Draft Oberon Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP)
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⛔ Consultation has concluded
At its Ordinary Meeting on 18 August 2026, Oberon Council resolved to place the draft Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) on public exhibition for 28 days, commencing 20 August 2026.
Under the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW), councils are required to prepare and implement a Disability Inclusion Action Plan that outlines how they will improve accessibility, inclusion and participation for people with disability. Council's existing DIAP has been comprehensively reviewed and updated to reflect current legislative requirements, community expectations and contemporary best practice.
The draft Plan provides a practical framework for improving accessibility, inclusion and participation across the Oberon Local Government Area. It includes actions aimed at reducing barriers and supporting people with disability to access services, facilities, information and opportunities to participate fully in community life.
The Plan has been informed by a dedicated Disability Inclusion Action Plan Reference Group, feedback from the Community Services Committee, community survey results, accessibility audit findings, and a review of Council services, facilities and processes. A key focus of the revised Plan is the inclusion of practical, measurable actions supported by delivery timeframes, accountability measures, and stronger monitoring and reporting processes.
The Council report and draft Plan are available to download from the Documents tab on this page. Community members are encouraged to review the draft Plan and share their feedback during the exhibition period.
Submissions can be made using the form below or by email to council@oberon.nsw.gov.au and must be received by 4:30 pm on Friday, 18 September 2026.
At its Ordinary Meeting on 18 August 2026, Oberon Council resolved to place the draft Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) on public exhibition for 28 days, commencing 20 August 2026.
Under the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW), councils are required to prepare and implement a Disability Inclusion Action Plan that outlines how they will improve accessibility, inclusion and participation for people with disability. Council's existing DIAP has been comprehensively reviewed and updated to reflect current legislative requirements, community expectations and contemporary best practice.
The draft Plan provides a practical framework for improving accessibility, inclusion and participation across the Oberon Local Government Area. It includes actions aimed at reducing barriers and supporting people with disability to access services, facilities, information and opportunities to participate fully in community life.
The Plan has been informed by a dedicated Disability Inclusion Action Plan Reference Group, feedback from the Community Services Committee, community survey results, accessibility audit findings, and a review of Council services, facilities and processes. A key focus of the revised Plan is the inclusion of practical, measurable actions supported by delivery timeframes, accountability measures, and stronger monitoring and reporting processes.
The Council report and draft Plan are available to download from the Documents tab on this page. Community members are encouraged to review the draft Plan and share their feedback during the exhibition period.
Submissions can be made using the form below or by email to council@oberon.nsw.gov.au and must be received by 4:30 pm on Friday, 18 September 2026.
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Submission on Draft Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2027–2031 — Key Issues
1. [Issue: No funding source is disclosed for any action, anywhere in the Plan.] Suggestion: Every "Liveable Communities" action — facility upgrades, disabled parking, footpaths, accessible pathways across the LGA — is capital works, given a firm Year 1–4 delivery date, with no cost estimate and no named funding source. The Plan even defines a "Subject to Funding" category in its own timeframes key and never uses it once. I ask Council to state, for each capital action, an estimated cost and whether it comes from existing operational budget, a capital works program, or a named grant — and to tag unfunded items "Subject to Funding" accordingly. Without this, "Year 1–2" could mean a funded commitment or a wish.
2. [Issue: The legislative and regulatory reference list is incomplete or outdated.] Suggestion:
Disability Inclusion Regulation 2023 (NSW) is missing — the current instrument (replacing the repealed 2014 version) that governs DIAP timing requirements. Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 was due for automatic repeal on 1 September 2026; its current status should be confirmed before adoption. NSW Disability Inclusion Plan is cited with no edition — it should specify 2026–2029 (the 2021–2025 edition has been superseded). UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) — the human-rights foundation the state's own Plan is built on — is missing entirely. AS 1428 is cited as one generic line, when it is actually five separate standards, including parts specifically addressing vision impairment (AS/NZS 1428.4.1) and deaf/hearing impairment (AS 1428.5). These should be cited individually. WCAG is cited with no version or conformance level. It should specify a level (e.g. WCAG 2.2, Level AA).
3. [Issue: The Plan doesn't commit to publishing itself in an accessible format.] Suggestion: Section 12(5)(c) of the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (as amended in 2022) requires this — it's not optional. I ask Council to commit to Easy Read, Auslan, large print or audio versions as required by law.
4. [Issue: No mention anywhere of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, CALD communities, women, children, or LGBTIQ+ communities with disability.] Suggestion: Council's own adopted reference Guidelines name these five groups repeatedly as requiring specific attention, and section 5(5A) of the Act (2022 amendment) specifically requires LGBTIQ+ people with disability to be consulted and addressed. I ask Council to address each group explicitly before adoption.
5. [Issue: No action names a responsible officer, a target population, or a budget — three fields the state's own guidelines say every DIAP action must have.] Suggestion: I ask Council to add these three fields to all 25 actions.
6. [Issue: The core complaints process for reporting an accessibility barrier is measured only as "address and remove barriers where possible."] Suggestion: "Where possible" can never fail, so it can never hold anyone accountable. I ask for a real response-time and resolution target instead.
7. [Issue: The 2026 Community Survey is used four times as evidence for the Plan's priorities, but its sample size, response rate and recruitment method are never disclosed — and the Plan's own Year 1 action proposes a new, more representative survey targeting people with disability and carers specifically, which quietly admits the first one wasn't.] Suggestion: I ask Council to publish the 2026 survey's methodology, or stop treating it as the evidentiary basis for the Plan.
8. [Issue: No action names a specific disability-related feature — no hearing loops, no Auslan, no tactile paving, no wheelchair-specific detail — everything stays at "improve accessibility."] Suggestion: I ask Council to name concrete features against relevant actions, as comparable regional NSW councils' DIAPs already do.
Submission on Draft Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2027–2031 — Key Issues
1. [Issue: No funding source is disclosed for any action, anywhere in the Plan.]
Suggestion: Every "Liveable Communities" action — facility upgrades, disabled parking, footpaths, accessible pathways across the LGA — is capital works, given a firm Year 1–4 delivery date, with no cost estimate and no named funding source. The Plan even defines a "Subject to Funding" category in its own timeframes key and never uses it once. I ask Council to state, for each capital action, an estimated cost and whether it comes from existing operational budget, a capital works program, or a named grant — and to tag unfunded items "Subject to Funding" accordingly. Without this, "Year 1–2" could mean a funded commitment or a wish.
2. [Issue: The legislative and regulatory reference list is incomplete or outdated.]
Suggestion:
Disability Inclusion Regulation 2023 (NSW) is missing — the current instrument (replacing the repealed 2014 version) that governs DIAP timing requirements.
Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 was due for automatic repeal on 1 September 2026; its current status should be confirmed before adoption.
NSW Disability Inclusion Plan is cited with no edition — it should specify 2026–2029 (the 2021–2025 edition has been superseded).
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) — the human-rights foundation the state's own Plan is built on — is missing entirely.
AS 1428 is cited as one generic line, when it is actually five separate standards, including parts specifically addressing vision impairment (AS/NZS 1428.4.1) and deaf/hearing impairment (AS 1428.5). These should be cited individually.
WCAG is cited with no version or conformance level. It should specify a level (e.g. WCAG 2.2, Level AA).
3. [Issue: The Plan doesn't commit to publishing itself in an accessible format.]
Suggestion: Section 12(5)(c) of the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (as amended in 2022) requires this — it's not optional. I ask Council to commit to Easy Read, Auslan, large print or audio versions as required by law.
4. [Issue: No mention anywhere of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, CALD communities, women, children, or LGBTIQ+ communities with disability.]
Suggestion: Council's own adopted reference Guidelines name these five groups repeatedly as requiring specific attention, and section 5(5A) of the Act (2022 amendment) specifically requires LGBTIQ+ people with disability to be consulted and addressed. I ask Council to address each group explicitly before adoption.
5. [Issue: No action names a responsible officer, a target population, or a budget — three fields the state's own guidelines say every DIAP action must have.]
Suggestion: I ask Council to add these three fields to all 25 actions.
6. [Issue: The core complaints process for reporting an accessibility barrier is measured only as "address and remove barriers where possible."]
Suggestion: "Where possible" can never fail, so it can never hold anyone accountable. I ask for a real response-time and resolution target instead.
7. [Issue: The 2026 Community Survey is used four times as evidence for the Plan's priorities, but its sample size, response rate and recruitment method are never disclosed — and the Plan's own Year 1 action proposes a new, more representative survey targeting people with disability and carers specifically, which quietly admits the first one wasn't.]
Suggestion: I ask Council to publish the 2026 survey's methodology, or stop treating it as the evidentiary basis for the Plan.
8. [Issue: No action names a specific disability-related feature — no hearing loops, no Auslan, no tactile paving, no wheelchair-specific detail — everything stays at "improve accessibility."]
Suggestion: I ask Council to name concrete features against relevant actions, as comparable regional NSW councils' DIAPs already do.
Councillor Helen Hayden