This website aims to provide local government professionals with information, tools and support to assist with best practice Council Planning. The website is updated on a regular basis.

Click here to download the LGPro Annual Report - Corporate Planners

Council and Community Planning

The Corporate Planners Network was successful in securing funding through the Local Area Planning Support grant program, and utilised this resource to examine the parallel roles of Council and community planning within local government, and how these two processes can and should work together to improve the future of Victoria’s communities. Again, collaboration was a key element of the approach, and the Department of Planning and Community Development, and the Victorian Community and Social Planning Network worked with the CPN on this project. The project incorporated both a presentation to the 2007 LGPro Annual Conference, a series of consultation workshops and the development of a final set of written guidelines for the use and information of state and local government in Victoria.

Please find below a downloadable version of the ‘Embedding Community Priorities into Council Planning’ guidelines launched by the Minister for Local Government, the Honourable Richard Wynne on May 1, 2008.

Click here to download "Embedding Community Priorities into Council Planning

Chris Newman  0412 318 384 chrisn19@optusnet.com.au

LGPro Corporate Planners Network Conference 2008

The Corporate Planners Network takes pride in the development and delivery of our annual conference designed specifically for people interested in corporate and community planning in the local government sector. Planning is underway for the third annual Corporate Planners Network conference for practitioners, and this year's conference will take place late September and will include the 'Excellence in Local Government Corporate and Community Planning Award' which was launched at last year's conference. One of the key challenges facing all of us this year is the Councillor elections in November and the new Council Planning process that this will trigger, and this issue will be sure to have a high profile in the program. Work has already begun on development of the program for the conference, and there is an opportunity to be part of that process either as an active member on the conference committee or by submitting your thoughts on the key areas, issues or learnings you would like to see included in the program.

For more information about the conference please contact:

Shane Looney Planning and Performance Advisor Maroondah City Council 9294 5588 shane.looney@maroondah.vic.gov.au

Best Value Guidelines

LGPro Best Value Practitioners Interest Group has developed the Best Value Victoria Guidelines in partnership with Local Government Victoria and the Commission. The Group has consulted widely in the development of the guidelines, including on-going direction setting discussions with the Best Value Commission, workshop discussion on some of the guide themes at the LGPro Annual Conference ‘The Next Generation’, and a number of consultation meetings with rural and metropolitan councils.

Please click here to download a copy of the guidelines

Please forward any feedback, questions or comments to:

Chris Newman 0412 318 384 chrisn19@optusnet.com.au

Performance Monitoring and Reporting Guidelines

In 2005, the LGPro Corporate Planners Special Interest Group decided to develop guidelines to assist practitioners in the design and implementation of Performance Monitoring and Reporting systems within a Council. Performance Monitoring and Reporting, along with Best Value and Council Planning, has witnessed an expansion in terms of focus and resource allocation over the past 5 years. The development of guidelines was seen as a way to harness the experience of practitioners for the benefit of those with the responsibility of designing Performance Monitoring and Reporting systems within their own Councils.

A working group was established to develop the performance and monitoring guidelines. The working group comprises Council representatives from across the State. The Group has also consulted widely with practitioners from Councils in rural and city environments.

The guidelines explore models, frameworks and the experience of practitioners charged with delivering Performance Monitoring and Reporting systems. These guidelines will provide information on good practice in implementing Performance Monitoring and Reporting systems.

Please click here to download a copy of the Guidelines

Council Plans

In 2005, the LGPro Corporate Planners Special Interest Group decided to develop guidelines to assist practitioners in the development of a Council Plan in accordance with legislative requirements and Best Practice. Council Planning, along with Performance Monitoring and Reporting and Best Value has witnessed an expansion in terms of focus and resource allocation over the past 10 years. Council Planning has been subject to both legislative changes and changes in expectations of the community and the Council.

As a result of legislative changes Council’s are progressively moving from a three to a four year Council Planning cycle. There can be a lack of continuity in the Council Planning process, as the responsible person for the Plan last time is no longer in the position this time around. The guideline for the development of a Council Plan is seen as a way to harness the experience of practitioners for the benefit of those with the responsibility of developing a Council Plan for their Council.

The guide has been developed by representatives from all types of local government in Victoria: metropolitan, fringe, rural cities, large and small shires. The over riding objective has been to develop a document that can be used by others faced with the task of delivering their first Council Plan, by large and by small Councils, as well as providing benefit to the practitioner with many years experience.

The guide includes the context in which the Council Plan will be developed, principles, models and processes. It includes extracts from the Local Government Act 1989 that govern the legislative requirements of the Council Plan.

The Guide provides options that will allow the development of a plan that meets all legislative requirements and the needs of the Council and the community.

It is anticipated that the Guide will be updated regularly and incorporate new learning’s as Councils progress through their transitions to four year Council Plans.

The Corporate Planners SIG hopes that the guide is a practical aid to the development of the Council Plan, and is seeking feedback on its content and use.

Please click here to download a copy of the Guidelines

Case Studies

These are some examples how this is applied in Local Government and have been put together by the practitioners themselves (including contact details for further information).

One of the clear benefits of Best Value is the way councils throughout Victoria have been willing to share information and support each other. It is in this spirit of shared learning, cooperation and partnership that more case studies are sought.