Published on Monday, 17 August 2026 at 11:00:00 AM
Below is the Shire President’s Recap of the Ordinary Council Meeting (OCM) that was held on Wednesday 22 July 2026.
Click the buttons below to jump to the item covered in this Recap:
Item 9.2.3: Donnybrook Soldiers Memorial Hall – ANZAC Day Commemorations
Item 9.2.4: Community Engagement Framework
Item 9.3.2: Council Plan 2026-2036 – Major Review & Adoption
Item 9.3.3: New Council Policy for Privacy & Responsible Information Sharing (PRIS)
Item 9.3.4: Date Changed for Agenda Briefing Session in September 2026
Messages & Announcements from the Shire President
Nominations are now open for the 2027 Community Citizen of the Year (COTY) Awards, supported by Auspire – Australia Day Council WA. The awards seek to recognise outstanding individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to their local communities during the past year, or those who have given exceptional service over a sustained period. These contributions can take many forms, including but not limited to education, health, fundraising, voluntary services, business, employment, sport, arts, environment, social inclusion, or any other area that contributes to the betterment of the community.
If you know someone who makes a real difference in the community, you can nominate them for one of the four categories:
- Community Citizen of the Year Award,
- Senior Community Citizen of the Year Award
- Young Community Citizen of the Year Award
- Active Citizenship Award (group or event)
The criteria for each category can be found on the Community Citizen of the Year website where you can also nominate your chosen person or group. These awards will be presented on Australia Day 2027, and nominations close 31 October 2026.
More about the COTY Awards
Item 9.2.3: Donnybrook Soldiers Memorial Hall – ANZAC Day Commemorations
What did Council receive?
The Donnybrook RSL Sub-Branch, which coordinates ANZAC Day commemorations each year, has requested ongoing use of the Donnybrook Soldiers Memorial Hall for its annual events, including the popular Gunfire Breakfast. This year’s breakfast was attended by around 200 people.
The proposal includes:
- Ongoing use of the hall for ANZAC Day commemorations each year,
- Priority access to ensure the venue is available, and
- A waiver of all associated hall hire fees.
What was the outcome?
Council approved the request, recognising the cultural and community importance of ANZAC Day commemorations. The decision formalises the Donnybrook RSL Sub-Branch’s ongoing use of the Soldiers Memorial Hall for ANZAC Day and waives associated hire fees, acknowledging the significance of the day and supporting the hall’s commemorative purpose.
Item 9.2.4: Community Engagement Framework
What did Council receive?
Council received the final Community Engagement Framework, which sets out a consistent approach for how the Shire engages with the community across its projects and services. The Framework provides clear guidance on engagement principles, processes and responsibilities, with a focus on being inclusive, transparent and accountable.
Following public consultation on the draft Framework in February 2026, community feedback was incorporated into the final version. While there was strong support for the Framework, feedback highlighted the importance of consistent implementation, clear communication and reporting outcomes back to the community.
How your feedback was used – you said, so we did…
In response to the latest feedback received, the Framework was updated to:
- Strengthen reporting requirements,
- Clarify roles and responsibilities, and
- Improve accessibility through both digital and non-digital engagement options
What was the outcome?
Council endorsed the Community Engagement Framework as the Shire’s organisation-wide standard for planning, delivering and reporting on community engagement activities. Council also:
- Rescinded the previous Community Engagement Framework policy (COMD/CP-3),
- Adopted a new Community Engagement Policy (COMD/CP-7), replacing the former policy.
This represents a significant step forward in improving how Council engages with the community. Establishing a consistent standard for engagement across the organisation, supporting improved decision-making, stronger community relationships, and increased trust over time.
The Shire website will be updated to reflect these changes and support implementation of the new Framework and policy.
Item 9.3.2: Council Plan 2026-2036 – Major Review & Adoption
What did Council receive?
The Council Plan is the Shire's key long-term strategic document, setting the vision, priorities and outcomes that will guide Council's decision-making, services and projects over the next 10 years. The Council Plan 2026-2036 has been prepared alongside a comprehensive review of the Shire's strategic planning framework over the past 12 months, with a draft released for public feedback following the May 2026 OCM.
This consultation built on extensive engagement already undertaken throughout the review process, including the MARKYT® Community Scorecard survey, community workshops in Donnybrook and Balingup, Elected Member workshops and internal planning sessions. Community feedback generally supported the Plan's direction while identifying opportunities to improve clarity, transparency, prioritisation and alignment with community expectations.
Council received a report outlining the outcomes of the final community consultation process at this month’s meeting, which was accompanied by:
- The final draft of the Council Plan 2026-2036 for consideration, last decisions, and adoption.
- A summary of the changes made to the publicly exhibited draft following community feedback.
- A detailed analysis of the submissions received from the community.
How your feedback was used – you said, so we did…
Community feedback directly influenced the final Plan through a range of updates and refinements, including:
- Added a new initiative to continue implementing Containers for Change exchange points throughout the Shire.
- Added a new initiative to develop a communications plan for the 5-Year Forward Roadworks Program, providing clearer information and regular updates to the community.
- Improved project descriptions to better explain how community members, volunteers and local champions will be involved in heritage-related initiatives.
- Reviewed project timeframes to better align actions and deliverables with community priorities.
- Improved readability throughout the Plan with clearer language, stronger links between projects and outcomes, and additional explanatory content where needed.
Community identity and the Shire vision
Council also received feedback on the Council Plan's vision, values and broader community identity.
The adopted vision, "Discover the Magic," was developed through earlier community engagement and selected following a consultation process facilitated by an independent consultant. Importantly, the final vision differed from the wording originally proposed by Council, demonstrating the direct influence of community feedback on the Plan's direction.
While the recent submissions provided valuable perspectives on local identity, the final consultation sought feedback on different elements of the document. Additionally, there was no clear alternative approach that reflected the views of the wider Shire community. As a result, no changes were made to the vision or values as part of the adoption process. This doesn’t mean that your views haven’t been heard – the feedback will instead help inform future communications, branding and community engagement activities.
What was the outcome?
Council adopted the Council Plan 2026-2036, which marks a major governance milestone for the Shire and will ensure Council's priorities are aligned with community aspirations, supported by a structured plan for delivery. The Plan will continue to be monitored and reviewed over time to ensure it remains responsive to changing community needs and external challenges, while helping Council make informed decisions about future projects, services and investment across the Shire.
Minor technical edits based on the outcomes and decisions made by Council at this meeting will be implemented, and the final Council Plan 2026-2036 will be published shortly for public viewing.
Item 9.3.3: New Council Policy for Privacy & Responsible Information Sharing (PRIS)
What did Council receive?
Council received a new Privacy & Responsible Information Sharing Policy (PRIS) in response to the introduction of the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA) (PRIS Act).
The policy establishes a framework to help the Shire:
- Protect personal information and privacy,
- Ensure information is shared lawfully and appropriately,
- Promote transparency in the way information is managed, and
- Support the ongoing implementation of privacy and information management systems across the organisation.
What was the outcome?
Council adopted the new Privacy & Responsible Information Sharing Policy, which applies to Elected Members, employees, contractors, volunteers and all Shire operations. Implementation of supporting procedures and operational documents will be undertaken by the Shire Administration through a staged, risk-based approach to ensure compliance with the new legislation.
This will include:
- Developing governance and compliance frameworks,
- Establishing processes for responding to information breaches,
- Introducing privacy impact assessment processes,
- Delivering staff training and awareness programs, and
- Implementing reporting and monitoring mechanisms.
Item 9.3.4: Date Changed for Agenda Briefing Session in September 2026
What did Council receive?
It was raised that the WALGA Local Government Convention is taking place from 16 to 18 September 2026, which conflicts with the initial timing of the September 2026 Agenda Briefing Session (ABS).
What was the outcome?
To avoid this conflict and ensure full attendance, Council has rescheduled the ABS to instead take place at 5pm on Tuesday 15 September 2026, one (1) day earlier. The OCM for that month will not be affected and will remain scheduled for Wednesday 23 September, the following week.
The meeting dates listed on the Shire website will be updated shortly, and future meeting notices will include a reminder of this change.
Thank you for reading this Recap of key items from the July 2026 OCM. You can browse information and documents related to Council Meetings via the Shire website. For further details on the items mentioned above, please refer to the reports and corresponding attachments within the Minutes of this Meeting.
See more about Council Meetings
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