Western Downs Futures

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Western Downs Futures is a place based collaborative impact strategy for the Western Downs Region. It is being led by community and industry stakeholders, with local and state government support to enable progress for the region. 

Western Downs Regional Council are proud to support this collaborative place-based initiative. 

Liveability Data for the Western Downs

Western Downs Regional Council helped to collate some data around the liveability of the region for the Western Downs Regional Futures Summit.

Click here to view the Western Downs Liveability Data:(PDF, 809KB)

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Western Downs Regional Futures Summit

The Western Downs Regional Futures Summit was held from the 3-5 May 2023, at the Dalby Events Centre. It was attended by 102 people from the community, local industry, services, and government stakeholders. Collaboration for Impact consultants facilitated the workshop with the following objectives: 

  1. To strengthen collaboration by building on the existing partnering and collaboration across the region 
  2. To leverage the diversity of the communities across the region to maximise outcomes for all 
  3. To develop a shared understanding of what it will take to make things better across the region
  4. To define what we need to continue to discuss and how we will govern this at this early stage 

Click here to read a summary of the Summit:(PDF, 5MB)

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Click here to read our storyboard from the Summit:(PDF, 13MB)

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Progress Team Meetings

Approximately 30 participants at the Summit expressed their interest to carry the work forward as part of the "Progress Team".

Meeting #1

The First Progress Team meeting was convened on 5 June 2023 to continue the dialogue around regional collaboration. This meeting aimed to (1) revisit some key concepts from the Summit, (2) share new information and examples of collaborative partnership governance arrangements, (3) provide activities that enabled participants to start to experience real collaboration and decision-making in practice, whilst starting to land some key elements of the work. 

Click here to read more(PDF, 2MB)

 Summary of Key Insights 5 June.JPG(PDF, 2MB)  

Working Group Meetings 

Two working groups were formed to finalise the Vision Statement, Principles and Governance Design for our place-based strategy. 

These groups met in July with the objective to take back their work to the Progress Team meeting #2. 

Vision Statement Working Group Summary(PDF, 571KB)

Governance Design Working Group Summary(PDF, 2MB)   

Meeting #2 

The second Progress Team meeting was held on Tuesday 8 August 2023 at the Tara Soldiers Memorial Hall. This meeting aimed to (1) continue learning from other examples of place-based change initiatives, (2) review the work that was progressed by the 2 x working group's established at the previous progress team meeting, (3) continue design work on the governance structure, principles and vision. 

Click here to read more(PDF, 2MB)

Meeting #3 

The third Progress Team meeting was held on Tuesday 17 October 2023 at the Chinchilla RSL. This meeting aimed to (1) continue to deepen the understanding about what is needed for genuine collaboration, (2) create a shared understanding and language on how to hold multipe perspectives in shared decision making, role and authority, and to (3) finalise input on principles. A project plan working group was formed at this meeting to submit a funding application to Advance Queensland as a step towards standing up an initiative under the Western Downs Futures. 

Click here to read more(PDF, 3MB)

Early Wins

These are some of the early wins from the Western Downs Futures Group: 

Queensland Police Service
  • 15 police and ancilliary staff are being recruited to the region. 
Local Housing Action Plan 
  • The Department of Housing is fast-tracking a Local Housing Action Plan for our region with Local Government Association of Queensland. 
Department of Corrective Services
  • Are establishing an office and a permanent staff member in the Tara region. 
Skilling Queenslanders for Work Program 
  • Western Downs Regional Council in partnership with Tara Shire State College and Tara Neighbourhood Centre were successful in their funding application with DYJESBT to provide 10 traineeship and upskilling opportunities for jobseekers in Tara.
Support Finder Launch 
  • Through our partners in Western Downs Futures Western Downs Regional Council, Queensland Police Service, and Darling Downs Health joined forces to launch an online support directory for Western Downs residents in need. Check it out: SupportFinder.org.au
Health Workforce 
  • 10 more General Practitioners are being recruited to the region. 

Initiatives

Local Housing Action Plan 

  • Due to be released in early 2024 

Skilling Queenslanders for Work 

  • 10 jobseekers in the Tara region are participating the in the foundational job skills training. 

CRISP Initiative 

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