Mayor’s Message

Hornsby Shire Council’s commitment to open, transparent, and active partnership with you – through our exacting program of continuing community engagement – has defined Council’s budget and agenda for the coming 12 months, detailed here in our Delivery Program and Operational Plan. The community has made it clear that the future challenges for Hornsby Shire include responding to population growth, addressing housing affordability, responding to economic and technological change, taking action on climate change, and enhancing the social diversity and resilience within our community. This Delivery Program and Operational Plan sets out in detail the many steps Council will take to make Hornsby Shire a more resilient community, especially in relation to bushfires and extreme weather events, working with our community toward environmental sustainability, and maintaining our beautiful natural environment even as we provide for essential development. The Program details how we will progress sustainable transport planning and travel modes across the Shire, not only connecting our town centres to support our vibrant, innovative, and sustainable business and employment hubs but also to ensure that our rural communities thrive as local sources of agricultural produce. Wherever possible, we will incorporate carbon zero processes into the design, development and ongoing use of town centres. A major initiative in this respect will be the completion, exhibition, and adoption of our ambitious Hornsby Town Centre Review. The changes we aim to deliver for the Hornsby Town Centre are large-scale and will see the revitalisation of the Hornsby Town Centre to make it a more liveable, green and accessible centre for the community. In short, the Program is our guide as we move closer to our long-term goal of becoming a more active and healthy community with social, mental, and physical wellbeing for all. To realise the many aims of the Program, we must provide the supporting infrastructure to keep up with population growth and new development. Of course, local government everywhere must operate within strict budgetary constraints. After all, the money Council spends is not ours, but belongs to you, the community. Of note, included in the works program of the Operational Plan is significant funding for such projects as: „ Hornsby Park – $21 million „ Westleigh Park upgrade – $1.7 million „ Beecroft Town Centre Improvements – $600,000 „ Asquith to Mount Colah Public Domain Improvements – $3.5 million „ Local Road Improvements – $3.8 million „ Footpath Improvements – $500,000 among many other excellent initiatives. However, one of the wonderful things about Hornsby Shire is that each step detailed in our Delivery Program has been thoughtfully and carefully worked through. You will see from the Program there is a great deal of work both presently in hand and to be done. Indeed, this is an exciting time in the history of our Shire.

Philip Ruddock AO Mayor of Hornsby Shire Council