Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is in the process of finalising details to install an innovative new parking system in the Port Macquarie CBD which is set to revolutionise parking management.
Electro-magnetic vehicle overstay detection systems, which operate via an in-ground unit embedded beneath parking spots will soon be installed in time limited spaces along Horton and Hay Streets, Port Macquarie. Highly visible signage at all locations will explain that the systems are in use.
Council’s Director of Development and Environment, Matt Rogers, “The availability of parking in the Port Macquarie CBD was becoming an increasingly important issue in the community.
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Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will start work on a new cycleway in Wauchope straight after the Christmas holidays.
Work will commence on the Beechwood Road cycleway linking Bain Street to the Riverbreeze Estate. Work was due to begin in October, however due to a review of the scope of works and its impact on the available funding for this project, it was necessary to delay the commencement of works.
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The Northern Region joint regional planning panel (JRPP) has approved a development application in Port Macquarie at its first meeting since the introduction of regional panels in July.
Northern Region JRPP Chair Garry West said the panel had accepted recommendations from planning staff at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to approve a new retail complex at Hayward Street, Port Macquarie.
“The introduction of regional panels has been a historic step for the planning system in New South Wales,” Mr West said.
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New speed zones proposed for the Port Macquarie Local Government Area will be on public display from today.
Earlier this year the Roads and Traffic Authority conducted a review of speed zones along Ocean Drive and Hastings River Drive and have recommended 5 speed zone changes.
During the review process, submissions from the community were invited commenting on the existing speed zones as well as suggesting changes.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s Director of Infrastructure Services, Jeffery Sharp said, “The RTA is proposing to introduce the speed zone changes next year.
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Labour force data released this week shows that Port Macquarie-Hastings has clearly the lowest unemployment rate of all other Mid North Coast Councils. The data released by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations indicates that the Port Macquarie-Hastings economy continues to perform strongly.
According to Council’s Manager of Economic Development Mr Trevor Sargeant, a key to the very good performance of the economy is the increase in productivity levels, that is the increase in output per worker hour.
“While our area continues to be bound by a range of external influences such as inflation, interest rates and global competition, over which we have little control, productivity grew to around $43,500 in 2008 per employed person. This is a growth of about 4.5% each year since 2001,”said Mr Sargeant.
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A report at tonight’s Council meeting flagged the likelihood of a poor outcome for two of Council’s investments following on from the impact of the global financial crisis.
While Council’s investment portfolio has recently performed above benchmark, advice from Oakvale Capital is that Torquay, which was to mature in June 2013, and Scarborough, which was to mature in June 2014, are now at risk of default and are therefore highly unlikely to realise their invested value. Their combined value was $4.5 million.
Acting Director of Corporate and Business Services, Craig Swift-McNair said, “Since the beginning of the global financial crisis Council has continued to mark down the value of its investment portfolio to reflect valuations provided by its independent financial advisors, Oakvale Capital.
“Council’s $25m CDO portfolio was down some $8.5m at the commencement of last financial year and has lost a further $7.2m in value since then
“We are now likely to realise what have been to date ‘paper losses’ on two of council’s CDO investments. We have taken the view that these investments are not expected to return any capital and are carried in council’s books at a nominal value of just over $50,000.
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Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will be undertaking repair works to the rock wall at Town Beach which was damaged during the storms earlier in the year.
The recent work by the Department of Lands has allowed for a partnership approach where the same contractor will undertake the works.
The works will place new rock between the breakwall and the carpark. The works will commence tomorrow (Friday) and should be completed by next Wednesday.
Funding has been provided by Council and the Department of Environment and Climate Change’s Coast & Estuary program.
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Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is to review the number of councillor positions to see if there is broad support for a reduction prior to the general Local Government elections in September 2012.
The move is part of an overall rolling policy and procedural review to ensure that the newly elected Council has a solid and structured platform of governance in place.
Council Administrator, Garry Payne said, “One issue that I am sure will meet with a great deal of community interest is the number of Councillors on Council.
“For a long time now I have watched Councils with a smaller number of elected representatives and I believe they work well together and deliver better outcomes for their communities.
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The Port-Macquarie-Hastings region has been lauded as setting the benchmark for customer service following an assessment by Customer Service Institute of Australia (CSIA) judges this week, in the lead-up to the New South Wales finals of the Australian Service Excellence Awards.
A contingent of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council representatives including general manager Andrew Roach will travel to Sydney on October 22 to find out if the region is State leader for customer service.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s Customer Care Program has been nominated as a NSW finalist in the 2009 Australian Service Excellence Awards.
An awards program initiated by the Customer Service Institute of Australia, Council’s entry is in the running for the top prize in the Local Government category. If successful, it will be the second time the Customer care program has won the prestigious accolade.
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The Port Macquarie-Hastings economy has held its head above water over the last 12 months with the latest data indicating the region has buffeted the impacts of the global financial crisis.
Council’s Economic Development Manager Trevor Sargeant has released statistics on the local economy, retail and building industries in the latest edition of Snapshots – a quarterly publication on economic development in the Hastings.
Key results show that unemployment between July and December 2008 experienced little change with a 0.1% increase compared to the previous year. This is despite the Hastings economy adding 175 more jobs to the market during this time.
“Some of these jobs may not be within Port Macquarie-Hastings,” Mr Sargeant explained. “Around 10 percent of Port Macquarie-Hastings residents commute to work outside the area. It will be interesting to see what impact the global financial crisis has had on local jobs when more recent data becomes available.”
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