This week the draft one-year Operational Plan will be presented to council ahead of being put on exhibition for public review. Your review.
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Basically, the Operational Plan outlines what council is going to do for the year and how much it will cost.
It's like the Federal Budget only a lot closer to home. And our budget, once set is hard to mess with.
The Operational Plan 2021-22 will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days. Then changes will be made in response to the public response or other factors, such as the flood impact and some recently obtained grant funding too recent to be part of the current draft. After that it will be adopted by council.
The planned budget for the financial year is approximately $82 million and features around 200 items. Some of the major highlights for me are:
- Significant investment in refurbishing and maintaining our roads and bridges network
- Continued expansion of our water and sewerage treatment facilities
- The continued delivery of the Central Kempsey Sports Precinct
- Building the South West Rocks High Performance Centre and Macleay Valley Adventure Park
- Establishing a new waste landfill well
- Implementation of our Economic Development and Tourism Strategy
My dad was full of sayings. One of them was if you fail to plan you plan to fail. Another was to plan your work then work your plan. I really believe in these plans and the fact that they keep council on course. But it's not up to me, it's up to you.
Do not leave it to the loud few, step up, be an influencer, be a connector, be part of creating your own destiny, be at the table or you will get what you get. Have your say online at yoursay.macleay.nsw.gov.au from mid-week or come and talk to us about it at a council community event.
Some particularly good opportunities will be council's community catch-ups where councillors and staff spend a day engaging with communities. In the time of the Operational Plan exhibition there are three events:
- Frederickton April 21 at Frederickton Hall
- Kempsey May 6 at the Slim Dusty Centre
- Stuarts Point May 13 at Stuarts Point Community Hall
We'd love to see, and speak to you, there.