Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Plan 2009-2029

Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Regional Plan 2009-2029

The Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Regional Plan 2009-2029 has been developed to address the need for a whole-of-region plan that will guide the development of the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area into the future.

The Regional Plan outlines a vision to guide whole-of-government planning and program delivery in the region involving all levels of service delivery, and addresses the Closing the Gap targets. It has a twenty year timeframe and acknowledges that many of the region’s challenges require long-term development initiatives.

The Regional Plan was signed on 15 July 2009 by the TSRA Chairman, and Councillors and Mayors of TSC, TSIRC and NPARC. In doing so, the three Councils and TSRA committed to working together to support the region and its people. It will be used by the four signatories to seek agreement from all levels of government to plan and deliver services in a coordinated manner and in line with the goals and objectives of the Plan.

The regional planning process began in August 2008, when the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Board, and Councillors and Mayors of the Torres Shire Council (TSC), the Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) and the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC), with support from the Queensland Department of Communities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services (ATSIS), agreed to work together towards a unified vision for the region. The aim was to align government investment in the region with integrated service provision driven by regional needs.

The TSRA, in partnership with the three Councils and ATSIS, conducted a robust community consultation process in 2008 to form the core of the Regional Plan. Public consultations were held with all communities in the Torres Strait including the Northern Peninsula Area communities of Bamaga and Seisia. The consultation topics were based on the COAG Building Blocks, State and Local Government targets as well as regional issues unique to the Torres Strait region.

The information obtained from the consultation process was presented to the Elected Representatives of the region for consideration: Elected Representatives, both TSRA and Local Government, reviewed the raw data and agreed on a vision and goal statement for the region against each topic at a Forum held at TSRA on the 6-7 November 2008.

A draft Regional Plan was prepared based on the information collected from the community consultations and the regional vision and goal statement. This draft was shared with communities and the general public for input and comments in early 2009 and additional comments were considered at a second Elected Representative’s Forum on 1 May 2009 and, where agreed, incorporated.

The signing of the Regional Plan is testament to the foresight and commitment of the Torres Strait and NPA communities and their representative bodies whose willingness and productive engagement in the partnership was critical to its success. It marks a significant milestone in the path to develop a sustainable and more resilient future for communities of the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area region.

Press Release PR341: Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Plan Signed  195 Kb

Torres Strait & Northern Peninsula Area Regional Plan 2009 - 2029  605 Kb