I am pleased to advise that the North Arm Cove and Carrington Local Community Plan has been completed.
When we first started preparing it in February 2021, following instigation of the process in mid 2020 by MidCoast Council, we didn't expect it would take so long. But despite Covid lockdowns, steering group members leaving the Cove, disagreements with Council staff on the plan content, and then Council rescinding the community plan framework without any consultation, we have finally got a completed plan.
Importantly, the initiatives in the plan reflect the needs and desires of North Arm Cove residents, and they have not been altered to suit the wishes of Council staff - late last year we were told by a Council director that the plan would not be submitted to Council unless some parts of the report were toned down. We refused to do this, and the final version is based on what our residents said - and it has now been accepted by Council staff. It is scheduled to be presented to Councillors at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 24 August!
On behalf of the steering group I would like to thank all the residents who lodged submissions on the draft plan during the four week feedback period in June. There were a total of 18 submissions lodged during this period. Feedback was very positive, with comments such as:
- brilliant job
- I believe you have covered the ongoing issues and needs within the villages that have existed for many years
- a most professional job
- thanks for all the great work
A number of suggestions were made on the draft plan, and as a result of these amendments were carried out. Not all of the suggestions were included in the final version.
There are a total of 33 initiatives in the plan. We do not expect that these will all be implemented straight away - many of them require a lot of work and some will require significant funding. It could take as long as 20 years to implement them all.
Importantly, the plan is intended to be a "live" plan, and not one that sits on a Council shelf and gathers dust as many other Council plans have done in the past. We need to work closely with Council on implementing it, regularly review progress, and be prepared to amend it as needed as things change. The plan will also be a very useful document to support grant applications.
The first steps in implementing the plan are:
- Plan to be presented to the 24 August Council Ordinary Meeting
- Council to provide copies of the plan to all Council managers so they are aware of its content and can include it in their planning processes
- Hold a meeting with Council staff to determine a short list of initiatives to start off with - this will be held in about two weeks.
Council staff have advised that they are committed to working with us to implement the plan, and we are looking forward to seeing things happen!
A copy of the plan is attached below.
