plan.

  Consultation strategies included:

  • One workshop with Aged Care Service Providers;
  • Two focus groups with Seniors; and
  • One workshop with Council staff.

  

  Key priorities emerging from the various consultations were:

  • Age-friendly public spaces and buildings;
  • Accessible, affordable and safe transport;
  • Housing - ageing in place;
  • Social participation - accessible and affordable activities and venues;
  • Respect and social inclusion;
  • Civic participation and meaningful employment;
  • Age-friendly communication and information; and
  • Accessible and affordable health services.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Workshops

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  As part of the review and update of the Community Strategic Plan, the Council conducted two consultation workshops with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living and working in the Blue Mountains.

  These workshops were held in December 2015 at Katoomba and Springwood and were widely advertised, as well invitations being sent to a large number of residents. A short video shows footage from the workshops and provides information on the key outcomes.

  
  

  

  Top priorities identified in the workshops included:

  
  

  • Access to jobs, training and education;
  • Improved health services;
  • Affordable housing;
  • Developing Aboriginal leadership;
  • Acknowledging significance of Aboriginal places with cultural and spiritual meaning; and
  • Cultural land management practices.

  The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Engagement Report contains more detail on the workshop outcomes.