The Annual Report 2019-20 covers Council’s performance from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. It includes achievements and challenges over the reporting period and an account of delivery against the Community Strategic Plan (CSP) Themes of Belonging, Smart, Green, Responsible and Liveable.

In 2019-20, a total of 147 actions and indicators were included in the reporting period with 109 completed, 30 active, 5 delayed and 3 inactive. A summary of highlights include:

• The continued implementation of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan with a work experience program launched specifically to people with a disability, disability awareness e-learning training developed, deaf Awareness/Auslan workshops delivered to staff, and Partnered with Busy Beans Café who provide barista training to people with disability and promoted International Day of People with a Disability.
• The delivery of 30 major events to over 180,000 people, with a number of challenges posed in delivering them and some cancelled / postponed due to bushfires, wet weather and storms, and COVID-19. Despite all that, three of those events were delivered online.
• The adoption of the Economic Development Strategy for public exhibition and in response to the economic downturn triggered by COVID-19, a draft Economic Recovery and Resilience Framework was also prepared and placed on public exhibition. Since public exhibition the Strategy was subsequently adopted in September 2020.
• The delivery of 17 environmental educational programs, with multiple workshops, tours and events included as part of these programs. Activities included Future Council, Digital storytelling, Citizen Science workshop series, estuary and catchment tours, and the Love Water education program for the community, schools and small business.
• The adoption of an interim Local Strategic Planning Statement which is a key planning document required to be developed by all Councils. Public exhibition and engagement were also carried out during the year with a number of digital sessions set-up with the community due to COVID-19 restrictions.
• The continued delivery of Library services to the community even through COVID-19 restrictions, with home delivery service enabled, online author talks and book club. A positive outcome of COVID-19 restrictions saw high utilisation rates across library resources with over 1,600,000 loans during the year.