Titled Our Community, Our Plan, the IP&R documents outline Council's roadmap for the next decade and beyond, covering everything from operational expenditure, capital works, financial planning, rates, fees and charges.
The documents adopted by Councillors on Thursday included:
Operational Plan 2025–2026 (one year)
Delivery Program 2025–2029 (four years)
Resourcing Strategy 2025–2035 (10 years)
Imagine2050: Community Strategic Plan
Revenue Policy, Fees and Charges, and Rating Maps
The projected expenditure for 2025-26 is $336.1 million, including a $164.5 million capital works program designed to support our growing population and maintain essential infrastructure.
Some of the key infrastructure projects to be delivered or commenced in 2025-2026 include:
Cowarra Water Treatment Plant – $8 million
Maria River Road Upgrade – $15.8 million
Ocean Drive Duplication Project – $16.5 million
Thrumster Sporting Fields – $10.2 million
Northern Arm Trunk Water Main – $14.7 million
Thrumster Wastewater Treatment Plant – $6.2 million
Pembrooke Road Intersection - Stoney Creek Bridge upgrade - $5.8 million
Cairncross leachate disposal system - $3 million
Kew/Kendall Wastewater Scheme diversion - $2 million
In addition to this, Council will also progress major future planning for the Port Macquarie City Heart project, implement a new Airport Master Plan and undertake a review of its Urban Growth Management Strategy and development of a Land Use Strategy.
Upgraded play spaces will be delivered at Laurieton, Bindi Close, Greenmedows and The Boom Reserve, while sporting upgrades will also be delivered at Port Macquarie Regional Stadium and Wayne Richards Park.
Koala habitat mapping and the Coastal Management Program will also continue to progress.
Mayor Adam Roberts said the adopted plans reflect a carefully considered and fully funded budget approach.
"This budget is another example of Council's ability to invest in areas of critical importance that matter most to our community," Mayor Roberts said.
"It sets out considerations to sustainably manage short, medium and long-term objectives through thoughtful, strategic and balanced planning across several service delivery areas. These include road and water infrastructure, upgrades to parks and stormwater management. I'd like to thank the Council staff for its diligent planning and presentation of these plans and the community for their input during the public exhibition period."
A total of 68 per cent of people who provided feedback on an alternate rate proposal presented to the community for feedback, supported it.
Each year, the State Government - through the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) - sets a limit on how much Councils can increase rates - this is called the rate peg. For 2025–26, the rate peg has been set at 4.1 per cent.
In previous years, Council made the decision not to apply the full rate peg. Council has the opportunity to utilise the allowable rate revenue that hasn't been used in prior years.
For 2025–26, about $900,000 - the equivalent of around $20 extra per year for the average residential property - will now go towards funding the continuation of existing service levels for maintenance of essential services such as parks and stormwater management. That figure will be increased by a further $1.4 million from 2026-27. Previously these services were partially funded by reserves, which are no longer available to draw upon.
During the public exhibition period, Council received 127 formal submissions and held 24 engagement activities delivered across the LGA. 391 face-to-face consultations were also conducted.
More than 32,000 people were reached via digital and in-person methods, with strong input from residents aged 55+, people with disability, and local businesses.
Acting CEO Robert Fish said the community engagement results showed overall endorsement of the strategic direction of Council's plans.
"Feedback from community broadly indicated a desire for more equitable infrastructure investment across the LGA such as safer roads, footpaths and cycleways, as well as social and environmental factors including support for youth, people living with a disability, and aged services," Mr Fish said.
"I want to thank the community for its feedback in highlighting their needs and priorities and I look forward to enacting our new plans from 1 July."
