402   Community strategic plan

(1)  Each local government area must have a community strategic plan that has been developed and endorsed by the council. A community strategic plan is a plan that identifies the main priorities and aspirations for the future of the local government area covering a period of at least 10 years from when the plan is endorsed.

(2)  A community strategic plan is to establish strategic objectives together with strategies for achieving those objectives.

(3)  The council must ensure that the community strategic plan:

(a)  addresses civic leadership, social, environmental and economic issues in an integrated manner, and

(b)  is based on social justice principles of equity, access, participation and rights, and

(c)  is adequately informed by relevant information relating to civic leadership, social, environmental and economic issues, and

(d)  is developed having due regard to the State government’s State Plan and other relevant State and regional plans of the State government.

(4)  The council must establish and implement a strategy (its community engagement strategy), based on social justice principles, for engagement with the local community when developing the community strategic plan.

(5)  Following an ordinary election of councillors, the council must review the community strategic plan before 30 June following the election. The council may endorse the existing plan, endorse amendments to the existing plan or develop and endorse a new community strategic plan, as appropriate to ensure that the area has a community strategic plan covering at least the next 10 years.

(6)  A draft community strategic plan or amendment of a community strategic plan must be placed on public exhibition for a period of at least 28 days and submissions received by the council must be considered by the council before the plan or amendment is endorsed by the council.

(7)  Within 28 days after a community strategic plan is endorsed, the council must post a copy of the plan on the council’s website and provide a copy to the Director-General. A copy of a community strategic plan may be provided to the Director-General by notifying the Minister of the appropriate URL link to access the plan on the council’s website.