Shine Harcourt Leanganook

In parallel to the preparation of the Harcourt Framework Plan, Council’s Economy and Culture unit has prepared Shine Harcourt Leanganook to provide a strategic economic vision for Harcourt that reflects the energy, ideas and wisdom of the local community. Shine Harcourt Leanganook utilised a community-driven model based around ideation and creativity to conceive of new opportunities for economic growth. Local residents and business owners participated in workshops that generated aspirations for spatial change, public realm improvements, new business and community partnerships. The community input was refined by project consultant, Hello City, and inputs were used to formulate a locally validated economic stimulus roadmap.

While the two projects have been undertaken utilising different methodologies, the overall directions are harmonised in one single document titled Plan Harcourt.

The plan finds that:

The Shine Harcourt Leanganook consultation process started by establishing the Shine Harcourt Partnership. The Partnership included representatives from key local organisations, growers, Landcare, the Harcourt Progress Association, business operators and consultants, Harcourt Cooperative Cool Stores, State government and Council. The group has guided and championed the Shine Harcourt Leanganook project throughout.

Community engagement activities included the Shine Harcourt Ideas-a-thon held in May 2019 at the Harcourt Bowling Club, and the Ideas Lab held one week later. More than 75 people attended the Ideas-a-thon, competing in 18 teams to generate over 1,000 ideas for the future of Harcourt. The Ideas Lab was attended by 35 delegates from around the region, Melbourne and interstate. The discussions explored the opportunities, challenges and barriers to economic change, and the work required to bring new ideas to fruition.

The ambitions are the five big strategic directions for Harcourt. Considered together they form the basis of an economic vision for the future. Think of these as a guide and a touchstone for decision making. The delivery mechanisms are a collection of project ideas that have the potential to deliver each of the ambitions. These projects are ideas that have emerged directly from the community, or are evolutions or alternatives of those ideas developed during the Ideas Lab or by Hello City consultants. The ideas have been tested and refined, and have high levels of support in the community. They represent only one way of making the ambitions a reality and there are countless other pathways that would be equally as effective. Council’s role in the realisation of these ideas ranges between leading, partnering and advocating.

The ambitions of Shine Harcourt Leanganook that relate to strategic land use planning and urban design have been considered in the preparation of the draft Plan Harcourt. However, not all recommendations have been included for a number of reasons. The Victorian State Government has specific policies that allow only certain types of content to be incorporated into a planning scheme.

Draft Plan Harcourt
Shine Harcourt Leanganook
Shine Harcourt Leanganook (plain text)