All councils in NSW use the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework for Local Government (IP&R) to guide their planning and reporting activities. The main components of the IP&R Framework are the Community Strategic Plan (CSP), Resourcing Strategy, Delivery Program (DP), Operational Plan (OP) and Annual Report.
In 2020, the Hunter JO Board endorsed the Hunter JO Strategic Plan aligning with Councils IP&R Framework. This alignment was legislated in October 2021, requiring Joint Organisations to consider Member Councils’ strategic priorities when preparing and reporting on their strategic regional priorities. This new approach allows the Hunter JO to more effectively integrate with the strategic planning processes and timeframes of our Member Councils.
The Hunter JO Strategic Plan 2032 draws from the Community Strategic Plans (CSPs) of our ten Member Councils, regional-level plans, and other state strategic documents to clearly identify the highest regional priorities. It is a four-year document that aligns with the Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) cycle, as shown in the timeline below.
Linking Hunter JO Projects to the IP&R
The Hunter JO is an industry-leader in developing guidance documents to align with the IP&R Framework. The Hunter JO Climate Change IP&R Package is the first of its kind, supporting Councils’ and their communities’ climate change journey by providing user friendly, practical tools and templates to embed climate change as business as usual (BAU) through the IP&R process. The Climate Change IP&R Package also includes three commitment level options as shown in the image below, supporting Councils to adopt the templates which suit their needs best.
The IP&R Package model is also being applied to other Hunter JO projects, with upcoming future packages to focus on disaster resilience and waste.
