Community Strategic Plan — Revised Draft

HomeCommunity Strategic Plan — Revised Draft
Close

● Revised Draft — Incorporating Legal Review Recommendations ●

Our Community

Community Strategic Plan

The Springthorpe Community Strategic Plan is a shared framework — community-informed, aspirational in nature, and intended to guide priorities and conversation over time. It is not a binding program of works, and endorsing it creates no automatic Owners Corporation commitment or expenditure.

At the 2026 AGM, residents endorsed the plan as a living document: one that identifies possible priorities, supports both community and OC initiatives, and will be reviewed and refined as circumstances, experience, and community input evolve. The plan does not override the Committee’s responsibility to assess feasibility, budget, and legal authority before acting on any initiative.

The OC’s Legal Foundation

The Owners Corporation operates within a clear legal framework. Understanding this is essential to understanding how the Strategic Plan relates to what the OC can and must do.

Statutory functions of the Owners Corporation include managing and maintaining common property, administering the OC, enforcing the Rules, and collecting levies to fund those activities. The OC also holds statutory powers, including the power to make Rules within the framework of the Owners Corporations Act 2006.

In performing its functions, the Owners Corporation and its Committee are expected to:

Act within the Law

Operate within the Owners Corporations Act 2006, the Rules, and the OC’s functions and powers.

Act with Integrity

Act honestly, in good faith, and with due care and diligence.

Spend with Authority

Approve expenditure and commitments separately, lawfully, and within budget authority.

Report Openly

Report transparently and keep residents informed.

Rules Serve the Community

An OC’s Rules may legitimately reflect aspects of the character and needs of the OC.

(These expectations derive from the Owners Corporations Act 2006, general law, and VCAT jurisprudence.)

Each goal area reflects the kinds of activities the OC can legitimately plan and budget for, or facilitate in partnership with residents and external stakeholders such as Darebin Council and La Trobe University.

Independent legal advice (KCL Law, September 2024) identified that certain current Rules relating to design guidelines and the ARC are likely invalid or unenforceable. The Committee will prioritise a full Rules review.

Important: Any initiative arising from this plan that involves OC expenditure or a formal commitment will be clearly identified and presented to the Committee or a General Meeting for consideration and approval before any action is taken.

A Four-Step Framework for Planning and Accountability

The plan operates through a structured annual cycle — moving from community input through to delivery and transparent reporting. This cycle ensures that aspirational goals translate into accountable actions, with residents informed at every stage.

1

Strategic Planning

Community-informed framework reflecting shared priorities. Not automatic OC commitments — a guide for focus and discussion.

2

Annual Work Plan

Strategy converted to specific proposed actions, assessed for feasibility, cost, legal authority (including compliance with the Owners Corporations Act 2006 and current Rules), and priority before proceeding.

3

Implementation

Approved actions delivered within budget and authority. Progress, risk, and compliance monitored throughout.

4

Annual Report

Progress reported against Strategic Plan goals. Financial summary provided. Outcomes, lessons, and next steps shared with residents.

The Annual Work Plan is the critical filter between aspiration and action. It assesses what should proceed, be deferred, or not proceed — and identifies items requiring separate approval or budget authority.

Five Strategic Goal Areas

The plan identifies five goal areas that reflect the shared priorities of Springthorpe residents. These represent where the community wants to focus attention and effort — through the OC where appropriate, and through individual and community-led action where the OC’s role is limited.

1

Goal Area 1

Common Property and Shared Assets

Maintain and improve Springthorpe’s shared facilities, and encourage their use, so they remain safe, functional, attractive, and accessible.

Possible Country Club Improvements Over Time

  • Playground refurbishment
  • Kitchen upgrade
  • Main hall and reception upgrade
  • Multi-purpose room extension

Access and Participation

  • Encourage broader use of shared facilities, including the Country Club
  • Support participation in programs and activities across ages and interests

Asset Management

  • Maintain safe and attractive common property
  • Plan capital works transparently and collaboratively with residents
  • Apply proactive safety and risk management practices (e.g. tree safety assessments, safety audits)

2

Goal Area 2

Design Quality, Amenity, and Appearance

Maintain Springthorpe’s architectural character and landscape setting through clear, fair, and sustainable design standards that remain relevant as needs, technologies, and design approaches change.

Design Standards and Guidance

  • Uphold and promote any validly made and registered Design Guide and Architectural Review Committee (ARC) processes to the extent they are consistent with the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic) and the OC’s Registered Rules
  • Provide clear guidance for external works and landscaping by lot owners
  • Encourage sustainable design choices by lot owners (e.g. solar panels, native planting, water-wise gardens) through information and education, consistent with any applicable valid OC Rules

Estate Character and Amenity

  • Support the maintenance of visually coherent streetscapes on common property and advocate to Darebin Council for improvements to the public realm where appropriate
  • Continue to support the Village Hub as the “social heartbeat”
  • Support improvements to pedestrian amenity and a safe, welcoming public realm

Fairness, Consistency, and Continuous Improvement

  • Apply fair and consistent processes for breaches or disputes
  • Review and update the Design Guide as required, ensuring any changes are properly registered under the OC Rules
  • Periodically review the operation of the ARC, ensuring its composition complies with the Owners Corporations Act 2006

The OC’s ability to enforce design standards is limited to valid Rules with a direct and substantial connection to common property management. The OC cannot enforce building codes or planning permits — those responsibilities rest with Darebin Council and other authorities.

3

Goal Area 3

Community Life, Participation, and Safety

Support a safe, inclusive, and connected community through active participation and open communication.

Community Participation and Engagement

  • Support inclusive, multigenerational events (e.g. music, food, family gatherings)
  • Provide newsletters and digital updates
  • Develop and maintain a clear, accessible website
  • Provide accessible channels for resident feedback
  • Prepare a plain-English guide to what the OC does
  • Support early and fair conflict resolution and mediation

Recreation and Public Space

  • Liaise with Darebin Council regarding potential oval upgrades (playground, netball, basketball, fitness stations)

Safety and Risk Management

  • Liaise with Darebin Council on road safety, traffic management, pedestrian and cycling links, and parking
  • For fire and flood risks, liaise with Fire Rescue Victoria, Parks Victoria, Darebin Council, and La Trobe University
  • Support crime prevention initiatives in liaison with Victoria Police

Heritage Project

  • Facilitate resident and community-led initiatives for a heritage trail (including potential First Nations–themed elements) in partnership with La Trobe University, where such initiatives relate to common property or community use of common property

4

Goal Area 4

Environment, Sustainability, and Cost Savings

Support the protection and enhancement of the natural environment on and adjacent to common property, promote sustainable practices, and collaborate with stakeholders where this aligns with the OC’s functions.

Environment and Biodiversity

  • Support the protection of biodiversity corridors on or adjacent to common property through liaison with Darebin Council and relevant authorities
  • Liaise with Darebin Council regarding wetlands, tree planting, shade, and large-tree risk management
  • Encourage Council consultation with residents before significant works affecting the estate

Sustainable Living and Community Cost Savings

  • Promote solar, batteries, and water-wise design
  • Investigate voluntary bulk purchasing options for lot owners (electricity, water, gas) (Note: any such schemes would be voluntary for lot owners and would not involve OC expenditure or compulsion.)

Landscaping in Public Areas

  • Support the Landscape Architect Report (2014) recommendations: street-tree audit, tree planting, oval consultative workshop, potential community garden

The Cascades

  • Liaise with Darebin Council to secure the future of the Cascades as an iconic wetland and enhance ecological health
  • Support planting programs for habitat diversity
  • Encourage and facilitate resident-led initiatives (such as a Friends of the Cascades group) to support the Cascades’ ecological health where appropriate

5

Goal Area 5

Good Governance and Financial Management

Build trust and deliver outcomes through transparent and collaborative governance, sound finances, and clear communication and engagement with residents.

Governance

  • Committee Charter and training (including training on the limits of OC powers under the Owners Corporations Act 2006) and induction for Committee members
  • Annual Work Plan and Calendar available to the community
  • Goal-focused meeting agendas and updated OC Rules
  • Annual reporting against Strategic Goal Areas
  • Declaration and management of conflicts of interest and conflicts of duty

Financial Management

  • Simplified and visually clear annual financial summaries
  • Align goals, priorities, budgets, and the Annual Work Plan
  • Circulate a draft budget for community input prior to each AGM

Partnerships

  • Build the “3 Orgs” liaison between Springthorpe, Darebin Council, and La Trobe University
  • Seek alignment with Council’s planning and budget cycles
  • Participate in broader, state-wide knowledge-sharing networks for OCs

Governance is not only what the OC Committee does, but also how we work together as a community and with partner organisations.

What the Plan Is — and What It Isn’t

The Strategic Plan is a guide, not a guarantee. Endorsing it at the AGM does not create any power, authority, or commitment beyond what the Owners Corporations Act 2006 and the OC’s Rules already provide. Every initiative remains subject to the Committee’s assessment of feasibility, cost, risk, and legal authority, with any expenditure or formal commitment requiring separate approval.

The plan is intentionally broad within the legal limits of the Act, including initiatives relating to design standards and the ARC, which remain subject to limitations identified in independent legal advice (September 2024). It will be reviewed and refined over time — updated to reflect practical experience, changing circumstances, and ongoing resident input. Progress will be reported at each AGM.

Your Involvement Makes This Work

The Strategic Plan is community-informed — which means it only works if residents stay engaged. The Committee cannot identify all priorities, lead all initiatives, or maintain community cohesion on its own. Many of the goals in this plan depend on residents stepping up.

Attend AGMs and forums

Your voice shapes what gets prioritised in the Annual Work Plan.

Join a working group

The Committee actively welcomes resident participation and new ideas.

Lead community initiatives

Events, sustainability projects, heritage trails, and the Cascades all benefit from resident champions.

Give feedback

Use the portal, contact the Committee, or speak at meetings.

Stay informed

Read Annual Reports and Work Plan updates when published.

This plan belongs to the whole Springthorpe community.

A Living Document

The Strategic Plan evolves through practical experience, Annual Work Plans, governance review, changing circumstances, and ongoing resident input. It is not a fixed document — it will be updated to reflect what works, what doesn’t, and what matters most to the community at any given time.

Progress against the plan’s goals will be reported at each AGM, giving residents a regular, structured opportunity to assess whether the community’s priorities are being reflected in the OC’s work — and to call for changes where they are not.

The full Springthorpe Community Strategic Plan is available as a PDF document from the Resident Information section of this portal.