One city
A city with coordinated governance that people trust
Greater Sydney has 3 levels of government: local, state and federal, and hosts multiple regional peak bodies. A complex and multi-level governance system requires a high degree of collaboration to implement action that responds to shocks and stresses.
Australia is experiencing declining trust in government. Workshop participants and survey respondents were concerned that government decisions do not align with community values and needs.
• Only 20% of survey respondents believe all levels of government work well together to manage the needs of Greater Sydney.
• 53% felt that government was not accountable and did not provide clear information to the public.
However, national surveys also consistently report that trust in local government is higher than other levels of government. Local government provides a trusted interface for place-based action. Collaboration across levels of government is needed to share critical data so councils can set targets, make planning decisions, manage assets and track performance.
Coordinated Governance
Complex Multi-level System
Greater Sydney has 3 levels of government: local, state and federal, and hosts multiple regional peak bodies. A complex and multi-level governance system requires a high degree of collaboration to implement action that responds to shocks and stresses.
Trusted Interface
Local government provides a trusted interface for place-based action. Collaboration across levels of government is needed to share critical data so councils can set targets, make planning decisions, manage assets and track performance
Regional Approach
Robust regional risk assessments with community engagement will enable state and local governments to prioritise adaptation and mitigation planning for natural disasters and other shock events.
Only 20% of survey respondents believe all levels of government work well together to manage the needs of Greater Sydney.
- 26 Promote and participate in collaborative governance and engagement for Greater Sydney
- 27 Adopt region-wide data and tools
- 28 Enhance the Resilient Sydney data platform
- 29 Strengthen the resilience of council assets
- 30 Galvanise resilience across Greater Sydney
Action 26
Promote and participate in collaborative governance and engagement for Greater Sydney
Shocks & stresses
Digital networks
Waste
Reducing social cohesion
Environment degradation
Resilience challenge
Multiple levels of government create complexity for decision-makers in Greater Sydney. Without collaborative problem-solving, we are unlikely to address complex city-wide challenges.
State disaster mitigation plan alignment
- Enabler – collaborative governance
- Enabler – capacity and capability
Resilience goals
Collaborative governance models are in place to address city-wide resilience challenges.
Community values and priorities are included in government decisions about planning and infrastructure, and disaster mitigation and adaptation.
Decision-making and planning processes ensure people understand the concept of tolerable risk and decide what it means for their communities.
Community involvement in decision-making leads to a shared responsibility for managing risk, social licence to act and improved trust in government.
Adopt region-wide data and tools
Shocks & stresses
Resilience challenge
State disaster mitigation plan alignment
- Strategic planning
- Enabler – data
- Enabler – capacity and capability
Resilience goals
Action 28
Enhance the Resilient Sydney data platform
Shocks & stresses
Energy
Water
Environment degradation
Resilience challenge
Local government requires an increasingly complex range of data to:
- inform how it allocates resources to build community and organisational resilience.
- respond to mandatory state reporting and planning requirements.
State disaster mitigation plan alignment
- Enabler – data
- Enabler – capacity and capability
Resilience goals
Councils have access to reliable and suitable data to set benchmarks and targets, and to inform strategies, policies and operations.
Councils can effectively respond to mandatory reporting requirements and report on operational performance.
There is a standardised and streamlined approach to providing local government with regional data so councils can direct funds to action rather than data collection.
Action 29
Strengthen the resilience of council assets
Shocks & stresses
Bushfires
Coastal hazards
Storms
Economic crisis
Resilience challenge
Greater Sydney councils face increasing challenges in maintaining their assets and services as the frequency and intensity of shock events escalate.
State disaster mitigation plan alignment
- Enabler – funding
- Enabler – capacity and capability
- Infrastructure resilience
Resilience goals
The resilience of council-managed assets to natural and other hazards is improved by reducing the risks and impacts arising from asset failures on systems, people, the environment and economy.
Long-term financial sustainability of local government is strengthened through the cost-effective adaptation of assets and services.
Action 30
Galvanise resilience across Greater Sydney
Shocks & stresses
Waste
Reducing social cohesion
Resilience challenge
Greater Sydney councils with the NSW Government must participate in coordinated actions to increase and enhance the resilience of the city.
State disaster mitigation plan alignment
- Enabler – collaborative governance
- Enabler – capacity and capability
Resilience goals
The coordination of new initiatives and sharing of costs and resources accelerates the implementation and success of resilience actions across Greater Sydney.
Streamlined and efficient implementation of resilience actions across Greater Sydney builds a high level of organisational, individual and community preparedness.