We can now drive freely on Houston Mitchell Drive and the Stringray Creek Bridge, with the old bridge being removed. Road maintenance on Ocean Drive at Lakewood and Lake Cathie gives those two sections a smoother ride.

To secure our water supply, work on the Southern Trunk Arm main between Cowarra Dam and Bonny Hills is progressing.

The Schools to Schools pathway between the High School and the Kew roundabout is almost complete and we hope to get funding for the section from Brotherglen Drive to the Lakewood shops – to complete 4km from the Pacific Highway to Fairwinds.

We appreciate your feedback on the Urban Growth Management Strategy and I encourage you to read our biodiversity strategy and consider a submission. Council adopted our long-term energy strategy which provides energy saving measures and the move to be a net producer of electricity by 2027. We have begun replacing our street lighting with LED lamps resulting in a significant reduction in energy usage, cost  and maintenance.

Council was recently awarded the A R Bluett Memorial Award as the most progressive council in the state. We were able to demonstrate significant achievements in financial, asset and people management, thanks to the hard work by the staff and general manager.

There will be lots of challenges in 2018 as we work to improve our infrastructure for our expanding population, care for our natural environment and make this area a great place to live, work and play. This column is the opinion of Cr Alley and not necessarily that of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.

I wish you and your family the very best as we reflect on the meaning of Christmas and look forward to what 2018 brings our community. Stay safe in the holidays, particularly in our waterways.