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Operational Plan for 2016-17 – Quarter 2

The Central Highlands Regional Council’s operational plan is a key plan for the region. It translates our priorities and services, set out in our five-year corporate plan, into measurable actions for the financial year. 

  • CEO's message

    scottMasonOn launch of this Plan in July 2016, I said that, apart from it being a very important component of our corporate planning structure, it was focussed on preserving the current level of service and providing capital works to prolong the quality of existing assets.

    The quarterly report is designed to make sure that we keep that assurance and here I would like to highlight a few of the actions that fulfill this commitment.

    • A revised local preference policy is assisting to develop our engagement and spend with local business.
    • The Department of Main Roads has approved $2.94 million for road works in the region.
    • Thirteen community reference group meetings were held this quarter that develop community capacity and have progressed local projects.
    • The Emerald Saleyards obtained tick clearing certification and work to the yards’ roof area, and yard replacement got underway.

    In addition to service levels and capital projects, I also made mention of the need for council to drive opportunity through innovation and technology.

    This quarter we incorporated the first Microsoft Surface Hubs into our workplace. This technology, among other things, will conquer the tyranny of distance by enabling virtual ‘face-to-face’ meetings with regional and remote sites significantly decreasing the need for travel.

    Contract negotiations were recently finalised to replace the current corporate software over the next two years, which will provide much improved customer service levels for, in particular, the finances and rates area.

    And, new software was implemented at the Emerald Airport for early detection of storm activity.

    The Operational Plan is the ‘nuts and bolts’ of what the council does. Certainly, I have drawn attention to just a fraction of what was achieved up until the end of 2016, however I am confident that despite a slow start to some of the projects, the activities are on track to meet budget and the community’s expectations.

    Scott Mason, CEO

  • Our region

    The Central Highlands region encompasses an area of around 60 000 square kilometres, making it just short of the size of Tasmania.

    It is home to around 30 000 people who live in the thirteen unique communities of Arcadia Valley, Bauhinia, Blackwater, Bluff, Capella, Comet, Dingo, Duaringa, Emerald, Rolleston, Sapphire Gemfields, Springsure and Tieri.

    Our region is rich in minerals and agriculture, thriving on irrigation sourced from water storage on the Nogoa and Comet rivers. We claim the largest sapphire-producing fields in the Southern Hemisphere.

    Map

  • Our values

    PicturesAt Central Highlands Regional Council, we value and demonstrate:

    • Continuous Improvement – We welcome ideas
    • Respect for AllWe are fair
    • Leadership, Engagement and Fair RepresentationWe listen
    • Great Customer ServiceWe respond
    • Honesty and Integrity – We are honest
    • Teamwork – We work together

    Our Vision:
    Working today, growing tomorrow

    Our Mission:
    We will provide services and assets responsibly

  • Our priorities

    Our Corporate Plan sets out council’s strategic direction for the coming five years and is based on the outcomes and goals in the Central Highlands 2022 Community Plan. It’s the tool we use to consider the priority of projects and services and balance their delivery with available resources.

    Priorities within the Corporate Plan includes:

    Diagram

scottMasonOn launch of this Plan in July 2016, I said that, apart from it being a very important component of our corporate planning structure, it was focussed on preserving the current level of service and providing capital works to prolong the quality of existing assets.

The quarterly report is designed to make sure that we keep that assurance and here I would like to highlight a few of the actions that fulfill this commitment.

  • A revised local preference policy is assisting to develop our engagement and spend with local business.
  • The Department of Main Roads has approved $2.94 million for road works in the region.
  • Thirteen community reference group meetings were held this quarter that develop community capacity and have progressed local projects.
  • The Emerald Saleyards obtained tick clearing certification and work to the yards’ roof area, and yard replacement got underway.

In addition to service levels and capital projects, I also made mention of the need for council to drive opportunity through innovation and technology.

This quarter we incorporated the first Microsoft Surface Hubs into our workplace. This technology, among other things, will conquer the tyranny of distance by enabling virtual ‘face-to-face’ meetings with regional and remote sites significantly decreasing the need for travel.

Contract negotiations were recently finalised to replace the current corporate software over the next two years, which will provide much improved customer service levels for, in particular, the finances and rates area.

And, new software was implemented at the Emerald Airport for early detection of storm activity.

The Operational Plan is the ‘nuts and bolts’ of what the council does. Certainly, I have drawn attention to just a fraction of what was achieved up until the end of 2016, however I am confident that despite a slow start to some of the projects, the activities are on track to meet budget and the community’s expectations.

Scott Mason, CEO

The Central Highlands region encompasses an area of around 60 000 square kilometres, making it just short of the size of Tasmania.

It is home to around 30 000 people who live in the thirteen unique communities of Arcadia Valley, Bauhinia, Blackwater, Bluff, Capella, Comet, Dingo, Duaringa, Emerald, Rolleston, Sapphire Gemfields, Springsure and Tieri.

Our region is rich in minerals and agriculture, thriving on irrigation sourced from water storage on the Nogoa and Comet rivers. We claim the largest sapphire-producing fields in the Southern Hemisphere.

Map

PicturesAt Central Highlands Regional Council, we value and demonstrate:

  • Continuous Improvement – We welcome ideas
  • Respect for AllWe are fair
  • Leadership, Engagement and Fair RepresentationWe listen
  • Great Customer ServiceWe respond
  • Honesty and Integrity – We are honest
  • Teamwork – We work together

Our Vision:
Working today, growing tomorrow

Our Mission:
We will provide services and assets responsibly

Our Corporate Plan sets out council’s strategic direction for the coming five years and is based on the outcomes and goals in the Central Highlands 2022 Community Plan. It’s the tool we use to consider the priority of projects and services and balance their delivery with available resources.

Priorities within the Corporate Plan includes:

Diagram

Structure of the Operational Plan

The Operational Plan is divided into seven Key Priority Areas and reflects the objectives of the 2013-2018 Corporate Plan and council’s long term vision for the region: Shaping the future by Valuing People, Partnerships and Place.  Each Key Priority is assigned a specific outcome statement that describe what council intends to achieve, together with performance measures and planned time frames that will enable us to monitor our progress throughout the year.   

  • Key priority 1: Strong vibrant communities
      This means   Our strategic focus
    • Strong social networks.
    • Respecting our heritage.
    • Active, healthy communities.
    • Provide and maintain accessible community services and facilities that meet the needs of our diverse communities and offer value for money for all stakeholders.
    • Promote the heritage and diverse cultures of our communities.
    • Build a strong sense of community, capacity and pride through collaborative partnerships and programs.
    • Encourage and promote community wellbeing, including healthy and active lifestyles.
    • Promote love of reading and lifelong learning in the community through responsive programs, services and collections.
  • Key priority 2: Building and maintaining quality infrastructure
      This means   Our strategic focus
    • Well connected.
    • Well serviced.
    • Well planned.
    • Plan and deliver infrastructure which aligns with the aspirations of the Central Highlands community as outlined in the CH2022 Community Plan, and other strategic plans for Council and key stakeholders including State and Federal governments.
    • Plan open spaces and street-scapes to improve civic pride and aesthetic appeal.
    • Provide sustainable solutions for the collection, disposal and recycling of waste.
    • Continue to plan, manage and maintain transport infrastructure to improve quality and safety.
    • Provide and maintain well planned, sustainable community assets to meet the needs of our community.
  • Key priority 3: Supporting our local economy
      This means   Our strategic focus
    • Facilitate opportunities.
    • Advocate for the region.
    • Support the Central Highlands Development Corporation to facilitate networks and partnership between local business, industry groups and government.
    • In partnership with the tourism sector, continue to develop opportunities to market the Central Highlands as a great place to visit.
    • Encourage a diverse supply of housing affordability and choices.
    • Through the CHDC, support opportunities for existing and emerging industries and businesses to consolidate and grow.
  • Key priority 4: Protecting our people and our environment
      This means   Our strategic focus
    • Well managed.
    • Protected.
    • Sustainable.
    • Support the region’s growth through integrated, well-planned development.
    • Continue to provide and improve development processes to support continued and sustained growth for future generations.
    • Develop and implement strategies to improve, promote and adopt sustainable environmental practices in partnership with the community and relevant stakeholders.
    • Develop and deliver initiatives to mitigate, prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.
  • Key priority 5: Proactive, responsible leadership
      This means   Our strategic focus
    • Strong leadership.
    • Genuine community engagement.
    • Develop and implement initiatives to encourage the community to become more informed and involved in issues that may affect them.
    • Manage and govern to ensure transparency and responsiveness to the needs and views of our communities in decision making practices.
  • Key priority 6: Strong governance
      This means   Our strategic focus
    • Confidence.
    • Accountability.
    • Stability.
    • Ensure Council’s commercial activities are managed well and provide benefits to our community.
    • Embrace professional business practices and responsible use of Council resources.
  • Reading the reports
  • Budget and funding
  • Progress overview
  • Individual activity progress
  • Reading the reports

Reporting over the four quarters of the financial year provides us with the opportunity to respond more effectively to significant changes in our operating environment, whether they are social, economic, environmental, workplace health and safety, public safety or internal changes that affect our organisation’s capacity to deliver on those actions.

The progress for each Performance Measure has been charted against a target line. The target line is based on an assumption that progress occurs on an equal basis across the whole of the reporting year. For this reason, a Performance Measure that is charted as being below the target line may still be awarded a green traffic light. This is particularly relevant where an Activity or Performance Measure is scheduled to occur during a later quarter of the operational plan.

All Performance Measures have a percentage recorded to indicate the actual progress to date and individual commentary has been provided by the relevant department to support the progress of the Activity.

Status Legend: Colour-coded traffic light is indicative of the progress of each action. Green for on-target or completed actions, Yellow for behind target, Red for not achieved and Blue actions will be carried over to the next financial year.

 

  • Budget and funding

To achieve the strategies and goals contained within our key priorities the operational plan is financed through the 2016/2017 Budget and commits council to the allocation of resources to ensure service delivery is undertaken and completed where appropriate throughout the year.  This financial performance is monitored on a quarterly basis in ongoing reports to Council.

The graphs below outline the key components of the 2016/2017 Operating Expenditure that will fund the Operation Plan activities and the expenditure year to date. 

Click here for Operational Plan Financial Report

  • Progress overview

The charts below indicate an overview of progress made against the 2016 – 2017 Operational Plan.

Click here for Activity Completion Overview

Click here for Operational Plan Progress Overview

  • Individual activity progress

The focus of the operational plan is centred on planning, actioning and monitoring the relevant activities to be undertaken across the financial year that will deliver on the key priorities and strategies as articulated in the 5 year corporate plan.

Click here for Individual Activity Progress Reports

Emergency Management Dashboard

Up-to-date weather, road closure and disaster information.