Hello Dungog Shire. I'm Councillor James Campbell with your weekly Council Connect.
A big milestone for our Shire this week: Council has formally adopted the Dungog Housing and Infrastructure Master Plan at Wednesday night's extraordinary meeting. This is all about planning ahead for our future, making sure we grow in a way that works for our community, protects what we love about Dungog, and keeps up with housing and infrastructure needs. The plan brings everything together into one clear road map, looking at where new homes can go, how we can support farming land, protect our environment and make sure roads, services and infrastructure keep pace as we grow.
It also sets the foundation for future planning tools like the new Local Environment Plan and Development Control Plan, which will help guide decisions moving forward. However, we're not done yet. Throughout this process, Council has also identified, through strong community expectations to protect our environment, that an Environmental Land Study is needed to better protect our local environment. This is, sadly, a component for which Council was not initially successful in obtaining funding, but we hope to be in a strong position to secure such a grant soon.
Most importantly, this plan has been shaped by the community with strong local input through workshops, submissions, and drop-in sessions right across the Shire. This is about setting Dungog up for a sustainable, well planned. and thriving future and making sure growth happens the right way. Thanks to everyone who took the time to get involved in this important project by attending a workshop, coming to a drop-in session, or completing a survey.
And just a quick reminder that our Community Satisfaction Survey is closing this Monday 13 April at 5pm. If you haven't had a chance to complete the survey yet, there is still time. It only takes a few minutes, and it's an important way to tell us what matters to you. Your feedback helps shape the Council's priorities, services, and future projects. So we really encourage everyone to jump online and have their say before it closes.
Thank you.
