Hornsby Shire Council’s draft 2024-2027 Delivery Program and 2024/25 Operational Plan (DPOP), which details the many steps Council will take to ensure Hornsby Shire becomes more resilient and maintain its natural environment, was adopted for public exhibition at its General Meeting on Wednesday 10 April.
The community has made it clear that its priorities for Hornsby Shire include responding to population growth, addressing housing affordability and the cost of living, responding to economic and technological change, taking action on climate change, and enhancing the social diversity and resilience within our community.
The DPOP is the blueprint for achieving the community’s agenda for the coming 12 months, with many carefully planned major projects and initiatives mapped out, as Council awaits the outcome of its application for an exemption to the proposed NSW Government’s reforms to accelerate housing delivery.
With the adoption of the Hornsby Town Centre Masterplan last year, Council is already well set up for growth as it starts to implement this innovative plan to strengthen the economic, employment and housing capabilities of the Town Centre.
As it continues to prepare for the Shire of the future, Council has determined the infrastructure should be of a standard that our growing population expects and deserves. Therefore, this year it will spend just over $65 million on capital projects.
Hornsby Shire Mayor the Hon Philip Ruddock AO said, “This Delivery Program and Operational Plan sets out in detail how Council will prepare for extreme weather events, work with our community toward environmental sustainability, and maintain our beautiful natural environment even as we provide for essential development.”
“We will build strength as a community through the implementation of our Disability Inclusion Action Plan and Healthy Ageing Strategy and present programs, events and activities to promote community connectedness.”
Other highlights of the DPOP include:
- Local road and traffic improvements ($5.6 million)
- Footpaths and shared paths ($4.7 million)
- Draining improvements ($1.5 million)
- Improvements to parks, playground and sporting facilities ($12.5 million)
- Open space recreation including Hornsby Park and Westleigh Park ($26.9 million)
- Public domain upgrades ($6.9 million)
The 2024-2027 Delivery Program and 2024/25 Operational Plan will be made available for the community to give feedback from 11 April to 13 May 2024. Following public exhibition and consideration of all submissions, the Delivery Program and Operational Plan will be referred to Council for further consideration and adoption before 30 June 2024.
Also at last night’s meeting, Council:
- On receiving a Mayoral Minute, resolved to request changes to planning controls for the establishment of tobacconist and vape shops to require approval through the development application process
- Agreed to call on the NSW Government to reconsider recent amendments to waste tendering requirements under the Local Government Regulation, from another Mayoral Minute
- Adopted the draft all electric residential buildings amendments to the Hornsby Development Control Plan 2013 for public exhibition, noting educational material on the health effects of gas emissions be distributed to residents and a submission be sent to the NSW Government requesting a state-wide ban on new gas connections
- Classified 3 Gloria Close, Mount Colah and 529 Galston Road, Dural as Operational Land
- Received and noted the contents of the Director’s Report on investments and borrowings for the period ending 29 February 2024
- Adopted the draft Planning Agreements Policy 2024 for public exhibition
The full agenda of the meeting, along with details of each item discussed, can be found at hornsby.nsw.gov.au. The video recording of the meeting will be available from Friday afternoon.
