Setting Yarra’s vision for the next four years is a major priority for Council.

The draft plan tells the story of Yarra and how we will continue to enhance the City's liveability and services. It outlines key areas of focus for Council, our measures of success and how we intend to deliver what we say we will.

The draft plan was developed after almost four months of engagement in which Council received more than 2,330 comments from the community. You can read more about the engagement here.

Topics raised in the community engagement included health and wellbeing, open space, social connectedness, recreation and leisure, drugs and alcohol/community safety, land-use planning and development, environmental sustainability, social justice, traffic and parking, arts, culture and diversity and service delivery.

The main themes that emerged were consistent with the results of other research undertaken –including the top issues identified in the 2015 Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey, as well as the top neighbourhood characteristics and preferred improvements identified in the recent Liveable Yarra project

We used the issues and priorities highlighted by the community to develop seven objectives:

City of Yarra, a place where…

• Community health, safety and wellbeing are a focus in everything we do
• Inclusion, diversity and uniqueness are welcomed, respected and celebrated
• Council leads on sustainability and protects and enhances its natural environment
• Development and growth are managed to maintain and enhance the character and heritage of the cityLocal businesses prosper and creative and knowledge industries thrive
• Connectivity and travel options are environmentally sustainable, integrated and well-designedTransparency, performance and community participation drive the way we operate

 The new Council Plan documents the medium to long-term vision for how Council will respond to the opportunities and challenges facing the municipality over the four-year council term. It contains objectives and strategies and assists in identifying key projects and actions to be delivered each year.

From now until 2036 our population is predicted to increase by 33% to 117,036. Additionally, our housing is expected to grow by 50% – resulting in an additional 15,900 dwellings and the number of jobs in Yarra doubling to 140,000. So it is vital that this plan not only meets the needs of our changing and diverse population, but that it also builds capacity in many areas.

To read the full Draft Council Plan 2017–21, visit www.yoursayyarra.com.au