What did 800 locals say in Byron Shire Council’s CSP survey?

A ten-year plan ‘that reflects the visions, aspirations and needs of the community to guide Byron Shire Council’s work and priorities’ is on public exhibition until February 9. 

Council staff say of the Draft Community Strategic Plan (CSP) 2025: ‘This is an opportunity for the community to shape the future of Byron Shire and make it an even better place to live’.

As part of the process, Council say that more than 800 community members participated in a survey from late 2023 to mid-2024.

So what did those 800 locals say?

According to the Community Engagement Outcomes Report, key themes emerged, with nature and wildlife as a top priority. Next was a sense of community, while ‘housing affordability and availability was a major stressor’.

‘To keep up with demand, condition of infrastructure was also highlighted as a stressor. Particularly roads and drainage, in the wake of the 2022 flood event’.

‘The majority of respondents (70.86 per cent) to the online survey felt that the current strategies in the Community Strategic Plan 2032 will achieve effective leadership’.

Yet themes from the survey revealed that there were ‘unclear pathways to action’, with it being ‘unclear how the CSP would be brought into effect and what actions Council is taking’.

Additionally, there was feedback that ‘community consultation was lacking, ignored, imbalanced or over-saturated’. And while respondents said there was a ‘lack of transparency in Council processes’, staff replied by saying there was an existing strategy (1.1), and that ‘This feedback has informed the development of the Community Engagement Strategy’.

Mayor Sarah Ndiaye  said of the CSP, ‘This is one of Council’s most important documents, and it must be reviewed after an election.’

Visit www.byron.nsw.gov.au and click on the ‘Your Say’ to see the plan.