FAQ

Your submission can be long or short. It could include what you support, don't support or other factors which should be considered that may not have been included in the Draft Plan.

The 'Make a Submission' section form on this page allows you to upload an existing document of simply type your comments in the field provided. 

This Plan will provide a framework for Council to consider asset management planning and enable Council to respond to the changing and diverse community and cultural needs of the Coffs Harbour LGA. The Plan will guide and inform future land use planning processes for community and cultural facilities provision in growth areas.

The Plan will help Council guide allocation of resources, planning of capital works and infrastructure investment, or identify divestment or alternative options.  This allows a more efficient and effective response to ageing infrastructure, and a sustainable and flexible approach to changing community needs over time.

Buildings owned or managed by Council such as art galleries, community halls or centres, libraries, museums and theatres were assessed as part of this Draft Plan.

This includes community facilities where Council owns the land and multi-use facilities managed by section 355 committees.     

A broad analysis of other community-based facilities identified as key cultural or community resources across the LGA is also included, such as multi-use facilities (Sportz Central and Ayrshire Park), identified as managed by Council or located on Council owned land.

Open space, parks, public toilets, sports facilities and their related buildings are not included in this Plan.

Community and cultural facilities are buildings and spaces for groups to interact, promoting social cohesion, community connections, participation and a sense of belonging. 

They  provide a range of direct and indirect benefits to the community, such as gathering places, information and support, or education and learning. They are essential to the health and wellbeing of communities with suitable spaces needed to deliver services, programs, resources, events and activities to meet social, cultural and recreational needs.

Page 11 of the Draft Plan provides more information about benefits.

Local government is typically responsible for the funding, provision, operations and maintenance of community and cultural facilities. 

In order to achieve growth and upgrades for community and cultural facilities, Council must consider a range of management and funding models. In some cases, Council can play a facilitation or brokerage role which can assist groups located and negotiate the use or development of spaces. 

Page 13 of the Draft Plan provides more information about Council's role.

The Draft Plan was developed in 2019-2020 through a review of existing strategic documents, a broad community and cultural facility asset review, a community survey, population and demographic analysis, development of principles and decision making criteria and community engagement, (including interviews with venue and facility operators and managers).

Council seeks to provide and facilitate a network of well-located, multi-purpose and diverse range of community and cultural facilities in the Coffs Harbour LGA.  These facilities will respond to community needs and be adaptable over time. Best practice examples show that community and cultural facilities that support and promote community connection have a range of distinct features including:  

• flexible and adaptable design/floor plans

• shared internal and external spaces

• co-location with other activities and spaces

• availability for use by a wide range of groups.

Page 12 of the Draft Plan provides more information about Council's vision for its facilities. 

 A key part of the overall Community (includes Cultural ) Facility Planning project was to review recommendations from the Stage 2a) Performing Arts Space project.  

The final Performing Arts Centre Spaces Issues and Options Paper (indoor and outdoor)  assessed infrastructure needs for performing arts and events. This Final Report was presented to Council at its 10 September 2020 Meeting.  A link to the related project can be found on this Have Your Say page.

This is a separate project to the Cultural and Civic space project.

The Cultural and Civic Space project will provide a significant addition of Community and Cultural space to the Coffs Harbour LGA and beyond. The Library, Art Gallery and Museum included in the project will provide multi-purpose regional facilities that will enable a broad range of programs and activities to take place in the space. 

The Cultural and Civic Space project is being designed to combine arts, community and culture to create a lively community, civic and learning hub for a vibrant and active City Centre for Coffs Harbour. 

Note this project is planned in a separate delivery program and it not included as a priority project within this Plan. 

In December 2019 Council resolved to undertake consultation for a broader community and cultural facility planning process which includes the associated Issues and Options for Performing Arts Spaces (Indoor and Outdoor) Final Report and the City Hill Scoping Project Site Analysis in 2020. 

Feedback from these projects running simultaneously has taken into consideration a number of facilities included in this Draft Plan and the broader context of the current provision of facilities across the region. Between December 2019 and March 2020, consultation specific to the Draft Community and Cultural Facilities Plan included the following:

Interviews with key centre facility, venue stakeholders and hirers.
 Eight community facilities workshops; a community facilities survey and internal staff engagement.

Key priorities and recommendations have been developed from the review and research of facilities as well as the information gathered regarding the facility context. 

These recommendations include LGA-wide service needs, governance and operational projects and strategic and infrastructure projects.

Page 46-49 of the Draft Plan outlines the key priorities and recommendations proposed over the next 10 years.

The Draft Plan includes catchment areas (Northern, Central, Southern and Western) that provide a description of each catchment area, including a summary of key facilities, levels of provision, current and future uses, demand assessment, site opportunities and future directions. 

This information will inform the final Plan delivery program, asset management planning and further opportunities or decisions as they arise.

Page 40 of the Draft Plan provides more information about each catchment area description.

Key directions for the Northern Catchment Area are included on page 42 of the Draft Plan. These include:

• Provide a new Community Hub in Moonee Beach. 
• Maintain and upgrade Council owned and managed facilities. 
• Improve venue promotion and marketing to broaden venue utilisation. 
• Support community organisations in leased venues improve service delivery and facility management. Facilitate and broker opportunities for spaces to deliver youth focussed programs. 
• Undertake a concept plan to identify community uses on the broader Woolgoolga Pool Reserve Site. 
• Undertake a Library Branch expansion review (including governance and site arrangements within the Woolgoolga Library and Community Centre Crown Lands precinct).

Key directions for the Western Catchment Area are included on page 41 of the Draft Plan. This includes:

Community Halls 

• Maintain and upgrade existing facilities to standard that will allow utilisation over the whole year (e.g. heating, cooling and amenities). 
• Resource programming activities and events to assist the facilities to remain relevant. 
• Improve venue promotion and marketing to broaden venue utilisation. 
• Prepare an Eastern Dorrigo Community Hall and Showground Ulong concept plan to address broader site management, linkages and connections. 
• Review plans to undertake works to Lower Bucca Community Hall and cottage. Include within an internal portfolio and business model review. 

Nana Glen Sport, Recreation and Equestrian Centre 

• Maintain. Upgrade facilities to meet current regional equestrian facility site and equipment standards (permanent storage and upgrade event equipment). 
• Update NGSREC Management Plan to address recreation activity and determine appropriate site management. 
• Support programming that complements primary facility uses. 

Nana Glen Tennis Courts

• Upgrade facilities to meet current standards.

Key directions for the Central Catchment Area are included on page 44 of the Draft Plan. These include:

• Maintain and upgrade Council owned and managed facilities. 
• Improve venue promotion and marketing to broaden venue utilisation. 
• Explore opportunities for new community spaces within the Sapphire Beach area, including improvement to pedestrian and cycle linkages to the nearby Moonee Beach centre. 
• Review portfolio responsibilities and current business models for Sportz Central.

Community Village: 

• Undertake a masterplanning project to address site management, connections and urban design outcomes. 
• Community Village Meeting Room: maintain and continue as district level provision for community activities, learning, social inclusion and participation.
• Cavanbah Centre: maintain facility. Upgrade acoustics in the longer term. 
• Mudbrick huts: lease Hut spaces for cultural or creative incubator spaces. 
• 189B Harbour Drive (Old Museum): maintain and review management and alternative utilisation arrangements.  

Cultural Collections Facility: seek an appropriate location as part of an integrated corporate storage facility. 

City Hill: Undertake a masterplanning project to address options for the northern site (including National Cartoon@Bunker Gallery) and southern site portions. 

Jetty Memorial Theatre: Continue plans to expand rehearsal and multipurpose community spaces. 

Regional Performing Arts Centre/Theatre: Undertake a feasibility study to identify an appropriate site and develop a business plan within the City Centre Masterplan area. 

Youth and recreation hub: Investigate options and models to deliver a fit-for purpose youth hub.

The key directions for the Southern Catchment Area are included in page 43 of the Draft Plan. These include:

• Maintain and upgrade Council owned and managed facilities. 
• Improve venue promotion and marketing to broaden venue utilisation.
• Support community organisations in leased venues to improve service delivery and facility management. 
• Support and facilitate local service providers to provide programs within Council spaces that address social disadvantage such as youth drop-in or social support programs. 
• Undertake a review the broader Toormina precinct as part of a Branch Library network review. This may be incorporated with a Place Manual process and consider an option to relocate the Toormina Library, assess opportunities for youth spaces and improve connections to the Toormina Community Centre. 
• Investigate inclusion of a small community meeting space which could form part of the upgrades to the existing amenities building within Ayrshire Park. 
• Review utilisation and operations of the Sawtell Public Hall to address the facility name and expectation of this facility’s use.

Creative Spaces are discussed on page 37 of the Draft Plan,  in the various site opportunities sections and the Catchment Area Descriptions.