Local resident and Director of Ecosystems Development at Moo & Co., Lynne Strong, is offering a refreshing framework for how the community as a whole can work together in positively shaping our region’s future. 

Strong is advocating for camaraderie and collaboration to achieve strategic and inclusive community development, presenting the CommUnity Alliance Framework proposal at the recent Kiama Community Precinct meeting on Tuesday 23 April. With a handful of councillors present, Strong reiterated her intention was not to work in competition with council, but as a cohesive network.

As population within the region increases, subsequent pressure is placed on services and systems. Strong identifies the following primary areas that she calls on community members of all ages to collaboratively assess and drive informed action:

• Infrastructure and utilities: focus on water management, energy supply and digital infrastructure.
• Environmental and sustainability: address green spaces, biodiversity and climate resilience. 
• Transport and accessibility: explore public transport, traffic congestion and accessibility. 
• Social and community development: look into social cohesion, community consultation and crime prevention.
• Housing and urban planning: discuss housing affordability, urban design and historical prevention. 
• Health and safety: consider healthcare services and emergency response planning. 
• Cultural and recreational needs: evaluate cultural facilities, recreational activities and public space design. 

These key factors formed the basis of two short anonymous online surveys created to ascertain expertise and aspirations of the community across all age groups; one aimed at the younger generation aged under 25, and another for remaining demographics. Once this preliminary data has been collated, Strong hopes to unite community members - and their skills and interests - to be active participants in the region’s development. The CommUnity Alliance Framework may allow the community to regain a sense of their voices being not only heard, but also valued and thoroughly considered. 

“This framework offers a holistic, flexible, transparent, inclusive and accountable approach. It is a framework that values local insights, promotes community ownership, and encourages empowerment,” explains Strong.

“Most crucially, it emphasises grassroots-driven engagement as the cornerstone of community planning, ensuring that the community is not merely a subject but an active participant in the narrative of its own development.” 

Strong reiterates, however, that this framework is centred around one very crucial component: a triad of trust.

“Trust is the backbone of any thriving community,” declares Strong. 

“The community must place its trust in the processes that guide their collective future. Trust in the process means believing that the system of planning, decision-making and feedback is designed for the common good, allowing for comprehensive and adaptive planning that incorporates the ever-changing tapestry of community needs and priorities.”

Of course, the concept of trust does not end at processes, but must extend to people as well. This means having confidence that those at the helm are capable of taking well-informed action in navigating community development. 

“It's trusting that they will listen, understand, and act with integrity, holding themselves accountable for the outcomes and ensuring that resources are allocated in alignment with community-identified priorities,” defines Strong. 

“And trust in ourselves? It is foundational. It is knowing that within the community lies a wealth of knowledge, diversity of perspectives, and an inherent resilience that is more than capable of surmounting the challenges ahead. It's the collective empowerment that comes from the realisation that the people, not just the processes, shape the future of where they live.

“By fostering this triad of trust - trust in the process, people and ourselves - the community becomes more than a collection of individuals. It becomes a united force capable of driving change, shaping its destiny, and building a future that resonates with the voices of all its members.”

 

Perhaps this broad notion of trust and community cohesiveness might eliminate – or even simply reduce – the fear some may feel around having no say, power or control in how our community develops; providing a sense of empowerment to step up and unite in the strive for positive change. 

Do you want to get involved with the CommUnity Alliance Forum? Start by having your say via the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KMCNextGen for those aged under 25 and https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KiamaLGA for remaining age groups. For further information, contact Lynne Strong on [email protected] .