Key strategic documents that focus on the Northern Beaches community’s aspirations and priorities along with the resources required to deliver on the Council’s commitments to the community and maintain long term sustainability are open for community feedback.
The documents on exhibition include the Draft Community Strategic Plan 2040 which outlines the long-term vision for the Northern Beaches, as well as the Delivery Program 2025-2029 and Operational Plan and Budget 2025/26 which detail the specific actions and projects that will be undertaken to achieve these goals.
Northern Beaches Council Mayor Heins said "We are committed to delivering on the community's aspirations while maintaining critical infrastructure. To do this we are focussing on the basics including investing millions of dollars in our road and footpath network which have suffered from the impacts of ongoing weather and flood activity along with stormwater infrastructure improvements critical to protecting the community against increasing storm and flood activity. Some key highlights include:
- $25.3m improving road assets which includes $9.5m for resurfacing roads
- $14.9m on priority stormwater management works to reduce flooding and pollution
- $4.0m on Newport to The Serpentine section of the Coast Walk, renewing Stuart Sommerville Bridge Queencliff as well as a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge at Queenscliff
- $3.4m on town and village centres including works at Church Point
- $3.2m on new and improved footpaths across 23 suburbs
In addition to ongoing service and infrastructure delivery, Council is committed to realising productivity savings in its operations to reduce the burden on rates. A Productivity Journey and Improvement Plan commits Council to achieving ongoing operational savings totalling $5m in the next three years, and one-off capital savings totalling $10m in the next five years.
“Council is proposing $2m in savings next financial year through scaling back events and making changes to the levels of service of the Hop Skip and Jump Bus, the closure of vacation care along with optimising our fleet.”
The budget also proposes Council increase the community-led event grants program by $86k to a total of $189k for the year.
"We are continuing to look for ways to build on efficiencies and savings already made and have made tough decisions to reduce certain services. It is crucial that we budget to maintain the critical infrastructure and services that our community needs and relies on," Mayor Heins added.
“Community feedback is critical to all we do and I encourage everyone who lives and works in the area to review the draft Community Strategic Plan, Delivery Program, Resourcing Strategy and supporting documents to ensure they align with your vision for our area into the future,” Mayor Heins said.
The 2025/26 draft budget has been boosted by an additional $16 million from a proposed Special Variation to rates application, which is currently being assessed by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal. If this is approved by IPART and then adopted by Council, rates would increase by an extra 8.3% in the 2025/26 year in addition to the 3.8% rate peg, which is an extra $29 per quarter for the typical residential rate notice to fund:
- $5 million for improvements to roads, footpaths and stormwater infrastructure
- $4 million to improve facilities, rockpools, playgrounds and grass mowing schedules
- $3 million to expand tree maintenance and planting, compliance services, environmental and natural risk reduction programs and natural disaster funding
- $4 million to deliver future major projects.
Information and to access to the draft documents will be available on the Northern Beaches Your Say page on Thursday 17 April.
Media contact: For media enquiries or images please phone 0481 907 545 or email media@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au