Council adopted a new Glen Eira Council and Community Plan 2017–21 in June 2017 and we identified community consultation as key to its future success.

Consultation carried out in 2016 identified five strategic objectives for Council to consider. These objectives aim to ensure our communities are:

— liveable and well designed;
— accessible and well connected;
— safe, healthy and inclusive;
— clean and sustainable; and
— informed and engaged.

We also created actions and measures for each strategic objective to be reported on, each financial year. In addition, the Glen Eira Council and Community Plan 2017–21  is reviewed on an annual basis by internal and external stakeholders and is used as an important planning document to respond to the needs of our community and deliver quality services that provide value for money.

Extensive community consultation and research took place and included a telephone survey, focus groups, community meetings and online consultation, involving more than 4,000 community members.

Residents were invited to six public meetings during July 2016, held in different geographical locations across each ward, to discuss planned Council initiatives over the next four years and help us to better understand local priorities and community satisfaction.

This process, involving 391 community members, identified a range of themes and issues including, but not limited to, residential planning and development, traffic and parking, sustainability, and energy use.

Services for the community were also discussed, including aged care, families and children, and youth.

This important consultation process allows us to gain an understanding of how to make Glen Eira a better place to live now, and in the future.