This Operational Plan and Delivery Program are the culmination of over 18 months of intensive community consultation and financial analysis.

It follows Council’s endorsement of the Newcastle 2030 Community Strategic Plan which provides an ambitious long term vision for Newcastle. Our local community embraced the opportunity for input into this plan, with over 1,500 people directly sharing their aspirations and priorities.

It is these community aspirations and needs that have shaped Council’s works program for the 2011/2012 financial year and underpinned our four year delivery program. There will continue to be an alignment between the community 2030 vision and Council’s operational activities in all future planning.

I am very pleased that this year we have produced a balanced draft budget. This is the result of a driving commitment to financial sustainability with the ongoing implementation of recommendations from the Sustainability Review. This saw us achieve savings to date of $1,329,884 with a forecast to deliver $4,034,435 over the 2011/2012 to 2014/2015 financial years.

While we continue to tighten our belt, it is clear there are significant financial challenges ahead. Rate pegging restricts our budget and cost shifting of $5.5M per year from the State Government cuts into our ability to spend on managing our ageing infrastructure.

Under the new Integrated Planning and Reporting legislation, Council is now required to produce a Long Term Financial Plan, Workforce Management Plan and Strategic Asset Management Plan. This has provided an opportunity to undertake a detailed analysis of our finances, resource and service levels and infrastructure renewal needs over the next 10 years. What has emerged is the need to work in partnership with the community to focus on priorities and examine other funding scenarios. Four funding scenarios have been put forward which will be explored in further community consultation. There will need to be honest and robust discussion about how to bridge the gap between community aspirations and our capacity to financially deliver over the long term.

During the consultation process for the 2030 Community Strategic Plan we heard the community say they want to be engaged in local planning and decision making. They want to be informed and empowered to contribute to future planning. That’s why we will continue to seek your feedback and input into our operational plans and delivery programs. These are living documents that will be shaped over time.

Newcastle is your city. Together, working in partnership with other agencies and civic leaders, we can deliver on the 2030 vision for a smart, liveable and sustainable city.

Rob Noble