Meeting the Needs of Our Community
Lane Cove has completed its second Social Plan which covers a five year period for 2010-14. Council undertook an extensive process to arrive at the updated plans, using the services of BBC Consulting Planners.
The Lane Cove Social Plan aims to:-
Take account of existing and future social needs of communities
Design strategies to respond to, and plan for current or projected needs
Identify current and emerging social issues, and support the development and articulation of Council’s approach to these issues
Increase the capacity of government, community agencies, business and individuals to plan, adopt and implement strategies to take account of human social needs.
The second Social Plan builds on and updates the first Social Plan, particularly taking into account the 2006 ABS data, reviewing how issues have progressed and what the community sees as the needs. What we learnt in the process is that Lane Cove continues to change and develop and by being aware of our local needs, significant progress has occurred. For example, having experienced a “baby boom” through a growth in new families coming into the area and the consequent growth in local primary school numbers, we can plan for these developments. We know that Lane Cove has had to provide more child care, before and after school hours care and school places and our social planning processes has helped us anticipate and track these changes. Council is now well placed to further understand and develop the social issues into the future.
The Social Plan has been extensively consulted upon with input from the community, government and non-government agencies. The Social Plan was adopted by Council in March 2010 with the oversight and assistance of the Lane Cove Social Development Group. The purpose of the Social Development Group is to assist in the development of the Social Plan, provide advice, generate strategies, actions and projects to meet the needs identified. Membership of the Social Development Group includes three Councillors and three community representatives and is convened and serviced by staff.
The Plans cover the following target groups: People with Disabilities, People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds, Children, Youth, Seniors, and Women. In relation to Aboriginal Australians, due to the dispersion of Aboriginal people across Northern Sydney, agreement was reached between the eleven Northern Sydney Councils to conduct the Aboriginal Social Plan on a regional basis. That plan is also available through the attached link. Council will now use the Plans to inform its Community Strategic Plan and its Annual Management Plan. Due to the dispersion of Aboriginal people across Northern Sydney, agreement was reached between ten Northern Sydney Councils to conduct the Aboriginal Social Plan on a regional basis. Lane Cove Council has participated in the development of the Northern Sydney Aboriginal Social Plan, developed with the guidance of a working group which has significant Aboriginal representation, representation from the 10 Councils in Northern Sydney and the Department of Community Services.
The Northern Sydney Aboriginal Social Plan was adopted by Lane Cove Council on 5 February 2007 and a work plan has been developed to implement its recommendations. The Councils have negotiated with the Northern Sydney Aboriginal Heritage Office (AHO) to auspice the Northern Sydney Aboriginal Social Plan Project Officer position. The Aboriginal Heritage Office is a joint initiative by North Sydney, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Manly, Warringah and Willoughby Councils, in a progressive move to protect and manage well over 1000 Aboriginal heritage site in these areas. To assist with information and referral in Northern Sydney for Indigenous Australians, please refer to the Aboriginal Services Directory.
