Vision, Purpose and Guiding Principles

Our Vision

We will work with our communities to secure a healthy, sustainable and progressive future for all.

Our Purpose

We are a Council that helps our many communities to grow and prosper sustainably and healthily. We will service and support them by being aligned with their unique needs and vibrant characteristics, while providing that central point that unites them as one, connected Shire. 

We will lead the Shire in climate action, ensuring that policy setting and decision making are guided by the principles of sustainable development, which reduces our impact on the environment and improves our social and economic outcomes. 

We will facilitate cultural diversity, connection and expression, beginning with a commitment to working closely with, and for, our Indigenous partners and populations. As a heritage Shire, we will continue to preserve our rich and unique history and ensure that our stories continue to be told. We will look to the learnings and challenges of the past, using them to inform our decision-making for a bright and sustainable future for all.

Our Guiding Principles

We champion sustainable action - we lead our community in sustainability, thorough planning, policy-setting and development that balances environmental, economic and social impact. We have declared a climate emergency, and we undertake all our activities through this lens. 

We are community-centred - we exist to service our communities and support them to achieve their vision. We are active listeners who purposefully and thoughtfully engage with all of our diverse communities to deliver the infrastructure, services and facilities that will help them grow and prosper, as well as take care of the environment and each other. 

We are strategic and proactive - we are responsive and adaptable, with a strong foundation of strategic planning and objective-setting, and proactive management and improvement of our region. We foster a culture of action and innovation, encouraging progressive ideas, collaborative approaches and new ways of working. 

We are responsible and accountable - we act with integrity and intention, are customer focused and we do what we say we will do. We plan with an innovation mindset, and act with prudent responsibility. We are strong financial managers, using our budget to maintain, improve and enhance our region to the standards expected by our communities. 

We are future-fit - we use our past to inform our future. We consider how our actions will impact our region today, tomorrow and in the years to come. We use our Council and Community Vision as the benchmark for all our activities - ensuring we are always striving towards our future state ambitions.