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Auburn 2030 guides Council decision making

New South Wales' Auburn Council has developed a key policy planning document - Auburn 2030. The document is a long term vision reflecting the expectations and future needs of the Auburn community.

Located 17 kilometres west of Sydney's CBD, Auburn Council covers an area of 31 square kilometres. Council developed Auburn 2030 through consultation with key stakeholders, including residents, businesses, local community groups, Councillors and Council staff.

General Manager, John Burgess, said the 2030 plan will guide decision making, planning and service delivery and ensure that these meet community needs and aspirations.

"Auburn 2030 comprises a long term vision, key directions, and Council values, which are a set of principals and standards that guide the way Council does business," he said.

The innovative plan recently received a merit award at the 2006 New South Wales Local Government Management Excellence Awards. The award was specifically for the Auburn 2030 key performance indicators, which are a crucial part of the Auburn 2030 document.

John Burgess said to ensure Council is on track delivering the 2030 vision, performance will be measured against social, environmental and economic indicators.

Examples of these indicators are:

• measuring not only the amount of waste recycled within the Council area, but also in Council's administration buildings
• carrying out community surveys to measure satisfaction with Council programs
• monitoring Auburn's energy consumption to determine whether Council's environmental programs are working and contributing to a reduction in energy consumption
• measuring the number of people using libraries or attending community events.

"It is great that industry peers recognise our staff's efforts in developing a comprehensive vision for the future of Auburn, as well as effective performance measurement that ensures Council delivers," John Burgess said.

The Strategic Plan Auburn 2030 can be downloaded from Auburn's website at www.auburn.nsw.gov.au/council/council

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