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This Our Living City (OLC) Settlement Strategy (Interim Document) was endorsed by Coffs Harbour City Council on 5 July 2007. Pursuant to Clause 38(3) of the North Coast Regional Environmental Plan, Council forwarded it to the Department of Planning (DoP) for their endorsement, to allow Council to action the release area recommendations contained within the Strategy. On 12 November 2007, the DoP endorsed an interim agreement to allow some short term matters contained within the document to be progressed prior to the release of the Mid North Coast Regional Strategy (refer letter included as Attachment 1). The strategy document was changed in February 2008 to identify these matters as separately endorsed under the interim agreement. On 6 March 2009, the DoP released the finalised Mid North Coast Regional Strategy, incorporating the published agreed growth areas. Following the release of the Regional Strategy the DoP further assessed Council’s Settlement Strategy and on 11 November 2009 advised of their substantial endorsement of the strategy (refer letter included as Attachment 2). In November 2010 Council amended the Settlement Strategy to reflect the findings of the final Mid North Coast Regional Strategy and the advice of the Director General. It is intended that the strategy should be reviewed every five years to ensure ongoing monitoring of strategic actions and structural change.

FOREWORD

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Attachment 1

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Attachment 2

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. ix

PART 1 - THE VISION...................................................................................................................................... 1 GOAL ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 OBJECTIVES.......................................................................................................................................... 2 USING THE STRATEGY ........................................................................................................................ 3 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PLANS/STRATEGIES .............................................................................. 4 PROCESS............................................................................................................................................... 5

PART 2 – STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS.............................................................................................................. 6 THE HEALTHY CITY: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY................................................................ 9

CONSERVATION – How can we manage development to ensure we conserve our natural attributes? ................................................................................................................................... 10

BIODIVERSITY....................................................................................................................................10 KOALA MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................................................11 VEGETATION MANAGEMENT...........................................................................................................12 HERITAGE ..........................................................................................................................................13

RESOURCES – How can we satisfy the demand for housing and land development without creating land use conflicts? ......................................................................................................... 14

CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT............................................................................................................14 WATER QUALITY ...............................................................................................................................15 LAND DEGRADATION AND CLEARING ............................................................................................16 POTENTIAL ACID SULFATE SOILS AND CONTAMINATED LANDS................................................17 HAZARDS............................................................................................................................................18 STREAM AND RIPARIAN AREA MANAGEMENT..............................................................................20 RIVER/AQUATIC HEALTH..................................................................................................................21 COASTAL ZONE USE.........................................................................................................................22 GROUNDWATER SUPPLY/QUALITY ................................................................................................23

EFFICIENCY – How can we minimize pollution and waste, and ensure efficient use of resources, as our pollution grows? ............................................................................................................... 24

AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT............................................................................................................24 NOISE POLLUTION ............................................................................................................................25 GREENHOUSE GAS ABATEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE ..........................................................26 WATER CONSUMPTION AND EFFICIENCY .....................................................................................27 WASTE MANAGEMENT .....................................................................................................................28

THE SMART CITY: ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY............................................................................. 30 BUSINESS – How can we best foster opportunities for businesses and industries that serve our community?................................................................................................................................. 31

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ...............................................................................................................31 BUSINESS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.....................................................................................32 ESTABLISHED INDUSTRIES .............................................................................................................33 GROWTH INDUSTRIES......................................................................................................................34 EMERGING INDUSTRIES...................................................................................................................35

EMPLOYMENT – How can we improve employment and education opportunities for our residents?.................................................................................................................................... 37

PROSPERITY......................................................................................................................................37 EDUCATION........................................................................................................................................38 INFRASTRUCTURE – How will we make efficient use of existing and future infrastructure? .............39 INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND AVAILABILITY .............................................................................39

CONTENTS

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THE CULTURAL CITY: SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY ............................................................................. 44 HEALTH – How can we improve health and safety?................................................................... 45

COMMUNITY HEALTH .......................................................................................................................45 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT............................................................................................................46 PUBLIC HEALTH.................................................................................................................................47 BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................................................48 CRIME .................................................................................................................................................49 COMMUNITY RECREATION ..............................................................................................................50

LIVEABILITY – How can we protect and enhance the character and liveability of our community?.................................................................................................................................................... 51

URBAN DESIGN .................................................................................................................................51 VISUAL ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................................52 OPEN SPACE .....................................................................................................................................53 POPULATION GROWTH ....................................................................................................................54 CREATING COMMUNITIES................................................................................................................55 HOUSING............................................................................................................................................56

ACCESS – How can we ensure equal access to services for all, and best provide for people to move around our City? ................................................................................................................ 57

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TRANSPORT................................................................................................57 PATH AND CYCLEWAY NETWORKS................................................................................................58 TRANSPORT NOISE ..........................................................................................................................59 ARTS AND CULTURE.........................................................................................................................60 HEALTH SERVICES ...........................................................................................................................61 EQUITY OF ACCESS..........................................................................................................................62

PART 3 – DETAILING THE VISION............................................................................................................... 63 THE OVERALL STRATEGY ................................................................................................................. 64 DETAILED STRATEGY ........................................................................................................................ 66 DWELLING SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS................................................................................. 63 RURAL RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.............................................................................................. 72 AGRICULTLURAL LANDS.................................................................................................................... 72 BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT LANDSTOCKS ................................................................................ 72 SERVICING ANALYSIS........................................................................................................................ 74 PACIFIC HIGHWAY UPGRADE ........................................................................................................... 74 NORTH COAST REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN 1988 CLAUSE 38 REQUIREMENTS............ 75 DRAFT MID NORTH COAST REGIONAL STRATEGY........................................................................ 76

PART 4 – MEETING THE VISION.................................................................................................................. 78 IMPLEMENTATION .............................................................................................................................. 79 MONITORING....................................................................................................................................... 79 PERFORMANCE AUDIT....................................................................................................................... 80

PART 5 – MAPS AND DETAILED STRATEGIES.......................................................................................... 81

PART 6 – APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................. 115 APPENDIX A....................................................................................................................................... 116

WHY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? .................................................................................. 116 AIMS OF THE SUSTAINABLE CITY APPROACH.................................................................... 116

APPENDIX B – GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................... 117 APPENDIX C – SUMMARY TABLE.................................................................................................... 120 APPENDIX D – SCHEDULE OF LAND PARCELS WITH MAPPING ANOMALIES............................ 121 APPENDIX E – SCHEDULE OF LAND PARCELS FOR SPECIAL INVESTIGATION ........................ 122 APPENDIX F – SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION....................................................... 124

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The Our Living City (OLC) Settlement Strategy was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the former North Coast Regional Environmental Plan (REP) 1988 to provide an approved urban land release strategy to guide future rezoning for urban purposes within the Local Government Area to 2031. The OLC Settlement Strategy reviews and updates the provisions of the Urban Development Strategy (UDS) 1996, which was prepared for the entire Local Government Area (LGA) prior to the rezoning of land for urban purposes under Coffs Harbour Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2000. The project was commenced in January 2004 and was first reported to Council in May 2004. At that meeting, Council endorsed the conceptual Strategy process timeline and the recommended community engagement procedure. The project has been conducted in accordance with that resolution of Council for the entire Strategy process. Council endorsed the OLC Settlement Strategy at its Ordinary Meeting on 5 July 2007. The DoP has published projections that the population will reach 91,800 by 2031. However, Council considers this conservative, based on recent trends and expected growth, and has adjusted this figure accordingly. The OLC Settlement Strategy assumes the population will reach 99,000 persons in the LGA by 2031 and plans to provide the urban capacity to support such growth. Part 1 of the OLC Settlement Strategy includes a ‘Vision’ and ‘Objectives’ covering the elements of Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability. Part 2 contains issues, directions, and strategic actions to address social, economic and environmental issues.

Part 3 of the OLC Settlement Strategy contains the overall Strategy with development areas and recommended priority releases, as well as detailed strategies for local areas, all based on sustainability principles. The Strategy will concentrate growth in the Central Business District (CBD) and key centres. It offers a hierarchy of Coffs Harbour as Coastal City, Woolgoolga, Moonee, and Toormina as Coastal Towns, and other settlements generally as Coastal and Hinterland Villages. Part 3 also contains a supply and demand analysis based on population projections, and a land release program that provides short, medium and long-term strategies to meet expected population growth to 2031. Analysis indicates that Coffs Urban will experience a shortage of land in the period 2016-2021, the Northern Beaches (including Woolgoolga) will experience a shortage after 2021, and that Sawtell/Toormina/East Boambee will experience a shortage in the latter part of the 2007-2011 period. The Land Release Strategy contained within this OLC Settlement Strategy will ensure land is made available to meet anticipated demand. Part 4 of the Strategy includes a monitoring and implementation plan to ensure that actions in relation to the issues can be implemented. It recommends a review every five years. Part 5 provides maps and detailed strategies for urban areas further to the findings detailed in Part 3. Part 6 is the document appendices. The OLC Settlement Strategy has been prepared in accordance with Clause 38(3) of the North Coast REP and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. It is consistent with relevant State Environmental Planning Policies, the North Coast REP, Ministerial Directions and the NSW Coastal Policy. Community consultation forms part of the statutory process, and has been incorporated into the draft Strategy process.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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On 6 March 2009, the Department of Planning released the finalised Mid North Coast Regional Strategy, incorporating the published agreed growth areas. Following the release of the Regional Strategy the DoP further assessed Council’s Settlement Strategy and on 11 November 2009 advised of their substantial endorsement of the strategy (refer letter included as Attachment 2). In November 2010 Council amended the Settlement Strategy to reflect the findings of the final Mid North Coast Regional Strategy and the advice of the Director General. It is intended that the strategy should be reviewed every five years to ensure ongoing monitoring of strategic actions and structural change.