Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

A - 2.3.2 Council Corporate Reporting and Vision 2025
There are several important guiding documents and statements of intent for Council that inform
this plan and implement the principles of ESD. These are provided below:
Council’s vision for the City:
An excellent quality of life based upon minimum population growth, ecologically sustainable development,
the provision and maintenance of effective services and the creation of new employment opportunities.
Council’s corporate vision:
Together with the community we strive to create a place we are proud of.
Council’s mission statement: Leading to the future whilst serving for today.
Council's Statements of Intent are:
1. A Vibrant and Healthy Economy
To encourage a diverse range of ecologically sustainable industries and services including tourism that generate
and foster employment opportunities within the City.
2. Dynamic and Nurtured Communities
To foster a sense of community spirit incorporating community pride, responsibility and identity, whilst achieving a
safe and accessible environment catering for the social needs and expectations of the community.
3. Efficient and Supportive Services
To undertake efficient and effective management of resources in the provision and maintenance of basic
infrastructure accessible to all.
4. A Diverse and Sustainable Environment
To ensure ecologically sustainable development that is compatible with and protective of our sensitive and unique
natural, built and cultural environments.
5. Leadership and Management
To ensure open government by providing information services, effective consultation and communication with the
community and close cooperation with government, private sector and the community in the delivery of service.
Council is required to specify long term goals for all of Council’s principal activities through its
Management Plan. The Management Plan must include statements on objectives and
performance targets for these principal activities, describe how the targets will be met and how
performance will be assessed.
Gosford Vision 2025 is a strategic planning initiative that aims to create a vision for the City and
a plan for the future. Visioning is a process in which a community thinks about the future it
wants, develops a shared vision and plans how to achieve it. It has been successfully
undertaken by many other local governments in Australia such as by the Blue Mountains and
Wyndam Councils. Council undertook extensive consultation to develop a set of Vision
Statements that will be considered by Council for incorporation into strategic planning
documents.
A - 2.3.3
Gosford City Council Biodiversity Response to date
Gosford City Council's response to biodiversity issues to date is summarised in the Biodiversity
Toolbox (see Box below). Council initiated a Financial Strategy in 1998 that funded in part
environmental projects. The environmental levy projects were administered through a "Project
12 Committee" established to review and oversee the budget expenditure (Council resolution on
Biodiversity - Technical Report Page 44