The City of Coffs Harbour has taken out a prestigious planning award for its Coffs Harbour Public Realm Strategy, and it is now in the running for the national titles next year.
The City won the Strategic Planning Project category at the 2023 NSW Awards for Planning Excellence run by the Planning Institute of Australia on 16 November.
“By 2040 it is estimated that the population of Coffs Harbour will exceed 100,000,” the City’s Mayor, Cr Paul Amos, said.
“The purpose of these types of strategies is to help us meet the needs of today and set us up well to meet future challenges.”
Innovation was at the core of the nomination, with the City being the first council in NSW to develop a comprehensive public realm strategy that aligns with the NSW Government’s Greener Places Framework. This means it incorporates green infrastructure, sustainable service levels, and improved opportunities for how the community will utilise public space.
“This is a great achievement, and testament to the excellent work of City staff from many teams to execute our Public Realm Strategy,” said City of Coffs Harbour General Manager, Natalia Cowley.
“These awards are only given to projects that demonstrate originality and innovation, high-quality outcomes, strategic alignment and great collaboration.”
The national awards will be held in Melbourne in May next year.
CAPTION: General Manager Natalia Cowley, acting Director City Planning and Communities, Ian Fitzgibbon, and Mayor Cr Paul Amos flank the City staff members Marcy Mills, Sarah Parbery and Tim Ruge, who were instrumental in the creation of the awarded strategy.
