Advocacy Plan

The 2023 Cassowary Coast Regional Council Advocacy Plan highlights the opportunities to collaborate with state and federal governments, industry, business and community to improve our quality of life and support social, economic and environmental sustainability.  

As the Cassowary Coast community continues our COVID-recovery journey, Council is firmly focused on listening to our community, delivering resilient infrastructure and supporting sustainable growth. During 2022 Council undertook an extensive Community Scorecard consultation process to understand what is important to our community and where we can improve our performance. Over 1850 community members joined the conversation sharing more than 100,000 words to guide Council with future priorities. This initiative resulted in the 2022 Community Voice Action Plan which provided Council with a roadmap to augment and inform our corporate planning framework.

The 2022 Community Voice Action Plan incorporates priority focus areas for Council including our leadership; roads, footpaths and cycleways; health community and youth services; economic development and community safety. Council is proud to take forward our community’s priorities and aspirations through our operational and strategic functions including our 2023 Advocacy Plan. We sincerely thank the community for engaging with us to ensure that we are able to work as one to realise our vision to deliver great service and value, economic growth, opportunity, prosperity and a relaxed lifestyle.

The following areas are included in the 2023 Advocacy Plan and reference opportunities at local, regional, state and federal levels:

  • Implementation of the Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan
  •  Implementation of the Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy
  • Investment in Water and Sewerage Infrastructure Networks
  • Collaborative and place-based Primary Health Care Services
  • Skills and Training – “Grow Our Own Program” (Workforce Development)
  • Key Worker Affordable Housing
  • Priority Implementation of the National Feral Pig Action Plan
  • Strategic Transport and Supply Chain Infrastructure
  • Innisfail CBD Revitalisation (Strategic Masterplan)
  • Kurrimine Beach Boat Ramp

The Advocacy Plan is an iterative document and will respond to the changing priorities and needs of the Cassowary Coast community through Council’s Corporate Plan and Budget reporting and review framework and/or in response to emergent issues. The Advocacy Plan adopts a high-level strategic approach and does not preclude Council and community working with governments and stakeholders to progress other strategic and operational projects, initiatives and issues.

Council’s leadership, through our advocacy and actions, is focused on pursuing new, innovative opportunities. We seek to leverage opportunities through strategic partnerships and collaboration between all levels of government, community, and industry and exploit our strategic advantages. We are focused on meeting the social, economic and environmental challenges of the Cassowary Coast region to provide long-term inclusive and sustainable socio-economic outcomes using a place-based, community-first approach.