The City of Casey has unveiled its Draft Long-Term Community Vision 2031, Draft Council Plan 2021-25 and Draft Budget 2021-22, as well as a suite of other strategic documents, which will guide the organisation and enable us to deliver on our community's priorities and aspirations for our city.
At its Council meeting on Tuesday 18 May 2021, Council endorsed the suite of draft strategic documents for public exhibition. These documents include:
- Draft Long-Term Community Vision 2031
- Draft Council Plan 2021-25
- Draft Annual Action Plan
- Draft City of Casey Budget 2021-22
- Draft 2021/22 Capital Works Program
- Draft 10-year Financial Plan, and
- Revenue and Rating Plan
The draft Long-Term Community Vision and draft Council Plan were developed based on the feedback, thoughts and ideas shared during Council's largest ever engagement campaign, Shape Your City.
Shape Your City reached more than 6,600 people across various channels, including phone and online surveys, live community forums and hosted conversations.
Insights from this campaign identified five key themes that were consistent across the municipality, that our community stated they would like to see Council prioritise. These themes now form a key element of our draft strategic documents and helped to shape our new vision, which defines the community's aspirations for the future of Casey.
Our new draft vision is 'to become a more connected, bold, and resilient community'.
The Council Plan brings to life the feedback we received during Shape Your City and sets out how we will work with our community, key stakeholders, community groups, surrounding municipalities and other levels of government to achieve the best outcomes for the City of Casey.
This year's draft budget totals $569.7 million, with a $421.17 million operational budget and a $148.5 million Capital Works Program (CWP).
Some of the key projects to be completed over the next 12 months include:
- $22.5 million to commence Minta Farm early works package (construction of Bells Road from Grices Road to O'Shea Road, including associated intersections)
- $17.75 million for the construction of Clyde Recreation Reserve, Clyde
- $15 million for the Casey Fields Soccer Stage two works, Cranbourne East
- $8.12 million towards the Cranbourne West Sport and Recreation Reserve
- $2 million towards a new family and community centre in Clyde
- $1.49 million to commence the upgrade of Pearcedale Recreation Reserve Football/Cricket Pavilion, Pearcedale
- $1.5 million to commence the upgrade of the football and netball pavilion in Edwin Flack Recreation Reserve, Berwick
This increased investment in the CWP demonstrates Council's commitment to providing our community with the services and infrastructure it needs, while our operational budget remains focused on ensuring we continue to support our community through the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM said she was proud to endorse these draft strategic documents, which are the culmination of extensive community engagement over the last 12 months.
"Our Council has been focused on making sure we listen to our community, and the themes identified through Shape Your City are now reflected in different elements of our draft Council Plan and draft Long-Term Community Vision," Ms Duff said.
"This new Council Plan and Community Vision are the first to be developed under our Administration, and I am proud of the hard work, effort and community input that has contributed to these.
"I hope they instil a sense of pride within our community."
City of Casey Acting CEO James Collins echoed these comments and added that the community will see some great outcomes from the draft budget, with plenty of new projects popping up across Casey.
"This year's increased Capital Works Program will be focused on completing some major projects from 2020/21, but it will also see the commencement of some exciting new projects, from major recreation and sporting reserves, to roads and community hubs," Mr Collins said.
The Draft Council Plan 2021-2025, Draft Long-Term Community Vision 2031 and Draft Budget 2021/22 will be open for consultation until Wednesday 2 June 2021, after which time Council will consider all of the feedback and then formally adopt the documents at a Council meeting on 29 June 2021.
To have your say, find out what capital works projects are happening near you, and to read the strategic documents, visit our online engagement portal, Casey Conversations.
