Planning documents under the microscope in April meeting

Published on 15 April 2025

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At the April Council meeting, Councillors discussed the next suite of planning documents to be exhibited including the Operational Plan and Delivery Program, the successful recipients of Round 2 of the Community Grants Program, and two Notices of Motion from Councillors Bain and Coburn. The first Notice of Motion referred to a greenwashing misconduct by Active Super, which is the default superannuation company used by Local Councils across NSW, and a request for a briefing on council managed crown lands, and a later briefing on management of crown lands generally. The Mayor also gave a delegate's report on the recent Country Mayor's Association meeting in Sydney.

Order of Business to be considered in open session

10.1. Draft Integrated Planning and Reporting Suite of Documents

10.2. Community Grants Program - Round 2

10.3. DA2401197 - KSC Depot, Dangar Street, West Kempsey

10.4. Dementia Friendly Organisation

10.5. Wigay Park Update

10.6. Statement of Cash and Investments - March 2025

11.1. Notice of Motion - Superannuation Greenwashing

11.2. Delegates Report - Country Mayors Association

11.3. Notice of Motion - Crown Land Management

12.1. Legal Matters

12.2. Audit, Risk & Improvement Committee - February 2025 Meeting Minutes and Annual ARIC and Internal Audit Performance Report to Council

 

You can view the full April 2025 agenda and business papers at Council meeting agendas & minutes. 

The meeting will be live-streamed via Council's YouTube page and on the Kempsey Shire Council website.  

Planning documents to go on exhibition

Following the approval to exhibit the Community Strategic Plan and the Community Engagement and Participation Plan at the April meeting, Councillors were asked to approve a suite of other planning documents for public exhibition at today's meeting, including:

a. Delivery Program 2025-2029

b. Long Term Financial Plan 2025-2035

c. Strategic Asset Management Plan 2025-2035

d. Workforce Management Plan 2025-2029

e. Operational Plan 2025-26

f. Revenue Policy 2025-26

g. Rates Map 2025-26

h. Fees and Charges 2025-26

In a thorough discussion, Councillors asked detailed questions around whether the larger documents could have an executive summary to assist with accessibility, the required timeframe for the renewal of some of the documents, including the Sporting strategy, funding, timing and costing around some of the larger projects such as Toose Road, the Five Headlands Walk, construction of a new waste cell, and community halls. There was also discussion around the importance of agriculture to the Macleay Valley, the impact of large once in a generation projects such as the water and sewer projects, intergenerational equity, changes in the financial sustainability strategy, staffing costs, strategies and policies, the importance of workplace culture in retaining staff, the mechanisms for costing projects, matters of finance, including the need for borrowing, among other topics.

  • The Delivery Program shows what is achievable, what the priorities are, and how programs will be scheduled over the current Council term.
  • The Resourcing Strategy describes how council will allocate resources - money, assets, people - to the items and programs listed in the Delivery Program, which includes the Long Term Financial Strategy. The updated financial sustainability plan is also included, which is currently based on the application of a partial rate rise of 7.5% as discussed at the February 2025 meeting.
  • The Operational Plan is the action plan for the upcoming financial year, outlining the projects, programs and activities that Council will do to meet the commitment made in the Delivery Program.
  • Fees and Charges outlines the proposed changes in council fees and charges for the 2025-2026 year.

For more information on these documents, read the Business Papers here.

Community Grants Program

Round 2 of the Community Program opened on 2 February 2025, with eligible community organisations invited to apply for grants under the following categories:

  • Community Projects Fund
  • Creative Macleay Fund
  • Sporting Fund
  • NAIDOC Week Micro Grants

Councillors were asked to approve the distribution of funds to the organisations that were assessed and approved by the Community Development team - of the 24 applications received, 11 were deemed successful and are recommended for funding, representing a total investment of $20,257. Successful recipients included:

  • Macleay Valley Rangers Soccer Club for new equipment: $2,500.00
  • Kempsey Pickleball for new equipment: $1,528.00
  • The Valley Equestrian Club for a self-lowering trailer ramp: $2,250.00
  • South West Rocks Netball Club for a PA Speaker: $500.00
  • South West Rocks Football Club for a new BBQ: $1,479.00
  • Samaritans Community Services (Headspace) for Cultural Healing Art Workshops: $5,000.00
  • YP Space Ngurra Creatives – free youth program offering art and music workshops: $5,000.00

  • South West Rocks Figtree Descendants for On Country by the Sea Community Day: $500.00

  • Dalaigur Preschool for a NAIDOC event at Dalaigur: $500.00

  • South Kempsey School P&C Macleay Schools NAIDOC celebrations: $500.00

  • Annecto for an Aboriginal Elders Luncheon: $500.

Notices of Motion

Superannuation Greenwashing

The superannuation company used as the preferred Super Fund for local government employees in NSW, Active/Vision Super, was fined $10.5 million for greenwashing misconduct in March 2025. 

Councillors agreed with Councillor Bain that Council should write to the President and CEO of Local Government NSW (LGNSW), as 50% shareholder of Active/Vision Super, and request that they publish a full written explanation and apology in the LGNSW email circular, review their status as preferred super fund for local government employees, and outline the safeguards which will prevent false and misleading conduct occurring in future.

Crown Land Management

In this Notice of Motion, Councillors Coburn and Bain requested that Council presents a briefing to Councillors on council-managed crown lands within the next couple of months. The briefing should include a coordinated budget analysis, project breakdown, summary and schedule of works and approval process to enable council fully understands the financial commitment and community sentiment around projects it approves. The Notice of Motion was amended to include a further request for another briefing on the broader crown land management and how it is funded and was passed unanimously.

Delegates report from the Country Mayor's Association

The Country Mayor's Association General Meeting was held on Friday, 28 March 2025, at Parliament House in Sydney. Themed around financial sustainability, the meeting brought together over 120 mayors and council delegates from across regional NSW. The agenda focused on council funding reform, financial performance, audit transparency, and investment opportunities. The day featured high-profile guest speakers including the Auditor-General, senior representatives from TCorp, and the Chair of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Council Funding. There was also a productive meeting with the Minister for Roads and Regional Transport, Jenny Aitchison regarding projects in the Macleay and Hastings local government areas.

 

More information

You can read the detailed agenda and reports in the business papers. 

You can view the meeting on Council's YouTube page. 

 

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