This Hot Topic analyses - through the lens of a case study from Victoria Australia – how the idea of community strengthening has been embedded into the institutional apparatus of a regional government. This is largely an insider’s account of the emergence of the community paradigm. The focus is on describing the key themes and the policy apparatus that has emerged to give public administrative form to the idea of stronger communities. Throughout the paper David Adams provides links to the key documents which provide the technical discussions of how the public policy and public administration of community is playing out in Victoria.