Community Vision
Our Community Vision represents the collective aspirations of Indigo Shire residents for the next decade.
This foundational document captures what our community wants to achieve by 2035 and guides all of Council's strategic planning and decision-making.
What is a Community Vision?
Under the Local Government Act 2020, councils must develop a Community Vision with their community. The Community Vision describes our community's social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspirations for the future of our Shire, with an outlook of at least 10 years.
This vision serves as the foundation for our Council Plan and helps integrate community aspirations into all aspects of Council operations.
Our Community Vision
By 2035, Indigo Shire will be home to strong, resilient communities that embrace sustainable practices, foster meaningful connections, and honour our rich heritage. Residents across all ages and life stages will experience a deep sense of belonging through balanced growth, responsible environmental stewardship, improved infrastructure and enhanced wellbeing.
Shaped by community engagement
This vision was originally developed in 2021 and recently refined through comprehensive community consultation in 2024.
Through our consultation, the community told us they wanted:
- Stronger community connection and sense of belonging
- Clearer language and better-defined terms
- Greater emphasis on community empowerment
- Balance between heritage preservation and appropriate development
- Stronger environmental protection and climate action
- Enhanced Traditional Owner partnerships
- Focus on township character and equitable service delivery
- Support for all life stages, particularly young people and older residents
Six pillars of our vision
Our Community Vision is built on six key pillars that define the future we're working toward:
1. A Sustainable Leader - Balancing environmental responsibility with social, cultural and economic outcomes through climate action leadership and sustainable development practices.
2. A Natural Wonder - Protecting our diverse landscapes, threatened species, and natural assets from the Alps foothills to the Murray River and everything in between.
3. A Region for Care and Wellbeing - Ensuring our children and young people thrive, older residents are valued and supported, and communities are safe, caring and proactive in addressing social issues.
4. A Dynamic and Prosperous Region - Attracting new people and businesses while creating local employment opportunities that allow our residents to work in exciting industries close to home.
5. One Shire, Many Communities - Celebrating and enhancing the unique characteristics of our diverse townships while creating strong connections and offering multiple lifestyles within our one Shire.
6. Progressive, Living History -Taking a progressive approach to celebrating our heritage, anchoring Indigenous story and culture at the heart of our history, and ensuring our past informs our bright future.
From vision to action
The Community Vision sets our destination, and the Council Plan maps out the journey to get there. The Council Plan 2025-2029 translates this vision into:
- Specific actions and initiatives
- Resource allocation toward priority areas
- Clear timeframes for implementation
- Measurable outcomes to track progress
- Transparent reporting to the community