We asked you to comment on our draft Community Strategic Plan 2040 from 17 April to 25 May 2025.
Thank you to everyone who made a submission.
We are now reviewing your submissions and preparing a report, which will be presented at the Council meeting on 17 June 2025.
If you would like to be informed of the Council outcome, click +Follow above to receive project updates via email.
The Northern Beaches Community Strategic Plan 2040 (CSP) captures our community’s vision, aspirations and goals for the local area looking out to 2040. It identifies key environmental, social, economic, and civic priorities, as well as strategies to help us achieve them and measures to track our progress.
We all have a role to play in achieving the goals outlined in the CSP. Council's proposed response to the CSP, including capital projects, operational projects and the budget is outlined in the draft Delivery Program 2025-2029 and Operational Plan 2025/26.
Last revised in 2022, the CSP must be reviewed after an ordinary council election. Now it's time to refresh the vision, outcomes and goals so they continue to reflect your priorities and aspirations for the future.
Based on feedback from Stage 1 engagement, we’re proposing to make some updates to the CSP to help stay on track toward our 2040 vision for the Northern Beaches.
All councils in NSW are required by legislation to have a community strategic plan that identifies the main priorities and aspirations for the future of the local government area covering a period of at least 10 years. Following an ordinary election of council, the community strategic plan must be reviewed to ensure it continues to have a minimum 10 year outlook and reflects the aspiration of its community.
The Northern Beaches’ Community Strategic Plan was developed in consultation with the community in 2018 (titled SHAPE 2028). Following the Local Government Elections in December 2021 a review of the CSP was undertaken in consultation with the community and other stakeholders. In June 2022, Council endorsed a revised Community Strategic Plan with a time horizon to 2040 and changes to the vision, outcomes and goals (titled Community Strategic Plan 2040).
Local Government Elections were held in September 2024. A report called the State of Our Region 2021-2024 was endorsed by Council at its October 2024 meeting. This is a progress report on the implementation and effectiveness of the Community Strategic Plan and is available in the document library.
We've been working closely with our newly elected Councillors and, most importantly, with you, our community, to update the Community Strategic Plan.
From 16 October to 17 November 2024, we asked you to provide feedback on our current Community Strategic Plan (CSP) review. We also conducted focus groups in December 2024. We received over 190 online submissions, which we used to develop a revised plan for our community.
The revised CSP was presented to Council at the 15 April meeting and endorsed to be presented to the community for feedback.
We are now asking you to provide feedback on the revised CSP. Your comments on the revised CSP will be reported to the Council meeting in June 2025 for adoption.
To receive project updates, click +Follow at the top of this page.
Community feedback highlighted transport as a major and growing issue on the Northern Beaches. People want better options to ease traffic and reduce car use. This draft CSP responds with a stronger focus on 'Safe and efficient transport', including an enhanced focus on improving public transport, e-bike safety and infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Resilience is now included in all outcome areas, in line with the Northern Beaches Resilience Strategy. It’s seen as important not just for climate challenges, but for everyday community life. The draft CSP has also been updated to align with the Waste and Circular Economy and Economic Development strategies, which have been adopted since the CSP was last reviewed.
Achieving our community goals takes shared effort from government, Council, community groups and residents. The draft CSP now shows who is responsible in each outcome area, instead of having a separate partnerships goal and a new 'what you can do' section has been added to support community action. Participation is now part of the updated ‘Good governance and participation’ outcome area.
To enhance transparency, we have clearly outlined our key strategies that support each outcome area. These include more information about our work in each area and detailed actions. Measures have been updated to align at the goal level and refined where possible. Tracking progress at the goal level helps us to better track our progress.
Our Delivery Program sets out the work we will undertake over the next 4 years to address community priorities and needs as outlined in our Community Strategic Plan (CSP).
The Operational Plan is our budget for the financial year 2025/26.
The Resourcing Strategy ensures Council can effectively meet the community’s long-term needs by planning resources over a 10-year horizon.
It provides stability and confidence in delivering Council’s commitments and consists of three key elements: People (Workforce Management Strategy), Assets (Asset Management Strategy & Plan) and Finances (Long-Term Financial Plan).
Timeline item 1 - complete
Oct - Nov 2024: Stage 1 - Open and listening
We wanted to hear your aspirations for the Northern Beaches in 2040
Timeline item 2 - complete
Dec 2024 - Mar 2025: Under review
We reviewed the feedback and developed a revised Community Strategic Plan
Timeline item 3 - complete
Apr 2025: Council meeting
Your feedback and a revised Community Strategic Plan were presented at the Council meeting
Timeline item 4 - complete
Apr - May 2025: Stage 2 - Open and listening
We wanted to hear your thoughts on the revised Community Strategic Plan
Timeline item 5 - active
May - Jun 2025: Under review
We are reviewing the feedback you provided
Timeline item 6 - incomplete
Jun 2025: Council meeting
Your feedback is presented at the Council meeting and adoption of the Community Strategic Plan is requested
Timeline item 7 - incomplete
Jul 2025: Implementation
Adopted strategic documents will become effective
| Name | Corporate Strategy Team |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1300 434 434 (during business hours) or 131 450 (for translation services) |
| council@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au | |
| Website | www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au |
| In writing | 'Community Strategic Plan, Delivery Program and Budget 2025 (Draft)', Northern Beaches Council, PO Box 82, Manly NSW 1655. |
*The submissions count is manually updated and only indicative until the final report is published. It reflects the total online contributions received only. Duplicate submissions will be counted as one unique submission.
**All comments in their entirety are made publicly available in the Community Engagement Report. Personal identifying information, and content which is discriminatory, hateful or which may defame, offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate will be redacted.
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acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Country on which we
gather today. By these words we show our respect to all Aboriginal
people. We acknowledge Elders past, present and emerging and the spirits
and ancestors of the Clans that lived in this area.
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