Well, we are not alone. There are communities throughout the world reassessing their future to create a better lifestyle for their inhabitants. And the Victorian Government is adopting policy along the same wavelength.

The Cardinia Compass programme aligns with the broader Victorian Community Indicators Project. This is a State Government funded initiative in which Swinburne was also a partner, together with Victoria University, Victorian Local Government Association (VLGA), the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and VicHealth. It is attempting to map the ‘health’ of the State to guide State Government development policy. It sets the stage for new directions reflecting the international recognition of concern for our global future.

As far back as the early 1960’s (ref: Rachel Carson, The Silent Spring, (1962, Penguin Books); Paul Erlich, Population Bomb (1968, Buccaneer Books); Club of Rome, Limits to Growth (1972, Pan Books)) alarms were being raised about how ecologically sustainable continued development of the industrialised world was.

The UN Conference on the Human Environment 1972, and Habitat 1976 debated the need for a change to global development, but it wasn’t until 1992 (after the Bruntland Report Our Common Future, 1987 popularized the term 'sustainable development') that the UN Earth Summit 1992 produced Agenda 21, the blueprint for sustainable activity across all areas of human endeavour.

In that same year Australia issued its National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development 1992, which forms the base for our current Ecologically Sustainable Development Agenda.

So sustainability theory (link to research and policy page) now forms a primary impetus for overcoming community malaise and disenchantment arising from industrialised impoverishment and subsumption of local culture and ecospheres as societies around the world attempt to rebalance their priorities.

Are other communities doing anything?
Yes. Cardinia is not the first by a long shot.
There are a number of major cities (dropdown link to others on page of examples) around the world adopting sustainable planning regimes.
Eg: Sustainable Seattle, etc etc. (this was a community driven one rather than govt)
What are other Shire Councils’ doing?
Again Cardinia is not sailing alone; several Councils (dropdown link others on links page) have recently adopted sustainable development strategies. Cardinia was one of the first to look at the concept but has since been overtaken by other regions now further advanced in adopting sustainability strategies.
And the State Govt?
Yes, it too is aiming for more equitable development of the State’s future. It has established an overarching ‘Victorian Community Indicators Project’. Many of the Cardinia Compass indicators are also elements of the States’ data collection framework, but there are differences pertinent to Cardinia’s own local milieu deemed important to our community. But the State indicators supplement the scope and provide regional comparisons which will help substantiate funding proposals put forth by Council.
And the Feds?
As far back as 1992 the Australian Federal Government established its National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development.
In 1996 (Australia: State of the Environment, 1996) a set of environmental indicators was developed for use in tracking the condition of Australia's environment, the human activities that affect it, and our management of the environment.
Then in 1999 Section 516A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999 instituted ecological reporting requirements for development initiatives.Thus there has been broad recognition of the need to maintain an ecologically and culturally sensitive developmental regime. But all of these measures have national intent. They may affect local policy, but they do not necessarily reflect the local aura, aspirations or vision.
That’s where you come in. Help us set the vision for Cardinia.