Parkes Liveability Strategy

Published on 20 June 2023

Parkes Shire Council is inviting members of the Parkes community to share their ideas to deliver liveability improvements across the Shire and measure key liveability indicators.

Parkes Shire Council has secured $186,562 in funding from the NSW Government under the Regional NSW - Business Case and Strategy Development Fund to assist in developing the strategy.

This project will investigate the ways in which Council can contribute to making the Shire more liveable for our community and attract more skilled workers to the region by determining the most effective ways to attract and retain skilled workers, supporting future liveability for all residents.

Mayor of Parkes Shire, Councillor Ken Keith OAM, said "Council is excited to have secured this competitive funding to undertake a liveability strategy to help guide the Shire in providing the necessary infrastructure and support to make the town an attractive place to relocate to and stay.

"We, like many regional centres, are facing a critical shortage of professionals in many industries and services, and this strategy will work to identify the ‘missing gaps' in securing the future workforce for Parkes Shire," he added.

A Parkes Liveability Strategy will be the outcome of this project, identifying key projects that will attract a sustainable skilled workforce. This will include the identification of 'missing' infrastructure, providing a roadmap to maintaining a skilled workforce for industry, health, and education systems to provide support services for the Shire.

A liveability strategy will guide Council towards providing a sustainable, practical, and attractive future, identifying key projects to support this bold vision.

Key considerations will include what is needed to attract skilled workers to come and stay; how do towns respect and support their indigenous heritage; welcoming new migrants to town with support; as well as filling the many vacancies almost two thirds of local businesses (including Councils) are currently experiencing.

Parkes Shire Council's Director Planning & Community Services, Brendan Hayes, is eager to engage with the community and gain as much input as possible into developing the strategy.

"We have engaged leading social demographers, Place Score, to roll out a Liveable Neighbourhoods Survey as part of the project. The survey is open to people of all ages and backgrounds and asks questions about how we feel about our community and everyday quality of life in the Parkes Shire.”

"We are calling on all members of the community to participate in the survey to help us gather this essential information and work towards making the Parkes Shire a more attractive place to reside," he added.

For more information and to access the Liveable Neighbourhoods survey, visit www.yoursay.parkes.nsw.gov.au. A limited number of paper copies of the survey are available at Council’s Planning and Environment building on Cecile Street, Parkes. The survey is open from Tuesday 13 June to Sunday 9 July 2023.

This project is proudly funded by the NSW Government's Regional NSW - Business Case and Strategy Development Fund.

Complete the Parkes Shire Liveability Survey here.