Western Downs Regional Council has launched a project to develop the Western Downs 2050 Community Plan and has invited community input to identify a vision for the region's future. The plan will set out the priorities of the region for the next forty years. It will be developed in consultation with key partners and the wider community to take a long-term view of the services and responsibilities of Council and all key stakeholders.

SGS Economics and Planning are the lead consultants together with ROSS Planning and Laurel Johnson Planning Consultants. ROSS Planning will prepare the sport and recreation component of the study.

The project has several ways for community members to participate. These include a website, a community discussion forum (blog), a written survey, resource kit of fact sheets, and a series of local community workshops in towns throughout the municipality.

Western Downs 2050 will be the first Community Plan for the municipality, which was formed after Queensland's recent council amalgamations. The municipality has a growing population of approximately 30,000 and an expanding economy based on agriculture, manufacturing and resource diversification.