Social Inclusion Strategy
Consultation closes Friday 10 January 2025
How to get involved:
Review our Social Inclusion Strategy
Complete our Community Survey
Background
North Sydney Council recognises that social inclusion is essential to the well-being of our community. We want all members of the community to access the support they need to connect and engage.
As part of the ‘Have your say on North Sydney’s next ten years’ campaign in May and June 2024 Council asked the community what their priorities and needs were for building a socially inclusive community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Council has listened to the feedback and combined it with research to develop the draft Social Inclusion Strategy.
We now invite the community to continue sharing their thoughts as we plan to implement the strategy.
For more information on the research that underpins this strategy, please refer to the Social Inclusion Study.
Key strategic directions
Recognising the potential for isolation and loneliness within our community, and acknowledging that social inclusion is fundamental to wellbeing, the North Sydney Social Inclusion Strategy aims to create a connected and socially inclusive community where everyone is valued.
To achieve this outcome, the strategy includes the following strategic directions:
Deliver and increase awareness of community events, programs and activities that strengthen and enrich meaningful connections.
Provide new and improved public and community spaces for people to meet and connect.
Nurture a shared sense of belonging where everyone’s voice is heard and people feel they are valued.
The Social Inclusion Strategy is one of eight draft informing strategies that articulate the needs and priorities of North Sydney over the next ten years. Once adopted, these strategies will form the basis of our new 2025-2035 Community Strategic Plan (CSP).
Cost of delivering the Social Inclusion Strategy
Timing and delivery of new projects and initiatives will be dependent on availability of funding from a variety of sources, including but not limited to grants, developer contributions, and rates.
A detailed breakdown of the estimated cost and funding sources for all capital works identified within the informing strategies is provided in the appendix at the end of the Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP).
To deliver all expanded services and new and upgraded infrastructure detailed in the Social Inclusion Strategy, the estimated additional funding required from rates income is detailed in the table below:
Council is currently engaging with the community on a proposed special rate variation that presents four potential rate increase options. Options 2a, 2b and 3 will all facilitate delivery of the new projects and initiatives detailed in this strategy.
Using option 2b as an example, the average percentage of rates income that will be spent on delivering the expanded services and new and upgraded infrastructure identified in the Social Inclusion Strategy over the full ten year period is 2.1%.
This means that for every $100 of rates income received, an average of $2.10 would be spent on expanding and improving social inclusion opportunities in the LGA.
Have your say
As detailed above, the valuable information provided during the ‘Have your say on North Sydney’s next ten years’ campaign has shaped this strategy. We are now seeking your feedback on the draft Strategy to ensure that it appropriately reflects identified needs and aspirations.
Please provide your feedback by:
completing the submission form below, or
emailing or writing to us. Please include 'Draft Social Inclusion Strategy' in the subject line of all email or written feedback.
All submissions in their entirety are made publicly available in the Community Engagement Report. Personal identifying information, and content which is discriminatory, hateful or which may defame, offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate will be redacted.
If you need help accessing the Strategy or would like to view a hard copy version, please call 02 9936 8100.
