Summary: Council meeting 30 April 2025

Four applicants have been awarded a total of $14,200 under the NAIDOC Funding Program.

Gloucester Worimi First People’s Aboriginal Corporation, Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Aboriginal Corporation and Forster Local Aboriginal Land Council all received $4,000 and Taree Universities Campus was allocated $2,200.

Councillors have voted additional funding to finalise the upgrade of the amenities building at the Danny Buderus Field at the Taree Recreation Ground.

The additional funding of $650,000 allocated will come from the projected general fund surplus for 2024-25 budget.

The additional funding will allow for the rebuilding of the amenities block, which was demolished following the discovery of structural damage during a planned upgrade.

Draft development servicing plan for water supply and sewerage for public exhibition

A draft Development Servicing Plan that sets out the water and sewer development charges will be placed on public exhibition for community feedback.

The draft DSP aims to ensure that the infrastructure costs incurred by Council for new developments are recovered.

The draft plan includes updated population projections and a 30 year planning horizon. It proposes capping the sewer development charge in Lansdowne to maintain affordability support services in those areas with the cross-subsidy resulting in a very small increase to annual sewer bills. 

Public exhibition of draft Delivery Program 2025-2029, draft Operational Plan 2025-26 and draft Resourcing Strategy

Roads, financial sustainability and customer experience are highlighted as the three clear priorities of Council for the 2025-29 period in the draft Delivery Program that has been endorsed to go on public exhibition by Councillors.

Also on exhibition is the Operational Plan for 2025-26 and the associated budget and fees and charges. This budget includes an additional $6.7 million allocation to roads to support improved road outcomes to align with the priorities of Councillors.

This additional road allocation brings spending on roads for 2025-26 to $68.47 million. This will be spent in the following way:

• $18.54 million for road maintenance activities, including a $3.2 million funding increase.

• $49.93 million for capital works on the road network. This includes an additional $3.5 million for a heavy patching program.

Other major areas of expenditure for the 2025-26 year includes:

• $7.171 million on community assets such as Hallidays Point Skate Park; Tea Gardens library upgrade; Pelican Boardwalk Forster, Albert Street Taree new amenities block for Albert Street, Taree, new playgrounds at Mitchell Reserve, Allworth, Pindimar; Forster Main Beach fence replacement, Bulahdelah tennis court upgrade; Nabiac multicourt project.
• $20 million on water capital works, including concept designs for off river storages for Gloucester and Bulahdelah and Peg Leg Creek Dam
• $56 million on sewer capital works, including the construction of a new Gloucester Sewage Treatment Plan and a major rising main between Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest
• Stormwater drainage work will be completed at Blueys Beach, Stroud, Manning Point and Taree

The budget is based on applying the 3.80 percent rate peg set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART). However, this does not equate in a standard 3.80 percent increase for all ratepayers. It means Council will collect that figure overall and individual property ratings subject to valuation by the valuer general. Other increases include 3.80 percent for waste management, 5.50 percent for water and seven percent for sewer charges

The documents will be on public exhibition until 6 June for community comment, before coming back to the June meeting for finalisation.