Shaping Manningham's future

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Update July 2025

Council endorsed Manningham’s suite of key strategic documents at its 30 June 2025 Council Meeting, marking a decisive step toward building a vibrant and sustainable future. This included the Council Plan 2025-2029 and 2025/26 Budget.

To view the full suite of strategic documents, visit our website.

How were the strategic plans informed?

Each of our strategic documents is informed by extensive community engagement conducted throughout 2024/25.

Manningham Community Panel

At the heart of this work was the deliberative community panel – a collaborative effort that brought together 37 community members to play a crucial role in helping determine key priorities for Manningham.

Panel members committed more than 1,680 collective hours of their time over six months and heard from over 50 speakers from Council and community.

Formed in September 2024, the Manningham Community Panel has played a crucial role in helping determine the key priorities for Manningham.

The Panel provided a list of recommendations to the Deputy Mayor at its final meeting on 1 February 2025.

We carefully considered each recommendation and prepared a detailed response document – outlining how we plan to approach and implement the recommendations into action. We’re committed to implementing the Panel’s recommendations to the fullest extent possible.

The panel's thoughtful, well-informed recommendations have directly shaped the priorities and direction of our strategic plans.



Broad community consultation

Many people have helped shape our community’s future. We thank everyone who contributed. We’re all part of the plan and your voices are shaping the future of our community.

We’ve been planning for the next four years, and we’ve done it by listening closely to our community.

Extensive community consultation has informed both our strategic planning and the Community Panel’s deliberations, ensuring that our plans are grounded in the priorities, needs and aspirations of our community. This included:

  • A community-wide survey - we heard from 1,260 community members between May and July 2024. We asked what matters most to you and which three areas you think Council should focus on.
  • Targeted Conversations - some residents joined our ‘Targeted Conversations’, a series of in-depth discussions with key groups – including young people, older adults, multicultural communities and partners. These conversations helped us better understand the needs and ideas of different people across our community.
  • Individual submissions - many of you sent in your own ideas and suggestions through individual submissions, showing us how Council services can improve and how we can build a better future together.
  • Research - we also considered other important information such as population and community forecasts, relevant government policies and strategies, expert advice from our service partners, our current plan and the resources we have available.

These community insights gave us a strong and balanced view of our community's wants and needs. It directly shaped our strategic planning and the work of our Community Panel.

Given the depth and quality of feedback received during this process, a separate public submission process will not be held for this year’s strategic plans.

This approach is in line with our Community Engagement Policy as required by the Local Government Act.

Questions?

Subscribe to receive project updates and be informed about community engagement opportunities.

Update July 2025

Council endorsed Manningham’s suite of key strategic documents at its 30 June 2025 Council Meeting, marking a decisive step toward building a vibrant and sustainable future. This included the Council Plan 2025-2029 and 2025/26 Budget.

To view the full suite of strategic documents, visit our website.

How were the strategic plans informed?

Each of our strategic documents is informed by extensive community engagement conducted throughout 2024/25.

Manningham Community Panel

At the heart of this work was the deliberative community panel – a collaborative effort that brought together 37 community members to play a crucial role in helping determine key priorities for Manningham.

Panel members committed more than 1,680 collective hours of their time over six months and heard from over 50 speakers from Council and community.

Formed in September 2024, the Manningham Community Panel has played a crucial role in helping determine the key priorities for Manningham.

The Panel provided a list of recommendations to the Deputy Mayor at its final meeting on 1 February 2025.

We carefully considered each recommendation and prepared a detailed response document – outlining how we plan to approach and implement the recommendations into action. We’re committed to implementing the Panel’s recommendations to the fullest extent possible.

The panel's thoughtful, well-informed recommendations have directly shaped the priorities and direction of our strategic plans.



Broad community consultation

Many people have helped shape our community’s future. We thank everyone who contributed. We’re all part of the plan and your voices are shaping the future of our community.

We’ve been planning for the next four years, and we’ve done it by listening closely to our community.

Extensive community consultation has informed both our strategic planning and the Community Panel’s deliberations, ensuring that our plans are grounded in the priorities, needs and aspirations of our community. This included:

  • A community-wide survey - we heard from 1,260 community members between May and July 2024. We asked what matters most to you and which three areas you think Council should focus on.
  • Targeted Conversations - some residents joined our ‘Targeted Conversations’, a series of in-depth discussions with key groups – including young people, older adults, multicultural communities and partners. These conversations helped us better understand the needs and ideas of different people across our community.
  • Individual submissions - many of you sent in your own ideas and suggestions through individual submissions, showing us how Council services can improve and how we can build a better future together.
  • Research - we also considered other important information such as population and community forecasts, relevant government policies and strategies, expert advice from our service partners, our current plan and the resources we have available.

These community insights gave us a strong and balanced view of our community's wants and needs. It directly shaped our strategic planning and the work of our Community Panel.

Given the depth and quality of feedback received during this process, a separate public submission process will not be held for this year’s strategic plans.

This approach is in line with our Community Engagement Policy as required by the Local Government Act.

Questions?

Subscribe to receive project updates and be informed about community engagement opportunities.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Individual submissions

    You’re invited to share your ideas on how to improve Council services and shape our community’s future.

    Your input will be considered by the Manningham Community Panel, as they deliberate and prepare recommendations for Council’s major strategic plans.

    What will the panel deliberate on?

    Council endorsed the following remit for the Manningham Community Panel at its 25 June 2024 meeting.

    Council has a budget of $147m, but we can’t do everything and need to make hard choices. We need to know what services you value most to help us create a new Council Plan, Asset Plan and Financial Plan to guide Council activity for the next four years to align with the Community Vision. It will inform what the community pays and gets in return.

    What range and level of services are you prepared to pay for?

    Submit your ideas about what the panel should consider as they work together to answer this question.  

    This consultation closes Thursday 19 September at 11.59pm.

    Learn more about the Manningham Community Panel.


    PRIVACY – COLLECTION NOTICE

    The Council is committed to compliance with its obligations under the Privacy and Data protection Act 2014 (Vic). Completed submissions will be provided to the Manningham Community Panel (without your name or contact details, if provided). If you elect to provide your name and contact details with your submission, this personal information will be collected by the Council and will be used only for the purpose of a Council officer contacting a submitter to clarify an aspect or aspects of a submission if requested by the Manningham Community Panel. Personal information will not be disclosed to third parties (including members of the Manningham Community Panel) unless the Council is required to disclose the information under legislation. You may access information you have provided to the Council at any time and make corrections if you believe that information is incorrect. Please contact the Engaged Communities team via email communications@manningham.vic.gov.au. Copies of the Council’s Information Privacy and Security Policy, are located on the Council’s website at manningham.vic.gov.au


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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Targeted conversations

    Thank you for your interest in taking an active role in developing the Manningham Council Plan by registering your interest to participate in our Targeted Conversations.

    What are Targeted Conversations?
    Targeted conversations are small group discussions where we bring together people with similar backgrounds or interests to discuss detailed information around topics that affect their needs and priorities.

    How long will they run?
    These sessions will run for two hours and have a maximum number of 20 participants. The insights from these conversations will directly inform the work of the Community Panel.

    How do I register my interest?

    Register using the form below.

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Page last updated: 01 Jul 2025, 11:19 AM