At the March 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 regarding 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 March 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.
