New citizens and a big infrastructure budget on Council's June agenda

Published on 22 June 2022

Some of the new Australian citizens greeted at the final meeting of this Council

The next Ordinary Council meeting will be held in Council Chambers from 9am on Tuesday 28 June. The meeting will be live streamed via Council's YouTube page and on the Kempsey Shire Council website.

For a full outline of the meeting and the discussion points, please refer to the Agenda and Business Papers.

Some of the significant items on the agenda include:

Citizenship Ceremony

On a packed agenda, the highlight is without doubt the opportunity to welcome 14 new Australian citizens.

There are 14 citizenship candidates (12 adults and 2 children) ready to become our newest Australians on Tuesday morning, heralding from countries including England, Philippines, Cambodia, India, Japan, Taiwan and New Zealand.

The Federal Government Member for Cowper, Pat Conaghan MP, will attend and participate in the ceremony which is set to take place at 10.15am followed by a morning tea.

Integrated Planning and Reporting - Council's annual budget

An unassuming name disguises a hugely significant topic as Council is set to approve the budget for the 2022-23 financial year in the Operational Plan as well as the projects for the next four years in the Delivery Program. 

The Operational Plan aligns with the community identified themes in the Delivery Program 2022-26 of Environment, Economy, Community and Leadership. These also directly link to Council’s Community Strategic Plan: 2042 Your Future. All three of these documents were drafted based on many years of community engagement.

The 2022-23 financial year will see the delivery of a $107 million capital works program across the shire that will result in a variety of new and replacement assets, facilities and infrastructure.

Largely driven by grant funding, the list of project includes:

  • Continued multimillion dollar investment in improving and maintaining the shire’s road network
  • Significant investment into waste management
  • Stuarts Point, Sherwood, and Central Kempsey Sewage Treatment Schemes
  • Reservoir refurbishments
  • Steuart McIntyre Dam Emergency Water Treatment Plant
  • Crescent Head and Willawarrin Water Treatment Plants
  • Flooding infrastructure rehabilitation and renewal
  • Slim Dusty Centre internal and external works
  • Kempsey Airport wildlife fencing
  • Kempsey Regional Saleyards infrastructure upgrade
  • South West Rocks Library and Community Hub planning and design
  • Horseshoe Bay Master Plan implementation
  • Smithtown Sporting Fields lighting upgrade
  • Crescent Head Foreshore works
  • Kempsey sports precinct
  • Macleay Valley Adventure Recreation Park
  • Capital improvements across Council’s five Macleay Valley Coast Holiday Parks.

Sustainability and Resilience Strategy

Hot off the back of winning the Sustainability Award at the recent Macleay Valley Business Awards, Council will look to approve the Sustainability and Resilience Strategy to go on exhibition along with an action plan to guide implementation.

If approved, Council will publicly exhibit the draft strategy for a period of 28 days, prior to reporting back to Council on submissions received and for adoption of the final strategy. This follows a substantial process of community engagement carried out in the drafting process.

The strategy will provide a platform to initiate and guide action that will improve environmental sustainability at a local level by:

  • reducing costs through improving efficiency and living more sustainably
  • supporting renewable energy technologies
  • improving our use of resources
  • raising levels of understanding and awareness of sustainability issues

Cemetery Services Strategy

Kempsey Shire Council operates 11 cemeteries throughout the local government area. With increased regulation and legislative requirements, greater competition and changing burial preferences Council has developed a Cemetery Strategy to set the roadmap and framework that guides:

  • the cost effective development of physical cemetery infrastructure that meets the needs of the community in a variety of ways
  • delivery of the associated services to enable the community and the broader industry to readily interact with the cemetery facilities.

Following the recent public exhibition of the Kempsey Cemeteries – Strategy and Master Plan, Council will review the submissions and discuss the adoption of the strategy and master plans.

Order of Business considered in open session includes:

8.1. Local Traffic Committee - Minutes 7 June 2022

9.1. Citizenship Ceremony

9.2. Integrated Planning and Reporting 2022-2026

9.3. Making of Rates and Annual Charges

9.4. Mayoral and Councillor Fees for 2022-23

9.5. Slim Dusty Centre

9.6. Sustainability and Resilience Strategy

9.7. Organisational Structure

9.8. Toose Road Landslip - Impacted Landowner Supports

9.9. Mid North Coast High Performance Centre, South West Rocks - Management Agreement

9.10. Change of Council Meeting Date due to 2022 Local Government Elections

9.11. Draft KSC Cemetery Services Strategy

9.12. Trial Bay Gaol Access Road Inclusion into Arakoon National Park

9.13. Inclusion of a Public Road within Limeburners Creek National Park into the National Park

9.14. Land Acquisition for Sewage Pumping Station - Gregory Street, South West Rocks

9.15. Fee & Charges Associated with Landowner Replacement of Bridges over Flood Mitigation Drains

9.16. Statement of Cash and Investments - June 2022

10.1.1. Dhungutti Language 

Speak about items on the agenda

Before each ordinary meeting, Council holds a public forum to hear from members of the community about items on its business agenda. Public forums may also be held before extraordinary Council meetings and Council committee meetings.

Applications to speak at the public forum close at noon on Friday.  If you wish to address Council, please see apply to speak at a public forum.

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