As the critical issues of managing the increasing environmental, social and economic impacts of growth and the aging of our population scream for action, we now are undeniably at a crossroad for better decision making particularly in how we invest in the future of our communities..
Are we going to set the right framework to help us secure our preferred future?
Will we make the best choices in how we shape our communities?
2010 Tipping Point
Vital Places current work across regional council areas in Queensland
The tipping point is being set by a convergence legislation that will impact directly on every local community's futures. Currently in the pipeline for Queensland Local Government in 2010 you are going to hear about and/or be consulted on issues regarding:
- New Local Govt Act
- Sustainable Planning Act
- 10 year Community Planning
- 10 year Financial Strategy
- 10 year Asset Management Plan
- Reviews of current Corporate Plans to ensure alignment with outcomes of above
Also, 2010 will see the beginnings of Regional Development Authorities in
On top of this are the bigger issues of population growth, climate change, coastal impacts of rising sea levels, carbon reduction, increasing energy costs and water security.With all these activities comes community consultation, workshops, meetings, surveys, and quite possibly complete confusion!
Generational Opportunity
2010 will be when most Queensland
How are we going to deliver our preferred future?...definitely not by continuing the past!
The word you are going to hear a lot more of in 2010 and coming years is "Resilience". Resilience is,
"the ability to withstand the impact of unpredictable change."
Resilience is achieved through diversity and integration. Communities need a network of diverse activities, skills and infrastructure that is well connected and allows the greatest opportunity for growth when things suddenly change. Putting all your eggs in one basket such as one industry or one unique local attribute will ensure you don’t have a future.
We need to create resilient regions that nurture their many communities. Ensuring there are networks of diverse activities, skills and infrastructure will allow the greatest opportunity for growth in a world where change is more unpredictable than it has ever been.
Beware Lazy Governance
More is no longer better. The lazy approach to managing growth in a limitless world is finished. Appreciation and nurturing of difference will be the secret to success in the 21st century and this requires an intellectual rigor at the grassroots of governance that has to date been avoided.
This means what ever strategies or plans our governments present as a way forward, unless there are clear, innovative approaches to deliver sustainable outcomes at the local scale, you know your community and your children will lose.
The evidence is now so clear and mounting daily, regarding the declining resilience of our planet, that there are the beginnings of a noticeable shift from local complacency to concern for our kid's futures...and our old age.
We now understand how unpredictable the future can be on a planet with growing population and finite resources. The increasing cost of water, fuel and electricity is reshaping the way we live our lives and our expectations of the future in a world of declining environmental diversity and climatic change.
It is clear the decisions we are making now will determine quality of all our lives in the coming decades.
For Governance, how we make and implement decisions, it is a time of transformation rather than tinkering with old ways.
Good Growth
The question is, how can we guide the inevitable change in a way that strengthens our community? How can we keep the best parts of local identity and lifestyle and secure a sustainable future especially for our children?
The solution lies in understanding three key areas affecting our lives.
We need to understand:
We need to understand:
- the external forces shaping our lives that we can't control
- the unique attributes and opportunities of the where we live
- the common aspirations for our future.
Then we need to provide clarity, establish a decision making framework that retains the critical issues and helps us debate our best options to move forward. The blending of these three areas into a robust and focused context for community engagement and direction setting will give communities their best chance to not only survive but thrive in the future.
There has never been a more relevant time for Albert Einstein's immortal words,
"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler."
The challenge we face is complex, interconnected and unpredictable. It deserves a committed approach from our governance processes to identifying the best way forward rather than denial or simplistic recipes that miss the mark.
Set up to Fail?
There will be winners, those who embrace change that strengthens them and losers, those that resist change and tinker at the edges. The challenge for 2010 is to make sure your community isn't one of the losers!
The secret is to deliver resilience through good growth - change that strengthens the community. Good Growth is built upon a wise investment in smart infrastructure.
The easiest way to see if you are being sold a lemon is to understand the trends for your locality, what you really value and want to keep for the future and ask,
- "How will our actions deliver our preferred future?"
- "What are the new processes being applied to deliver these new outcomes?"
- "How are we encouraging innovation and diversity to strengthen our resilience?"
If there is not a dramatically new approach and you can't get satisfactory answers to the above questions then...you know your community’s days are numbered!
Don't let 2010 slip under the radar!
Be engaged. Ask questions. Debate the issues...
...Remember there is nothing more powerful than a well informed community!
