Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council

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Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
leading, creating, connecting: shaping a place to be proud of

Community Plan
             townsville >> 2011-2021
Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
in 2021, our community
will be defined by the
statement
Townsville is the northern gateway to
Queensland. Our well-built city connects
people to their community, via an active
lifestyle that is enjoyed by all who live
and visit. We are leaders of positive
environmental action. We are acclaimed
for our business entrepreneurship,
government enterprise, innovation,
technology and cultural stewardship.
Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
townsville >> 2011-2021

From the Mayor

                 I am very pleased to present Leading,
                 creating, connecting: shaping a place to
                 be proud of, Townsville Community Plan
                 2011-2021, a vision for Townsville which
                 will guide the city over the next 10 years
                 and beyond.

                 Townsville’s community plan provides an
                 opportunity to strategically plan a future
                 that the community, council, government,
                 non-government organisations, business
                 and stakeholders can work towards
                 together.

                 The community plan has been developed
                 by the Townsville community, for the
                 community. More than 7,000 people were
                 involved in some way in the development
                 of this plan, and it includes the visions,
                 comments, and suggestions of those
                 people. The community embraced the
                 opportunity to be part of a vision for the
                 city, and that is reflected here.

                 I am sure you will agree that working
                 together towards a positive and
                 sustainable future is an exciting prospect.

                 Cr Les Tyrell oam
                 Mayor of Townsville

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Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
townsville >> 2011-2021

                          Contents

                          From the Mayor                                                                          1
                          Townsville Local Government Area (LGA)                                                  3
                          People, Place and Lifestyle                                                             4
                          Townsville Community Plan                                                               9
                          SpeakUp Townsville                                                                  10
                          The Community’s Vision                                                              12
                          Strong, Connected Community                                                         13
                          Environmentally Sustainable Future                                                  19
                          Sustaining Economic Growth                                                          23
                          Shaping Townsville                                                                  27
                          Moving Ahead                                                                        31

                          thank you
                          Townsville City Council would like to sincerely thank the community for their
                          enthusiasm and responsiveness to the SpeakUp Townsville engagement process. The
                          visions, suggestions, and comments provided by the community have resulted in
                          the development of Leading, creating, connecting: shaping a place to be proud of,
                          Townsville Community Plan 2011-2021.

                          Many individuals, government agencies, community organisations and community
                          groups have been part of our extensive journey in the development of this plan.
                          Council looks forward to continuing these valued partnerships and connections, as the
                          community moves forward with a whole-of-community response to the vision provided
                          for Townsville.

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Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
townsville >> 2011-2021

Townsville Local Government
Area (LGA)

                Mutarnee

              Crystal Creek    Balgal
                               Beach
                              Rollingstone
                                             Toomulla

                                                                                             Magnetic
                                                                                              Island
                                                        Bushland
                                                         Beach

                                                                  Mt Low               Rowes Bay
                                                                             Burdell
                                                        Jensen                      West End   Townsville
                                                                  Deeragun
                                                                               Kirwan       Mysterton

                                                                 Rangewood
                                                                                Annandale   Murray

                                                                           Gumlow

                                                                           Pinnacles

The Ross River flows from the foothills of                                   Townsville is located
the Hervey and Mount Stuart ranges to its                              approximately halfway between
outlet in Cleveland Bay, where the central
                                                                      the tip of Cape York and Brisbane.
business district’s skyline is dominated by
the distinctive Castle Hill with beautiful
Magnetic Island just eight kilometres
offshore.

Townsville’s local government area covers
3,736 square kilometres.

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Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
townsville >> 2011-2021

                          People, Place and Lifestyle

                          our history                                  Settlement
                                                                       With separation from the Colony of New
                          Indigenous                                   South Wales and new land legislation
                          For thousands of years, the ancestors of     in the 1860s, pastoral settlement began
                          the traditional owners of the region now     to spread from the frontier township of
                          known as Townsville, the Wulgurukaba         Bowen to the hinterland. John Melton
                          and Bindal people, utilised and cared        Black took up land which became
                          for the environment. For the Aboriginal      Woodstock Station to the north of the
                          community, land has a spiritual meaning.     Burdekin River in 1863. In 1864, Black
                          The Dreaming tells of the journey and        despatched Andrew Ball and Mark Watt
                          the actions of ancestral beings who          Reid in search of a site for a suitable
                          created the natural world. Dreaming          port and boiling down works. The
                          is never-ending and links the past with      establishment of a port further north
                          the present to determine the future. It is   on Cleveland Bay circumvented the
                          the natural world; the mountains, rivers,    dependence on the overland road to the
                          fauna and flora, land and country to         port of Bowen. Ball’s party established
                          which Aborigines belong, which is the link   a site by the mouth of Ross Creek which
                          between the people and the Dreaming.         eventually became Townsville.

                          The traditional owners of Townsville         In the late nineteenth century, as the
                          believe that the preservation of old         sugar industry blossomed, gold spurred
                          growth native vegetation is imperative       hinterland development and western
                          in protecting the natural and cultural       pastoralism supplied the establishment of
                          values of their homelands. The Leading,      local meat-works; the port of Townsville
                          creating, connecting: shaping a place to     boomed. This economic growth in
                          be proud of, Townsville Community Plan       Townsville was supported by the
                          2011-2021 acknowledges and respects          development of the Northern Railway in
                          these people as the traditional owners of    the late nineteenth century, and fostered
                          the land.                                    urban expansion.

                          First Contact                                Commercial and industrial development
                                                                       continued into the twentieth century.
                          In 1770, Captain James Cook paved
                                                                       During World War II, the region was an
                          the way for European settlement by
                                                                       important staging point for the Pacific
                          ceremoniously claiming the land for
                                                                       War and was host to seventy thousand
                          Britain. Less obviously, he had claimed
                                                                       military personnel in hospitals, staging
                          it through placing a host of European
                                                                       camps, air support depots and supply
                          names on the landmarks he charted
                                                                       facilities during the 1942-45 period. The
                          along the east coast. In our region,
                                                                       government developed infrastructure
                          Captain Cook named Cleveland Bay and
                                                                       in the area to connect and support the
                          Magnetic Island. As a result of European
                                                                       area’s numerous military, air and service
                          settlement, Indigenous people were
                                                                       establishments.
                          dispossessed of their traditional land.

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Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
townsville >> 2011-2021

Post World War II to the present day has
                                              our place and
been an era of progress for the region.
With the establishment of Lavarack
                                              lifestyle
Barracks and RAAF Base Townsville             The Townsville region encompasses a
and the development of Townsville as          major urban coastal area, a restricted
a regional centre for state and federal       rural area, mountain ranges, a major
government departments, commercial,           offshore island (Magnetic Island) and
industrial and residential development        a number of smaller islands and rock
increased. Today, Townsville offers an        shoals including Herald and Rattlesnake
alternative lifestyle for people wishing      Islands. Townsville has capitalised on
to escape from bigger cities in the south     its low level terrain and relatively low
and is one of the fastest growing local       tropical rainfall to provide an efficient
government areas in Australia.                access route and service centre for
                                              North Queensland. Townsville provides
                                              the northern link for state and federal
our people                                    governments, as well as for private
Townsville is the largest city in North       enterprise in primary and secondary
Australia, and one of the fastest growing     industries, mining, commerce, retail
cities in the state of Queensland in          and community and cultural services.
terms of population. At 30 June 2010,         Townsville is widely regarded as the
the estimated resident population of          capital of North Queensland.
Townsville was 185,768 people, or 4.1 per
cent of the state’s population, and was       Townsville is renowned for its easygoing
ranked fifteenth for fastest growth (2.2      pace, tropical weather and natural
per cent) and ranked seventh for largest      surroundings, and the residents of
growth from 2009 to 2010. Townsville’s        Townsville are passionate about
population in 2031 is projected to be         preserving the unique character and
270,500 people; at that time this will        diverse experiences the region has
account for 4.3 per cent of Queensland’s      to offer from a mix of reef, outback,
total population.                             rainforest, beautiful beaches and all the
                                              benefits of a big city in a beautiful part
Townsville has a strong profile of cultural   of Australia. The Townsville lifestyle has
diversity due to current migration,           something for everyone!
refugee and humanitarian arrivals within
an existing context of Indigenous and
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
(CALD) communities.

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Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
townsville >> 2011-2021

                             "I would like to see Townsville develop as
                              a major business hub, an alternative to
                               the south-east corner of Queensland"
                                                Townsville community member, 2010

                          issues facing                                 arrivals – within an existing context

                          our region                                    of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
                                                                        (CALD) and Indigenous communities. One
                          Every issue which Townsville faces has        of the key issues facing these groups
                          its own challenges and opportunities.         within Townsville is a chronic lack of
                          If we fail to strategically plan as a         affordable housing, and the barriers
                          community, these issues may develop as        that they face in accessing that housing.
                          critical inhibitors. However, with careful    Another issue is employment, particularly
                          planning and using Leading, creating,         for young people.
                          connecting: shaping a place to be proud
                          of, Townsville Community Plan 2011-2021       As the population increases and much of
                          as a guide, the issues identified in this     the new development within Townsville
                          plan can become opportunities to achieve      occurs on the urban fringes there is
                          the community’s vision.                       increased pressure on human services
                                                                        (health, education, family and community
                          An inclusive community                        support, cultural development, recreation
                          Townsville, like many communities, is         and public safety) and their associated
                          facing rapid social change as we work         infrastructure. Key areas of concern
                          towards a socially inclusive community.       identified by the community include
                          There are several issues which impact on      recreation, employment and training
                          our community, potentially contributing       options particularly for youth, family
                          barriers to social inclusion.                 support services to meet the needs
                                                                        of mobile populations (e.g. defence
                          Townsville has a large, transient             personnel), decentralised community
                          workforce due to the growing defence          health services, particularly Aboriginal
                          presence, and the fly-in/fly-out workers      and Torres Strait Islander health services
                          from the mining industry. The subsequent      and adult mental health, accessible
                          social impacts on families can lead to        community-based facilities, enhanced
                          barriers to social inclusion.                 personal and community safety and the
                                                                        provision of community and cultural
                          The Townsville community has identified       services which reflect cultural diversity
                          affordable housing as a critical issue for    and needs and ensures equity of access.
                          the social and economic development
                          of the community. The presence of the
                                                                        Our environment
                          Australian Defence Force, a large mining
                          workforce contingent and James Cook           The Townsville region supports an
                          University’s increasing student numbers,      amazing diversity of animals and plants,
                          contribute to increased pressure on the       comparing favourably with other, more
                          affordable housing market.                    widely recognised biodiversity hotspots,
                                                                        such as the Gold Coast hinterland and
                          Townsville has a strong profile of cultural   the broader wet tropics region. This
                          diversity contributed to by current           diversity can be explained by the range
                          migration, refugee and humanitarian           of bioregions and habitats found in

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Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
townsville >> 2011-2021

the area, including the Wet Tropics, the      agriculture combined with wetland loss,
Einasleigh Uplands, the Townsville Plains     and activities such as coastal aquaculture
Province of the Northern Brigalow and         and heavy industry, continue to affect
the Dry Tropics Coast bioregions. The         our natural environment, including the
region is also home to internationally-       water quality of receiving environments.
recognised and significant areas such         Other uses, such as commercial and
as the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area        recreational fishery, marine tourism and
and the Bowling Green Bay Wetlands,           the commercial port, also impact our
as well as many other locally significant     natural environment.
areas. Magnetic Island is located in the
internationally-renowned Great Barrier        The ready availability of water and
Reef World Heritage Area. All these areas     the desire to ‘green’ a naturally dry
combined provide habitats on which            environment, combine to create a
animals, plants and entire ecological         high demand for water. In fact, within
communities depend, and several species       Townsville, the average household
of plants, animals and some ecosystems        consumes approximately 450kL of water
are unique to our region. In addition,        per annum, with approximately 65 per
the local environment supports a diverse      cent of this used outdoors.
range of recreational, tourism and            Within Townsville the average household
commercial activities that are valued by      consumes 7,147kWh per annum, and only
the community.                                around 18 per cent of households offset
Due to the impact of human activities,        some of the carbon emissions through
these areas face a number of challenges.      the purchase of green energy.

Habitat clearing and fragmentation within     Townsville can experience climatic
Townsville has reduced the numbers            extremes in the form of cyclones, tropical
of plant and animal species, isolated         lows and flooding as part of the northern
species populations and created a more        ‘wet’ season.
competitive environment for introduced
species, affecting the survival rates of      Economic development
many native species.                          Townsville’s economy has displayed
                                              a strong and stable performance over
Changing land uses and altered                the past decade. Factors contributing
hydrological regimes have affected the        to this are strong population growth,
water quality and ecosystem health of         significant new public sector investment,
our local waterways, wetland and the          the growing role of Townsville as a public
downstream marine environment of the          and private sector regional service centre,
Great Barrier Reef, including inshore reef,   and the city’s diversified economy with
seagrass beds, dugong protection and          strengths in mining services, mineral
fish habitat areas.                           processing, international tropical marine
Land uses such new urban development          research, defence, education and tourism.
and existing urban areas, cattle grazing,     However, there are several issues

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Community Plan townsville 2011-2021 - Townsville City Council
townsville >> 2011-2021

                                  "We live in such a beautiful part of
                                the world. We are surrounded by bush,
                                   rainforest and reef. We also have
                                 beautiful urban green areas like parks
                                     and gardens and the riverbank"
                                                   Townsville community member, 2010

                             which impact negatively on Townsville’s       or cycling. To achieve this we need to be
                             economy.                                      mindful of the following issues.

                             The impact of remoteness has                  The Townsville community has identified
                             implications for infrastructure associated    affordable housing as a critical issue for
                             with connectivity and interaction.            the social and economic development of
                                                                           the community.
                             Mines have a finite production life, which
                             has an economic impact on Townsville          In order to reflect cultural diversity and
                             with our high population of mine              needs, and to ensure equitable access
                             workers.                                      for all community members, consultation
                                                                           with the community needs to occur in
                             There are challenges to the Townsville        respect to required community services
                             economy to cater for specialist business      and recreational infrastructure.
                             services that may be required by large
                             national and international companies that     Design of housing and associated
                             have invested in the region. The result       infrastructure tends to follow national
                             of this can be outsourcing to other cities    trends, so it is important to maintain the
                             more capable of responding.                   region’s traditional architectural character
                                                                           and distinctive tropical image.
                             There is a need for the revitalisation
                             of some areas in Townsville in order to       To enhance the cultural identity of
                             attract businesses to invest in the region.   Townsville through the built environment,
                                                                           it is important that sites of cultural
                             Planning and development                      heritage character are identified and
                             Townsville is a city experiencing rapid       protected.
                             and continual growth which brings a           Townsville would benefit from a more
                             different set of challenges. Integrated       integrated approach to transport and
                             strategic planning has become                 land use planning in which economic,
                             increasingly important in the light of        environmental and social objectives are
                             this growth. Our community’s aim is to        achieved through demand management,
                             achieve residential variety and access to     and the various transport modes are
                             housing, higher densities near activity       considered and planned as components
                             centres and passenger transport routes,       of a single integrated transport system.
                             relevant infrastructure for community
                             services and recreation, and improved
                             local accessibility especially by walking

                          Managing the issues the community has identified can be challenging.
                           However ‘Leading, creating, connecting: shaping a place to be proud
                          of, Townsville Community Plan 2011-2021,’ provides a framework which
                           will enable government, community and business to address some of
                          these issues in order to achieve the community’s vision for Townsville.

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townsville >> 2011-2021

Townsville Community Plan

Leading, creating, connecting: shaping a place to be proud of, Townsville Community
Plan 2011-2021 has been developed with the community, for the community.

The plan outlines the community’s              from culturally and linguistically
vision for the future and the steps the        diverse backgrounds to participate in
community as a whole needs to take             discussions about council initiatives.
to achieve this vision. More than 7,000
                                            >> adherence to an engagement policy
responses from community members,
                                               and framework that focus upon
local organisations, business people
                                               achieving meaningful community
and government agencies were gathered
                                               engagement.
through the community engagement
process SpeakUp Townsville, which was       >> fostering a council-wide culture of
conducted by the Townsville City Council.      community engagement.
                                            The development of Leading, creating,
The development of a community
                                            connecting: shaping a place to be proud
plan for Townsville is in line with the
                                            of, Townsville Community Plan 2011-2021
requirements of the Local Government
                                            encompassed a number of phases:
Act 2009, which places an increased
emphasis on planning and accountability.    Phase 1 – Information gathering – what is
This community plan will have significant   currently happening in the community?
influence on other council planning
documents, and provides community           Phase 2 – SpeakUp Townsville – what
direction for the region, community         could be happening for the community,
and all levels of government and non-       and how the community would like
government organisations in future          Townsville to be shaped in the next 10
planning for this region’s community.       years and beyond?

The Townsville City Council’s approach      Phase 3 – Data collection and analysis.
to the engagement process used in
                                            Phase 4 – Development of a draft
the development of this plan was
                                            Community Plan.
underpinned by the council’s Community
Engagement Policy principles:               Phase 5 – Community feedback stage.

>> providing inclusive opportunities for    Phase 6 – Policy and adoption – the
   informed community involvement in        finalised Leading, creating, connecting:
   council’s decision making.               shaping a place to be proud of,
                                            Townsville Community Plan 2011-2021.
>> ensuring that all groups in the
   community are provided with
                                                 This is a whole of community’s
   opportunities to engage with the
   Townsville City Council.
                                                 plan for everyone, individuals,
                                                business and government to work
>> commitment to the provision of
                                                    together for a better city.
   culturally appropriate processes
   to encourage increased access by
   Aboriginal people, Torres Strait and
   South Sea Islanders, and people

                                                                                         9
townsville >> 2011-2021

                          SpeakUp Townsville

                          To identify the community’s vision for the future, Townsville City Council facilitated
                          its largest ever community engagement process - SpeakUp Townsville.

                          SpeakUp Townsville was a multi-faceted,       organisations, Aboriginal and Torres
                          inclusive and innovative community            Strait Islander representatives and noted
                          engagement process, which involved            community members. The process also
                          holding over 60 community engagement          sought input from the council’s youth,
                          activities across approximately 20            disability, seniors, women’s, families,
                          different geographical areas from Paluma      community safety and Aboriginal
                          to Cungulla. More than 7,000 responses        and Torres Strait Islander Advisory
                          were received.                                Committees.

                          Engagement sessions were also held with       Throughout the SpeakUp Townsville
                          key representatives from the Townsville       engagement program, a variety of
                          community including business owners,          engagement techniques were used to
                          government departments, sport and             obtain an understanding of the vision,
                          recreation organisations, community           values and aspirations of the Townsville
                          service organisations, cultural and           community. (Refer to next page for
                          arts organisations, non-government            diagram)

10
townsville >> 2011-2021

                                                                                                       y Workshop
                                                                                              Communit            s
                                                                             l
                                                                          ura                                                                       Ma
                                                                yM                                                                                     p
                                                             nit                                    A number of targeted                                   pin
                                                     mu                                            workshops where held                                        g
                                                   om                                             with an identified focus
                                                 C                                                   and attended by key
                                                                                                 community organisations
                                                               A mural painted by people
                                                                    from the Townsville                and community             Through the use of maps
                                                                 community depicted our           representatives. These          of the Townsville region
                                                                coastal, tropical city. The      workshops were aimed at        participants were asked to
                                                                 mural identified aspects        exploring and discussing       design their city by placing
                                                               of community safety which          past, present and future     stickers and notes indicating

                                                                                                                                                                                        Sp
                                                               were then explored further          trends and challenges.        where there is a need for

                                                                                                                                                                                           ea
                                                                  through questions and                                         services, buildings, roads,
                        ps

                                                                responses on printed key                                              open spaces etc.

                                                                                                                                                                                             kO
                                                                         patterns.
                      Po

                                                                                                                                                                                                utW
                  Vox

                                                                                                                                                                                                   al l
                                                                                                                                                      Council staff set up a SpeakOut Wall
                                                                                                                                                      at a number of community locations
                                    Vox pops allowed individuals to                                                                                   and events throughout Townsville. A
                                   video record their comments and                                                                                    SpeakOut Wall is an informal method
                                         vision for the future.                                                                                        for individuals to write and display
                                                                                                                                                        their comments and discuss their
                                                                                                                                                             vision with council staff.
World Cafe Room

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Zing Technology
                                                                                          Engagement
                     World Café is an engagement technique that
                      is open and about shared communication.                                                                                           Through the use of technology – one laptop,
                    Multiple tables are set up in a room each with                                                                                       multiple keyboards and a projector screen
                   different questions/themes to evoke responses                                                                                          – groups of people were able to identify

                                                                                          Techniques
                   and discussions. Via a time facilitated process,                                                                                     and discuss their vision for Townsville. Zing
                   participants move from table to table to discuss                                                                                        Technology was used as an alternative
                    the various questions, and the discussions are                                                                                       method of engagement at major SpeakUp
                             recorded by a table facilitator.                                                                                                     Townsville tents/events.

                                                                                                                                        A Samoan Circle is a meeting without a leader.
                                    Council staff attended various                                                                        A Samoan Circle has people seated in a circle
                  gs

                                community group meetings to listen                                                                          within a circle with the inner circle being the
                                 to, and discuss areas of challenges,                                                                           discussion area. People move from the
             etin

                               visions and aspirations relating to that                                                                           inner to outer circle as they wish to be

                                                                                                                                                                                           Sa
                                     particular community group.                                                                                     involved in the discussion topic, and

                                                                                                                                                                                              m
           Me

                                                                                                                                                        all other participants are to remain

                                                                                                                                                                                               oan
                                                                                                                                                              silent whilst listening to the
                      p

                                                                                                                                                                        discussion.
                   rou

                                                                                                                                                                                                   C
                                                                                                                              An Information Maze is an
                                                                                                                                                                                                    i r
                           G

                                                                                                                              open house, informal style
                                                                                                                                                                                                       cle

                                                               As a method of gauging
                                                                                                                                of engagement providing
                        ty

                                                               individuals priorities on          Post back surveys were      multiple styles of engagement
                                                                                                                                                                                                           s
                              i
                           un

                                                                topics, we used a ‘vote              distribution to key         techniques with different
                                                               with your hands’ activity
                                m

                                                                                                    community facilities          topics, and the technique
                                                               where people used their
                                    m

                                                                                                  and handed out at all of         allows for participants to
                                                              own painted hand prints to
                                  Co

                                                                                                  the SpeakUp Townsville       involve themselves in areas that
                                                                      cast votes                 engagement activities as           they consider of interest.
                                                                                                 an alternative method for                               In
                                                                                                 individuals to share their                                 fo
                                                     s          t                                 ideas and suggestions.                                       rm
                                                                                                    Our survey was also
                                                           Prin                                   available for completion
                                                                                                                                                                  ati
                                                                                                                                                                      o
                                                         d                                                                                          nM
                                                                    n                             and submission on-line.
                                                                        Ha                                                                   az e
                                                                                               Community Surveys

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           11
townsville >> 2011-2021

                          The Community’s Vision

                          During the engagement process, the key topic shared was the importance of creating
                          Townsville as a ‘great place to live and be proud of’.

                          This direction and passion for Townsville    >> Strong, connected community
                          was reiterated throughout all of the         Townsville community has a diverse
                          community engagement activities and has      make-up of cultures, community groups
                          formed the basis of the Leading, creating,   and backgrounds which are recognised
                          connecting: shaping a place to be proud      as key strengths in the community and
                          of, Townsville Community Plan 2011-2021      these elements need to be embraced and
                          vision.                                      nurtured. It was also identified that a
                                                                       well-connected community builds a strong
                          Vision                                       community.
                          In 2021, our community will be defined
                          by the statement:                            >> Environmentally sustainable future
                                                                       Our community values the natural
                          Townsville is the northern gateway to        environment of Townsville and recognises
                          Queensland. Our well-built city connects     it as a key aspect of our lifestyle. Our
                          people to their community, via an active     community wants Townsville to be a
                          lifestyle that is enjoyed by all who live    leader in environmental sustainability,
                          and visit. We are leaders of positive        including embracing the use of renewable
                          environmental action. We are acclaimed       energy.
                          for our business entrepreneurship,
                          government enterprise, innovation,           >> Sustained economic growth
                          technology and cultural stewardship.
                                                                       The community identified the importance
                          Conversations and feedback from the          of continuing to build a strong,
                          community around how they felt this          balanced and sustainable economic
                          vision could be achieved included the        base for Townsville. This vision can
                          need to create a community that is:          be achieved by continuing to embrace
                                                                       new technology and providing avenues
                          >> resourceful, connected and safe           for skill development and employment
                                                                       opportunity.
                          >> takes responsibility to protect and
                             nurture the environment                   >> Shaping Townsville
                          >> has economic viability                    The community believe it is important
                          >> is well-planned in its design, and        that Townsville is well-designed, taking
                                                                       into account the local climate, while also
                          >> is culturally vibrant.                    preserving our heritage and traditional
                          From this information, four overarching      characteristics. The community also
                          themes have been identified to form          believe it is important that any planning
                          Leading, creating, connecting: shaping       for the city is done proactively and
                          a place to be proud of, Townsville           facilitates lifestyle choices, including
                          Community Plan 2011-2021.                    transportation, diversity of services and
                                                                       open space facilities.

12
townsville >> 2011-2021

Strong &Strong,
            Connected
                Connected
            Community
              Community
          our vision for building a strong and connected community
                A community that draws on the diversity, skills and expertise of
       residents to build a community that has pride in its culture and lifestyle.

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townsville >> 2011-2021

                          Strong, Connected Community
                          A community that draws on the diversity, skills and expertise of residents to build a
                          community that has pride in its culture and lifestyle.

                          guiding principle                                guiding principle
                          Strengthen community                             Value the richness of diversity
                          cohesion                                         The diversity of cultures and community
                          Becoming a supportive and                        groups represented within Townsville
                          interconnected community that                    are embraced so that all community
                          works together to make people feel               members can become champions of
                          comfortable and safe within their street,        social inclusion.
                          neighbourhood and the wider community.
                                                                           Together we can achieve this by:
                          Together we can achieve this by:                 >> increasing community recognition and
                          >> encouraging individuals to make                  involvement of the traditional owners,
                             connections with their neighbours and            the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people,
                             local community groups                           and other members of the Aboriginal,
                                                                              Torres Strait and South Sea Islander
                          >> creating learning opportunities that             community
                             encourage people to learn from each
                             other and draw on the diversity of            >> promoting social harmony through
                             skills and experience of Townsville              building awareness of the needs and
                             residents                                        backgrounds of the many community
                                                                              groups and cultures represented in
                          >> providing ‘common purpose’                       Townsville, such as people with a
                             community events and creating places             disability, people from a culturally
                             and spaces that bring people together            and linguistically diverse background,
                             to meet and play                                 seniors, youth, woman, families and
                          >> providing opportunities for community            Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
                             members to be part of local clubs and            peoples
                             groups                                        >> holding events and gatherings to
                          >> building a community that works                  bring us together to experience the
                             in partnership with government,                  social diversity within our community.
                             community and private organisations           We can measure our achievements
                             to achieve real and lasting local             through:
                             cohesion.
                                                                           >> participation at cultural events
                          We can measure our achievements
                                                                           >> availability of services and facilities
                          through:
                          >> the level of volunteering within the          >> our connection to, and awareness
                             community                                        of, culturally and linguistly diverse
                                                                              backgrounds.
                          >> the use of community venues and
                             facilities
                          >> participation in community activities.

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townsville >> 2011-2021

       "A place that is welcoming and filled
                   with stories."
                      Townsville community member, 2010

guiding principle                          guiding principle
Develop a vibrant arts lifestyle           Nurture and value families
Embracing the richness and talent of the   Providing opportunities to raise children
arts community.                            within our unique lifestyle, and providing
                                           them with a great place to grow up.
Together we can achieve this by:
>> recognising and supporting our local    Together we can achieve this by:
   art professionals and groups            >> increasing access to sports, arts,
                                              history, traditional culture, schooling
>> encouraging festivals and events that
                                              and life-long education
   provide opportunities for creativity
   and leisure                             >> providing avenues to strengthen and
                                              support the diversity of family units
>> ensuring community art facilities
   grow and develop according to the       >> making Townsville a fun, active and
   community’s needs.                         vibrant place to inspire our children
                                              and youth
We can measure our achievements
through:                                   >> providing reasons for our young
>> attendance at performance centres          people to want to continue to live in
   and galleries                              the Townsville community.

>> participation in arts and cultural      We can measure our achievements
   organisations                           through:
                                           >> the availability of child care facilities
>> community satisfaction with the arts
   and cultural opportunities available.   >> participation in welcoming ceremonies
                                              such as citizenship and Welcoming
                                              Babies
                                           >> availability of educational facilities
                                           >> participation in community workshops
                                              and events.

                                                                                          15
townsville >> 2011-2021

                          guiding principle                           guiding principle
                          Develop a sense of safety                   Provide active and passive
                          An environment in which the community       sport and recreation
                          feels safe to live, work and play.          opportunities
                                                                      An environment where there is a choice
                          Together we can achieve this by:
                                                                      of active and passive recreational
                          >> increasing safe connection options
                                                                      activities that contribute to the health
                             between places and spaces within
                                                                      and wellbeing of our city.
                             the community through adequate
                             transport links and further expansion    Together we can achieve this by:
                             of bike paths and walkways
                                                                      >> ensuring our recreation areas and
                          >> on-going discussions with the               open spaces are accessible, respond
                             community and key organisations             to the needs of the community and
                             to identify and address new priority        provide positive use for multiple
                             areas relating to community safety          activities
                             and crime prevention
                                                                      >> ensuring Townsville has adequate
                          >> advocating for a community that             sporting facilities for local and
                             doesn’t accept anti-social or violent       regional events
                             behaviour
                                                                      >> providing recreation and sporting
                          >> appropriate allocation of safety            programs appropriate for people of all
                             measures at popular community               ages and levels of ability
                             spaces
                                                                      >> encouraging joint use of facilities by
                          >> creating safe environments for              clubs and community groups
                             residents, workers and visitors.
                                                                      >> managing community and recreation
                          We can measure our achievements                facilities in an accessible and
                          through:                                       equitable manner
                          >> the use of public transport within the   >> developing connection with our
                             city                                        waterfront and diverse landscape to
                          >> community perception of safety and          provide amenity for a healthy and
                             wellbeing                                   active lifestyle.

                          >> crime rates in the city.                 We can measure our achievements
                                                                      through:
                                                                      >> opportunity to participate in sport and
                                                                         recreation activities
                                                                      >> availability of public recreational
                                                                         facilities and spaces
                                                                      >> the number of residents who regularly
                                                                         take part in physical activity.

16
townsville >> 2011-2021

                                             "A place that is
                                              still comfortable
                                              and relaxed in
                                           living with a great
                                             community feel."
                                           Townsville community member,
                                                        2010
guiding principle
Open, honest and accountable
leadership
Inclusive engagement and communication
encourages community participation in
local decision-making.

Together we can achieve this by:
>> ensuring that key decisions regarding
   the Townsville community are based
   on inclusive engagement with the
   community
>> providing opportunities for all
   Townsville community groups to be
   heard and be able to participate in
   community consultation and activities
>> establishing and maintaining
   constructive relationships between
   the community, community services,
   business and government sectors.
We can measure our achievements
through:
>> participation in community
   engagement activities
>> community perception of the
   availability of information
>> community perception of their ability
   to participate in decision making.

                                                                               17
townsville >> 2011-2021

18
townsville >> 2011-2021

    Environmentally
        Environmentally
Sustainable Future
      Sustainable Future
our vision for fostering an environmentally sustainable future for townsville
 Our community recognises and values the natural environment. We acknowledge the need
 for a more sustainable future and seek to achieve this through solutions that minimise our
                                                                impact on the environment.

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townsville >> 2011-2021

                          Environmentally
                          Sustainable Future
                          Our community recognises and values the natural environment. We acknowledge the need
                          for a more sustainable future and seek to achieve this through solutions that minimise our
                          impact on the environment.

                          guiding principle                               >> community perception of the health of
                                                                             the natural environment
                          Valuing our natural                             >> the extent of natural vegetation
                          environment and urban green                        protected or restored.
                          spaces
                          The Townsville community recognises,
                          protects, retains and enhances the values
                          and condition of the natural environment,
                          urban green spaces and scenic amenity.

                          Together we can achieve this by:
                          >> maintaining and rehabilitating
                             bushland, coastal and other natural
                             areas
                          >> retaining and protecting natural areas
                             that provide habitat for native wildlife
                          >> integrating natural area conservation
                             into strategic planning
                          >> participating in tree planting activities
                             (utilising local native species)
                          >> replacing hard surfaces with local
                             native trees and shrubs
                          >> providing and maintaining a mixture
                             of parks and bushland in urban areas
                          >> ensuring key landscapes, views and
                             scenic amenity are maintained and
                             protected
                          >> providing infrastructure for improved
                             access to these views and landscapes
                          >> providing habitat for local species
                             by planting local natives in our
                             backyards.
                          We can measure our achievements
                          through:
                          >> the level of participation in natural
                             area conservation and restoration
                             activities

20
townsville >> 2011-2021

  "Sustainability needs to be a mindset and
  hold a place in the values of residents."
                     Townsville community member, 2010

guiding principle                            guiding principle
Taking responsibility for the                Adopting an environmentally-
health of the local waterways,               sustainable lifestyle at home,
wetlands and marine areas                    work and play.
The community takes appropriate actions      The community understands that our
to maintain the values and condition of      activities have an environmental impact.
the local waterways, wetlands and the        Individually and collectively, we take
marine environments.                         responsibility for undertaking appropriate
                                             actions at home, work and play to
Together we can achieve this by:             minimise these impacts.
>> reducing littering behaviour and
   participating in organised community      Together we can achieve this by:
   clean-ups                                 >> increasing the use of renewable
                                                energy such as solar, wind and other
>> volunteering with community groups
                                                sources
   who undertake natural resource
   management activities                     >> promoting sustainable use of water,
                                                energy and other natural resources
>> monitoring water quality and
   ecosystem health of the waterways,        >> implementing measures to reduce
   wetlands and in-shore marine areas           greenhouse gas emissions
>> implementing measures to improve          >> using more energy-efficient forms of
   the health of the catchments and             transport
   waterways
                                             >> recognising and valuing community
>> providing appropriate vegetated              champions of sustainability
   waterway corridors
                                             >> reducing, reusing or recycling waste.
>> developing partnerships with relevant
                                             We can measure our achievements
   government agencies to improve
                                             through:
   management, accessibility and
   awareness.                                >> amount of waste produced

We can measure our achievements              >> levels of emissions produced
through:                                     >> quantity of water recycled
>> the ecosystem health of Townsville’s      >> number of properties choosing the
   waterways, wetlands and marine areas         two-part tariff water pricing option
>> level of participation in waterway        >> community perception of Townsville as
   conservation and restoration activities      a sustainable city.
>> community perception of the health of
   the waterways, wetlands and marine
   areas.

                                                                                          21
townsville >> 2011-2021

22
townsville >> 2011-2021

        Sustaining
          Sustaining
Economic Growth
     Economic Growth
                                      our vision for sustaining economic growth
The community recognise that it is fundamental to have a strong and balanced economic
                                        growth in order to enhance our city’s way of life.

                                                                                             23
townsville >> 2011-2021

                          Sustaining Economic Growth
                          The community recognise that it is fundamental to have a strong and balanced economic
                          growth in order to enhance our city’s way of life.

                          guiding principle                             guiding principle
                          Strong and diverse economy                    An innovative and highly-
                          The community recognises that sustaining      skilled city
                          a strong and diverse economy is vital for     We will create new skills and business
                          long term prosperity.                         opportunities.

                          Together we can achieve this by:              Together we can achieve this by:
                          >> building a dynamic economy                 >> supporting and encouraging the
                          >> promoting the city’s role as the              uptake of innovative technology
                             service centre for the greater North       >> developing a city and region that
                             Queensland region                             supports lifelong education and career
                          >> promoting a cost-competitive business         pathways
                             environment and encouraging new            >> promoting a culture of
                             investment                                    entrepreneurship.
                          >> developing infrastructure that             We can measure our achievements
                             supports and stimulates economic           through:
                             development
                                                                        >> participation in tertiary training and
                          >> developing Townsville’s strengths,            education
                             competitive advantages and
                                                                        >> growth in industry sectors
                             resources.
                                                                        >> growth in research institutions.
                          We can measure our achievements
                          through:
                          >> economic diversity and growth within
                             the region
                          >> investment in new development
                             within the region
                          >> strength of tourism.

24
townsville >> 2011-2021

     "Continue forward thinking with regard
   to maximising government agencies, tourism,
     mining, community and local businesses."
                      Townsville community member, 2010

guiding principle                           guiding principle
A community that benefits from              A city that sustains and
Townsville’s economy                        prospers from its environment
We will ensure that the benefits of         The community will partner with business
economic growth are shared throughout       and industry to create a more resource-
the community.                              efficient economy that generates new,
                                            sustainable development, businesses and
Together we can achieve this by:            jobs.
>> building industry partnerships and
   promoting collaboration                  Together we can achieve this by:
                                            >> positioning Townsville to capitalise on
>> including people in planning and
                                               sustainable industries
   expanding our economic base
                                            >> promoting environmentally-sustainable
>> supporting businesses and jobs for
                                               practices within businesses
   the benefit of Townsville and the
   region                                   >> promoting investment in the
                                               environmental business sector.
>> building and diversifying Townsville’s
   lifestyle opportunities                  We can measure our achievement of this
                                            through:
>> working with industry to promote
   Townsville.                              >> growth in the environmental
                                               businesses sector
We can measure our achievements
through:                                    >> growth of the eco-tourism sector.
>> the level of participation by industry
   in promotional activity
>> gross regional product per capita
>> average household income
>> employment rates and diversity.

                                                                                         25
townsville >> 2011-2021

26
townsville >> 2011-2021

                                  Shaping
                                     Shaping
                                 Townsville
                                   Townsville
                                      our vision for shaping townsville
Our city will meet the diverse and changing infrastructure and service needs of
                                                                the community.

                                                                                  27
townsville >> 2011-2021

                          Shaping Townsville
                          Our city will meet the diverse and changing infrastructure and service needs of the
                          community.

                          guiding principle                                guiding principle
                          A vibrant, sustainable,                          Preserve and enhance
                          connected urban form                             Townsville’s heritage and
                          Creating places that provide for a great         character
                          lifestyle.                                       The traditional character, identity and
                          Together we can achieve this by:                 heritage of the city is retained, enhanced
                                                                           or complemented by development.
                          >> neighbourhoods that will be
                             well-connected with supportive
                                                                           Together we can achieve this by:
                             transportation options
                                                                           >> protecting areas identified as having
                          >> ensuring greater diversity of housing
                                                                              significant character and heritage
                             to meet future housing needs
                                                                              value
                          >> improving access to housing for
                             residents with special housing needs          >> ensuring development is sympathetic
                                                                              to historic and character buildings
                          >> identifying and consolidating
                             residential areas                             >> promoting the importance of
                                                                              Townsville’s heritage
                          >> ensuring development is supported
                             by attractive and convenient retailing,       >> ensuring scenic and aesthetic qualities
                             community facilities, entertainment              of the landscape and key views such
                             areas, educational, health and cultural          as Castle Hill, Mount Stuart and
                             facilities                                       Magnetic Island are protected.
                          >> ensuring weather risks are taken into
                                                                           We can measure our achievements
                             consideration when planning location,
                                                                           through:
                             scale and intensity of development
                                                                           >> the number of heritage and character
                          >> ensuring sustainable practices are
                                                                              places preserved
                             included in new development and
                             building design                               >> community perception of Townsville’s
                          >> re-energizing and improving the                  unique character.
                             vitality of key areas in Townsville
                          >> providing a diverse range of housing
                             options to meet the needs of all
                             residents.
                          We can measure our achievements
                          through:
                          >> population growth of Townsville
                          >> community satisfaction with the city’s
                             design to enhance our lifestyle
                          >> the amount of land used for urban
                             purposes.

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townsville >> 2011-2021

         "Good sense of history (such as in
         architecture and social history) but
           progressive enough to move and
               embrace the possibilities"
                      Townsville community member, 2010

guiding principle                            guiding principle
A lively, diverse and connected              Effective and adequate public
city centre                                  infrastructure
Townsville’s CBD will be recognised as       The effective design and timely provision
Townsville’s heart, bustling with activity   of adequate infrastructure will allow a
and creativity.                              growing population to enjoy a great
                                             lifestyle.
Together we can achieve this by:
>> creating a safe and accessible            Together we can achieve this by:
   environment                               >> ensuring infrastructure can meet
                                                future demands whilst exploring
>> actively promoting future growth and
                                                innovative and effective approaches to
   investment
                                                improve sustainability
>> offering a diverse range of higher-
                                             >> providing and maintaining an
   density living.
                                                adequate infrastructure base to enable
We can measure our achievements                 the provision of health, emergency,
through:                                        education, law enforcement and
>> residential population and                   technological services
   employment numbers within the CBD         >> maintaining the city’s energy
>> business occupancy rates in the CBD          infrastructure base to a high standard

>> number of visitors to the CBD.            >> ensuring there is a secure, reliable
                                                and sustainable water supply, which
                                                meets the needs of a growing
                                                population.
                                             We can measure our achievements
                                             through:
                                             >> community satisfaction with
                                                Townsville’s infrastructure.

                                                                                         29
townsville >> 2011-2021

                                                                             "Would like
                                                                          infrastructure to
                                                                           grow with the
                                                                          rising population"
                                                                        Townsville community member,
                                                                                     2010
                          guiding principle
                          Well connected Townsville
                          The provision of infrastructure such as
                          public transport, roads, walking and
                          bike paths, communications and digital
                          networks that enables access for all in
                          our community.

                          Together we can achieve this by:
                          >> proactively planning our present and
                             future transport linkages to ensure
                             they allow efficient movement of
                             people and products
                          >> connecting communities by
                             maintaining and delivering footpaths
                             and bicycle links within new and
                             existing communities
                          >> concentrating expansion into areas
                             that can be serviced by public
                             transport
                          >> ensuring that air, rail, road and sea
                             transport movements are protected
                             and enhanced.
                          We can measure our achievement of this
                          through:
                          >> the number of people walking and
                             cycling
                          >> use of public transport
                          >> average travel time to work
                          >> the success and strength of the air,
                             rail, road and sea transport industries.

30
townsville >> 2011-2021

Moving Ahead
                                             "Community involvement
                                                   is vital."
                                              Townsville community member,
                                                           2010

Leading, creating, connecting: shaping a place to be proud of, Townsville Community
Plan 2011-2021 is a ‘living’ document for the Townsville community.

The plan is a reference point for            the achievement of the community vision,
residents, organisations, businesses         please visit the council website at
and all levels of government. The plan       www.townsville.qld.gov.au or by
is at the forefront of council’s planning,   contacting the Coordinator, Community
informing the Corporate Plan 2009-           Planning and Development on 1300 878 001.
2014, long-term financial plan, asset
management plans and operational             Copies of Leading, creating, connecting:
plans.,The plan should also be used to       shaping a place to be proud of,
feed into, or in conjunction with, other     Townsville Community Plan 2011-2021 will
broader strategic documents at all levels    be available at CityLibraries branches, the
of government, and within community          Community Information Centre and on the
organisations and the business sector.       Townsville City Council website.

The success of this plan is the
responsibility of the whole community        working together to
and you are encouraged to actively           measure achievements
participate in achieving a place and city    The Townsville community want to see
that we will be proud of. The guiding        the suggestions they made during the
principles outlined in Leading, creating,    engagement process being put into
connecting: shaping a place to be proud      practice to achieve their vision. This
of, Townsville Community Plan 2011-          included having a Community Plan that
2021 are those that have been identified     was measurable and able to be evaluated
through the engagement process.              on a regular basis to identify progress
However, these are by no means the only      achieved
avenues available, as one idea can be
tackled in many different ways.              This plan includes methods that could
                                             be used to measure achievement
In the development of this plan, council     against each guiding principle, and
has worked in partnership with a             these measurements will help track
number of government departments and         the well-being of our community over
community organisations. Council will        time. It is important to understand
continue to work in partnership with         that council is not the only player in
these organisations, which have included     achieving the community vision, and
the Department of Transport and Main         that council’s degree of influence with
Roads, Department of Communities,            these measurements varies. These
Department of Defence, Department of         measurements should be viewed more
Families, Housing, Community Service and     as ‘barometers’ of whole-of-community
Indigenous Affairs, James Cook University,   performance.
Department of Environment, Economic
Development and Innovation, Education        Through the use of a reporting system,
Queensland, Department of Veteran            council will provide an annual report
Affairs, Department of Community Safety,     to the community on the progress in
Coastal Ecosystems and Water Control         achieving the themes.
and numerous community groups and
                                             It is anticipated that information within
community organisations.
                                             the plan will be reviewed every five
If you or your organisation would like to    years to consolidate progress, reconfirm
know how you can contribute towards          direction and reflect changes that have
                                             occurred.

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