Bayside 2050 Community Vision

Place based consideration: Whole municipality

Bayside will mitigate coastal erosion and protect and enhance indigenous biodiversity from the effects of climate change in the natural environment.

Rationale

Underpins the whole fabric of our vibrant and enjoyable Bayside amenity.

Priority 1.1

To mitigate coastal erosion and to proactively act on climate change plans to protect the biodiversity of the foreshore and all its inhabitants, including flora and fauna and marine life.

Priority 1.2

Protect the coast, land and sea through measures such as increased tree planting, sensitive landscaping and enhanced pedestrian connections with nature, planning for the effects of extreme weather.

Priority 1.3

Enhance and protect the full range of botanical flora and fauna biodiversity, which will be climate appropriate for 2050. Ensure our city remains a sustainable and biologically diverse environment, where residents and nature can co-exist.

Priority 1.4

To create a sustainable community that prioritizes recycling and reusing at the local level, for example community gardens. Bayside Council must ensure that they act on plans to reduce emissions and negate the effects of climate change.

What does this mean to the community?

Bayside’s beaches, foreshore and open spaces are highly valued and often cited by residents as the key reason they chose to live here.

As a beachside municipality, Bayside is particularly vulnerable to many of the impacts of climate change - storm surge, coastal erosion and sea level rise in particular.

This is a cause of concern for many in our community. Our community supports action on the climate emergency, both in their own behaviours as well as across Bayside.

Our leadership position places Bayside in a strong position to advocate for increased action and urgency from other levels of government.

Protecting biodiversity including preserving indigenous and marine flora and fauna and minimising our impact on the environment is important to our community.

This includes stewardship of Bayside’s remanent heath and woodlands as well as our distinctive tree lined streetscapes, native vegetation, coastal and marine environments. We value the knowledge and input of First Nations people and incorporate this knowledge in contemporary practices to manage and protect our natural environment.

What is Council’s role?

Council leads the way in acting on the climate emergency. This includes embracing our Climate Emergency Action Plan actions on reducing emissions, maintaining carbon neutrality and prioritising climate mitigation and adaption in all decision making to role model what is possible at all levels of government. Educating and mobilising our community as partners in this effort is central to our approach.

Working in conjunction with the Victorian Government, Council works to maintain and preserve Bayside’s coastline. This includes managing our wonderful natural assets to protect them from the impacts of climate change and preserve them for future generations.

Council works proactively to enhance biodiversity in all its forms across the municipality, valuing the contribution a diverse environment makes to our community’s health and wellbeing. Creating, enhancing and protecting local, natural spaces fosters a sense of connection for residents - with each other and the natural environment.

Minimising our environmental footprint includes working in partnership with our community to change attitudes and behaviours. This includes education on reducing waste and increasing recycling as well as how Bayside can adopt more environmentally sustainable practices in our homes and when moving around our city and beyond.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.

Place based consideration: Whole municipality

Bayside will ensure open space and its protection and amenity is a priority for 2050.

Rationale

Increased sense of community provides places for our community to meet and engage. Improves mental and physical health.

Priority 2.1

Ensure existing open space is maintained, protected and accessible to all.

Priority 2.2

Have an active strategy to acquire more open space, reclaim space and purchase land where required. Encourage micro-parks, pocket parks and community garden projects.

Priority 2.3

Ensure that open space and community infrastructure on that land has the potential for multi-purpose use.

Priority 2.4

Design public open space so that it reflects careful consideration of the environmental, cultural and heritage value of Bayside.

What does this mean to the community?

Bayside’s green, natural and extensive open spaces are a highly valued element of our municipality.

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value of local, well maintained and accessible parks, reserves and gardens to overall health and wellbeing.

Bayside’s extensive network of open space encourages both active and passive recreational activity. A range of natural spaces and places provide opportunities for community participation exercise and contemplation.

Open space infrastructure is designed to be flexible and dynamic so it can be used for variety of purposes by different members of our community. Our open spaces reflect the values of Bayside and are carefully designed to be inclusive, diverse and environmentally sensitive. They reflect and embrace Bayside’s indigenous heritage.

What is Council’s role?

Council manages and maintains Bayside’s open spaces to ensure they are inviting, healthy and accessible places for the community to enjoy. This includes balancing the need for both active and passive recreation facilities.

Planning for future open space requirements includes identifying opportunities to expand and upgrade the open space network and refine spaces to meet emerging needs. This includes establishing pocket parks and other spaces in our urban environment where the community can meet and connect in their local area.

Council also works to mitigate the impact of climate change on Bayside’s open spaces with indigenous and drought resistant planting and sustainable water management practices.

Facilities and infrastructure in open spaces are accessible to all members of the community and can be used for a variety of purposes. This is particularly important with our aging population and projected growth in the number of residents who will call Bayside home in the future.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.

Bayside will support provision of effective, sustainable and inclusive transport services and infrastructure.

Rationale

As population grows a good integrated transport system will reduce congestion, decrease the need for parking and be better for the environment, enabling residents and visitors to move freely within the community.

Priority 3.1

Encourage innovation within the provision of co-ordinated land, water and air transport services and infrastructure to decrease dependence on less environmentally efficient modes of transport.

Priority 3.2

Continually improve sustainability, cost effectiveness and efficiency of transport services and infrastructure.

Priority 3.3

Equal access to transport for everyone.

Priority 3.4

Increase the emphasis on the development of safer and more inclusive walking and cycling infrastructure.

What does this mean to the community?

Integrated, accessible and sustainable transport helps to create a more connected, liveable and inclusive municipality.

As our population grows, an improved, holistic integrated transport system will help to reduce congestion and emissions, ensuring residents can continue to enjoy Bayside’s clean coastal air while exploring their local neighbourhood.

Connected and sustainable transport fosters a 20-minute city where residents can learn, work and play close to home within a moderate travel time.

This includes increasing use of active and sustainable modes of transport including cycling and walking and improvements in public transport, particularly in the southern part of the municipality which is poorly serviced.

Bayside’s extensive and safe active transport infrastructure, such as cycling and footpaths, encourages the community to leave the car at home. Local roads are well maintained for trips that require private car transport.

What is Council’s role?

Effective and integrated transport helps all members of the Bayside community to live active and engaged lives, access services and connect with others.

Council works to build better connections within and across Bayside. This enables our community to travel efficiently and easily on transport infrastructure that is safe, efficient and well maintained. This includes local roads and car parking as well as foot and cycle paths - the most prominent being the Bay Trail along the scenic foreshore.

As public transport is the responsibility of the Victorian Government, Council advocates for improvements in connectivity, frequency and integration of train and bus services.

This includes managing parking around railway stations to ensure residents are not impacted by increased demand for commuter parking. By improving transport infrastructure and educating the community on sustainable and active transport choices, Council seeks to foster a healthy and mobile community. This also contributes to achieving lower emissions and carbon neutrality across both Council as an organisation and the community as a whole.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.

Bayside will be a city that is greener and has more open space, and creates a community that is inclusive, respectful and accessible. Rationale Bayside wants to encourage all residents to participate and feel part of the local community. This leads to social cohesion and hence less crime, cost savings, increased standard of living and achieving community goals.

Priority 4.1 Green open space:

Increasing open space by the acquisition of more land and better utilisation of existing spaces for pocket parks and community gardens.

Priority 4.2 Accessibility:

Walkable, sustainable transport, less congestion, safe, ease of connectivity between retail strips and neighbourhoods with consideration of all abilities and ages. This includes Council encouraging accessibility in the built environment.

Priority 4.3 Open/Built Space Integration:

That open spaces are integrated within any largescale developments.

Priority 4.4 Involvement:

That Bayside City Council encourages and nurtures resident interaction, friends’ groups, community organisations and volunteer groups.

What does this mean to the community?

The Bayside community includes all of the elements that contribute to making our municipality one of the most liveable places in one of the world’s most liveable cities. It includes all of the ecosystems, people, flora and fauna that call Bayside home.

Our residents feel safe, welcomed and included in their community regardless of age, circumstance or ability.

Bayside’s public spaces foster a feeling of wellbeing due to their capacity to encourage planned and incidental opportunities to connect with others close to home. Integrated public space is considered in both private and public development and emphasises the important role of vegetation, tree canopy and natural surfaces in the built environment.

All residents have local access to essential shopping and services, with retail villages and community facilities such as libraries that are vibrant, easy to access and walk to.

The community has a range of opportunities to connect with others and be part of shared interest or recreation groups, gain connections as well as volunteering opportunities.

Our community has a strong appreciation of the custodial role of Bayside’s First Nations people and works to foster reconciliation across the lands of the Boon Wurrung and beyond

What is Council’s role?

Fostering a sense of community and wellbeing is one of Council’s key responsibilities. This includes creating a conducive physical environment as well establishing conditions for rewarding social and interpersonal interactions.

Council maintains spaces and places within the municipality including Bayside’s local shopping villages as well as natural, open spaces.

As our population grows, Council will seek to protect the green, leafy nature of the municipality through creating local pocket parks, preserving and enhancing our urban forest, vegetation overlays and opportunities to create more open spaces in large scale developments e.g. CSIRO, Hampton Hub as well as advocating for open space in private and Victorian Government projects.

The accessibility of all community infrastructure and spaces is also paramount to ensure all residents can participate equally in our community regardless of age, ability, gender, and economic status.

Bayside is a resourceful and engaged community and Council works to strengthen and mobilise our community’s capacity to facilitate strong interactions and relationships that contribute to a strong sense of belonging between residents.

This includes providing programs to support a culture of volunteering and a strong network of groups and organisations to provide creative, social and recreational opportunities for connection and interaction.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.

Bayside will nurture creativity. Rationale Bayside’s leadership in creativity in the arts

Priority 5.1

Bayside will nurture a vibrant and connected community by promoting creativity in the arts in all its forms.

Priority 5.2

Making use of public areas and infrastructure to encourage all people to be involved.

Priority 5.3

Commitment to providing grants to individuals and groups to nurture creativity in the arts.

What does this mean to the community?

A creative and engaged community generates opportunities for residents to express their ideas and abilities in a range of forums and feel a greater sense of connection.

Local opportunities to participate in arts and cultural activities are an important element of community life.

Public art and creative events including exhibitions and festivals bring vibrancy and interactivity to public spaces and foster wellbeing and inclusion.

Grants and support for creative and cultural initiatives enable these endeavours to thrive.

These also provide a basis for the exploration of ideas and themes that relate to the Bayside community.

What is Council’s role?

Council seeks to create an environment where creativity is encouraged and celebrated.

This includes establishing formal and informal spaces that foster creative endeavours, promote celebration and bring people together in creative pursuits.

By fostering accessible cultural and arts programs and activities Council provides opportunities for creative expression and engagement for all residents.

Council’s range of community services and facilities such as libraries and community centres host creative programs that encourage people to get together, learn and share ideas.

These services and programs are innovative, inclusive, relevant and accessible for everyone in the local community. Council values the input local experts such as the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee to inform the development of a creative culture and strengthen arts and cultural programs for the community.

This includes initiatives such as Artists in Residence, Art and Dementia, Ellen Jose Reconciliation Awards and school programs to encourage broad participation in creative arts. Grants, prizes and programs seek to provide financial support to Bayside artists and arts organisations to encourage creativity in all its forms.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.

Bayside will nurture innovation to encourage a thriving and vibrant community. Rationale Creativity and thinking outside the box improve problem solving and the opportunity to have a competitive advantage.

Priority 6.1

Innovative methods, ideas and products to drive Council’s future planning.

Priority 6.2

Commitment to providing grants and awards to innovative endeavours in the sciences.

Priority 6.3

Nurturing broad community support and involvement for the sciences and innovation.

What does this mean to the community?

Bayside is an innovative and creative municipality, where new ideas and solutions are valued and utilised to address shared challenges.

The community actively participates in planning and problem solving, providing strong input into the design of world class, accessible and innovative infrastructure and services.

Support for science and innovation is encouraged through broad programs, particularly relating to addressing the impacts of the climate emergency and to protect and preserve Bayside’s unique natural assets including rare and threatened species, the Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary and remanent wood and heathland sanctuaries.

What is Council’s role?

Council works to foster innovation across Bayside to respond to challenging dilemmas and achieve better outcomes for the whole community.

This includes valuing innovative approaches to Council operations, facilities and services, utilising best practice, sector leading responses.

Creating a local environment where innovation is encouraged and celebrated leads to greater capacity within the community.

Council conducts grants programs and awards to recognise innovative thinking and practices including in building and local business excellence.

Council also works to facilitate connections to other levels of government where local innovation and science can be supported.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.

Council Operations and Accountability Rationale That Bayside City Council serves the needs of its communities, engaging with them, reflecting their desires and aspirations in its activities, including, where appropriate, encouragement for community members to drive the vision.

Priority 7.1

The Bayside Council actions and decisions align fully to the intent of the Bayside 2050 Vision and that Council reports back on an annual basis as to its achievement/ performance of the Vision.

Priority 7.2

That Bayside City Council constantly monitors and updates its activities in relation to the Vision 2050.

Priority 7.3

Where actions are the responsibility of other stakeholders or are beyond Council’s remit, to advocate strongly on behalf of our community to achieve the community’s desired outcomes.

What does this mean to the community?

Council decisions are informed by, and aligned to, the Bayside 2050 Community Vision, with clear links between community aspirations and Council’s strategic planning framework.

The community receives regular updates on progress towards the vision and is encouraged to participate in regular engagement opportunities to ‘check in’ that the vision still accurately reflects aspirations and priorities for 2050.

Council’s advocacy with local state and federal representatives and agencies creates positive outcomes for the community in areas outside of the remit of local government.

Community members are engaged to participate in activities that align to the vision and contribute to achieving the aspirations outlined in the vision’s ten themes.

Residents are encouraged to consider how they can contribute individually as well as a collective group.

What is Council’s role?

Council adopts and endorses the Bayside 2050 Community Vision and uses the vision to inform decision making over the longer term.

Programs and initiatives are linked to the ten vision themes and Council actively monitors progress towards achieving the vision.

This includes using the vision to guide the strategic planning framework including the four-year Council Plan, Annual Budget, long term resourcing and assets plans and annual operational service plans.

Council taps into the knowledge of local experts on a range of issues to guide decision making.

The community is also engaged in an ongoing and meaningful way on the implementation of activities to realise the aspirations articulated in the vision.

Bayside’s Annual Report documents progress towards the vision. Programs and initiatives that support vision priorities are explicitly highlighted to the community on an ongoing basis.

Council actively advocates to other levels of government to achieve aspirations articulated in the vision when these are outside Council’s control, e.g. within the responsibility of federal or state governments. Councillors share the aspirations of the community with Bayside’s local elected representatives and work with them to achieve the community’s priorities.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.

Bayside will be inclusive and accessible for all. Rationale Bayside values all individuals. Bayside wishes to demonstrate that they value the lived experiences of all cultures and that they want to be inclusive of people of all abilities in the community.

Priority 8.1

Barriers to participation for all to be identified and solutions implemented.

Priority 8.2

Bayside will improve accessibility to public infrastructure.

Priority 8.3

Bayside encourages and advocates for people of all abilities and backgrounds to be involved in the community and in leadership roles in Council.

What does this mean to the community?

Every member of the community is celebrated, included and feels they belong in Bayside.

Participation in community life is possible and encouraged regardless of age, ability, cultural or economic circumstance.

Residents are engaged to highlight any barriers to participation including the impact of the climate emergency on the more vulnerable members of our community.

Council addresses these barriers with a matter of priority. All infrastructure is accessible and safe, with residents and visitors able to utilise facilities and services should they wish.

The views of diverse community members are actively sought. Those who live, work and play in Bayside are encouraged to be part of decision making, with outreach to address any challenges or obstacles to involvement.

This includes participating in Council and community leadership positions.

What is Council’s role?

Council works to create and maintain an accessible, inclusive and welcoming Bayside by identifying and removing any barriers to participation by all members of the community.

This includes ensuring that community infrastructure is accessible and takes the needs of all into account including residents with a disability, the elderly, families with young children as well as culturally and socially diverse community members.

Council also works to facilitate inclusion and engagement by encouraging community participation in consultation and decision-making forums.

This includes working with community and not for profit partners and state government agencies to reach residents who may not regularly engage with Council services or programs.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.

The built environment includes residential and commercial properties, roads and transport infrastructure and all aspects that a Council would ‘build’/’rate’ as part of the overall environment across Bayside. Rationale Caters for multiple and varying views on how to best develop the built environment across the city to allow for future accommodation increases and protection of the liveability of Bayside.

Priority 9.1

Land is a scarce commodity and therefore the highest value use of land must always take priority in decision making. Where property acquisition for more public space is not available, Council should consider reclaiming car parking and established road space for that purpose.

Priority 9.2

Heritage consideration should be given to properties with a Heritage Precinct. The establishment of this precinct will be subject to an owner’s consent (for individual properties) and utilise an introductory time window where Council intends to establish a Heritage precinct of its own volition.

Priority 9.3

All assets leased, and any project considered by Council will be subject to a cost benefit analysis in the period prior to renewal of a lease/undertaking of project.

Priority 9.4

With the anticipated population increase both within and beyond Bayside, Council must immediately focus on creating multiple housing platforms, enhanced infrastructure including lighting, walking paths etc and open space including commercial and retail needs as fits specific highest and best use outcomes for each location.

What does this mean to the community?

The built environment reflects the aspirations of the community in that it responds to the climate emergency, respects Bayside’s heritage and accommodates population growth.

Bayside’s public spaces are characterised by environmentally sustainable and people friendly design, highly quality, accessible infrastructure and a careful balance between open space and the built environment.

Buildings of significance are protected and enhanced for future generations to enjoy and neighbourhoods reflect the distinctive character of Bayside’s various suburbs.

The community can access a range of housing options to accommodate various life stages including catering for residents on lower incomes and key workers, as well as older residents who wish to age in place.

Land use reflects the community’s desire for maximum benefit from each location.

What is Council’s role?

Managing planning and development for public and private buildings including housing is one of Council’s core functions.

Local land use planning aims to ensure that the built environment meets the needs of the community while supporting state planning policy.

Council seeks to finely balance the provision of increased and diverse housing for a growing population while protecting the overall neighbourhood amenity of Bayside.

Protecting significant heritage buildings, streetscapes and precincts is a legislated responsibility of local government.

Council is currently working through a ten-year program to identify and protect heritage buildings across all eras of architecture.

As public land manager, Council carefully considers the cost benefits of any infrastructure or facilities project to ensure the greatest possible outcome for the broader community.

Quality community spaces are a valuable resource and Council is committed to building infrastructure that is multi use, responds to the climate emergency and contributes to the overall liveability of the municipality.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.

Encouraging a vibrant commercial sector of environmentally compatible industries including tourism, high-tech and commercial activities to underpin the economy of the city.

Priority 10.1

Enhancing, protecting, and compatibly developing the foreshore and its environs as popular, attractive and desirable locations for locals and tourists, including imaginative redevelopment of council-owned facilities, encouragement of new accommodations and built tourism attractions in appropriate locations.

Priority 10.2

Identify the benefits the foreshore offers and focus on protecting its specific and signature botanical and scenic values. Express the different flavours of Bayside’s specific villages such as how the villages of Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Black Rock, Beaumaris, Highett and Cheltenham and their smaller strip shopping business areas are different to each other and have their own signature style and amenities, as a way of attracting visitors to each, rather than a homogenous ‘Bayside’ area.

Priority 10.3

Create more events and facilities focused around or beside the foreshore - e.g. Sculpture by the Bay, night food markets, outside gyms a la Muscle beach in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. Better designed, better managed and more attractive and sophisticated cafes and restaurants along the foreshore. Ensure that all development and commercial activities are not detrimental to residential amenity of the area.

Priority 10.4

Encouraging, supporting and fostering local businesses across all Bayside which underpin the viability and character of our individual village structures and give easy accessibility to local populations.

What does this mean to the community?

Bayside has a thriving economy, with a high percentage of residents working and spending locally.

The flourishing commercial sector is characterised by high tech, professional services and tourism businesses, whose operators value the supportive environment and working close to home.

Individual, distinctive characteristics of Bayside’s shopping villages are embraced and promoted, with the many, varied businesses receiving strong support from the community who prefer to shop locally.

The world-famous foreshore is protected, including from the impacts of the climate emergency, and coastal facilities and commercial activity is creatively and carefully managed to showcase local attractions to locals and visitors alike in a way that is environmentally sustainable.

What is Council’s role?

Council works to stimulate a vibrant and active economy, encouraging local employment and expenditure as well as economic development and investment.  This includes maximising the municipality’s signature economic assets and promoting it as a great place to do business.

Bayside’s thriving local shopping villages are a key element of the local economy. Council works with local trader associations and business networks to promote, enhance and support the businesses who are the backbone of these varied and engaging strips, each with their own distinctive personality.

Bayside’s colourful beach bathing boxes are known internationally and Council works to protect the iconic foreshore and natural coastal environment while developing sensitive and contemporary community facilities and infrastructure that support exceptional tourism experiences.

Festival and events bring economic benefit to the municipality and Council organises and supports a range of events and installations to activate open spaces including the foreshore as well as shopping precincts.

How will we know this has been achieved by 2050?

Targets and strategic indicators will be identified through the four-year Council Plan process and reported back to the community regularly including via Council’s website.