COMMUNITY CONNECT
Winter 2016
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Newsletter
Clarence Murray Intersection upgrade
DO YOU KNOW HOW THE MONEY’S SPENT?
Y
our Council raises revenue from a variety of different sources including rates and annual charges paid by property owners, in order to deliver a broad range of services for our community. The income that Council receives is allocated to services that include our road and transport network, delivering waste services, water supply, parks and recreation, ferry services, libraries, community initiatives and many other vital services. It’s a mammoth task to deliver all these services to the standard our community expects, with the limited money available. That’s why Council places a lot of effort in how it prioritises where it spends funds, including your rates and the standard to which the many services are delivered. The graph following highlights some of the major areas of expenditure on services budgeted in 2016-17.
PMHC LISTENING
$M Budget Spend 2016-2017 Roads & Transport Sewerage Services Water Supply Waste Management
43.5 21.3 20.3 17.3
Parks & Recreation 5.6
A significant proportion is allocated to roads and transport, including upgrading, replacing and repairing our 1,300 kilometre network of sealed and unsealed roads. The 4.43% special rate variation that was awarded to Council by IPART and applied to rates from July 2012, was allocated to help fund the replacement and repair of our road infrastructure. This included increasing our
unsealed road grading program, high traffic road resealing, road pavement rejuvenation and design for new road construction. Council has been working closely with our community to determine what you value, and how we prioritise services, including determining the standard to which these services are delivered. We call this our ‘Service Review Program’ and you will hear more about this, and have the opportunity to contribute in the coming months. Council’s Operational Plan for the 20162017 financial year will help you further understand how your rates are spent, and highlights the many projects that are planned for the year. You can download your copy at Council’s website pmhc.nsw.gov.au/ operationalplan or pick one up at any Council Customer Service Centre or Library.
Have you seen our ‘pmhclistening’ website? With updates on major projects and forums to discuss new initiatives, it provides an opportunity for you to have your say. We’d love to hear your feedback and ideas at pmhclistening.com.au
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA
Bagnoo Bridge, Byabarra
Wauchope/Rural FROM YOUR
MAYOR PETER BESSELING Welcome to the winter edition of Community Connect. 2016 seems to be flying by and you will have noticed lots of activity across our entire Local Government Area, as Council delivers a number of high profile projects. Whilst works can sometimes interrupt our regular routine, the longer term benefits clearly outweigh any short term inconvenience and I would like to thank everyone for your patience and understanding during this busy period. Improvements to our road network have been a major focus with the resealing of roads in the Camden Haven, upgrades along Comboyne Road, timber bridge replacements across the LGA, the Lake Road roundabout, Hastings River Drive upgrade and of course the new Stingray Creek Bridge. These are just some of the road upgrade and improvement works, and Council will continue this commitment in the coming financial year which includes an allocation of an additional $500,000 to rural road maintenance, $900,000 for resealing of roads in Wauchope, $4.5 million towards the reconstruction of Houston Mitchell Drive and $1.25 million for the second stage of upgrading Beechwood Road. All Councillor’s would like to thank you again for your input, feedback and involvement as we continue our commitment to make the Port Macquarie-Hastings the best place in Australia to live, work and play.
>> 50m Pool Redevelopment: Works underway >> Wauchope Main Street Plan: Design underway >> Comboyne Road - timber bridge replacements on Hyndman’s and Bulli Creek: Construction soon to start. >> Sancrox 20ML Reservoir: Complete >> Small Town Sewerage Program: Comboyne, Long Flat and Telegraph Point: Planning complete. Awaiting State funding. >> Replacement of Water Treatment membranes at Comboyne and Long Flat: Complete >> Beechwood Road upgrade between Rosewood Road and Riverbreeze Drive: Construction soon to start >> Resealing of Wauchope Local Streets: Planning underway/funded >> Timbertown Crescent playground upgrade: Complete. >> Allans Road Playground: Complete
Laurieton/ Camden Haven
>> Stingray Creek Bridge replacement: Construction underway
Timber Town Reserve Playground, Wauchope
>> Southern Arm Trunk Main: Construction continuing >> Camden Haven Sewerage Pump Station: Sewer Pump Station upgrade: Complete with upsizing of mains continuing >> Houston Mitchell Drive Upgrade: Construction underway >> Kew Waste Transfer Station: Construction tenders called >> Dunbogan Flood Access Road: Complete >> Lake Cathie foreshore viewing platform replacement: Complete >> Wall Reserve North Haven park furniture and BBQ upgrades: Complete >> Vince Inmon Lighting upgrades: Complete >> Lighting upgrades: Lake Cathie Complete >>Batar Creek Road (Kendall) timber bridge replacement: Construction soon to start >>Albert Street (Kendall) timber bridge replacement: Construction soon to start
Port Macquarie
>> Town Centre Master Plan, beautification, Clarence St: Complete >> Town Square and Town Green Development: Detailed design underway
North Shore Sewer
>> Indoor Stadium Redevelopment: Works underway >> Town Beach North amenities and kiosk Construction soon to start >> Town Beach Marine Rescue Building and Kiosk Redevelopment Works complete >> Ocean Drive Duplication: Design underway >> Cairncross Waste Facility Expansion: Complete >> Park furniture replacement at Westport Reserve: Complete >> Lake Road Roundabout and Blackbutt road: Construction underway >> Lord Street Rehabilitation: Construction complete >> Hastings River Drive upgrade: Complete >> Wayne Richards Park development and expansion of playing field footprint: Designs complete, works to start soon >> Lighting upgrades Stuart Park, Wood St and Findlay Park: Complete >> North Shore Sewer Complete >> Gordon Street upgrade between Horton Street and Lake Road Construction soon to start
AN IMPORTANT CHANGE TO YOUR RATE PAYMENT OPTIONS From October 2016 you will no longer be able to pay your rates and water bills over the counter at Australia Post. For more information on other options to pay visit pmhc.nsw.gov.au/paymyrates or contact Customer Service on 6581 8111.
OUR COMMUNITY ASKS ... ABOUT ROADS
T
here are more than 1,400 roads within the Port MacquarieHastings Council Local Government Area (LGA), covering more than 1,300kms. These include single lane unsealed roads servicing rural areas through to high traffic arterial roads with more than 15,000 vehicle movements per day. What roads are being worked on this year and how do I keep informed of these works? Major road upgrades for the new financial year include Houston Mitchell Drive, Beechwood Road, Gordon Street in Port Macquarie and Ocean Drive in Lakewood. Council keeps the community informed by direct mail for those residents who are in the immediate area of road upgrades, as well as using roadside notice boards, the myroadinfo website, Council’s Facebook page, local media and Council’s website pmhc.nsw.gov.au. Why does Council work on some roads at night and not others? Surely it would get finished earlier and there would be less disruption? Council ensures that all projects balance the cost, time and impact on the community whilst ensuring all quality, safety and environmental goals are met. Sometimes operating after hours provides significant benefit in both time and cost, however this is not necessarily the case on all projects. Council has undertaken night works on a number of occasions where there is benefit, however this must be weighed up for each individual project. On some projects, the nature of the work is such that night works may not be appropriate, cost effective or provide significant benefit to the community. How does Council prioritise road repairs? Council prioritises road repairs in accordance with our risk matrix and roads hierarchy. The type of repair, the location of the repair within the road, the roads ranking in the hierarchy list and potential risk to the community determine how quickly resources are allocated to a repair. Details on the prioritising of road repairs are available on Council’s website at pmhc.nsw.gov.au/roads.
Dr Maree Smith, Manager Environmental Laboratory
MEET OUR TEAM DR MAREE SMITH
M
aree has a passion for science and a love of understanding how and why things work. A self-confessed “nerd” she believes science can improve our quality of life at many different levels – from the routine workings of our everyday lives to global issues like climate change. A Laboratory – why would Council need one? Council delivers a wide range of services to the community including the provision of safe drinking and reclaimed water, the collection and treatment of sewage and the management of waste at various landfill sites. Regular water quality testing is conducted on surrounding surface waters (rivers, creeks and beaches) which is essential to ensure Council is meeting health, legislative, environmental and operational requirements. The Laboratory plays an essential role in undertaking this testing. The data generated is used to make informed decisions regarding processes and to demonstrate compliance and public safety. Tell me something that the community would not know about this function of Council? The Laboratory is also available to provide a commercial testing service. It currently provides such services to other local governments, state government, private businesses and private individuals.
Plomer Road Reseal
In the coming months, the Laboratory will be relocating to the new Charles Sturt University (CSU) campus at Lake Innes. The new state-of-the-art laboratory facility will position Council’s water quality analysis capability at the forefront of the water industry and provide opportunities to further develop the laboratory’s commercial testing services.
THE BIG AXE IS GETTING READY FOR A BIG MAKEOVER
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isted as one of the 10 most fascinating BIG things of Australia, the Big Axe is getting ready for a makeover thanks to a community grant from Port MacquarieHastings Council. The Big Axe has seen better days, with the community of Kew pondering how they could raise funds to ensure their icon remains intact and continues to be an attraction for travellers. The larger than life sight is part of the regions significant history, with the first timber milling in the Camden Haven stemming back to the 1860s. This icon continues to bring people off the highway and makes for a highly entertaining memory for those exploring the beautiful Camden Haven region The Big Axe is eight (8) times the size of a ‘normal’ axe, and was originally built by Rufus McCarthy in memory of his brother, Manny, who at 23 won his first championship at the Sydney show, going on to win the World Championship Wood Chopping title 27 times. Located alongside the Kew Visitor Information Centre, the original 1979 structure was replaced in 2002 due to ant damage by old timber industry men Archie Barr and Ray O’Neill.
HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH COUNCIL Good communication is at the heart of good customer service. To connect with Council you can: > Visit our website pmhc.nsw.gov.au > Connect with us on Facebook facebook.com/pmhc2444 > Subscribe to our e-news pmhc.nsw.gov.au/subscribe > Have your say at pmhclistening.com.au
The axe head was restored by Gibson Engineering of Kendall, and the handle was shaped out of a log by Ray who speaks passionately about his time working with his boss and good friend Rufus for over 23 years. The Kew Information Centre (iKew) is home of the Big Axe and is staffed seven days between 10am and 4pm by local volunteers who are passionate about sharing the insights of our beautiful region. Keep up to date with the Big Axe restoration project by liking Council’s Facebook page. For more information on Council’s Community Grants program visit: pmhc.nsw.gov.au/communitygrants.
MAJOR EVENTS Our region has a fantastic reputation when it comes to hosting major events. Council recognises that we have a proactive community who are keen to add to our major event calendar, but might need a little help in getting their events off to a running start. Council’s Event Sponsorship Program provides the perfect opportunity for local event organisers to do this. For more information visit pmhc.nsw.gov.au/eventsponsorship. Some great events scheduled across the Port MacquarieHastings supported by this program include: > King of the Mountain – 21 August > 3 Rivers 3 Races Challenge – 28 August
> Contact our Customer Service Officers on 6581 8111 or email council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au
> Ekam Yoga Festival Port Macquarie – 18 September
> Drop into any of our Customer Service Centres located in Port Macquarie, Wauchope and Laurieton.
For more information on events in the Port MacquarieHastings go to portmacquarieinfo.com.au/events.
GLASSHOUSE WHATS ON glasshouse.org.au
PORT MACQUARIE OFFICE Corner of Lord & Burrawan Streets Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Phone: (02) 6581 8111
> Port Macquarie Beer & Cider Festival – 24 September
Opera Australia’s
MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
Bell Shakespeare OTHELLO by William Shakespeare
Saturday 13 August, 7.30pm
Wednesday 28 September, 2pm & 8pm
WAUCHOPE OFFICE High Street Wauchope NSW 2446 Phone: (02) 6589 6500
PMHC.NSW.GOV.AU
LAURIETON OFFICE Laurie Street Laurieton NSW 2443 Phone: (02) 6559 9958