Coffs Harbour Regional City Action Plan should be celebrated in style says Mayor Denise Knight
The Coffs Harbour plan is the first to be released in NSW so it deserves to be celebrated says Mayor Denise Knight.
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Mayor Denise Knight is calling for Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh to join her in officially launching the region’s 20-year action plan.
It‘s the final version of the NSW Government’s plan for Coffs Harbour and will provide the structure to manage and shape the city’s growth so it came as a surprise when it was released with a whimper earlier this month.
It was announced via a press release from the NSW Government‘s Department of Planning, Industry and Environment - with no photo opportunities or even any reference to Coffs Harbour State MP Gurmesh Singh or Coffs Harbour City Council.
The Coffs Harbour Regional City Action Plan is the first one to be finalised in the State.
Council has been eagerly awaiting the release of the final plan for several months and general manager Steve McGrath said it came as a bit of a surprise to be released in such a low key manner.
The Advocate contacted Mr Singh for comment and while he would not be quoted on the matter, he indicated the severe storms at Corindi had impacted plans for an official launch.
Cr Knight has also been led to believe the weather impacted a more fitting launch.
“Now the weather has eased I look forward to formally marking this point in time and launching it alongside the Local Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh and other key figures, State and Federal,” Cr Knight said.
“Critical to the success of the plan are the various Collaboration Opportunities listed with State Agencies and others.”
Her favourite ‘collaboration opportunity’ is the one stating that Council will, with advice from stakeholders, cluster major arts and cultural infrastructure in the city centre to bring life to the city and make better use of public transport, taxi services, parking and ancillary services like cafes and restaurants.
She says there’s has been so much hard work put in by the State Government on this Plan since 2018.
“And the vision is brilliant. I applaud everyone who has been involved including members of the community who worked hard on their submissions to help ensure the content reflects community views.”
The plan also recognises that the city centre is critical to Coffs Harbour’s success as a regional city.
“It supports its role as a civic and cultural hub - a community gathering place offering arts and culture and a place that will host a significant share of the city’s jobs and businesses, as well as opportunities for learning and collaborating and professional and civic services for the larger regional catchment.”
Arts and culture back on the agenda
Screenwave International Film Festival Co-Director Dave Horsley was happy to see the emphasis on arts, culture, and creative industries in the plan.
“This is a priority in our community and will attract and create additional jobs, funding, festivals, performances, and artists for our beautiful region well into the future,” Mr Horsley said.
“When the draft Regional City Action Plan was released, it was plain to see Arts, Culture, and Creative Industries was omitted.
“When we realised this our local creative industry workers pulled together and campaigned for creativity - from jobs, to liveability, to vibrancy - to be added as a priority for the community.”
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