Clarence Valley Council is proposing $197 million in Capital Works across the local government area for the 2025/2026 financial year that includes $86 million to be spent on water and sewer projects.
This follows a $97 million capital works program in the 2024-2025 financial year, and a record $210 million Capital Works program for the 2023-24 financial year after the region was devastated by floods in 2022.
Breaking down the $196 million investment sees $23.8 million to road and bridge infrastructure projects, $86 million allocated to water and sewer projects, $51.2 million to emergency restoration works for essential public asset repairs, $12.3 million to community facility and building projects, $3.6 million allocated to holiday parks projects and about $4.7 million to open spaces, sports field and floodplain projects.
The majority of the works in the program are renewal works, with grant funding of 37.1 per-cent, or about $72 million.
Capital works projects will include $9.98 million toward the Yamba Road- Southbank Road intersection flood resilience project, $1.2 million toward upgrading Maclean Netball Courts, $12 million toward the Maclean Cultural and Community Precinct, and $6 million to the Bluff bridge replacement.
The Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework also covers the 2025/2026 2028/2029 draft Delivery Program, the 2025/2026 draft Resourcing Strategy, the 2025/2026 draft Operational Plan and Budget, the draft Revenue Policy, and the draft Fees and Charges 2025/2026.
At the April 24 ordinary Council meeting, a motion was carried that Council:
1. endorse the following draft IP&R documentation for public exhibition until close of business on Monday 26 May 2025:
a. Delivery Program 2025/2026 to 2028/2029
b. Operational Plan 2025/2026 including Revenue Policy, Capital Works Program and Budget
c. Resourcing Strategy 2025/2026 incorporating Long Term Financial Plan, Workforce
Management Strategy and Asset Management Strategy
2. endorse the 2025/2026 Fees and Charges for public exhibition until close of business on Monday 26 May 2025.
3. note in line with the IP&R guidelines, community feedback will be collated, reviewed and updates made as required and will be returned to Council in June for consideration for adoption.
In a statement CVC said the Operational Plan sets out the projects and initiatives that Council will undertake in the next financial year to achieve the strategies in the Delivery Program 2026/2029 and community objectives in The Clarence 2036 – Community Strategic Plan.
Alongside the Operational Plan, public comment is also being sought on:
• Resourcing Strategy 2025/2026 – incorporates Long Term Financial Plan, Workforce Management Strategy and Asset Management Strategy;
• Draft Fees and Charges.
Each of these documents are created under the NSW Office of Local Government’s Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework (IP&R), which guides the way local government plans, documents and reports its future strategies.
These documents will be on exhibition on Council’s website until Monday 26 May 2025 at www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/on-exhibition
Once feedback from the public is considered, the draft plans will be brought before a future Council meeting where Councillors will vote on whether to adopt the drafts.