Dungog Shire Council adopts housing plan for region

COUNCIL formally adopted the Dungog Shire Housing and Infrastructure Master Plan at an Extraordinary Meeting on Wednesday, 8 April.

The Master Plan brings together a suite of key strategies into a single framework, establishing Council’s policy direction for sustainable development.

According to Dungog Shire Council, the integrated plans will guide where and how new housing is delivered, support working farming land, protect rural landscapes, and ensure that essential infrastructure and services keep pace with a growing community.

The framework also lays out the groundwork for a new Local Environmental Plan, Development Control Plan and Contributions Plan.

The plan was developed following a period of community consultation.

Council received a total of 38 formal written submissions, alongside 19 survey responses, approximately 170 attendees at drop-in engagement sessions, and 71 comments submitted through Council’s online mapping tool.

Mayor Digby Rayward said strengthening Council’s planning approach and proactively preparing for future needs positions Dungog Shire for a sustainable, well-managed and thriving future.

“The Housing and Infrastructure Master Plan is a perfect example of what can be achieved when our Council team, planning experts and the community all come together to provide input into what we all want to see for the Shire’s future.

“During the consultation period, we held several workshops in Dungog, Clarence Town, Vacy, Paterson and Gresford, and welcomed people of all ages and interests to contribute, including children from all local Shire schools.

“I’m really proud of what we have delivered in such a short period of time, and look forward to taking the Master Plan to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for consideration and endorsement,” Mayor Rayward said.

Key focus areas of the Master Plan include:

● Identifying opportunities for additional housing supply across the Shire, including in established towns and villages

● Supporting diverse housing options to meet the needs of current and future residents, including smaller lots

● Aligning growth with infrastructure capacity, including roads, services and community facilities

● Protecting environmentally sensitive areas, drinking water catchments and natural assets

● Providing a clear, strategic basis for future planning decisions and investment.

The plan also responds to the Hunter Regional Plan 2041, which suggests Dungog Shire Council will need to deliver a minimum 2400 new homes to keep up with population growth.