Councillors and staff have spent considerable time reviewing community feedback, participating in workshops and debating our priorities. We have now compiled our draft forward planning documents for the coming financial year and more broadly this term of Council.
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We now need your feedback on these draft documents. We want to hear your thoughts on the projects we are proposing, on the targets and indicators of success that we’ve identified and on the funding model developed.
Council is very aware of the need to deliver ongoing services, to continue focusing on maintaining our roads. We also want to feel confident that everything possible is being done to operate the organisation in the most efficient and effective way.
Balanced against those core objectives though, is our desire to support economic growth, to attract more residents and visitors to the area and to make it possible to create new housing and business opportunities. That’s why we are proposing significant investment into our key reserves, beach areas and our caravan parks. We are looking to future proof the area by commencing investigations into an alternative bridge over the Macleay, creating a formal economic development strategy and developing more sports facilities.
This plan is ambitious and it does push our financial capability. Many of the projects will require grant funding and support from other levels of Government. We are also seeking investment from ourselves to fund significant projects through loans, which will be paid back through a 4% increase in residential rates from the 2018-2019 financial year, over four years. This approach allows us to get on with making improvements without a one off large financial impact.
The documents are available at Council’s offices or online at Your Say Macleay. Information will also be available to community groups and at the June Riverside Markets. It’s now over to the community to take some time to read these plans, and give us your feedback.