Shoalhaven Community Wellbeing

At Council's Ordinary Meeting on 10 October 2022 (MIN22.776), it was resolved that Council:

1. Adopt the finalised Shoalhaven Community Wellbeing Strategy;

2. Acknowledge and thank the Community members and stakeholders involved in community consultation for their contribution to improving the Shoalhaven Community Wellbeing Strategy.

View the full Minutes on Council's Agendas and Minutes web page.

Tell us what you think about the Draft Shoalhaven Community Wellbeing Strategy

Council is creating a framework to guide us in making business-planning decisions to improve community wellbeing. Community wellbeing is a shared responsibility that requires all levels of community stakeholders to work collaboratively to achieve shared goals and aspirations for wellbeing.

The Shoalhaven Community Wellbeing Strategy identifies the foundations for wellbeing – the broad range of key things that the community needs to thrive, including both the places and the people that make up communities that support wellbeing. The Strategy will help Council to work more strategically and collaboratively to improve community wellbeing, considering how our efforts work alongside those of other stakeholders and valuing the important contribution that people in our community make to community wellbeing.

To develop the Draft Community Wellbeing Strategy, Council asked the Shoalhaven community about their experiences and ideas. Council heard from over 460 people through surveys, workshops and interviews with the community and stakeholders.

Council now wants to hear what you think about the Draft Shoalhaven Community Wellbeing Strategy.

The draft Strategy will be on public exhibition for everyone in the community to provide feedback until 12 September 2022. The feedback received will be reviewed for inclusion in the final Strategy. The final Community Wellbeing Strategy will be reported to Council on 10 October 2022 for adoption.

Please complete the Online Feedback Form by Monday, 12 September 2022.

Remember to let your friends and contacts know; they can have a say too!

The insightful and enlightening conversation with the community so far has helped us get a clear sense of what some of the issues and opportunities are for improving wellbeing in the Shoalhaven. The recent engagement has also confirmed that we are on the right track in terms of the core structure of the Community Wellbeing Plan. The recent community workshops showed that there was broad support for the four themes that underpin the Plan: individual health, connections, supportive environments and housing and employment security.

A snapshot of the previous survey results are available in the 'Document Library' on this webpage.

We now need your help in setting priorities for supporting wellbeing across the Shoalhaven, and especially in terms of reaching those people who may need a bit of extra support.

Please complete the short online survey to help us understand what wellbeing in Shoalhaven currently looks like – and what priorities we should focus on for creating a supportive and inclusive community in the future.

The survey closes Friday 23 April 2021.

Shoalhaven City Council will be hosting three online community workshops to identify opportunities for improving the Shoalhaven community’s wellbeing and supporting a stronger, healthier, and happier community for all. This is more important than ever, given increasing pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic and recent bushfires.

Along with research on a broad range of issues affecting health and wellbeing, the workshops will help inform our long-term planning to make sure the Community Wellbeing Plan is directly relevant to the Shoalhaven community. The workshops will be facilitated by Danny Wiggins and JOC Consulting.

Dates and times:

Workshop 1 - Tues 23 February 6pm-7:30pm

Workshop 2 - Wed 24 February 9am-10:30am

Workshop 3 - Wed 24 February 1pm-2:30pm

Registrations are free, but bookings are essential: Click HERE to reserve your spot in one of the three Zoom meetings.

Many factors affect the wellbeing of individuals and communities.

The quality of our wellbeing is created in our day to day lives. Where and how we live, work and play, the health of the environment, our income and education level and our relationships with family and friends all have an impact on our overall wellbeing.

The liveability of a place, like the Shoalhaven, often means different things to different people depending on their needs. And what they feel is important to improving their quality of life.

Shoalhaven City Council is asking the community to have their say on ways to improve wellbeing in Shoalhaven. Council is in the process of developing a Community Wellbeing Plan for the Shoalhaven.

An online survey is open to Shoalhaven residents until Sunday 13 December 2020, asking for suggestions that could help contribute to the development of the Plan.

The Shoalhaven Community Wellbeing Plan will guide Council, and its partners, in working to improve the wellbeing of our community over the next four years (2020-2024).

Council has engaged external consultants to assist with community engagement and the development of the plan.

The plan will be developed following a review of relevant Federal, State, and Local Government policy, analysis of local health and wellbeing data, engagement of the community and key stakeholders, and identifying health and wellbeing issues where Council can influence the outcomes.

A draft of the Plan will be presented to Council for their endorsement by mid-2021.