Our Future in Detail

Lake Macquarie Councillors have adopted the new Community Strategic Plan, which guides the future direction of Lake Macquarie City for the next 10 years.

Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Cr Kay Fraser, said the Plan shares the vision and aspirations for the future of Lake Macquarie and sets out the community’s long-term plan.

“The Community Strategic Plan is an inspiring blueprint that captures the ideas, priorities and aspirations of our community,” Cr Fraser said.

“It is the key strategic plan that will guide us as we work to achieve great things for Lake Macquarie City and its people over the coming decade.

“The Plan was developed in collaboration with our community through one of Council’s most extensive engagement projects; it is the community’s plan and it outlines what we will achieve on their behalf over the next decade.”

Lake Macquarie Councillors also adopted the Resourcing Strategy, Fees and Charges, four-year Delivery Program 2017-2021 and annual Operational Plan for 2017-2018.

“These plans map out the strategies and actions we will take to achieve our community’s long-term vision for the City, and detail the works we will deliver over the next 12 months to ensure our City meets the needs of our community,” Cr Fraser said.

“Council is forecast to spend more than $111 million on capital works projects across the City in the next 12 months.

“These works include maintenance and redevelopment of our community centres, parks and playgrounds, sporting facilities, swim centres, libraries and cultural facilities. It details our investment for the year in safer roads, better footpaths and cycleways, and new transport infrastructure. We have also set out the projects we will fund to improve drainage systems, deliver better waste management and improve our local environment.”

Snapshot of projects

· $30 million on road surfacing and upgrades

· $19.72 million on our parks and playgrounds including construction of the Pasterfield Sports Complex at Cameron Park and upgrades to Speers Point Park

· $4.74 million on construction and upgrade of local sporting facilities

· $4.65 million on traffic and transport improvements such as speed humps, school crossings and streetscape works

· $2.13 million on community building upgrades

· $27 million on maintenance

View our strategies for the future.

Join Councillors and staff for a free sausage sizzle or some light refreshments and find out what’s planned in your local area over the next 12 months.

Saturday 13 May, 11am-1pm (drop-in any time)
Where: Belmont South Foreshore

Saturday 20 May, 11am-1pm (drop-in any time)
Where: Stockland Glendale Shopping Centre (near Woolworths)

Sunday 21 May, 10am-noon (drop-in any time)
Where: Toronto Lions Market, Fennell Bay (look for the Lake Macquarie City Council marquee)

Lake Macquarie City Council is inviting feedback from the community on the latest Delivery Program and Operational Plan for the City, Our Future in Detail.

Council’s General Manager, Brian Bell, said the draft Delivery Program 2017-2021 and Operational Plan for 2017-2018 sets out the actions we will undertake to achieve the community goals as outlined in the draft Community Strategic Plan 2017-2027.

“This plan has been developed through extensive engagement with our community and draws a clear line between our community’s vision, Our Future in Focus, and the strategies and actions Council will take over coming years as we work to achieve it,” Mr Bell said.

Seven key areas form our community’s long-term vision and provide the structure for this plan.

“Our Future in Detail sets out the resources we will allocate for each focus area and features a full list of capital works totalling more than $111 million that we aim to deliver during 2017-2018 to ensure our City continues to innovate, adapt and provide for our community.”

Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Cr Kay Fraser said Our Future in Detail marks the beginning of an exciting era for our City.

“The Plan maps out the first strategies and actions we will take to achieve our community’s new long-term vision for the City, Our Future in Focus,” Cr Fraser said.

“I am delighted to see so many initiatives captured in this plan that will bring this new vision to life.”

To learn more about what’s planned for your local area, and to provide feedback on the draft Delivery Program 2017-2021 and Operational Plan 2017-2018, visit haveyoursaylakemac.com.au/future-in-detail.

Council’s draft Fees and Charges 2017-2018, draft Community Strategic Plan 2017-2027 and draft Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027 are also on exhibition for public comment.

Snapshot of our capital works for 2017-2018:

More than $111 million will be spent on capital works projects including:

• $30 million on road surfacing and upgrades

• $19.72 million on our parks and playgrounds including construction of the Cameron Park recreation area and upgrades to Speers Point Park

• $4.74 million on construction and upgrade of local sporting facilities

• $4.65 million on traffic and transport improvements such as speed humps, school crossings and streetscape works

• $2.13 million on community building upgrades

Watch our video(External link) to find out more.

Key city-wide projects:

• Advocate for State and Federal funding for the second stage of the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange

• Phase 2 green waste services will roll-out to Lake Mac households

• Improve walkability in our neighbourhoods by developing a ‘walk-score’ tool for our planning

• Prepare transport management plans for the town centres in most need

• Deliver a minimum of 2600 cultural programs and activities at Lake Mac Libraries and Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery

• Regenerate eight hectares of natural bushland through the Lake Macquarie Landcare program

• Continue to adapt our City to a changing climate by preparing the Pelican Blacksmiths local adaption plan and various flood studies

• Bring our history and landscape to life through virtual technologies and interpretation sites across the City

• Identify key industries, constraints and opportunities for our City’s economic growth

• Establish two community arts programs in partnership with the local community.

From Whitebridge to Wangi Wangi and Warners Bay, Lake Macquarie City Council is completing more than $5 million in upgrades, including lighting and playing surface improvement works, to a dozen sporting facilities across the City.

Council’s Manager Community Planning, John Ferguson, said creating quality sport and recreation facilities where our community can participate in grassroots physical activity encourages a healthier lifestyle, which is why we have committed to making these improvements.

“Whether it’s a new amenities block that makes sport more enjoyable or a better surface to more consistently play games and train on, these upgrades are needed to make a positive impact in the sporting lives of our local community,” Mr Ferguson said.

“There may be disruptions at some of our project sites at the beginning of the winter season; however, Council is working with local clubs to minimise these impacts.”

Sport facility projects undertaken this during the 2016-2017 financial year:

• new sports field including lighting and irrigation and a new car park at Alan Davis Field, Gateshead;

• soil remediation and resurfacing works at Feighan Oval, Warners Bay;

• new lighting at Wangi Wangi netball courts, Cardiff No. 1 and No. 2 ovals, and two fields at Barton Field, Belmont;

• new amenities building and car park at Parbury Park, Swansea;

• irrigation replacement and installation at Gibson Field at Morisset, Ulinga Oval at Cardiff South, Finnan Oval at Blackalls Park and Lisle Carr Oval at Whitebridge;

• compost trial and field renovation at Kahibah Oval; and

• field renovations at Fishburn Field at Rathmines, Liles Oval at Redhead, Les Wakeman Field at West Wallsend, Waterboard Oval at Blackalls Park and Finnan Oval at Blackalls Park.

The Property Council has thrown its support behind Lake Macquarie City Council’s submission for $13 million to be allocated from the next State Budget to partially fund the building of the Pennant Street Bridge, the next stage of the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange (LMTI).

The LMTI project was presented to an audience of MPs and business leaders at a Boardroom Breakfast at the NSW Property Council headquarters in Sydney this morning by the Property Council’s Hunter Caucus.

The Property Council has listed funding for the Pennant Street Bridge as the highest Hunter priority in its 2017/18 Budget submission to the State Government.

The breakfast briefing was attended by the Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Cr Kay Fraser, who said advocacy by organisations such as the Property Council demonstrated the widespread support for the project and acknowledgement of its importance to the region.

“The Pennant Street Bridge is a key component of the LMTI project that will be the catalyst for substantial residential and economic growth,” Cr Fraser said.

“Our economic assessment shows it will be used by 16,000 vehicles a day and has the potential to generate thousands of new dwellings and jobs for the area by unlocking 90 hectares of land for new development.”

Property Council Hunter Director, Andrew Fletcher, said the LMTI was important to realising the NSW Government’s 20-year vision for the Hunter, which identifies the Cardiff-Glendale area as the region’s second largest employment zone and an emerging strategic centre.

“This local infrastructure project has the potential to establish Cardiff-Glendale as the Hunter’s new employment super-hub and regional transport interchange,” he said.

Lake Macquarie City Council is seeking $13 million from both the State and Federal governments towards the $32 million cost of the Pennant Street Bridge. The project is shovel-ready and could be completed in 2018 if funding is forthcoming in this calendar year.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the draft 10-year community goals for our City. Overall, community feedback was positive with many telling us their feel comfortable and inspired by the future direction of the City. Feedback has resulted in the re-ordering of several goals, and identified shorter-term actions for further consideration.

We are now reviewing all feedback as we prepare our Community Strategic Plan and the 2017/2018 Operational Plan, which will be available for comment in May this year.

Congratulations to Kim and Scott who were the lucky winners of a GoPro session 4!

Kim was randomly selected as our prize winner after completing the short online survey. We hope you have fun, and thanks for getting involved.

All the best,

Lake Mac Have Your Say team