Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and communities partner to create community plans

It comes after Port Macquarie-Hastings Council partnered with six communities in 2018 to progress the development of community plans.

They are Laurieton/North Haven/Dunbogan/West Haven and Lakewood, Bonny Hills, Kew/Kendall/Lorne/Herons Creek and neighbouring communities, Comboyne and neighbouring communities, North Shore, and Thrumster, Lake Innes, Innes Lake, Ascot Park and Sovereign Hills.

The council endorsed a draft Bonny Hills Community Plan and is amid development of community plans for the other five areas.

Council group manager community place Lucilla Marshall said the council would continue to work with those communities in the new year as well as progressively work in partnership with more communities to develop a total of 18 community plans through to 2020.

The plans will help shape the future of each area.

The place-based approach involves the council working with communities to identify, promote and enhance the distinctive character of their areas.

Ms Marshall said the communities had been really supportive.

More than 500 people have attended community think tanks.

“People are really engaged with the conversation,” Ms Marshall said.

“We are really encouraged by the amount of community members that want to get involved with developing their place and having a voice.”

She said the process was empowering the community to take hold of some of the actions and develop more of an understanding of how the council worked.

Kew resident and business owner Jason Bignell attended workshops as a step towards a community plan covering Kew/Kendall/Lorne/Herons Creek and neighbouring communities.

He said the community plans were a great idea.

“The community needs to have an avenue in which to have a voice,” he said.

Mr Bignell said the council needed to know what the community expectations were before it put plans in place.

The business owner has seen many positive changes in Kew over the years.

He said the business community was vibrant with new businesses coming into town and people wanting to be there.