Council focusses on community connections

Parramatta City Council will look to take five of its meeting out into its neighbourhoods in 2016 and create new Community Hubs in suburban centres, offering residents direct access to Council staff and services close to where they live.

Under the proposal put forward by Lord Mayor of Parramatta Cr Paul Garrard, the locations for the Hubs will be investigated as a matter of priority.  A Neighbourhoods Policy will also be developed aimed at increasing Council’s connectivity with residents and businesses, and a cross-functional team will be created to promote initiatives that make our neighbourhoods more liveable.

The Community Hubs would provide personalised service for residents and offer convenient access points where people can speak with Council staff regarding issues in their local areas.

“I want 2016 to be the year that Council focusses on our community, and on implementing ‘best practice’ initiatives which ensure that neighbourhood improvements are delivered in the most effective way possible,” Cr Garrard said.

“Creating Community Hubs and taking meetings out into our suburbs will be important steps to help develop an improved place management regime within Council, and foster stronger connections with our neighbourhoods.”

The Lord Mayor has called for 2016 to be dedicated in honour of ‘Our Community, The People We Serve’.

Parramatta City Council is investing significantly in its community and is currently finalising details of $7 million worth of infrastructure projects to be carried out within the city’s suburbs, over and above its regular works program.  The funds have been allocated from the Bartlett Park Reserve, with the works to be spread across all five of Council’s wards.

“It is important that while we build Australia’s next great city, we also take the community with us on the journey. By investing in infrastructure upgrades in our suburbs we are investing in our residents and making Parramatta a more liveable and loveable city.”

Council is in a strong position to be able to deliver high-quality services and infrastructure to the wider Parramatta community.

In its most recent financial results for the first quarter of the 2015/16 year Council showed a net operating result $6.5 million ahead of budget, while forecasts for the full year have improved to show a growing surplus.  Council has infrastructure valued at almost $1.2 billion and will invest more than $118 million in Capital Expenditure during the financial year.