Community & Business
28 February, 2025
Community meeting comes up with ideas for council planning
Community members in Bogan Shire shared their ideas for future improvements at a workshop to help shape the council’s Community Strategic Plan for the next decade.
Around 50 community members shared their wish list for the Bogan Shire last week to help councillors and staff formulate the ‘Community Strategic Plan’ (CSP), which will help direct decision-making over the next decade.
At the beginning of each four-year term, every council in NSW is required to create a CSP to identify the main priorities and aspirations of the community and provide a clear set of objectives to achieve this vision.
The community meeting at the Nyngan RSL and Civic Club on Thursday night was the first of several workshops council has planned, and there will also be a survey to enable as many people as possible to participate in the process.
Mayor Glen Neill was impressed with the number of community members who attended the meeting and encouraged all residents to put forward their ideas.
“If you went back and looked at the last period of time that we did this, you can see a lot of the ideas that were suggested then have been put in place,” he said.
“We have been fortunate to receive a lot of government funding, but if we hadn't had these things on the drawing board, they might not have been done.”
General manager Derek Francis said the Bogan Shire Youth and Community Centre, the new skate park, the development around the river, and the new housing subdivision project were all suggested at the 2017 community planning session and had come to fruition.
Mr Francis said there would also be workshops with the schools to get youth input and the councillors.
On Thursday night, participants were asked to look at the four council departments – community services, development and the environment, infrastructure services, and corporate services – and come up with ideas.
Not all improvements suggested are the responsibility of local government; however, they are included in the plan to help direct council’s advocacy. For example, improving telecommunications and water security.
Common suggestions included the renovation of the Nyngan Town Hall, more footpaths and bike paths, better opportunities for higher education, more affordable housing, increased availability of small acreage, improved rural roads, a wellness centre, and more tourism attractions.
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