Port Macquarie Hastings Council has endorsed a new Financial Sustainability Action Plan aimed at protecting Council's long-term capacity to deliver the services, infrastructure and facilities the community relies on.
Adopted at Council's August Ordinary Meeting, the Financial Sustainability Action Plan 2026-2029 establishes a coordinated, whole-of-Council approach to strengthening financial sustainability and respond to financial pressures facing local government.
It is underpinned by six areas of focus: stronger governance and decision-making; operating efficiency and cost control; value-for-money services; revenue and financial returns; strategic asset management; and financial resilience.
General Manager Robert Fish said the plan will assist Council's financial management, ensuring decisions made today support Council's ability to provide the essential services residents need now and into the future.
"Council is entrusted with managing significant community funds, assets and infrastructure, and with that comes a responsibility to make considered decisions about how those resources are used," Mr Fish said.
"It is about ensuring Council remains capable of maintaining our infrastructure, delivering the services our community relies on and responding to the needs of a growing region over the long term.
"It will also enable us to address emerging pressures outside of our control, such as global conflicts, natural disasters or other unexpected events, and allow us to continue making considered choices about our services, assets, investments and priorities."
Like all councils across NSW, Port Macquarie Hastings Council is operating in an environment of increasing costs for construction, materials, energy, insurance and labour.
At the same time, Council is responsible for a large and growing asset base requiring ongoing maintenance and renewal, while community expectations and demand for services continue to increase.
These assets, however, are currently not being renewed at the same rate they are deteriorating. Continued population growth is also placing a strain on the demand for both existing assets and new infrastructure.
Mr Fish also said Council is currently operating with an unsustainable General Fund deficit, but was confident the Financial Sustainability Action Plan would help Council take proactive action to strengthen its financial position, in order to allow for the uninterrupted delivery of services and essential infrastructure the community relies on.
"The Financial Sustainability Action Plan will give us a framework to address our financial pressures now, rather than waiting until our choices become more limited."
The Plan brings together initiatives from across Council and establishes clearer accountability, monitoring and reporting around financial sustainability.
Actions include improving Council's understanding of the cost and funding of services; identifying and capturing measurable efficiencies; benchmarking Council's financial performance; managing energy costs; strengthening revenue and investment opportunities; and improving long-term asset planning.
"A financially sustainable Council is better positioned to deliver on the priorities and expectations our community has identified for the future of the Port Macquarie Hastings region," Mr Fish said.
"This Plan does not put financial outcomes ahead of community priorities. It is about considering the two together and understanding what our community needs, what Council can sustainably afford and how we fund those priorities over the long term.
"Ultimately, we want to ensure Council has the financial resilience and capacity to continue serving our community, investing in our region and responding to future challenges and opportunities."
Implementation of the Financial Sustainability Action Plan will occur progressively over 2026-2029, with actions monitored and reported to ensure financial sustainability remains embedded in Council's planning and decision-making.
