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Operational Plan and Budget 2026-2027

Council decision

Council adopted the Operational Plan, Budget and Fees and Charges 2026-2027 at its meeting on 25 May 2026, and resolved to defer a decision on the proposed‘Park & Reserves Hire: Community’ and ‘Park & Reserves Hire: Commercial’ fees, as well as Community Hall hire charges, pending a Councillor Workshop and staff review.

Following a Councillor Workshop and staff review, the Fees and Charges 2026-2027 forPark & Reserves Hire: Community’, ‘Park & Reserves Hire: Commercial’ and 'Community Halls' were adopted on 15 June 2026.

About this project

We’re planning for the year ahead and continuing our work to deliver the community’s vision for Lake Macquarie. As part of this process, we’re seeking your feedback on the following key documents:

These documents outline the actions, services and investment that will help shape a thriving, sustainable and well‑connected Lake Macquarie.

Our Delivery Program outlines Council’s focus areas over a four‑year period, aligned with the term of the elected Council. It is reviewed each year to ensure it reflects what we can realistically achieve to support the goals in the Community Strategic Plan.

The Operational Plan sets out the specific actions and projects Council will deliver in 2026-2027. It’s set out under the same four goals as the Community Strategic Plan and directly supports the long‑term outcomes our community has identified as important.

For 2026-2027, we are proposing to invest more than $111 million in capital works across Lake Macquarie. This includes funding for:

  • $11.1 million for beaches, lake assets and aquatic facilities
  • $10 million for bridges and embankments
  • $13.5 million for business‑supporting initiatives
  • $10.6 million for community and sporting facilities
  • $6.4 million for environmental enhancement projects
  • $6.8 million for footpaths, cycleways and shared pathways
  • $3.8 million for holiday parks
  • $1.1 million for libraries and cultural facilities
  • $5.4 million for parks and playgrounds
  • $6 million for property works
  • $29.1 million for road sealing, resurfacing and rehabilitation
  • $1.5 million for stormwater and drainage upgrades
  • $1.3 million for Stormwater Management Services Charge projects
  • $4.8 million for traffic and transport improvements

Capital works planned for 2026-2027

 

If your suburb is not listed in the ‘Search by suburb’ dropdown, no capital works projects are planned in your suburb in 2026-2027.

Documents

FAQ

An operational plan is a detailed, one-year action guide that breaks down the broader, four-year delivery program into projects, activities, budgets and resources for the upcoming financial year.

A delivery program is a four-year plan that details a council's key activities, projects, and funding to achieve the long-term vision in Community Strategic Plan (CSP).

All of Council’s expenditure and projects align with the community vision and goals outlined in Community Strategic Plan.

The number, types and locations of capital works actions varies from year to year across the city. In some instances, there might be one-off larger projects with construction spread out over a number of years, while other areas of the city might see a large number of smaller projects constructed. Capital works projects are undertaken if they:

  • are in a plan or strategy that has been through a community engagement process and adopted by Council
  • demonstrate social and/or economic benefits to the community
  • are of an asset condition that requires work be completed
  • have been prioritised following a multi-criteria analysis
  • consider issues of sustainability and equity across the broader community
  • demonstrate project feasibility and value for money, including full lifecycle costs
  • reduce the infrastructure backlog as a long-term benefit
  • are required for population growth and development.

Prioritisation of projects is also impacted by receipt and conditions of external grant funding and internal resourcing constraints.

 

You can make a submission by Monday 20 April using one of the methods below:

  • Online submission form 
  • Email [email protected] with the subject heading ‘Operational Plan and budget 2026-2027 submission’
  • Write to Lake Macquarie City Council Attn: Strategy and Performance, Box 1906, Hunter Region Mail Centre, NSW, 2310.

Your submission can be as concise or as long as you wish.

Ideally, you will express your level of support for the proposal and provide detailed and specific feedback. The feedback will be reviewed by staff and later presented to Council to make an informed decision.

Feedback may result in changes being made to the draft Operational Plan and budget 2026-2027 prior to a report being prepared for Council.

You will be notified again, prior to Council considering the matter, which will include a link to the Council report containing a summary of submissions and how feedback was considered.

The draft Operational Plan and budget 2026-2027 will be placed on public exhibition from 24 March until 20 April 2026. 

You can review the plan and make a submission on Council’s online community engagement platform, Shape Lake Mac 

Come chat to the project team:

Toronto Library, Monday 30 March, 9.30am-12.30pm

Glendale City Centre (outside Woolworths), Thursday 16 April, 3-6pm

Caves Beach, Saturday 11 April, 10am-1pm

Hard copies of the draft documents are available at Lake Mac libraries 

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Who's listening

  • Jenni
    Coordinator Strategy and Performance
    Lake Macquarie City Council