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STRATEGIC PLAN FOR JOINT ORGANISATION MID NORTH COAST COUNCILS
Prepared for Joint Organisation of Mid North Coast Councils Contact: Professor Roberta Ryan
APPENDIX K
© University of Technology Sydney: Centre for Local Government 2017 UTS CRICOS Provider Code: 0009
APPENDIX K
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary iii
Overview iii
Next steps iii
1 Introduction v
1.1 Background v
1.2 The approach v
1.3 This document v
2 Situational analysis – regional context 1
2.1 Overview 1
2.2 Demographic context 1
2.3 Labour force context 3
2.4 Households and families context 5
2.5 Economic context 8
2.6 Land use and urban growth context 10
2.7 Implications for JOMNCC 11
3 Situational analysis – regional priorities 13
3.1 Overview 13
3.2 Federal government priorities for the regions 14
3.3 NSW government priorities for the regions 15
3.4 NSW government priorities for the Mid North Coast region 17
3.5 Regional Development Australia priorities for the Mid North Coast Region 23
3.6 MIDROC’s previous priorities 25
3.7 Priorities for councils in the Mid North Coast Region 27
3.8 Implications for JOMNCC 30
4 Situational analysis – key challenges 32
4.1 Overview 32
4.2 Challenges for the region 32
4.3 Implications for JOMNCC 33
5 Mission, vision and guiding principles 35
5.1 Overview 35
5.2 Our mission 35
5.3 Our vision 36
5.4 Our guiding principles 36
5.5 Implications for JOMNCC 36
6 Strategic goals, priority areas and actions for JOMNCC 37
6.1 Overview 37
6.2 Strategic goals 37
6.3 Priority areas and actions 37
6.4 Key success factors 39
6.5 Key stakeholders 40
6.6 Implications for JOMNCC 43
APPENDIX K
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ii
7 Conclusion 44
7.1 Overall summary 44
7.2 Suggested next steps 44
APPENDICES
Appendix A. Strategic themes in council Community Strategic Plans
TABLES
Table 1 This document vi
Table 2 Regional demographics 1
Table 3 Minimum housing supply (2016-2036) 7
Table 4 NSW Government priorities for NSW 15
Table 5 Key actions for councils which require regional coordination 19
Table 6 Priorities for each local government 20
Table 7 MIDROC’s previous priorities 25
Table 8 Current strategic priorities in Community Strategic Plans 27
Table 9 Challenges for the Mid North Coast region 32
Table 10 Draft priority areas and actions 38
Table 11 Potential stakeholders 41
FIGURES
Figure 1 Population age distribution 2016 2
Figure 2 Migration to and from councils 2014-15 3
Figure 3 Size of labour force 2011 4
Figure 4 Proportion of workforce which is employed 2011 4
Figure 5 Work force participation rate 2011 4
Figure 6 Unemployment rates Q1 2017 5
Figure 7 Household type 2011 6
Figure 8 Dwelling structure 2016 6
Figure 9 Family type 2016 7
Figure 10 Employment by industry 2011 8
Figure 11 Source of visitors 2015 9
Figure 12 Number of businesses by industry 2015 10
Figure 13 The link between state, regional and local plans 13
Figure 14 Planning to deliver state and local priorities 13
Figure 15 Federal government priorities 14
Figure 16 The NSW government Regional Growth Fund 17
Figure 17 RDA Mid North Coast NSW priorities 24
Figure 18 RDA Northern Rivers NSW priorities 24
Figure 19 Stakeholder matrix 41
Figure 20 Governance for the North Coast Regional Plan 42
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iii
Executive Summary
Overview The Mid North Coast region is unique in NSW as it is an area of both high environmental and agricultural value and careful planning is required to avoid regional disparities and inequity of access to employment, transport, social infrastructure and education.
In alignment with the current context for local government reform in NSW, the six councils in the Mid North Coast region have formed a joint organisation. The councils are Bellingen Shire Council, Clarence Valley Council, Coffs Harbour City Council, Kempsey Shire Council, Nambucca Shire Council and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. They have establishment the Joint Organisation Mid North Coast Councils JOMNCC and developed this Strategic Plan.
The current federal and state government policy environments strongly support regional growth and funding for infrastructure and economic development. In this climate, short to medium term investment in the regions could be instrumental in meeting the clearly articulated needs of regional communities. The North Coast Region Plan has been developed with input from local government and is currently the best existing consolidated strategy for Mid North Coast region. This plan, in conjunction with the existing Community Strategic Plans from the six JOMNCC provides a strong starting point for this JOMNCC’s Strategic Plan.
There are several key challenges which are important considerations in the development of the Strategic Plan. Critically, they involve thinking regionally around communities of interest instead of locally (or bounded by local government areas) and ensuring that there is clearly articulated alignment with federal, state and local policies and strategies. It is also important to recognise the relative local and regional strengths for housing, employment, agriculture and environmental land use planning and explore the potential for cross-council collaboration to source land needed for growth.
Overall, there is a significant opportunity for JOMNCC to play a key role in delivering outcomes for the community in the Mid North Coast region. The starting delivery point has been the formation of an entity and the development of a Strategic Plan for JOMNCCJ with agreement around the vision, mission and guiding principles. Strategic Plan is dependent on key success factors, most notably funding, capacity and an enduring, robust collaborative network model, not only between the members of JOMNCC but also its key stakeholders.
Next steps
Consider and resolve the key success factors, especially to source funding and resourcing
Develop and start to implement a stakeholder engagement and communications plan
Develop an evaluation framework
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iv
Our mission
To take the lead to set priorities for the Mid North Coast region and work collaboratively with government and non-government organisations to achieve them.
Our vision
To improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of communities in the Mid North Coast region
Our guiding principles
• Decisions are made with a regional rather than local focus
• Flexibility to respond to changing priorities and needs of members
• Accountability to members and their communities of interest
• Commitment to collaboration and good working relationships
• Clear communication between members and other stakeholders
• Commitment to make JOMNCC work effectively and efficiently
• Evaluation and reporting to ensure targeted outputs and outcomes
• Strong governance with robust processes, accountability and transparent decision-making
Our strategic goals Our priorities
Social
– an active, healthy, resilient and safe community
• Advocate for regional facilities and services for recreation, sports, arts and culture within the context of a changing population
• Capacity build the regional community for severe weather events and natural disasters
• Plan for the regional impact of ageing populations on health services, accessible and affordable housing and employment
• Enable adequate health services for the region
Environment
– enhanced natural and cultural heritage
• Plan for and respond to the regional impact of climate change on the community, the environment, the economy and on council services
• Enhance biodiversity and identify land with high environmental value and biodiversity corridors across the region
• Identify and protect areas and sites of indigenous cultural heritage
Economic
– a diverse and robust economy which strengthens existing and creates new industries and educational opportunities
• Assess the availability of land across the region for different purposes and instigate cross-council planning where land is scarce/unavailable for a specific purpose
• Assess the potential for non-competing (for industry and workforce) ‘centres of excellence’ in different local government areas
• Continue to support sustainable industries which deliver food security for the region and support a focus on agriculture and agriculture-related industries
• Continue to support tourism as a main regional industry and explore options to ‘keep tourists in the region’ for longer
• Identify local and regional employment and educational opportunities and train people (existing workers and people entering the workforce) for growth sectors and the jobs of the future
Infrastructure
– vibrant, connected cities and centres
• Support the roll out of reliable telecommunications and internet access across the region
• Restore and renew regional roads and bridges
• Design and create safe public places and preserve the unique regional/local character of cities, towns and villages
• Develop good regional and inter-regional transport connections by road and rail
• Enable water and energy resource security
• Identify and support regional renewable energy opportunities
Governance
– regional leadership and effective and efficient governance
• Drive local government sustainability
• Advocate for the needs of the regional community to other levels of government and non-government organisations
APPENDIX K
INTRODUCTION v
1 Introduction
1.1 Background The Mid North Coast Regional Organisation of Councils (MIDROC) represents the interests of six councils in the Mid North Coast region of NSW. The councils currently involved are Bellingen Shire Council, Clarence Valley Council Coffs Harbour City Council, Kempsey Shire Council, Nambucca Shire Council, and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.
Over time, MIDROC has considered the membership and the structure of its organisation and has now decided on the most appropriate form and purpose for MIDROC for the future. At a meeting on 6 July 2017, the Board of MIDROC agreed the following action items:
1. Present a report to the next meeting of MIDROC regarding options for forming an entity
2. Initiate a project to consolidate regional priorities based on local council priorities in the form of a Regional Strategic Plan
3. Invite Clarence Valley Council to be a member of MIDROC.
Based on the above, the UTS Centre of Local Government (UTS:CLG) was appointed to review options for forming an entity and to develop a draft Strategic Plan.
The results of these three action items included:
A background paper to review options to form a new entity – A new organisational entity for MIDROC: Options Paper dated 21 August 2017
A workshop on 28 August 2017 with all MIDROC councils and Clarence Valley Council to discuss the options paper
A decision to form a new MIDROC Joint Organisation (JOMNCC) which includes the five councils from MIDROC plus Clarence Valley Council.
This document sets out a Strategic Plan for JOMNCC, including proposed strategic goals, priority areas and actions. It will be progressively updated to reflect the priorities and work of the region.
1.2 The approach The approach to the development of the draft Strategic Plan included:
A desk top analysis of current federal, state, regional and sub-regional plans
A desk top analysis of existing plans for the six councils, including Community Strategic Plans and Economic Development and/or Tourism Development Plans, where available
Discussions with representatives from Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast, the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
1.3 This document Joint organisations are not currently expected to produce a suite of documents along the lines of those required as part of the Integrated Planning and Reporting framework. Instead they should ‘prepare succinct strategic priorities and work plans and produce succinct annual performance reports’.1
1 NSW Office of Local Government (2016). Background Paper: Joint Organisations: Towards a new model for regional collaboration. pp. 5-6. Available at: www.fitforthefuture.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/JOs Working Together Background Paper_0.pdf
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INTRODUCTION vi
As good practice, joint organisations should therefore prepare the following:
1. A Strategic Plan which looks at the long term over, say, 10 to 20 years and clearly defines:
a. What the joint organisation is trying to achieve overall (its vision)
b. Why the joint organisation exists (its mission)
c. Guiding principles (the way we will work)
d. Key objectives or goals
e. A situational analysis of the context in which the joint organisation is operating
f. A risk assessment
g. How results will be monitored and measured (evaluation framework)
h. In appendix form: the organisational/governance structure, an engagement strategy, a cash flow model over the same period as the Strategic Plan and a resourcing strategy
2. An Operational Plan which looks at the shorter term, usually one year and clearly defines:
a. The objectives or goals to be achieved in that period
b. The strategies/actions to achieve these
c. The resources required (financial, human, time), often detailed in budget reporting, cash flow forecasting, workforce/resource planning etc.
d. How results will be monitored and measured (evaluation framework).
This document presents the Strategic Plan for JOMNCC and strategic goals, priority areas and actions. It is divided into sections as shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 THIS DOCUMENT
Section Title Contents
- Executive summary Overview, next steps and draft Strategic Plan on a page
1 Introduction Approach, document purpose and structure
2 Situational analysis – regional context
The current demographic and economic context for JOMNCC and an analysis of influencing factors
3 Situational analysis – regional priorities
The current policy context for regional development and an analysis of influencing factors
4 Situational analysis – key challenges
Challenges for the Mid North Coast region and for JOMNCC
5 Mission, vision and guiding principles
Definition of why JOMNCC exists, its purpose and how it will work internally and externally
6 Strategic goals, priority areas and actions
Identification of potential key strategic goals and priority areas and an analysis of success factors and key stakeholders
7 Conclusion Overall summary and suggested next steps
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 1
2 Situational analysis – regional context
2.1 Overview The Mid North Coast region is the third fastest growth region in NSW. Although its boundaries are often defined differently by different government agencies, for the purpose of this Strategic Plan, the Mid North Coast region covers the local government areas (from north to south) of:
Bellingen Shire Council
Clarence Valley Council
Coffs Harbour City Council
Kempsey Shire Council
Nambucca Shire Council
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.
The region covers an area of nearly 30,000 km2, is home to over 260,000 residents and has high value environmental, recreation, employment and agricultural lands.
The major settlements in the Mid North Coast region are divided into regional cities (Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie), strategic centres (Grafton) and centres (such as Bellingen, Macksville and Kempsey). The main transport corridor is the Pacific Highway, which provides good car and freight connectivity north to south, and other highways inland to New England and the strategic centres of Tamworth and Armidale.
An analysis of the regional context is important to identify all of the various factors which might impact JOMNCC’s Strategic Plan. This understanding is utilised, in conjunction with an analysis of the regional priorities (Section 3) and challenges (Section 4), to inform decisions about JOMNCC’s purpose (Section 5) and strategic goals (Section 6).
This section is divided into the following sections:
Demographic context (Section 2.2)
Labour force context (Section 2.3)
Households and families context (Section 2.4)
Economic context (Section 2.5)
Land use and urban growth context
Implications for JOMNCC (Section 2.6).
2.2 Demographic context There is a high degree of variation in population size across the six councils, in population growth in the past five years and forecast population growth for the next 20 years. This has implications for employment, social infrastructure and housing and is shown in TABLE 2.
TABLE 2 REGIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS
Council Population
2011 2016 Actual % change 2011-
2016
Projected 2036
Projected % change 2016-2036
Clarence Valley 49,666 50,670 2.0% 57,450 13%
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 2
Council Population
2011 2016 Actual % change 2011-
2016
Projected 2036
Projected % change 2016-2036
Coffs Harbour 68,414 72,949 6.6% 92,650 27%
Bellingen Shire 12,515 12,670 1.2% 12,850 1%
Kempsey Shire 28,134 28,886 2.7% 30,850 7%
Nambucca Shire 18,643 19,210 3.0% 20,850 9%
Port Macquarie-Hastings 72,698 78,541 8.0% 94,700 21%
Total all councils 252,086 262,926 5.1% 309,350 18%
NSW population 8.1% 20%
Source: 2011 and 2016 Census data and NSW State and Local Government Area Population Projections.
Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie-Hastings local government areas currently have the largest population and have also experienced the highest growth rates over the past five years. They grew by 6.6% and 8.0% respectively compared to the NSW average growth rate of 8.1%.
Although Clarence Valley local government area is next largest in population size (because of Grafton), Clarence Valley, Bellingen Shire, Kempsey Shire and Nambucca Shire had much lower growth rates over the past five years, well below the NSW average, of between 1.2% to 3%.
Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie-Hastings are forecast to have above average growth rates over the next 20 years, with the other councils below the 20% state average, with Bellingen expected to experience very little growth.
All councils have more than the NSW average (16%) of the population at retirement age which is significant in terms of the requirements for accessibility, social cohesion, affordable housing and health care. The proportion of people at retirement age is highest in Port Macquarie-Hastings and Nambucca (both 27%) and this is shown in Figure 1.
FIGURE 1 POPULATION AGE DISTRIBUTION 2016
In addition, the median age in 2016 for all six councils was above the NSW average of 38 years. Nambucca had the highest median age (51 years) and Coffs Harbour had the lowest (44 years). Across the group, the median age has increased from 46 to 48 years in the past five years.
18% 19% 18% 19% 17% 17% 19%
58%61% 59% 58%
56% 56%
65%
24%20% 22% 22%
27% 27%
16%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac NSW
0-14 15-64 65+
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 3
A significant shift is forecast towards people aged 65 and over by 2036 and is expected to be 31% across the group. As such, the median age will increase to 55 years whilst at the same time, people under 15 years will decline to around 14% of the regional population.2
Population growth from migration from within Australia is the highest for Port Macquarie-Hastings (4,643 in 2014-15) and lowest in Bellingen (961 in 2014-15). Migration departures within Australia are highest for Coffs Harbour (4,093 in 2014-15) and lowest for Bellingen (879 in 2014-15). This is shown in Figure 2.
FIGURE 2 MIGRATION TO AND FROM COUNCILS 2014-15
Source: ABS National Regional Profile 2014-15
People are moving into and out of the regional cities as follows:3
Residents from Bellingen, Clarence Valley and Nambucca mainly move to Coffs Harbour
Residents from Kempsey mainly move to Port Macquarie-Hastings
Residents from Coffs Harbour mainly move to Clarence Valley (Grafton)
Residents from Port Macquarie-Hastings mainly move to Kempsey.
2.3 Labour force context The size of the labour force is generally aligned to the population statistics although the largest the labour force is in Coffs Harbour (30,524), then Port Macquarie-Hastings (26,674) and the smallest is in Bellingen (5,193). This is shown in Figure 3.
2 NSW Department of Planning (2009). Mid North Coast Regional Strategy 2006-2031. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Strategy-documents/mid-north-coast-regional-strategy-2006-to-2031-2009-03.ashx 3 Determined from 2006 and 2011 census data.
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac
Arrivals Departures
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 4
FIGURE 3 SIZE OF LABOUR FORCE 2011
Source: 2011 Census data
Since the 2011 Census, the labour force has grown in Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie-Hastings in line with population growth from 2011 to 2016.
The proportion of the population which is employed is highest in Coffs Harbour (41%) and Bellingen (38%) and both are lower than the NSW average of 42%. This is shown in Figure 4.
FIGURE 4 PROPORTION OF WORKFORCE WHICH IS EMPLOYED 2011
Source: 2011 Census data
The workforce participation rate mirrors the proportion of the population which is employed and is highest in Coffs Harbour (55%) and lowest in Nambucca (44%). Both are lower than the NSW average of 60%. This is shown in FIGURE 5.
FIGURE 5 WORK FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE 2011
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 5
Source: 2011 Census data
Unemployment rates can fluctuate significantly over quarters but the latest data supports previous figures in that Kempsey and Clarence tend to have higher rates of unemployment than other councils and Port Macquarie-Hasting and Coffs Harbour tend to have lower. This is shown in Figure 6.
FIGURE 6 UNEMPLOYMENT RATES Q1 2017
Source: Department of Employment, Small area labour markets March 2017
2.4 Households and families context Overall, across the six councils, about 69% of people live in family households (compared to the NSW average of 72%) and 28% live in lone person households (compared to the NSW average of 24%). This is shown in Figure 7.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac
7.30%
5.81% 5.89%
7.28%6.94%
4.42%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 6
FIGURE 7 HOUSEHOLD TYPE 2011
Source: 2011 Census data
Home ownership is relatively high across the six council at 71% with, on average, 45% owning outright and 26% owning with a mortgage. This is compared to the NSW total of 66% ownership (33% outright and 33% mortgaged). Rental properties make up between 24 to 31% of the household tenure which is important to consider for future housing provision.
Most people in the Mid North Coast region live in detached houses with a higher proportion of flats/apartment in the higher density regional cities. This is shown in Figure 8.
FIGURE 8 DWELLING STRUCTURE 2016
Source: 2016 Census data
Although the types of families are relatively similar across the six councils, they are significantly different from the rest of NSW. Reflecting the higher than average median age and the ageing population in the region:
Couples without children households are significantly high across the group (33% on average) compared to the NSW average of 25%
28% 27% 28% 28% 31%28%
3% 3% 3% 3%3%
3%
70% 70% 69% 69%66%
70%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac
Lone person Group Family
82%
72%
89% 87%83%
71%65%
6%
13%
4%4%
4%
13%
12%
7% 11%
3% 6%
7% 12%21%
6% 4% 3% 3%6%
3% 1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac NSW Total
Separate house Semi-detached Flats/apartments Other
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 7
Lone person households are relatively high across the group (27% on average) compared to the NSW average of 22%
Couples with children households are significantly lower across the group (23% on average) compared to NSW average of 32%.
This is shown in Figure 9.
FIGURE 9 FAMILY TYPE 2016
Source: 2016 Census data
Household composition is expected to change dramatically by 2036 with lone person and couple only figures making up about 63% (currently 47%) of all households in the region.4
The population growth and current number of dwellings will drive housing supply needs in the region and therefore will have implications for housing land availability and housing type. The projected number of dwellings required to house the future population is shown in Table 3.
TABLE 3 MINIMUM HOUSING SUPPLY (2016-2036)5
Council Dwellings 2016 Dwellings 2036 Dwellings required
Clarence Valley 25,900 29,450 3,550
Coffs Harbour 34,650 43,600 8,950
Bellingen Shire 6,350 6,550 200
Kempsey Shire 14,450 15,550 1,100
Nambucca Shire 10,000 11,150 1,150
Port Macquarie-Hastings 37,950 46,750 8,800
Total all councils 129,300 153,050 23,750 (+18.3%)
4 Adapted from: NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan. p.53. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-2036-regional-plan-2017.ashx 5 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan. p.55. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-2036-regional-plan-2017.ashx
33% 31% 33% 31% 34% 35%
23% 26% 23%21%
20%24%
11% 12% 12%15% 11%
10%
27% 26% 27% 28% 30%26%
5% 6% 5% 5% 5% 4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port MacCouple only Couple with children Single parent Lone person Other
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 8
60% of this additional supply is expected to be in the form of single dwelling with 40% as multi-dwelling housing.6 This reflects the expected location of the supply (in the regional cities) and an increase in housing density in these places.
2.5 Economic context The key employment industries in the Mid North Coast region are fairly similar between the six councils with health care, accommodation/food, retail, construction and education dominant. Compared to the rest of NSW, the region has a much lower percentage employed in professional, scientific and technical services (group average is 4% compared to NSW 8%) and finance (group average is 2% compared to NSW 5%). However, health care makes up a much larger share (group average is 15% compared to NSW 12%). This is shown in Figure 10.
FIGURE 10 EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY 2011
Source: 2011 Census data
TPW = Transport, postal and warehousing. RHS = Rental, hiring and real estate service. PST= Professional, scientific and technical. Other = mining, utilities, wholesale, IT, administration and support, public administration, education, arts and recreation, other service industries.
With an ageing population, it is likely that health care employment will increase in the future and with a focus on further developing tourism so will employment in accommodation/food and retail. In addition, any increased infrastructure spend in the region will require labour in the construction sector. These are all industries where it will be important to have a ready supply of appropriately trained labour. Skills shortage have already been identified in accommodation
6 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan. p.56. Available at:
www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-2036-regional-plan-2017.ashx
6% 4%8% 5% 6%
3%
8%
5%
7%8% 7%
5%
8%
10%
9%9% 9%
9%
13%14%
11% 14% 13%
14%
9%10% 9%
9% 9%
9%
4%4% 3%
5% 4%
4%
3%5% 5%
3% 4%
4%
3% 3% 3%3% 3%
3%
8%6% 6%
7% 5%
5%
8%9% 11%
9% 10%
9%
14%15%
15% 15% 15%
16%
14% 15% 12% 12% 13%18%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port MacAgriculture Manufacturing Construction Retail Accomm/food TPW PST Admin Public Ed Health Other
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 9
and food services in the region7 and any future diversification of employment is dependent on attracting younger people to the region to mitigate the economic effect of an ageing population.8
Tourism is viewed as a growth industry although most domestic visitors either spend one night or visit on a day trip to the six council areas, as shown in Figure 11.
FIGURE 11 SOURCE OF VISITORS 2015
Source: Tourism Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey (IVS) and National Visitor Survey (NVS), along with ABS demographic and business data ABS Population estimates - SA2 - Cat. No. 3235.0 ABS Count of Australian Businesses - Cat No. 8165.0. Data is averaged over four years to December 2015, which minimises the impact of variability in estimates from year to year, and provides for more robust volume estimates.
There is potential opportunity for improvement for both domestic and international visitors. Working as a group, the six councils could market ‘stay more than one day’ in the region which may increase visitors from both sources as will increasing the range of activities for tourists, for example, into nature-based activities.
The mechanisation of the agriculture industry is highlighted in Figure 12 which shows close to a quarter of the businesses outside the two regional cities are from this sector (compared to 5-8% of people employed in this sector in Figure 10). The number of businesses in the construction industry are indicative of the volume of housing and infrastructure build to June 2015 and again, this would be expected to continue in the future.
7 Kempsey Shire Council (2014). Macleay Valley Coast: Destination Marketing Plan 2014-2016. Available at: kempsey.nsw.gov.au/council/public-exhibition/pubs/macleay-valley-coast-destination-management-plan-2014-16.pdf 8 Coffs Harbour Council (2017). Draft Coffs Harbour Economic Development Strategy 2017-2022. Available at: www.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/coffs-and-council/publicnotices/Documents/Draft Coffs Harbour Economic Development Strategy 2017-2022+ATT1.pdf
2% 1% 4% 2% 1% 4%
42%49% 45% 52%
57% 50%
56%49% 51%
47%42%
47%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Bellingen Clarence Valley
Coffs Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac
International Domestic - overnight Domestic - day trip
APPENDIX K
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 10
FIGURE 12 NUMBER OF BUSINESSES BY INDUSTRY 2015
Source: 2014-15 National Regional Profile
2.6 Land use and urban growth context The Mid North Coast region appears to have sufficient employment and housing land supply to cover future demand to 20319 however, land can be constrained, for example, around Coffs Harbour, and not all land will be zoned and/or be suitable for employment and housing due to:
Need to preserve high value environmental and agricultural land
Current zoning restrictions
Land type not consistent with actual market need
Issues with flooding and topography
Potential cost of delivering services to the land
Potential cost of redevelopment.
The Pacific Highway corridor aims to deliver employment land for some types of industries such as warehousing and light industrial10. The Pacific Highway should also improve connectivity and travel time so that people can live and work in different localities, for example, live in Clarence Valley and work in Coffs Harbour or live in Kempsey and work in Port Macquarie.
9 NSW Department of Planning and Environment (2016). North Coast Subregions: Background paper. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Reports/north-coast-subregions-background-paper-2016-03.ashx and MacroPlanDimasi (2015). North Coast Employment Land Review. Available at:
www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Reports/north-coast-employment-land-review-introduction-0315.ashx 10 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan. p.58. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-2036-regional-plan-2017.ashx
27%
10%
26% 29% 27%
11%
5%
4%
5%4% 4%
4%
15%
19%
16%16% 17%
20%
8%
7%
8%8% 7%
7%
5%
6%
7% 5% 6%
5%
5%
5%
4% 6% 6%
5%
5%
7%
4%4% 5%
8%
8%
10%
6%7% 5%
10%
5%
9%
8%5% 7%
8%
5%8%
5% 5% 5%
7%
13% 15% 13% 12% 11%14%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Clarence Coffs Bellingen Kempsey Nambucca Port Mac
Agriculture Manufacturing Construction Retail Accomm/food TPW Finance RHS PST Health Other
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 11
Proposed urban growth maps to 2036 also highlight the limited amount of land available for urban land and employment land.11 The key focus for the future will be to deliver sustainable land use which protects biodiversity and environmental values and directs urban and rural residential development away from important farmland. Planning principles to 2036 suggest:12
Growth should be directed to identified urban growth areas, away from significant farmland and sensitive ecosystems and ensure efficient planning for infrastructure and services
The sensitive coastal strip needs to be managed with limited rural residential development and urban growth
Housing diversity, jobs and activities should be provided in regional cities and centres to preserve the unique environment of the Mid North Coast region.
This may require innovative thinking about land use availability and provision across local government boundaries.
2.7 Implications for JOMNCC Population changes to 2036 will most likely increase the size of the two regional cities (Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie) and to a lesser extent Grafton. This has implications for the availability of land (within a generally constrained supply in this region) for:
Housing
Employment land
The protection of agricultural land
The protection of high environmental value land and biodiversity
The need to proactively address the potential impacts of climate change and extreme weather events.
The Pacific Highway upgrade should provide significant benefits for people to ‘get around the region’ especially between Kempsey and Port Macquarie and between Coffs Harbour, Bellingen and Nambucca. This has implications for how JOMNCC views potential the local and regional community, their interconnectedness and the hierarchy of cities and centres.
The population of the Mid North Coast region is expected to age significantly in the next 20 years and this has implications for:
Social cohesion
Access to affordable health care
Need for accessible housing and centres
Employment
Education requirements
Range of industries needed to service an ageing population.
11 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan. pp. 72-83. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-2036-regional-plan-2017.ashx 12 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan. p.16. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-2036-regional-plan-2017.ashx
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL CONTEXT 12
In addition, more people will be living on their own or as a couple in a single dwelling house which has implications for housing supply (its type as well as location close to required services).
As available housing and employment land may be more difficult to source in some local government areas than others the improved access along the Pacific Highway post 2020 and better regional roads, may provide opportunities for more people to live in a local government area which is different from where they work.
It will be important for JOMNCC to identify communities of interests based on social and economic interests to provide integrated solutions for the future. One important role will be to collaborate on a regional basis to provide a diverse range of housing, employment and industry choices in areas that have the least constraints and greatest land availability.
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL PRIORITIES 13
3 Situational analysis – regional priorities
3.1 Overview In the past decade, there have been increased attempts to clearly link local strategic planning with ‘higher’ order plans including, sub-regional, regional, state and federal plans. The purpose of this is to enable local responses to key issues but within the context of an overall policy framework.
Currently, there is a strong emphasis on the development of regional Australia in both federal and state government policies aimed, in particular, at creating strong, resilient regional communities which are well connected and offer employment and sufficient, affordable housing. There is also significant focus at both federal and state levels on increased infrastructure spend in the regions which presents opportunities for the Mid North Coast region
At the NSW state level, strategic planning flows from NSW 2021 and current state and Premier’s priorities to each council’s Community Strategic Plan, as shown in Figure 13.
FIGURE 13 THE LINK BETWEEN STATE, REGIONAL AND LOCAL PLANS13
The current draft NSW local government reforms indicate that the ‘regional district’ planning would be undertaken by Joint Organisations, such as JOMNCC, in order to identify both state and local government priorities which need cross-government collaboration in order to achieve success. This is shown in Figure 14.
FIGURE 14 PLANNING TO DELIVER STATE AND LOCAL PRIORITIES
13 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan. p.7. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-2036-regional-plan-2017.ashx
State Government’s Regional Priorities
Identified in State and
Premier’s Priorities and
translated into Regional
Plans and Strategies
Local Government’s Regional Priorities
Identified in Community
Strategic Plans and
refined in JO Strategic
Priorities and Work Plan
JO and Regional Local Government Work together to identify priorities that need State/Local
collaboration to deliver an outcome
Regional Strategic Planning TableIncludes representatives from JOs and State Agencies
Regional Strategic Planning Agreement/sOutline agreed actions and timeframes on shared priorities
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL PRIORITIES 14
This section considers the various strategic priorities at different spatial scales in order to identify those issues (in conjunction with the context identified in Section 2) which may impact on the development of JOMNCC’s purpose (Section 5) and strategic goals (Section 6). It is divided into the following sections:
Federal government priorities for the regions (Section 3.2)
NSW government priorities for the regions (Section 3.3)
NSW government priorities for the Mid North Coast region (Section 3.4)
Regional Development Australian priorities for the Mid North Coast region (Section 3.5)
MIDROC’s previous priorities (Section 3.6)
Priorities for councils in the Mid North Coast region (Section 3.7)
Implications for JOMNCC (Section 3.8).
3.2 Federal government priorities for the regions Current federal government priorities for the regions are detailed in:
Smart Cities Plan14
Regions 2030 – Unlocking Opportunity15
Regional Budget Statement – Regional Australia – Driving Our Economy 2017-1816.
The Smart Cities Plan aims to ‘maximise the potential of cities, including regional cities’ with three pillars:
1. Smart investment – including in transport, jobs, affordable housing and healthy living, with $3.2bn for local road improvements in addition to Financial Assistance Grants
2. Smart policy
3. Smart technology.
The key priority areas in Regions 2030 are shown in Figure 15:17
FIGURE 15 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES
14 Australian Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (2016). Smart Cities Plan. Available at: cities.dpmc.gov.au/18190/documents/48080
15 Australian Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (2017). Regions 2030 – Unlocking Opportunity.
Available at: regional.gov.au/regional/publications/files/regions-2030.pdf 16 Australian Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (2017). Regional Australia – Driving Our Economy 2017-18. Available at: infrastructure.gov.au/department/statements/2017_2018/ministerial-statement/2017-18-Regional-Ministerial-Budget-Statement.pdf 17 Australian Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (2017). Regions 2030 – Unlocking Opportunity. p5. Available at: regional.gov.au/regional/publications/files/regions-2030.pdf
REGIONS 2030 5
Our approach coordinates activity across five key areas:
We know that when we get the combination of actions across these key areas right,
regions—and those who live, work and raise families there—are positioned to make the
most of their potential.
The newly established Regional Australia Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the
Prime Minister, spearheads our whole of government approach to Australia’s regions.
The Taskforce is working to improve the lives of rural, regional and remote Australians
across the five key areas of health, education, infrastructure, communications and jobs
and economic development. The work of the Taskforce builds on the solid foundations set
by the Agricultural Competiveness White Paper and the White Paper on Developing
Northern Australia.
This document outlines the Australian Government’s investments, achievements and
future direction for regional Australia across these five key areas. It provides examples of
how the Government’s investments are making a difference for regional communities.
It is important that we look to and learn from regional communities and businesses that
are successfully navigating pathways for the future, including through capitalising on their
unique advantages.
Jobs and
Economic
Development
Infrastructure Health Education Communications
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL PRIORITIES 15
Many of the outcomes for regional Australian from Regions 2030 will be delivered by regional and community programs for infrastructure and facilities, for example, the Building Better Regions Fund (Infrastructure Project Stream and Community Investments Stream), and the Community Development Grants Programme. Some of the funded programs are competitive rounds and some are for projects specifically identified by the federal Government.
The 2017 Regional Budget Statement supports the Regions 2030 policy with a strong focus on infrastructure, major projects, sustainable employment, transport connections (for people and goods), roads, rail and communications (NBN and mobile phone coverage).18 In addition, funding will be available for remote mental health support and general practitioners.
All of these initiatives involve whole of government approaches, for example, the Regional Australia Ministerial Taskforce to support the implementation of Regions 2030 includes ministers from health, education, infrastructure and transport, employment and industry, innovation and science. They also require local-state-federal government collaboration, for example, with the Townsville and Launceston City Deals as part of the Smart Cities Plan.
The 2017 Regional Budget Statement remains the major national policy document for regions. However, it is seen as only ‘a collection of individual initiatives across portfolios, saying nothing about the overall goals for regions, or how these strategies connect in different places to support jobs and economic growth, and better health and education outcomes’.19 This presents an opportunity for JOMNCC effectively strategically plan and direct how federal funding will be invested in the Mid North Coast region.
3.3 NSW government priorities for the regions The NSW government’s whole of state priorities were initially articulated in 2011 in the NSW 2021 plan20. These were then adjusted by the Baird government to include state and ‘Premier’s priorities’21 and remain unchanged by the Berejiklian government as 18 state priorities and 12 Premier’s priorities22 (apart from a slight change in emphasis from ‘faster housing approvals’ to ‘making housing more affordable’ which includes state-led rezoning as well as a target for housing approval determination). The priorities are shown in Table 4.
TABLE 4 NSW GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES FOR NSW
State priorities Premier’s priorities
Strong budget and economy Making it easier to start a business Creating jobs
Encouraging business investment Delivering infrastructure
Boosting apprenticeships Reducing domestic violence
Accelerating major project assessment Improving service levels in hospitals
Protecting our credit rating Tackling childhood obesity
Delivering strong budgets Improving education results
18 Commonwealth of Australia (2017). Regional Australia – Driving Our Economy 2017-18. pp.1-2. Available at: infrastructure.gov.au/department/statements/2017_2018/ministerial-statement/2017-18-Regional-Ministerial-Budget-Statement.pdf 19 Regional Institute Australia (2017). Budget 2017 – New trains and a new transitions fund. Available at: www.regionalaustralia.org.au/home/2017/05/federal-budget-2017-18/ 20 NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet (2011). NSW 2021: A plan to make NSW number one. Available at: www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/file_manager/NSW2021_WEBVERSION.pdf 21 NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet (2011). NSW: Making it happen. Available at:
www.rdacentralwest.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NSW-State-Priorities-brochure.pdf 22 NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet (2017). Available at: www.nsw.gov.au/improving-nsw/premiers-priorities/
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL PRIORITIES 16
State priorities Premier’s priorities
Protecting our kids
Building infrastructure Improving road travel reliability Reducing youth homelessness
Increasing housing supply Driving public sector diversity
Protecting the vulnerable Transitioning to the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Keeping our environment clean
Creating sustainable social housing Making housing more affordable
Better services Improving Aboriginal education outcomes
Improving government services
Better government digital services
Cutting wait times on planned surgeries
Increasing cultural participation
Ensure on-time running for public transport
Safer communities Reducing violent crime
Reducing adult re-offending
Reducing road fatalities
NSW government infrastructure policy is focused on Rebuilding NSW, the State Infrastructure Strategy,23 and $11.9bn of the $20bn total infrastructure spend is currently committed. Regions will benefit from this focus on regional transport (roads, rail, bridges and freight corridors), regional Multipurpose Health Facilities, regional schools renewal, regional water security and supply and environment and tourism.24 The Investing in Regional Infrastructure - North Coast, notes ‘significant investment is required to ensure that transport, tourism, health and education infrastructure keep pace with visitation and population growth’25 and although some of this spend is within the NOROC region (and the previous Greater Taree City Council), funds are allocated to the JOMNCC region.
In the regions of NSW, the NSW Regional Development Framework provides further definition for priorities by identifying funding priorities under the following programs:26
Program 1: Providing quality services and infrastructure to regional NSW, for example, $2bn for the Regional Road Freight Corridor Program, $1bn for a Regional Growth Roads Program and $300m for regional tourism and environment
Program 2: Aligning effort to support growing regional centres, for example, $70m for upgrades to 27 regional airports including Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie and $1bn to support regional health, for example, $104m for the expansion of Port Macquarie
23 NSW Government (2014). Rebuilding NSW: State infrastructure Strategy. Available at: www.nsw.gov.au/improving-nsw/projects-and-initiatives/state-infrastructure-strategy/ 24 NSW Treasury (2017). Rebuilding NSW. Available at: www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2017-05/20170511 - Rebuilding NSW - Delivering on our %2420 billion infrastructure program.pdf 25 NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet (2016). Investing in NSW Regional Infrastructure: North Coast. p. 2. Available at: s3-dpc-nsw-website-files.s3.amazonaws.com/nsw-gov-au/1482210511/regional-infrastructure-north-coast.pdf 26 NSW Department of Industry (n.d.) Making it happen in the regions: Regional Development Framework. Available at: www.industry.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/93222/regional-development-framework.pdf
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL PRIORITIES 17
Base Hospital and $300m to deliver regional Multipurpose Health Facilities in smaller country towns
Program 3: Identifying and activating economic potential via targeted investment or supporting emerging industries.
JOMNCC councils are participating in developing Regional Economic Development Strategies (REDS) with the State Government. These strategies will contain lists of priorities for economic areas and once developed will need to be integrated into the JOMNCC Strategic Plan.
The NSW Regional Development Framework is being partially delivered through the Regional Growth Fund which is a $1.3bn investment over four years from July 201727.
This is significant fund and most of its sub-funds focus on infrastructure and economic initiatives as shown in Figure 16.
FIGURE 16 THE NSW GOVERNMENT REGIONAL GROWTH FUND
3.4 NSW government priorities for the Mid North Coast region
The NSW government priorities for the Mid North Coast region are incorporated into the North Coast Regional Plan 2036. This plan covers twelve local government areas, the six JOMNCC councils and the six NOROC councils. It was developed in consultation with a wide range of government and non-government stakeholders, including MIDROC, NOROC and the individual councils in the North Coast region. The plan is the most up to date assessment of the future with agreed outcomes and priorities and incorporates all previous plans from NSW government departments, such as the Department of Planning and Department of Transport.
27 NSW Government (2017). Regional Growth Fund: Growing economies and supporting communities. p.3. Available at: s3-dpc-nsw-website-files.s3.amazonaws.com/nsw-gov-au/1498177446/Regional-Growth-Fund-brochure.pdf
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL PRIORITIES 18
There are four overarching areas of concern for stakeholders (including JOMNC and NOROC) in the Mid North Coast region:
1. Opposition to coal seam gas and mineral resource development
2. Importance of protecting the natural environment and living sustainability and need to protect biodiversity corridors, high environmental value areas and promote renewable energy
3. All regional centres need to be successful and there needs to be more coordinated planning of Tweed Heads, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie and greater recognition of other centres
4. Strong interest in transport and infrastructure, especially the safety and efficiency benefits of the Pacific Highway upgrade but needs more emphasis on other infrastructure and public transport.28
The North Coast Regional Plan identifies 25 ‘directions’ with 80 attached ‘actions’ to achieve four goals to 2036. The goals are:
The most stunning environment in NSW
A thriving, interconnected economy
Vibrant and engaged communities
Great housing choice and lifestyle options29.
The primary purpose of this 25-year land use planning strategy is to ensure that adequate land is available and appropriately located to accommodate the projected housing, industry and employment needs of the North Coast region.
58 of the actions are identified as the responsibility of councils (in conjunction with other partners) which means councils are responsible for the investigation, assessment and decision-making for land use planning. For another 19 actions, councils are a key partner which means they support the lead organisation and take an active role in land use planning. The actions are prioritised as ongoing strategies or immediate (0-2 years), short term (3-5 years), medium term (5-10 years) and over 10 year initiatives.
It is important to note that The North Coast Regional Plan also requires the development of a Regional City Action Plan for both Coffs Harbour City Council and Port Macquarie Hastings Council, these plans are in development and once finalised will influence the strategic plan as to how JOMNCC can benefit from these growing city centres.
Examples of some of the key actions which may require significant regional coordination between councils are detailed at Table 5.
28 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan: Consultation Report. p. 13. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-consultation-report-2017-for-regional-plan-2036.ashx 29 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan: Implementation Plan 2017-2019. p.3. Available
at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-regional-plan-implementation-plan-2017.ashx
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL PRIORITIES 19
TABLE 5 KEY ACTIONS FOR COUNCILS WHICH REQUIRE REGIONAL COORDINATION30
Direction Action with council(s) as lead Timing
Direction 2: Enhance biodiversity, coastal and aquatic habitats, and water catchments
Focus development to areas of least biodiversity sensitivity in the region and implement the ‘avoid, minimise, offset’ hierarchy to biodiversity, including areas of high environmental value
Ongoing
Direction 3: Manage natural hazards and climate change
Incorporate new knowledge on regional climate projections and related cumulative impacts in local plans for new urban development
Ongoing
Direction 5: Strengthen communities of interest and cross-regional relationships
Collaborate on regional and intra-regional housing and employment land delivery, and industry development
Ongoing
Direction 6: Develop successful centres of employment
Facilitate economic activity around industry anchors such as health, education and airport facilities by considering new infrastructure needs and introducing planning controls that encourage clusters of related activity
Ongoing
Direction 6: Develop successful centres of employment
Deliver an adequate supply of employment land through local growth management strategies and local environmental plans to support jobs growth
Ongoing
Direction 7:Coordinate the growth of regional cities
Identify infrastructure constraints and public domain improvements that can make areas more attractive for investment. Deliver infrastructure and coordinate the most appropriate staging and sequencing of development. – Coffs Harbour City Council and Port Macquarie Hastings Council.
Ongoing
Direction 8: Promote the growth of tourism
Preserve the region’s existing tourist and visitor accommodation by directing permanent residential accommodation away from tourism developments, except where it is ancillary to existing tourism developments or part of an area otherwise identified for urban expansion in an endorsed local growth management strategy
Ongoing
Direction 9: Strengthen regionally significant transport corridors
Enhance the competitive value of the region by encouraging business and employment activities that leverage major inter-regional transport connections, such as the Pacific Highway, to South East Queensland and the Hunter
Ongoing
Direction 12: Grow agribusiness across the region
Promote the expansion of food and fibre production, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, freight and logistics, and processing through flexible planning provisions in local growth management strategies and local environmental plans
Ongoing
Direction 13: Sustainably manage natural resources
Council for the ongoing productive use of lands with regionally significant construction material resources in locations with established infrastructure and resource accessibility
Ongoing
Direction 15: Develop healthy, safe, socially engaged and well-connected communities
Facilitate more recreational walking and cycling paths and expand inter-regional and intra-regional walking and cycling links, including the NSW Coastline Cycleway
Short term
Direction 17: Increase the economic self-
Foster closer cooperation with Local Aboriginal Land Councils to identify the unique potential and assets of the North Coast communities.
Ongoing
30 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan: Implementation Plan 2017-2019. pp. 9-19.
Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-regional-plan-implementation-plan-2017.ashx.
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL PRIORITIES 20
Direction Action with council(s) as lead Timing
determination of Aboriginal communities
Direction 22: Deliver greater housing supply
Deliver an appropriate supply of residential land within local growth management strategies and local plans to meet the region’s projected housing needs.
Ongoing
Although these are only a small selection of the actions with local government as the lead they indicate the type and direction of priorities defined in the North Coast Regional Plan and the potential level of input required from councils to coordinate efforts and enable results. Most of the actions are ‘ongoing’ in nature rather than temporal initiatives and the outcomes will be monitored as detailed in Section 6.5.
Essentially, the plan is about land use planning and ensuring adequate supply for employment and housing whilst preserving land of high value. The plan is also about collaboration between councils in the region and between councils and the NSW government.
Specific priorities for each local government area are also set out in the North Coast Regional Plan as shown in Table 6.
TABLE 6 PRIORITIES FOR EACH LOCAL GOVERNMENT31
Council Regional priorities Economy and employment Housing
Clarence Valley
Foster stronger strategic relationships with Coffs Harbour in relation to employment land delivery
Develop Grafton’s role as a transport hub by leveraging opportunities associated with regional road and rail freight corridors and infrastructure investment
Support the growth and diversification of the shire’s agricultural base by leveraging the strength of sugar cane and cattle production to encourage new opportunities for agribusiness and associated manufacturing and transport
Identify opportunities to expand nature-based, adventure and cultural tourism by leveraging Clarence Valley’s natural and heritage assets
Build on the access provided by the Pacific and Gwydir highways, the Summerland Way and the North Coast Railway Line, and explore opportunities for aviation-related clusters to be fostered at Clarence Valley Regional Airport
Maximise opportunities associated with regional health and justice infrastructure, including Grafton Base Hospital, Grafton on District Court, and existing and proposed correctional facilities near Grafton
Support employment land at Junction Hill, Clarenza, Glenugie and South Grafton on, and explore opportunities to complement employment land delivery in Coffs Harbour
Protect natural assets like the Clarence River and regionally important farmland in the Clarence, Nymboida and Orara Valleys that support local aquaculture and agriculture ventures, and cultural, recreation and tourism activities
Deliver housing in Grafton, Clarenza, James Creek, Junction Hill and West Yamba to support population growth
Enhance the variety of housing options in Grafton, Maclean and Yamba, and support the unique character of the valleys, towns and villages
31 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan. pp. 72-83. Available at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-2036-regional-plan-2017.ashx
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Council Regional priorities Economy and employment Housing
Coffs Harbour
Manage and support growth in Coffs Harbour
Increase and strengthen social, economic and strategic links with communities in surrounding local government areas such as Bellingen, Clarence Valley and Nambucca
Deliver housing and job opportunities in Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga, Sawtell and Bonville
Protect environmental assets and important farmland that sustain the agricultural and tourism industries
Maximise opportunities associated with the increased connectivity provided by the upgraded Pacific Highway and digital technology
Develop health, education and aviation precincts at Coffs Harbour, and new employment land at Woolgoolga and Bonville, which will drive opportunities for new investment in a range of sectors
Protect important farmland areas at Corindi and Bonville and encourage initiatives like the Coffs Coast Local Food Alliance to support the development of the agricultural sector and agribusiness
Identify opportunities to expand nature based, adventure and cultural tourism assets including Solitary Islands Marine Park, the Jetty Foreshore and other coastal, hinterland, and heritage assets, which will grow the tourism industry
Deliver housing at Corindi Beach, Woolgoolga, North Boambee Valley and Bonville
Enhance the variety of housing options available by increasing the number of homes in and around the Coffs Harbour city centre, Coffs Harbour Jetty and Park Beach
Bellingen Shire
Identify additional urban and employment investigation areas for inclusion in the urban growth areas, to secure future housing and employment land supply in proximity to Bellingen and Urunga
Support the growth and diversification of the Bellingen Shire’s agricultural base by leveraging the strength of dairy and livestock activities to encourage new opportunities for agribusiness, support emerging organic and boutique food production and maximise connections with the New England
Identify opportunities to expand nature-based, adventure and cultural tourism by leveraging natural and heritage assets and the emerging creative industries sector
Foster stronger connections and alignment with the Coffs Harbour and Nambucca local government areas
Support the development of employment land at Raleigh to maximise the opportunities associated with the Pacific Highway upgrade and supplement employment land delivery in Coffs Harbour
Protect regionally important farmland areas, including the Dorrigo Plateau and the Kalang and Bellinger valleys, to support the agricultural sector
Identify opportunities to enhance natural and cultural tourism assets such as the Dorrigo and Bellinger River national parks, and coastal and heritage assets that support the tourism sector
Deliver housing at North Bellingen, South Urunga and East Dorrigo
Enhance the variety of housing options to cater for an ageing population in Bellingen and Dorrigo, and support the distinctive character of Bellingen Shire’s towns and villages
Kempsey Shire
Foster stronger strategic relationships with Port
Support new and emerging job opportunities associated with
Deliver housing in Kempsey, Crescent Head and South West Rocks
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – REGIONAL PRIORITIES 22
Council Regional priorities Economy and employment Housing
Macquarie and the Nambucca Valley
Develop opportunities to grow local jobs associated with increased connectivity provided by the upgraded Pacific Highway
Support the growth and diversification of the shire’s agricultural base by leveraging the strength of the dairy and cattle sector to encourage new opportunities for agribusiness and associated manufacturing and transport
Kempsey District Hospital and the Kempsey TAFE campus
Develop employment land at South Kempsey and Frederickton
Protect important farmland in the Macleay Valley
Identify opportunities to expand nature- based, adventure and cultural tourism by leveraging the area’s environmental and iconic assets such as Trial Bay Gaol and Smoky Cape Lighthouse
Support the unique character of the area’s towns and villages, and deliver rural residential housing opportunities at Collombatti, Frederickton, Yarravel, Euroka, Dondingalong, Verges Creek, Crescent Head, South Kempsey, Kundabung and Yarrahapinni
Nambucca Shire
Protect important environmental assets to support the tourism sector and centres such as Nambucca Heads, Valla Beach and Scotts Head
Foster stronger connections and alignment with the regional city of Coffs Harbour and other surrounding local government areas such as Bellingen and Kempsey
Identify agribusiness opportunities that harness the flourishing dairy, beef and macadamia industries
Deliver job opportunities by supporting Nambucca’s growing economy, competitive land prices and diverse industrial base
Direct future growth away from important farmland and towards Macksville, Nambucca, Bowraville, Valla and Scotts Head
Use the Pacific Highway upgrade and improved digital technology to drive growth and reinforce and strengthen connections with Coffs Harbour and other surrounding centres
Develop employment lands at Macksville and Valla
Identify opportunities to expand nature- based, adventure and cultural tourism
Deliver housing at Macksville, Valla and Scotts Head
Support rural residential housing opportunities in appropriate locations
Port Macquarie-Hastings
Manage and support growth in Port Macquarie
Grow community connectivity between centres and with Kempsey Shire
Deliver housing and job opportunities in Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Lake Cathie, Bonny Hills and Camden Haven
Protect environmental assets and important farmland areas that sustain the agricultural and tourism industries
Maximise opportunities associated with growth in the Hunter region and the increased connectivity provided by the Pacific
Develop health, education and aviation precincts at Port Macquarie, and new employment land at Sancrox and Wauchope, which will drive opportunities for new investment in a range of sectors
Protect important farmland areas at Wauchope, Comboyne and along the Hastings, Maria and Wilson rivers, which will support the development of the agricultural sector and agribusiness
Harness nature and cultural-based tourism assets, including the Werrikimbe National Park, Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, and Port Macquarie
Deliver housing at Port Macquarie, Thrumster, Wauchope, Lake Cathie/Bonny Hills and Camden Haven
Enhance the variety of housing options by increasing the number of homes in and around the Port Macquarie city centre
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Council Regional priorities Economy and employment Housing
Highway upgrade and digital technology
Glasshouse Centre, and a range of coastal and heritage assets to grow the local tourism industry
In summary, the overall directions for JOMNCC in this list of priorities are:
Build strategic relationships between councils to deliver housing and employment land. For example, between Kempsey and Port Macquarie; Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour; and Coffs Harbour, Bellingen and Nambucca. The successful delivery of additional land depends on cross council cooperation
Expand existing growth industries. For example, health, education, agriculture, agribusiness and tourism (nature-based and indigenous)
Protect high value environmental assets, biodiversity and farmland
Increase housing density in regional cities and preserve the unique character of other centres
Maximise opportunities for connectivity (people, jobs and goods) with the Pacific Highway upgrade. For example, between Nambucca and Coffs Harbour.
3.5 Regional Development Australia priorities for the Mid North Coast Region
Regional Development Australia (RDA) is an Australian Government initiative. It is funded in NSW by the Australian and NSW Governments and administered by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development and the NSW Department of Trade and Investment. RDAs aim to build relationships across a range of organisations within each region to provide information about government programs and grow regional economies. All RDAs develop strategic Regional Plans by engaging across their region but the delivery of plan relies on the participation of many individual and organisational stakeholders.
In NSW in the future, these plans will be superceded by individual Regional Plans, currently to 2036, however, it is useful to examine the (now out of date) RDA Mid North Coast NSW Regional Plan 2013-16 as it provides a historic context for the JOMNCC draft Strategic Plan.
All councils in JOMNCC apart from Clarence Valley are included in the RDA Mid North Coast NSW region. (The region also and include parts of the Mid Coast Council - Taree and Lord Howe Island). In the Regional Plan the ‘first order’ priority is around infrastructure planning and development to address the backlog and the ‘second order’ priorities are seen to be ‘significantly influenced and inherently linked to the adequacy of, and ongoing investment in infrastructure’.32 This is shown in Figure 17.
32 RDA Mid North Coast (2013). Mid North Coast Regional Plan 2013-16. p. 57. Available at: www.rdamnc.org.au/publication/regional-plan-2013-2016/
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FIGURE 17 RDA MID NORTH COAST NSW PRIORITIES
In the RDA Northern Rivers NSW Regional Plan (which included Clarence Valley Council and the current NOROC councils to the north), the seven priorities (six below plus ‘A Collaborative Region’) are seen as having equal importance, as shown in Figure 18.33
FIGURE 18 RDA NORTHERN RIVERS NSW PRIORITIES
Both RDA plans take a triple bottom line approach and both recognise the need for regional collaboration and accountability for actions. In addition, many of the objectives are similar in terms of the need to:
Develop an effective transport system
Support training and education for pathways to sustainable employment
Improve the natural environment and quantify environmental and cultural value
Diversify industry and grow local employment, especially in ‘knowledge-based’ industries
33 RDA Northern Rivers (2013). Northern Rivers Regional Plan 2013-16. p.19. Available at:
rdanorthernrivers.org.au/download/regional_data/regional-plan/Northern_Rivers_Regional_Plan_2013-2016_WEB.pdf
6 Regional Development Australia – Northern Rivers
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
Investing in our economic, social and environmental capital
The focus of this Plan is on the region’s goals for investing in our natural, social and economic capital.
This triple-bottom line approach is consistent with a holistic (all-encompassing) assessment of regional
development strengths, challenges, needs and opportunities.
This Plan embraces this holistic framework to address the key determinants of long-term regional
economic growth as identified by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Regional Australia
Standing Council (Australian Government 2013a and 2013b). These are:
1. comparative advantage and business competitiveness;
2. access to international, national and regional markets;
3. human capital; and
4. sustainable communities and population change.
RDA-NR recognises that economic development is about more than growth. It is about increasing the
region’s level of income and capital and distributing that wealth to the community through expenditure
and employment. Measured in terms of jobs and income, economic development also importantly
includes improvements in education, health, lifestyle and ‘liveability’, environmental sustainability and
community well-being.
RDA-NR believes that the relationship between the social, environmental, cultural and economic factors
is inextricably linked. This inherent and mutually-reinforcing relationship between the natural capital,
social capital and economic capital of the Northern Rivers underpins the identification of regional
strengths, challenges, needs and opportunities which inform the priorities presented herein.
INVESTING IN OUR NATURAL CAPITAL
To empower and enable our communities to reduce the region’s ecological footprint, respond and adapt to climate change and maintain and improve our natural infrastructure.
INVESTING IN OUR SOCIAL CAPITAL
To improve the health, wellbeing and safety of our communities.
To support and strengthen the vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in our region.
To create a united regional voice to improve our regional identity.
INVESTING IN OUR ECONOMIC CAPITAL
To enhance investment in economic-enabling infrastructure.
To facilitate business development and investment in a diverse industry base.
To meet the region’s employment needs, supporting skills development and capacity-building.
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Support an ageing population and promote healthy living
Support innovation by creating micro-businesses, encouraging emerging innovation clusters and supporting renewable energy initiatives.
3.6 MIDROC’s previous priorities MIDROC’s Strategic Plan 2013-2017 highlights four priority areas:
1. Lifestyle
2. Environment
3. Capacity and productivity
4. Strength and sustainability.
Many of these priorities reflect the needs of local communities at a regional scale, for example, lifestyle outcomes such as water quality, infrastructure funding and digital economy, capacity outcomes such as strategic and financial capacity and resilience outcomes for natural disasters.
More detail is provided at Table 7.
TABLE 7 MIDROC’S PREVIOUS PRIORITIES34
Priority Priority area Outcomes
Improving the lifestyle of our local communities through
Planning and development
An accessible, efficient and locally accountable planning and development system which secures the rights of local communities to effectively participate and influence decisions impacting on their lifestyle and wellbeing
The development of an infrastructure framework that does not shift the cost burden onto local councils and the community
Adequate infrastructure funding policies and programs
A permanent Roads to Recovery program with increased funding levels, including urgent bridge upgrades and a commitment to indexing funding to reflect increases in road and bridges construction costs
A more responsive and relevant federal regional community funding program which includes local government as a genuine partner
Maintain and improve opportunities to utilise access to Sydney and Brisbane airport from regional centres
Urban water reforms
Genuine engagement with local government having regard to council issues and concerns in the development of state government’s water reforms
Digital economy Equitable access to high speed broadband for the region including rural communities to facilitate business diversification, regional business attraction and growth, and to mitigate potential digital exclusions
Equitable access to mobile coverage for rural areas
Protecting our local environment through
Managing natural assets
Direct access to funding for local government from the state and federal government natural asset management funding
Recognition of the impact coastal erosion on the region and appropriate funding to address current and future impacts
34 MIDROC (2015). MIDROC Strategic Plan 2013-17.
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Priority Priority area Outcomes
Climate change adaptation
Leadership from state and federal governments in driving improved collaboration and delivery of outcomes in regards to how communities adapt to climate change
Biosecurity Appropriate funding from the state government in the planning and implementation of invasive plant and animal priorities
Natural resource management
Equitable and timely natural resource management
Improving councils’ capacity and productivity through
A capable and productive local government workforce
Strategic workforce development and employment programs that are industry led, support business productivity and skills development that will lead to measurable and demonstrable business outcomes
Local government financial sustainability
Achieve local government sustainability through effective and efficient service delivery through:
Addressing cost shifting
Asset management and infrastructure funding
Revenue raising and rating strategies
Developer contributions and infrastructure charges
Alternative business models and service delivery arrangements
Regional financing models
Appropriate and adequate levels of finance and funding support
An increased share of federal government revenues through a fixed percentage of total commonwealth taxation or the indexation of the financial assistance grants to more appropriately reflect the cost pressures being faced by local government
Enabling our communities to be strong and sustainable through
Economic and regional development initiatives
Engagement of local government as a legitimate partner by state government and Regional Development Australia in the development of frameworks to support regional infrastructure investment, regional economic development and regional engagement and governance
Effective engagement in Regional Transport Plans
Additional funding to promote the region as a tourist destination
Develop an Agricultural Centre of Excellence and has state and federal support and funding with industry partnerships and tertiary providers
Develop strong relationships with industry
Enhanced natural disaster arrangements
Consolidation and better coordination of the existing disaster recovery related funding programs
Improved disaster management funding arrangements with an increased emphasis on mitigation
A regional response to recovery arrangements
Develop alternative models to meet community needs in recovery arrangements
Improved communication with communities when in flooding and other natural disaster situations
MIDROC has made progress towards these outcomes but with new boundaries for JOMNCC, relatively more recent Community Strategic Plans and the North Coast Regional Plan 2036 there is the opportunity to assess the extent to which some or all of these remain relevant.
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3.7 Priorities for councils in the Mid North Coast Region The JOMNCC councils have Community Strategic Plans to 2020 (Port Macquarie-Hasting Council), 2036 (Kempsey Shire Council) and 2027 (for the other four councils). They all have five similar themes for outcomes in their Community Strategic Plans around:
Social
Environment/health
Economic
Infrastructure
Governance.
These are shown in more detail at Appendix A.
The associated priorities and the actions to achieve them tend to depend on the size of the local government area, whether it includes a regional city or other centre and the size, demographics and economic profile of its population. The various strategic priorities are shown in Table 8.
TABLE 8 CURRENT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IN COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLANS
Council Social priorities Environment/health priorities
Economic priorities
Infrastructure priorities
Governance priorities
Bellingen Shire Council
Our children, youth and seniors are valued, involved and supported
We are a learning and creative community
We value, honour and actively acknowledge our Gumbaynggirr culture and heritage
We are connected, safe and healthy with a strong sense of community
We have clean water which is protected and used sustainably
Our surroundings are quiet and clean
We reduce, reuse, recycle
We live sustainably and reduce our ecological footprint and contribution to climate change
We protect and enhance our biodiversity. We work together to protect and enhance our environment
We have meaningful work and vibrant businesses within our community
We have balanced, sustainable tourism
We have a sustainable local farming sector that provides us with healthy, fresh food
We have a diversity of beautiful spaces that foster community happiness and wellbeing
We have a mixture of affordable sustainable housing options for all in our community
We are connected and able to move around in a safe, accessible, affordable, healthy and environmentally friendly way
We have the facilities and services needed to be a healthy and active community
Council is an organisation that embraces business excellence
Our community is informed and engaged with a strong sense of civic leadership
Council is proactive in representing the needs of our community
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Council Social priorities Environment/health priorities
Economic priorities
Infrastructure priorities
Governance priorities
Clarence Valley Council
To have proud and inviting communities
To have a safe, active and healthy region
To have a diverse and creative culture
To have access and equity of services
To preserve and enhance our natural environment
To foster a balance between development and the environment considering climate change impacts
To have an attractive and diverse environment for business, tourism and industry
To have communities that are well serviced with appropriate infrastructure
To have a strong, accountable and representative government
To have an effective and efficient organisation
Coffs Harbour
We recognise and acknowledge the traditional custodians of the Coffs Harbour local government area
We foster a sense of community, belonging, and diversity
We address the causes of disadvantage
We enrich cultural life through art, learning and cultural endeavour
We support our community to lead healthy active lives
We facilitate positive ageing
We nurture mental health, wellbeing and social connection
We cultivate a safe community
We create liveable spaces that are beautiful and appealing
We undertake development that is environmentally, socially and economically responsible
We protect the diversity of our natural environment
We use resources responsibly to support a safe and stable climate
We champion business, events, innovation and technology to stimulate economic growth, investment and local jobs
We attract people to work, live and visit in the Coffs Harbour local government area
We are best prepared to exploit opportunities now and in the future
We effectively manage the planning and provision of regional public services and infrastructure
We foster informed and inspired leadership in our community
We undertake effective engagement and are informed
We collaborate to achieve the best possible future for all the Coffs Harbour area
Kempsey Create a shared social view. Include social behaviour as a part of education
Provide opportunities for people to be involved in the community
Provide education around healthy lifestyle activities
Restore damaged environments and removal of environmental threats
Use planning controls to ensure that environmental impacts do not
Build a positive and strong community culture
Encourage cultural development within the community
Improve employment opportunities. Increase formal education levels within the community
Create a range of meeting places for the community
Plan for and provide infrastructure that encourages and allows for active lifestyles
Not specified
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Council Social priorities Environment/health priorities
Economic priorities
Infrastructure priorities
Governance priorities
negatively affect lifestyle
Minimise risk to the community’s health
Build community resilience for, during and after emergencies
Implement systems to minimise and mitigate the impact of disasters. Increase education levels within the community in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design
Promote a sense of community and no tolerance to crime and anti-social behaviour
Provide education on accident minimization
Provide vibrant public spaces owned by the community
Work with various agencies to reduce the incidence of crime
Increase value of production
Nambucca Shire Council
Public order and safety
Public health. Recreation and Culture
Community support and education
Building regulation
Environmental services and community amenities
Local economy Well planned Communities
Transport
A Sustainable Water Cycle
Civic leadership and administration
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Council Social priorities Environment/health priorities
Economic priorities
Infrastructure priorities
Governance priorities
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Create a community that feels safe Advocate for social inclusion and fairness
Provide quality programs, community facilities and public spaces, for example, community halls, parks and vibrant town centres
Empower the community through encouraging active involvement in projects, volunteering and events
Promote a creative and culturally rich community
Aim to minimise the impact of natural events and climate change, for example, floods, bushfires and coastal erosion
Facilitate development that is compatible with the natural and built environment
Restore and protect natural areas
Provide leadership in the development of renewable energy opportunities
Increase awareness of issues affecting our environment, including the preservation of flora and fauna
Embrace business and a stronger economy
Create vibrant and desirable places
Embrace opportunity and attract investment to support the wealth and growth of the community
Partner for success with key stakeholders in business, industry, government, education and the community
Provide (appropriate) infrastructure and services including water cycle management, waste management, and sewer management
Plan for Integrated transport systems that helps people get around and link our communities
Plan for integrated and connected communities across the Port Macquarie- Hastings area
Inform and engage with the community about what Council does using varied communication channels
Maintain strong partnerships between all stakeholders – local, state and federal – so that they are affective advocates for the community
Demonstrate leadership
Use innovative, efficient and sustainable practices
Ensure strong corporate and financial management that is transparent and accountable
In their Community Strategic Plans most councils also highlight whether the actions to achieve these priorities will be:
Delivered by council
Enabled by council
Advocated by council.
Where councils are not specifically delivering the actions themselves, they understand they need to work at local, sub-regional or regional levels with other government and non-government organisations to achieve the outcomes for their community. It is especially the ‘enable’ and ‘advocate’ actions which are important for the JOMNCC because this formal collaboration may develop and support the stakeholder engagement needed influence sub-regional outcomes.
3.8 Implications for JOMNCC With both federal and state government policy and budget focus on the regions, there are clear opportunities for JOMNCC to align all or part of its Strategic Plan to this focus in order to gain access to significant funding for economic and infrastructure outcomes important to the region. This is not to say the Strategic Plan should not have a focus on environment and social outcomes, but in the short to medium term aligning with government policy is prudent.
With the development of the North Coast Regional Plan there appears to be an agreed foundational document for the Mid North Coast region which has had input from the JOMNCC councils. The plan has a strong focus on land use planning and collaboration across
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‘communities of interest’ which provides direction for strategic goals and priority setting for JOMNCC.
There is also a significant degree of overlap between the six councils with priorities for social cohesion, healthy communities, connectivity, environmental protection, economic development and housing. In addition, there is a recognition that councils need to be financially sustainable and operationally effective and efficient. Again, these are important directions for the Strategic Plan.
This Strategic Plan seeks to:
Respond to the various federal and state government policies which are heavily focused on regional growth and infrastructure
Aligns to the North Coast Regional Plan which is regionally and locally specific towards economic growth, employment, housing and infrastructure
Clearly states which priorities are most important to member councils
Defines where JOMNCC can most influence government and non-government organisations to achieve its goals
Allocates responsibility for actions
Identifies key performance measures within an overall evaluation framework for the plan.
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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS – KEY CHALLENGES 32
4 Situational analysis – key challenges
4.1 Overview The Mid North Coast region is a highly diverse region which will be significantly affected by the completion of the Pacific Highway upgrades in 2020. Most councils identify challenges in their Community Strategic Plans, some of which are regionally relevant. In addition, there will certainly be challenges for JOMNCC as a regional collaboration of local governments with other organisations.
This section considers the various challenges for change at a regional level and also the challenges for JOMNCC as it attempts to balance regionally specific with locally specific issues for the member councils. It is divided into the following sections:
Challenges for the region (Section 4.2)
Implications for JOMNCC (Section 4.3).
4.2 Challenges for the region The key challenges for the region are not specifically highlighted in the North Coast Regional Plan but can be identified in a combination of the North Coast Regional Plan 2036: Consultation Report and the Community Strategic Plans for the six councils.
Key challenges can be divided into the five strategic themes from Section 3.7, as shown in Table 9.
TABLE 9 CHALLENGES FOR THE MID NORTH COAST REGION
Strategic theme Challenge
Social How to provision facilities and services for recreation, sports, arts and culture with a changing (static/growing/ageing) population
How to protect and celebrate indigenous cultural heritage
How to understand the impact of ageing populations on health services, accessible housing
How to provide local and regional employment and train people (existing workers and people entering the workforce) for the jobs of the future
How to preserve the unique local qualities of different places
How to facilitate inclusion
Environment/health How to plan for the impact of climate change on the population and on council services
How to maintain water quality in rivers, estuaries and foreshore
How to protect coasts and estuaries from inundation
How to manage potential land use conflicts between diversity, natural resources and industry (especially farming and extractive industries)
How to preserve strategic biodiversity and identify land with high environmental value and biodiversity corridors
How to secure clean energy supply via alternative, local sources
How to plan for natural disasters and build community resilience
Economic How to deliver land for housing, employment and infrastructure in a region of high value environmental and agricultural land
How to diversify away from traditional industries to knowledge-based, entrepreneurial ones
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Strategic theme Challenge
How to support local businesses to grow and relocate
How to deliver affordable housing
How to delivery accessible and inclusive housing for older people
How to safeguard regionally significant agricultural land to deliver food security
How to maintain a focus on agriculture and agriculture-related industries
How to continue to develop tourism as a main industry
How to develop cultural tourism in an appropriate way
How to support growth of industries such as health care, tourism and education
How to assess the relative importance of different localities
Infrastructure How to deliver reliable telecommunications and internet access
How to assess and prioritise the restoration and renewal of roads and bridges
How to design and create safe public places
How to support active transport modes via cycleways and shared footpaths
How to provide accessible public transport
How to ensure there are appropriate regulations around rural-residential development
How to ensure the Pacific Highway is safe
How to deliver good regional transport connections by road and rail
Governance How to ensure the community can be confident that decision-making is evidence-based
How to ensure transparency and accountability
How to work collaboratively with the community, across many different ‘communities of interest’
How to ensure data is accurate and appropriate for decision-making (current and forecast data) for example, using employment targets o guide the allocation of employment lands
The various competing priorities both across and within the various themes may need to be balanced out whilst ensuring that actions meet the identified need. In addition, equity of outcomes will be important to ensure that all communities have access to the same types of services and facilities across the region regardless of where they live.
Perhaps the key overarching challenge is the economic one – how to deliver land for housing, employment and infrastructure in a region of high value environmental and agricultural land.
4.3 Implications for JOMNCC The member councils in JOMNCC have different and often unique communities of interest. Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie local government areas have regional cities which are growing at a greater rate than the rest of the Mid North Coast region, with Grafton (in Clarence Valley) existing as a smaller strategic centre. The populations of Bellingen, Kempsey and Nambucca are significantly smaller than the other three councils with significantly smaller population and housing growth forecasts.
The key challenges for JOMNCC’s Strategic Plan are to:
Align activities which clearly link into Australian and NSW government funded priorities and apply for funding. For example, the NSW Government’s $1.3bn Regional Growth Fund
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Align what is important as a region, as detailed in the North Coast Regional Plan, with what is important to each council and JOMNCC as a whole
Focus on regional rather than local priorities
Potentially balance out:
o Competing priorities
o Relative strengths and points of difference
o The needs of local communities and regional communities
o Outcomes whilst recognising that not all councils may benefit to the same extent
o Social, environment, economic, infrastructure and governance outcomes
Reduce competition between the member councils and/or localities as the place to ‘live, work, play and visit’
Develop an achievable list of priorities from a much longer list of possibilities.
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MISSION, VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES 35
5 Mission, vision and guiding principles
5.1 Overview As noted in Section 1.3, the Strategic Plan for JOMNCC should clearly define:
a) What the joint organisation is trying to achieve overall (its vision)
b) Why the joint organisation exists (its mission)
c) Guiding principles (the way we will work)
d) Key objectives or goals
e) A situational analysis of the context in which the joint organisation is operating
f) A risk assessment
g) How results will be monitored and measured (evaluation framework)
h) In appendix form: the organisational/governance structure, an engagement strategy, a cash flow model over the same period as the Strategic Plan and a resourcing strategy
Elements a) to c) are now covered this section and element d) is covered in Section 6. Element e) is in Sections 2, 3, and 4. However, this document does not include elements f) to h) which need to be discussed and drafted at a later stage.
This section builds on the existing aims and purpose for MIDROC (see Section 3.6) and also takes into account the local government reform context and the situational analysis. It is divided into the following sections:
Our mission (Section 5.2)
Our vision (Section 5.3)
Our guiding principles (Section 5.4)
Implications for JOMNCC (Section 5.5).
5.2 Our mission The purpose or mission of an organisation defines ‘why we exist’.
The core and non-core functions of JOs are: 35
Strategic planning and priority setting – robust processes for regional outcomes but with the flexibility to respond to changing priorities and the changing needs of member councils
Intergovernmental collaboration – focus on building good working relationships with our government (department and agency) stakeholders
Regional leadership and advocacy – a combined purpose and strategic direction for JOMNCC as a whole and a willingness to negotiate for the ‘greater good’ of the region rather than individual council interests
Building efficient and effective councils – by examining opportunities for shared services and capacity building across the region.
35 NSW Office of Local Government (2016). Background Paper: Joint Organisations: Towards a new model for regional collaboration. pp. 5-6. Available at: www.fitforthefuture.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/JOs Working Together Background Paper_0.pdf
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MISSION, VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES 36
For JOMNCC, the mission includes the essence of the core and non-core functions is updated and refined from the current MIDROC purpose.
The JOMNCC agreed mission is:
To take the lead to set priorities for the Mid North Coast region and work collaboratively with government and non-government organisations to achieve them.
5.3 Our vision The aim or vision of an organisation defines ‘what we will change’.
For JOMNCC, the vision is slightly adapted from the current aims for MIDROC and includes the triple bottom line focus of most of the six Community Strategic Plans.
The JOMNCC agreed vision is:
To improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of communities in the Mid North Coast region.
5.4 Our guiding principles Guiding principles define ‘how we will work’, in this case with the member councils of JOMNCC and also with any associate members and other government and non-government organisations.
The JOMNCC agreed guiding principles are:
Decisions are made with a regional rather than local focus
Flexibility to respond to changing priorities and needs of members
Accountability to members and their communities of interest
Strong governance with robust processes and transparent decision-making
Commitment to collaboration and good working relationships
Clear communication between members and other stakeholders
Commitment to make JOMNCC work effectively and efficiently
Evaluation and reporting to ensure expected outputs and outcomes are achieved.
5.5 Implications for JOMNCC Our mission, vision and guiding principles from the outset to ensure members of JOMNCC and external stakeholders understand:
Why we exist
What we will change
How we will work.
This informs the definition of the strategic goals and priority areas and actions which are detailed in Section 6.
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STRATEGIC GOALS, PRIORITY AREAS AND ACTIONS FOR JOMNCC 37
6 Strategic goals, priority areas and actions for JOMNCC
6.1 Overview The strategic goals, priority areas and actions for JOMNCC are based on the information and analysis in Sections 2 to 4. They will depend on certain key success factors and the ability to effectively engage a range of stakeholders including other government and non-government organisations and the regional community.
This section includes strategic goals, priority areas and actions which will need to be discussed by JOMNCC over time and further refined. It is divided into the following sections:
Strategic goals (Section 6.2)
Priority areas and actions (Section 6.3)
Key success factors (Section 6.4)
Key stakeholders (Section 6.5)
Implications for JOMNCC (Section 6.6).
6.2 Strategic goals The strategic goals for an organisation defines ‘the outcomes we will deliver’.
The strategic goals for JOMNCC are based on a combination of the North Coast Regional Plan goals, MIDROC’s previous Strategic Plan and an amalgamation of the strategic themes from the six councils. The goals link into the mission (Section 5.2) and vision (Section 5.3) for JOMNCC and include:
1. Social – active, healthy, resilient and safe community
2. Environment – enhanced natural and cultural heritage
3. Economic – diverse and robust economy which strengthens existing and creates new industries
4. Infrastructure – planned, vibrant, connected cities and centres
5. Governance – regional leadership and effective and efficient governance.
These strategic goals should underpin JOMNCC’s actions either as a deliverer, enabler or advocate, the latter two roles being especially important. They reflect the unique context for the region and will hopefully allow for development focused outcomes around economy and infrastructure and also environmental, social and governance outcomes.
6.3 Priority areas and actions The priority areas and actions for an organisation defines ‘the things we need to address in the next five years’.
The priority areas and actions are linked to each of the five strategic goals (Section 6.2) and were developed based on the intersection of the range of state, regional, sub-regional and local strategic priorities. They aim to meet the needs of the regional community, rather than just local interests but due to the different context for each local government area, as discussed in Sections 2 and 3, there may be uneven outcomes across the region. Over time the actions will seek to enable the success of the whole region.
The priority areas and actions are detailed in Table 10 and, once agreed, can be further developed to include timings and responsibilities.
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STRATEGIC GOALS, PRIORITY AREAS AND ACTIONS FOR JOMNCC 38
TABLE 10 PRIORITY AREAS AND ACTIONS
Strategic goals Priority areas Priority actions
Social
– an active, healthy, resilient and safe community
• Provide regional facilities and services for recreation, sports, arts and culture within the context of a changing population
• Capacity build the regional community for severe weather events and natural disasters
• Plan for the regional impact of ageing populations on health services, accessible and affordable housing and employment
• Develop a regional social infrastructure plan
• Develop a regional plan for natural disasters which builds regional community resilience
• Develop a regional ageing plan
Environment
– enhanced natural and cultural heritage
• Plan for the regional impact of climate change on the community, the environment, the economy and on council services
• Preserve strategic biodiversity and identify land with high environmental value and biodiversity corridors across the region
• Identify and protect areas and sites of indigenous cultural heritage
• Develop a regional climate change adaptation plan
• Investigate renewal sources of energy which could be supplied on a regional/local network
• Develop a regional biodiversity and wildlife corridor plan
• Map indigenous cultural heritage across the region
Economic
– a diverse and robust economy which strengthens existing and creates new industries
• Assess the availability of land across the region for different purposes and instigate cross-council planning where land is scarce/unavailable for a specific purpose
• Assess the potential for non-competing (for industry and workforce) ‘centres of excellence’ in different local government areas
• Continue to support industries which deliver food security for the region and support a focus on agriculture and agriculture-related industries
• Continue to support tourism as a main regional industry and explore options to ‘keep tourists in the region’ for longer
• Identify local and regional employment opportunities and train people (existing workers and people entering the workforce) for growth sectors and the jobs of the future
• Marine industry development
• Intergovernmental coordination - decentralisation
• Develop a regional land use plan for housing, employment and infrastructure in a region of high value environmental and agricultural land
• Develop a regional economic development plan with a focus on developing the land around the Pacific Highway
• Protect high value agricultural land with a consistent management approach to important farmland across the region by updating the Northern Rivers Farmland Protection Project (2005) and Mid North Coast Farmland Mapping Project (2008) and secure land for agribusiness
• Develop a regional tourism/destination management plan and a regional indigenous culture tourism plan
• Develop regional workforce plans
Infrastructure
– vibrant, connected cities and centres
• Support the roll out of reliable telecommunications and internet access across the region
• Restore and renew regional roads and bridges
• Design and create safe public places and preserve the unique regional/local character of cities, towns and villages
• Develop good regional and inter-regional transport connections by road and rail
• Secure funding for the Coffs Harbour Pacific Highway by pass
• Ensure funding for the regions airport developments
• Develop tourism infrastructure to increase time spent in the region
• Dredging of the Clarence River to enable expansion of marine industry developments
• Upgrade road into Yamba
• Waterfall Way upgrade – improve linkages to tablelands
• Develop a plan for a Smart Region
• Develop a regional road and bridges hierarchy and support funding applications
• Revisit the North Coast Urban Design Guidelines and CPTED provisions
• Develop a regional freight management plan
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STRATEGIC GOALS, PRIORITY AREAS AND ACTIONS FOR JOMNCC 39
Strategic goals Priority areas Priority actions
• Develop a regional transport plan with a focus on the Pacific Highway, including cross-border connections
Governance
– regional leadership and effective and efficient governance
• Drive local government sustainability
• Represent the needs of the regional community to other levels of government and non-government organisations
• Investigate opportunities for regional shared services and projects
• Establish JOMNCC as an entity and develop a Strategic Plan
• Develop a stakeholder engagement plan to ensure all key stakeholders are identified and activated to achieve priority actions
• Develop a communications plan to effectively engage with stakeholders, including the regional community
Advocacy • Effectively work with state and federal governments to ensure resources are available for the Mid North Coast
• FAG Grants redistribution to regional and rural councils
• Establish equitable handover arrangements for old Pacific Highway and bridges
• Smart towns – equitable NBM roll out to MNC communities
• Disaster recovery arrangements – current funding model - no betterment replacing same structure each event.
• Natural Disaster Recovery Arrangements
• Indexation of stormwater levy charges
• Rural Fire Service- Service Level Agreements
• LGNSW to focus on three key issues for regional and metropolitan councils
6.4 Key success factors The delivery of JOMNCC’s Strategic Plan depends on various success factors which include:
Strategic Mapping;
Identify and prioritise key existing strengths
Map how these strengths can be built upon
Appropriate capacity:
Elected members and general managers need to be able to dedicate sufficient time to build ongoing relationships across JOMNCC and with other stakeholders to drive regional collaboration
Member councils and other stakeholders need to have the capacity (and capability) to deliver the strategic actions
Dedicated executive level staff are required to operationalise and project manage the priority actions
Sufficient funding:
Many of the priority actions may require funding which cannot be provided by member councils (either in-kind or dollar value). It will be important to secure federal/state/other funding for these actions as early as possible
In addition, ongoing funding other than grant funding may be required to remunerate executive staff and/or contract out projects and initiatives
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STRATEGIC GOALS, PRIORITY AREAS AND ACTIONS FOR JOMNCC 40
JOMNCC may require an Executive Officer (senior level staff position) plus other staff (marketing, project manager, communications, administrative) who will all need to be appropriately remunerated on a full-time basis to be attracted and retained in the roles
Good collaboration:
JOMNCC will operate in a highly collaborative network model. For many of the priority actions, JOMNCC may be in the role of enabler or advocate and will need to work with a range of government and non-government organisations to deliver the outcome. This will require initial and ongoing communication between JOMNCC executives and members in a structured and responsive manner
JOMNCC may have to form working groups to enable some of the priority actions. This requires collaboration between the working group members and also with the executive and the JOMNCC decision-making body of elected members
Develop mechanisms to work together to plan for tourism, health, education and renewal energy opportunities.
Long term commitment:
None of the priority actions will be easy to deliver and commitment over time is needed to ensure JOMNCC continues to achieve its goals for the region
All decision-making and priority setting needs to be non-political and endure even when there is change in political representation at local and/or state government levels
Evaluation and reporting:
In addition to setting timeframes for actions and responsibilities, the outputs and outcomes need to be monitored on a regular basis to monitor progress and adjust the approach if necessary. This will require an initial evaluation framework to be drafted with key stakeholders to agree on how outputs and outcomes will be measured and how the data to measure them will be collected.
6.5 Key stakeholders Government and non-government stakeholders will need to be engaged and activated to deliver the priority actions. This will require the development of a stakeholder engagement plan which includes initial and ongoing connection with a wide range of stakeholders. With JOMNCC’s success based on a collaborative network model, the development of relationships will be vital to ensure the right outcomes are achieved in the agreed timeframe.
A stakeholder engagement plan should be drafted as an immediate priority to better understand existing relationships with and between stakeholders, their interest in regional issues and their ability to influence the outcomes JOMNCC is seeking. The plan can be based on a matrix similar to that in Figure 19 which helps to identify the relative interest and influence of various stakeholders.
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STRATEGIC GOALS, PRIORITY AREAS AND ACTIONS FOR JOMNCC 41
FIGURE 19 STAKEHOLDER MATRIX
Examples of potential /identified stakeholders are detailed in Table 11.
TABLE 11 POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDERS
Type of stakeholder Stakeholder
Local government The six JOMNCC councils
Other local governments in the North Coast region
NOROC (or equivalent)
Councils to the west and south of JOMNCC
Relevant Queensland councils
State government departments and agencies
Aboriginal Affairs NSW
Department of Planning and Environment
Transport for NSW
Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Office of Environment and Heritage
Statutory authorities (water, power)
Ministry of Health
Department of Justice
Department of Education
Department of family and Community Services
Destination NSW
Relevant Queensland government departments
Federal government departments and agencies
Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Regional Development Australia
Tourism Australia
Elected representatives Federal members
State members
Council members
Regional non-government organisations
Regional health providers
Regional business and industry groups
Energy providers
Developers
Involve/consult Collaborate/empower
Inform Consult
LEVEL OF INTEREST
LE
VE
L O
F IN
FL
UE
NC
E
Low
High
High
� High degree of influence and
also of high importance for success
� Construct good working relationships to
ensure an effective coalition of support
ENGAGE/MANAGE CLOSELY
� High influence and can affect
outcomes but whose interests are
not necessarily aligned
� May be a source of significant risk
and require careful monitoring and
management
KEEP SATISFIED
� High importance to the success of
service delivery but with low
influence
� Their interests need to be
protected
KEEP INFORMED
� Low influence on or importance
service delivery
� Require limited monitoring or
evaluation but are of low priority
MONITOR – MINIMUM EFFORT
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STRATEGIC GOALS, PRIORITY AREAS AND ACTIONS FOR JOMNCC 42
Type of stakeholder Stakeholder
Regional employment agencies
Regional education providers (schools, registered training organisations and other higher education)
Extractive industry peaks
Agricultural peaks
Regional tourist peaks and providers
Indigenous groups Local Aboriginal Land Councils
Indigenous representatives
Community Residents
Visitors (local, domestic and overseas)
Interest groups (environmental groups, seniors’ groups, youth)
Local entrepreneurs
As lead or key partner of many of the actions in the North Coast Regional Plan, JOMNCC is represented on both the:
North Coast Delivery, Coordination and Monitoring Committee and the
North Coast Regional Leadership Executive.
The North Coast Delivery, Coordination and Monitoring Committee will oversee and coordinate the implementation of the North Coast Regional Plan and members include:
Department of Planning and Environment
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development
Transport for NSW
A representative from each Joint Organisation.
The purpose and relationship between these two governance groups is shown in Figure 20.
FIGURE 20 GOVERNANCE FOR THE NORTH COAST REGIONAL PLAN36
36 NSW Department of Planning (2017). North Coast Regional Plan: Implementation Plan 2017-2019. p.7. Available
at: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/~/media/Files/DPE/Plans-and-policies/north-coast-regional-plan-implementation-plan-2017.ashx
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6.6 Implications for JOMNCC JOMNCC’s strategic goals, priority areas and actions will require discussion and agreement and then allocation of responsibility for implementation, including a timeframe. There are a significant number of actions listed in Section 6.3 and most likely these will need to be reduced to a smaller number. Importantly, given the NSW government focus on funding for the regions and the issues impacting on growth in the Mid North Coast region one of the early actions should be the development of a regional land use plan for housing, employment and infrastructure in a region of high value environmental and agricultural land.
All outcomes are dependent on several key success factors, importantly the ability to secure funding and the availability of capacity across JOMNCC’s members. Again, given the current funding environment, it may be wise to seek and secure funding for priority actions in the immediate term.
Due to the highly collaborative network model for the joint organisation model, it will be important from an early stage to identify and effectively engage key stakeholders, especially those who may have a high degree of impact on the successful delivery of the outcomes JOMNCC is seeking.
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CONCLUSION 44
7 Conclusion
7.1 Overall summary The Mid North Coast region is unique in NSW as it is an area of both high environmental and agricultural value. With its main industries as agriculture, tourism, health well established there is the potential to consolidate these and also create new opportunities for future jobs. However, the region is to some extent divided between the growing, much larger regional cities of Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie and Grafton as a strategic centre, and other local government areas which will experience much lower rates of growth in the future. Careful regional planning is required to avoid regional disparities and inequity of access to employment, transport, social infrastructure and education.
The current federal and state government policy environments strongly support regional growth and funding for infrastructure and economic development. In this climate, short to medium term investment in the regions could be instrumental in meeting the clearly articulated needs of regional communities. The North Coast Region Plan has been developed with input from local government and is currently the best consolidated strategy for Mid North Coast region. This plan, in conjunction with the existing Community Strategic Plans from the six JOMNCC councils provides a strong starting point for JOMNCC’s Strategic Plan.
There are several key challenges which are important considerations in the development of the Strategic Plan. Critically, they involve thinking regionally around communities of interest instead of locally and ensuring that there is alignment with federal, state and local strategies. It is important to recognise the relative local and regional strengths for housing, employment, agriculture and environmental land use planning and explore the potential for cross-council collaboration to source land needed for growth.
Overall, there is a significant opportunity for JOMNCC to play a key role in delivering outcomes for the community in the Mid North Coast region. The starting delivery point is the formation of an entity and the development of a Strategic Plan for JOMNCC with agreement of the vision, mission and guiding principles. Once these are established, strategic goals, priority areas and actions can be developed. The Strategic Plan is dependent on key success factors, most notably funding, capacity and an enduring collaborative network model, not only between the members of JOMNCC but also its key stakeholders.
7.2 Suggested next steps The next steps are to:
Determine priority projects
Develop an implementation plan
Consider and resolve the key success factors, especially funding and resourcing
Develop and start to implement a stakeholder engagement plan and a communications plan
Develop an evaluation framework as the basis for agreeing and defining success
Establish the entity and governance framework for JOMNCC
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Appendix A. Strategic themes in council Community Strategic Plans
Council CSP period
Overall vision Social theme Environment/health theme Economic theme Infrastructure theme Governance theme
Bellingen Shire Council
2017-2027
Connected, Sustainable, Creative
Community wellbeing. Provision of community facilities and services to support community, recreational, sporting, arts and cultural activities Identifying celebrating, and protecting our indigenous cultural
heritage
Our living environment. Our changing climate Our rivers and foreshores The importance and management of our local biodiversity, natural
resources and affiliated industries Supporting innovative technologies and processes such as alternative power sources, local energy networks and managing waste
as a resource
Resilient economy. Affordable housing Telecommunications and contemporary internet access in a changing environment
Support and encouragement of innovation, entrepreneurship and local businesses
Places for people. Restoration and renewal of transport infrastructure, especially roads and bridges Ensuring our public places are safe
and accessible for our community Providing cycleways and shared pathways The importance of accessible
transport options
Civic leadership. A focus on transparency and within that collaborative Council and
community engagement Strong communication around local issues Provision of services
of importance to the community to an agreed standard Natural disasters and community resilience
Clarence Valley Council
2017-2027
Society Infrastructure Economy Environment Leadership
Society. To create a place where people are healthy, safe, connected and in harmony with the natural environment to retain and improve the quality of community life
Environment. For Council and the community to value, respect and actively participate in the care and management of the Clarence’s natural
environment for current and future generations
Economy. To strengthen and diversify the region’s economic base in a way that complements the environmental and
social values of the Clarence
Infrastructure. For Council to maintain our diverse infrastructure base to serve the needs of the Clarence
Leadership. To set the overall direction and long term goals for the Clarence in accordance
with community aspirations
Coffs Harbour
2017-2027
Connected. Sustainable. Thriving.
Community wellbeing. We love having a vibrant, inclusive place. We love having an active, safe and healthy community
A place for community. We love having liveable neighbourhoods with a defined identity. We love that our natural
environment is sustained for the future
Community prosperity. We love having a thriving and sustainable local economy. We love that our
community is achieving its potential
- Sustainable community leadership. We love that our leaders
give us confidence in the future. We love that we have effective use of public resources
Kempsey 2016-2036
We live in a community that provides opportunity to
all, to prosper in an environment that supports well-being, connected-ness and access to resources
the community wants and needs.
Being connected. We are involved in our community We have vibrant and inviting spaces to meet and enjoy
We work together to make the Macleay Valley a vibrant and welcoming place for everyone Being safe. Our community is prepared and resilient to emergencies. We feel safe at home and in public
The risk of accident is minimised
Being healthy. Living a rich and fulfilling life Living in a healthy community
Being wealthy. Having a rich and valuable culture Having wealthy of experience
Having finances to support the lifestyle that makes us happy
- -
Nambucca
Shire Council
2017-
2027
Nambucca Valley -
Living at its best
Caring for our Community.
A well-informed Community that is involved in making decisions about its future Sustainable management of the Nambucca Shire’s Environmental, Social and Financial capital The Nambucca Valley is a safe and healthy place to live
Living Well. The social cohesion of the Nambucca Valley Communities will be underpinned by a wide range of cultural, sporting and recreational opportunities
The Shire’s residents respect and value for the Valley’s Indigenous Culture and heritage All Valley residents feel part of the Nambucca Community regardless of their personal background or circumstances.
Caring for our Environment.
Development in the Nambucca Valley will protect the environment and enhance the social and economic wellbeing of its people Nambucca Valley Residents will responsibly manage their waste
Reusing, reducing and recycling where possible The Nambucca Valley Community will value, enhance and protect the natural environment
Promoting Prosperity.
The people of the Nambucca Shire will enjoy meaningful and rewarding local employment opportunities
Promoting Prosperity.
The Shire’s infrastructure will reliable support the needs of the community and facilitate prosperous economy and promote future economic growth
-
Port Macquarie-Hastings
Council
2010-2020
A sustainable high quality of life for all
Your Community Life. A healthy, inclusive and vibrant community
Your Natural and Built Environment. A connected, sustainable, accessible community and environment that is protected
now and into the future
Your Business and Industry. The Port Macquarie-Hastings region is a successful place that has a vibrant,
diversified and resilient regional economy for people to live, learn, work, play and invest
- Leadership and Governance. A collaborative community
that works together and uses opportunities for community participation in decision making that is de ned as ethically, socially
and environmentally responsible
Source: Adapted from each council’s Community Strategic Plan
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APPENDIX K
