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Economic Development Strategy reference group
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A reference will be established to provide leadership, advice and feedback on the creation of an Economic Development Strategy for the MidCoast.
The reference group will consist of the Mayor, Councillors Jeremy Miller, Peter Epov (alternate Cr Peter Howard), the president of the MidCoast Business Chamber, Anna Godfrey, and business chamber representatives John Caldon, Matthew Clinch and Simon France.
A further two nominations will also be sought from the general community to join the reference group.
The group will engage with other relevant bodies and community stakeholders to support the development of the strategy which will provide clarity on strategies, goals and outcomes for the business community and Council.
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Community Conversations program
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A second round of Community Conversations will be held during September – November following a review of the program.
During April to June a series of 16 Community Conversations were held across the local government area, attracting a total of 534 members of the community.
The main themes at the conversations were roads, footpaths, planning and development and open space and recreational facilities. A range of issues were addressed that were particular to each location.
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The Bight Cemetery repair program
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A report was presented on the restoration works underway at The Bight Cemetery Wingham. Since October 2021 Council have been working with the lawful interment right holders and registered parties/impacted families to undertake repairs on damaged monuments.
Council has also been working with the Board of Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW since this time to allow multiple interment right holders at the cemetery.
Currently 46 of the 68 damaged monuments have been repaired, stonemasons have been engaged to repair a further six and 13 are awaiting scope of works and quotes from stonemasons.
Council staff will continue to work with families to finalise the repairs.
Council continues to provide quarterly reports to Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW and will continue to report to Council on a quarterly basis. An audit on repairs has been undertaken following issues raised by the community.
No further restoration work will be undertaken until December due to the presence of a threatened species on the site that flowers and seeds during this time.
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Urara Lane sporting field remediation
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Remediation work will be undertaken on the top field at the Urara Lane Taree sporting complex. The work is required due to the significant damage that occurred to the field when it was used as a temporary waste transfer station after the 2021 flooding disaster.
The $504,100 cost of the work will ultimately be covered by the NSW EPA, however will be initially funded from the waste management reserve until the reimbursement is received.
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Christmas lights and decorations
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A number of activities are planned to provide Christmas lights and decorations in various centres across the MidCoast.
This includes the development of Christmas themed banners for Victoria Street, Taree and Queen Street Gloucester, and working with Forster Wharf Street businesses to provide Christmas decorations in the street.
We will also be investigating ways to continue the traditional lighting of a tree in Forster as well as continuing the provision for Christmas lights in existing localities.
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Community Spaces projects
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A further four community spaces projects were completed this month as progress continues on 56 other projects funded by a range of State and Federal funding programs to improve community facilities and spaces.
These were an upgrade to Harrington’s Esmond Hogan Oval storage, a storage shed at Harrington for Little Athletics, Wingham RLFC amenities changeroom and grandstand and Wallabi Beach access works. |
| Code of Meeting Practice |
A new Code of Meeting Practice was adopted following a period of community consultation.
The draft code was placed on public exhibition and during this time 14 submissions were received, most of which were focused on the public forums. Concerns included the time limits imposed on speakers, how speakers are chosen, the need for the forums to be recorded and questions during forums.
Other issued raised included the timeframe for provision of Council meeting agendas to both Councillors and the community and provisions around questions without notice.
As the code was based on the Office of Local Government’s Model Code of Meeting Practice, many elements referred to in the submissions were statutory requirements and a mandatory component of the code and can’t be altered.
However, several changes were made to the draft document to make it clear the GM or Mayor can increase the number of speakers and each speaker is allowed four minutes to address Council.
At the meeting Councillors resolved to include several other aspects in the Code of Meeting Practice, including that the public forum will be livestreamed, with an audio recording them placed on the website, and that one hard copy of the business paper will be made available at the Council chambers. |
| EV Fleets incentive
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Council will enter into an agreement with Origin Zero for the leasing of three electric vehicles over a four-year term. They will replace three existing pool vehicles. Council will use subsidies available through the NSW Government’s EV fleet incentive scheme. |
| Capital works projects |
A report on the major capital works underway in the transport, water and wastewater area provided updates on a number of the major projects underway, including:
- Lakes Way/Blackhead Road roundabout – work is continuing with the construction of roundabout and turning lanes, project is now due to be finished in mid-October 2022
- Northern Gateway – the concrete roundabout construction has been completed and work is underway on the industrial access road, to be completed in February 2023.
- Cowper Street, Taree – Drainage and pavement works are continuing with traffic now open both ways from Jack Neal Oval to Gipps Street and one lane for the rest of the construction area. Expected to be completed by September.
- Likely Street, Forster – reconstruction of 500 metres of pavement, now expected to be completed in September due to wet weather.
- Waitui Road, Hannam Vale – reconstruction of approximately three kilometres of road, to be completed by October 2022.
- The Branch Lane – work soon to start on a 1.3 kilometre extension of the sealed road, with a completion date of December.
- Work is underway on five sections of The Bucketts Way, and four sections of the Lakes Way.
- Wingham Road – work underway on several sections of Wingham Road, work at the the intersection with Youngs Road has been delayed due to utility service issues. Preliminary work on three roundabouts at intersections with Hargreaves and Cedar Party Road is underway, with construction expected to be complete by May 2023.
- Old Bar Road – Redbank Cemetery to Metz Road, reconstruction and widening of 1.7 kilometres of road. Expected to be complete late October.
- Work is due to be completed on bridges at Caparra, Booral and Curricabark Road over the coming months.
- Work is underway on several projects to upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure across the local government area
Sewer and water mains renewal projects are also underway at Harrington, Smiths Lake, Hallidays Point, Hawks Nest, Forster, Manning Point, Taree South, Tuncurry, Stroud, Old Bar, Pacific Palms and more. |