Council to develop Social Infrastructure Plan

Published on 17 September 2019

Published on 17 September 2019

Horsham Rural City Council is seeking the public’s help to develop its first Social Infrastructure Plan.

The plan will determine priorities for the planning, provision and development of social infrastructure over the next 20 years.

Social infrastructure includes libraries, community halls, arts and cultural facilities, parks and sportsgrounds, aquatic centres, and public toilets.

Input into the plan will be sought from the general public and from providers of social infrastructure via an online survey.

Director Community Wellbeing Kevin O’Brien said the purpose was to establish a short to long term plan for social infrastructure that Council provides.

“The purpose of providing social infrastructure is to improve standards of living and the quality of life of residents, by delivering services, facilitating the creation of diverse social networks, and responding to specific social challenges such as social isolation of seniors and the health and wellbeing of children,” Mr O’Brien said.

“The social infrastructure considered in the study includes education, community, health, emergency, arts and culture, and recreation and open space facilities,” he said.

The study area is the entire Horsham Rural City Council local government area.

This will be broken down into smaller areas in order to ensure equitable access to social infrastructure throughout the whole of the municipality.

Some consideration of the broader Wimmera Region will also be needed as a number of the social infrastructure facilities in the Horsham Rural City Council local government area serve a wider regional population.