Summary: Council meeting 30 June 2025

Operational plan, budget, rates, fees and charges set for 2025-26

Councillors adopted a suite of documents that guide the projects and services delivered to the community for 2025-26.

The budget provides a boost for local roads, with Council redirecting funds from other operational areas to allocate an additional $6.7 million to roadworks in 2025-26, bringing total road investment to $68.47 million over the year.

While this amount is not enough to fix everything across the 3,600kms of MidCoast Roads, the additional funds will enable staff to do more road maintenance and reduce the rate of deterioration.  

The overall 2025-26 Council budget is estimated at $320 million. It includes $102 million raised through rates and $86 million from water, sewer, and waste charges.

Councillors voted that rates will only go up by the IPART rate peg of 3.8 percent for 2025/2026 financial year.

Community engagement strategy adopted

Council’s Community engagement strategy was adopted by Councillors. This document guides how Council engages with the community to assist in decision making.

The draft was placed on public exhibition during March and April. Twelve submissions were received from the community.

Nabiac library to close

Councillors endorsed a report to close the Nabiac Library,

The library branch was flagged by the State Library of NSW in 2023 as not meeting public library minimum standards which triggered a review of the facility.

Approximately $100,000 in building works, $96,000 in connectivity upgrades and almost doubling Council's annual investment would need to happen within five years to keep the library open, and with library usage figures for Nabiac extremely low the expenditure couldn’t be justified.

Over the past five years there has been an average of only 44 individuals who regularly use the Nabiac Library each year.

The stock, resources and service offerings will be provided at Forster Library. Nabiac Library members will be informed of the closure and advised of library services through Forster and Hallidays Point libraries.

Councillors agreed to renew the agreement with the Bulahdelah Chamber of Commerce for the provision of library services from the Bulahdelah Rural Transaction Centre for a further five years.

Following an evaluation of the effectiveness of the agreement to provide the community with access to public library services it has been established that the current agreement delivers a financially cost-effective community outcome, meets legislative and regulatory frameworks and fulfills most of the expectations set out by the NSW Public Library Guidelines. 

E-scooter trial extended

The trial will also be extended considering the expected upcoming decision from NSW Parliament that will guide legislation. It was recommended the trial continue pending the NSW Government legislation. As a result, the trial will be extended until at least 22 January 2026.

Councillors appointed to reference groups

New Councillor Janeece Irving has been appointed to the Aboriginal Reference Group, Koala Reference Group, Southern Estuaries Reference Group.

Cr Thomas O’Keefe will be chair of the Southern Estuaries Reference Group.

Local Government remuneration tribunal determination

Following a reclassification of MidCoast Council as a regional strategic area, Councillors have accepted the maximum fee for the Mayor and Councillors as allowed by the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal’s determination for the duration of the term of the current elected Council.