Shape Your Future

• Hunter Research Foundation CEO, Dr Brent Jenkins, discusses the current and future state of the Lake Macquarie economy - listen here

• Thought Leader for Future Industries at the Tom Farrell Institute, Dr Gary Ellem, discusses the future of the environment in Lake Macquarie - listen here

• CEO and Creative Director at Ideation at Work, Christina Gerekiteys, discusses the future of our society and wellbeing - listen here

• Workplace Futurist and Company Culture Architect, Heidi Pollard, discusses the future of Lake Macquarie - listen here

• Dr Gary Ellem led a fascinating forum on the future of transport and how technological advances could change the way we move around the City - listen here

Lake Macquarie City councillors have adopted a new City Vision and set of Community Values that will guide future planning and provide direction for how the City responds to change and growth.

The City Vision and Community Values statements were created by a Community Reference Group of 20 Lake Macquarie residents drawing on extensive feedback from the Shape Your Future community engagement campaign.

The new City Vision and Community Values reflect the priorities of Lake Mac residents, with a strong emphasis on environmental protection, lifestyle and wellbeing, community connectivity and the development of a diverse, adaptable economy.

The statements update the first vision and set of values for the city, which were developed during the early 1990s.

“While there are many similarities, the new City Vision and Community Values are more succinct and current, and equip the Council to take the city forward in the 21^st century,” Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Cr Kay Fraser, said.

“The community has told us they consider Council’s role in the modern era to go well beyond the old maxim of ‘roads, rates and rubbish’.

“They expect Council to be a guardian of the environment, a driver of economic growth and diversification, and a provider of services and facilities that enrich the cultural and social life of the community.”

Shape Your Future was one of the most comprehensive engagement projects undertaken by Council, reaching tens of thousands of residents through an innovative range of traditional and digital feedback tools.

These included public forums, stakeholder meetings, phone surveys, pop-up stalls, school workshops, direct mail, e-newsletters, ‘guerrilla’ advertising and online engagement through social media and a project web page with an interactive city map.

Council’s Manager Integrated Planning, Sharon Pope, said the scope of the campaign and diversity of engagement methods allowed Council to reach a significant cross-section of the community across a wide geographical area.

“Shape Your Future reached 90,000 properties in Lake Macquarie through editions of Your City magazine, 78,000 residents through social media and thousands more through face-to face interaction. It generated 5,000 visits to the project web page and more than 1,800 comments and submissions,” Ms Pope said.

“Our objective was to encourage participation. As part of this, we introduced some fun new engagement methods such as guerrilla advertising on shared pathways and pop-up stalls where residents could tell staff what they value about the city and view 3D futuristic city scenes with virtual reality goggles.”

Lake Macquarie resident Carolyn Schofield, who sat on the Community Reference Group, said the City Vision and Community Values created a holistic framework from which the council could make community-focused decisions about the City’s future.

“They are a strong reflection of the culture and feel of Lake Macquarie while also portraying a vision for the future that will allow us to move forward without losing the essence of the City,” she said.

The Lake Macquarie City Vision and Community Values were adopted at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on Monday, 28 November. They will be a foundation for future policies prepared by Council, including the new Community Strategic Plan, to be released in 2017, and a new land-use strategy, for which planning is under way.

Lake Macquarie’s current population of 204,000 will continue to grow to an estimated 253,000 by 2050. We are part of the second largest urban area in NSW and the seventh largest in Australia. Our existing settlement pattern is dispersed around the Lake, which poses challenges for the efficient provision of infrastructure, services, facilities and transport.

Australia, with a 2016 population of 24 million, is one of the most urbanised nations on earth. We predominantly (89 per cent) live in cities, towns and urban regions in a band hugging the east, south-eastern and south-western coast.

How do we best respond to these changes and continue to enjoy a quality lifestyle?

Lake Macquarie’s population is significantly older than the state average, with 25 per cent of residents aged 60 or over (compared to 20 per cent for NSW). Lake Macquarie has appeal as a retirement destination due to its coast and lake and proximity to Sydney and Newcastle. This aging trend is set to continue and is resulting in significant investment in medium density and seniors housing developments. This trend is also impacting on our community, the type of services and facilities provided, jobs and how we move around.

Across Australia, the aging population is leading to greater workforce participation by over 65s and a growing demand for access to leisure opportunities. The ageing population is accompanied by an increase in lifestyle-related diseases, putting strain on health services. There is also a growing trend for older people to remain in their house longer. This requires careful design and built environments that cater to less mobile people.









How do we best respond to these changes and continue to enjoy a quality lifestyle?

In the Lake Macquarie LGA, 90% of trips are by car.

With a growing population, the number of vehicles on the road are increasing. In 2013, there were 13,000 more vehicles on Lake Macquarie roads than there were in 2009.

When we look at why we move, going to and from work is second on the list. Most of our trips are for recreational pursuits and social interaction.

Interestingly, recent survey work has shown that 26% of trips to our town centres are by walking, cycling and public transport.

What will help you move around the City more easily?