Help Shape Colac Otway's Future
The Council Plan is our strategic blueprint, outlining the ambitious goals we aim to achieve during the current Council's term and mapping out the path to get there.
Every four years, we collaborate with the community to craft a fresh Council Plan, ensuring it reflects our shared vision.
We're now gearing up to develop the Council Plan 2025-2029, which will set the strategic direction and priorities for the Colac Otway Shire Coucnil over the next four years.
We invite community members to join us in this exciting journey and help shape a true vision for our shire!
Click on the tabs below to find out more.
What is a Council Plan?
The Council Plan will guide council investment in facilities and infrastructure and set out what services and programs are needed to support the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the Shire.
The new Council Plan will also incorporate the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan which is focused on improving the health and wellbeing of our community.
The Local Government Act (2020) requires council to develop a new Council Plan every four years, but we're also seeking feedback on the 2050 Community Vision which we developed through extensive community engagement in 2021.
How to get involved
To ensure our new Council Plan reflects the priorities, goals and aspirations of our community, we're calling for community members to be a part of the engagement process.
Council is designing a deliberative engagement process with different ways to participate, including online surveys, quick questionnaires, shire-wide focus groups, pop-ups, drop-in sessions and a deliberative engagement panel.
If you would like to be a part of the process, fill in the Expression of Interest form.
2025-29 Council Plan EOI
You can also send us an email with your name, town and contact details at councilplan@colacotway.vic.gov.au and we will contact you soon to start the conversation.
All members of the community are invited to participate in the process, and we will continue to promote the engagement activities as they roll out in 2025.
What is deliberative engagement?
Deliberative community engagement is the cornerstone of designing and creating an effective plan for the future and your input and feedback will directly help Councillors and the organisation to shape the new Council Plan and capture the vision, aspirations and goals of our community.
Deliberative engagement is a long and careful discussion, where a group of everyday people consider the relevant facts from multiple points of view, and provide recommendations to Council.
Deliberation allows Council to know what residents really think, hearing from a broad cross-section of the community. It’s all about placing people at the centre of the issues that affect them.