Shaping the future of Coffs Harbour, together.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
City of Coffs Harbour acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land, the Gumbaynggirr people, who have cared for this land since time immemorial. We pay our respects to their elder’s past, present and emerging, and commit ourselves to a future with reconciliation and renewal at its heart.
Garlambirla-gundi-yu City Junyirrigam-bu junga-ngarraynggi yaanga gungangulam wajaarrgundi yilangandi ngiyaa gawbarri: yaam Gumbaynggirr girrwaa yaamanga-ndi yaam wajaarr jalumbawnyarr ngarraynggang.
Ngiyalagay garla-ngarraynggi yanggidamgundi Guuyunga, Jurruya jalumbawnyarr, giili, waybunyjigam. Baya ngiyalagay yilaana minggiiya gunganbuwa ngayinggirra Girrwaanbiya; garrabuugili.
Translation provided by Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture
Artwork: Reece Flanders, ‘Bush Life’
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY
At City of Coffs Harbour (City), we share the community’s passion and pride in the Coffs Harbour region. We are committed to working together to create great places to live, work and play in our local government area (LGA).
Community engagement is vital to ensure that residents, businesses, stakeholders, and visitors have a say in the decisions that impact them. This strategy provides an educational and informative guide on how the City involves the community in decision-making, ensuring transparency, inclusiveness, and better outcomes for all - shaping the future of Coffs Harbour, together.
Legislative requirements
The City’s engagement practices are guided by key pieces of legislation, ensuring compliance and effectiveness.
Local Government Act 1993 (Sections 8A and 402A): Requires councils in NSW to develop and implement a Community Engagement Strategy based on social justice principles.
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979: Mandates that planning authorities, including councils with significant planning responsibilities, have a Community Participation Plan.
INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING
The Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) Framework, under the NSW Local Government Act, helps councils plan for the future, in collaboration with their communities.
The IP&R framework ensures that community engagement is linked to plans, strategies and work outlined in the framework and shows how often councils engage around those plans and strategies.
Key IP&R components
Community Strategic Plan (10 years): Outlines the long-term vision and goals of the community.
Delivery Program (4 years): Translates the strategic plan into specific actions.
Operational Plan (1 year): Details the services and projects undertaken annually.
Resourcing strategies: Includes financial and asset management plans to ensure sustainability.
WHAT IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT?
Community engagement is the process of involving people in decisions that affect them. It includes informing the community, actively listening, collaborating, and considering public input during decision-making.
As part of the engagement process consultation methods may include online questionnaires, workshops, drop-in sessions, or pop-ups.
Effective engagement contributes to:
Better decisionmaking
Ensuring that City policies and projects align with community needs.
Trust and transparency
Building a strong relationship between the City and the community through open communication.
Efficient resource allocation
Ensuring time and funding are directed where they are most needed.
Early issue identification
Enabling concerns to be addressed proactively rather than reactively.
Informed communities
Helping the community understand the City’s priorities, challenges, and opportunities.
CITY’S ENGAGEMENT
PRINCIPLES
To ensure meaningful and effective engagement, the City follows these key principles:
Commitment to social justice principles
Accessible and timely for everyone, including the most vulnerable
Transparent, accountable and productive
Enhances City decision making by genuinely considering feedback from community members who are affected by or interested in decisions that they can influence
Social Justice Principles
The City is committed to the four fundamental social justice principles, ensuring fairness and inclusivity in its engagement:
Equity
Decision-making and resource allocation should be fair, prioritising those in need.
Access
Everyone should have equal access to services, resources, and opportunities to enhance their quality of life.
Participation
All individuals should have meaningful opportunities to engage in decisions that impact their lives.
Rights
Equal rights should be upheld and promoted, ensuring opportunities for all people, regardless of background.
WHO WE ENGAGE WITH
A broad range of community voices are required to positively shape the future of the Coffs Harbour LGA. Listening to residents, businesses, stakeholders and visitors from different age groups, suburbs, towns, villages, abilities and cultural backgrounds helps the City get a better understanding of how a decision impacts different people in our community. The more information we have about the impacts of a decision, the closer we can get to achieving an outcome that balances benefit across the community.
Stakeholders and groups in the community include:
State and Federal Government departments and
Ratepayers and residentsand visitors
Families, young people, retirees and older people
LGBTIQ+ community
People with disabilities, their carers and families
Other councils Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community
Industry groups and associations
Culturally and linguistically diverse communities
WHY PARTICIPATE IN ENGAGEMENT?
By getting involved in City decision-making processes you can:
• Have your voice heard on issues that matter to you.
• Influence the future direction of City projects and policies.
• Connect with other community members and share perspectives.
• Learn more about City decision-making processes and priorities.
Your input directly contributes to improving local services, facilities, and infrastructure. The more informed the City is about community perspectives, the better the outcomes for everyone.
The City engages with the community on topics including:
Waste management
Community facilities
Water and sewer
HOW WE ENGAGE
The level and method of community engagement carried out by the City varies depending on the nature of the project, the scale of impact and legal requirements. The City engages with the community using the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Spectrum.
The Spectrum shows that differing levels of participation are legitimate depending on the goals, timeframes, resources and levels of concern around the decision to be made, and explains what the community can expect at each participation level.
Inform Consult Involve Collaborate Empower
Goal of engagement
We will provide balanced and objective information to assist you in understanding the problem, alternatives, opportunities and/or solutions.
We will obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/ or decisions.
We will work with you throughout the process to ensure that your concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered.
We will work together with you in each aspect of the decision including the development of alternatives and the identification of the preferred solution.
We will help work towards the level of capacity to help the community lead and decide on a matter.
Role of the community Listen Contribute Participate Partner Lead
What this may look like
We will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision.
We will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision.
We will work with you to ensure that your concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in the alternatives developed and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision.
We will look to you for advice and innovation in formulating solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.
The community will have final decision-making power. Under the Local Government Act 1993, the only decision-making power placed in the hands of the public is that of electing Councillors at the Local Government Election.
ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Our community engagement framework explains how the City typically interacts with the community. The diagram highlights examples of projects and initiatives where we inform and consult with the community, as well as the engagement tools we use to communicate and educate.
Inform Empower
Local Government Election
Council events e.g. NAIDOC week, Australia Day
Community Strategic Plan
Economic Development Strategy
Significant open space and public realm improvements
Updates about City services
Road closures
Rates, fees and charges
Updates to City policies and strategies
Planning proposals
Development applications
Open space and public realm improvements
Major strategies and plans
New City policies
Major works
Open space and public realm improvements
Involve
Engagem ent tools
Engage m e nt tools
ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
The engagement process consists of several key steps to ensure meaningful participation:
Scope the project
Determine the need for a community engagement plan and how the engagement will influence the project. Understand the needs and expectations of the decision makers and gain clarity on the scope of work including what aspects are negotiable.
Plan engagement
Consult with community
Determine the appropriate level of engagement and clarify the specific engagement goals.
Undertake engagement activities, communicating clearly with the community
Listen and respond
Review community feedback to help inform matters or project.
Review and then provide feedback to decision makers to help inform the outcome on matters or projects.
Keep the community updated throughout the engagement process.
Closing the loop
Provide updates and final decisions to the community.
Final evaluation
Evaluate the engagement process.
MANDATORY PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS
Certain decisions by the City require public exhibition and consultation. The NSW Local Government Act 1993 mandates the following minimum public exhibition periods for plan making:
Community Strategic Plan: 28 days
Delivery Program & Operational Plan: 28 days
Plans of Management: 28 days (submissions accepted for 42 days)
Reclassification of Land: 28 days
Floodplain Risk Management Studies and Plans: 28 days
The NSW Coastal Management Act 2016 mandates the following minimum public exhibition periods:
Coastal Management Programs: 28 days
For planning and development matters, refer to the City’s Community Participation Plan (Appendix A).
Non-mandatory community engagement
The City will commit to involving the community when developing non-mandatory strategic plans and projects.
1. The City will engage the community for a minimum of 28 days through its Have Your Say website.
2. Engagement in infrastructure projects will depend on factors such as; the urgency of the project, the level and scale of potential impacts, legislative requirements, level of public interest, and availability of resources.
When the City cannot engage
While the City strives for transparency and community involvement, there are situations where engagement may not be possible, including:
• Sensitive matters requiring confidentiality
• Where legal constraints or matters arise that limit engagement
• In emergency situations demanding immediate action
PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS AND SUBMISSIONS
Public exhibitions are an important part of our engagement process, allowing residents to formally review and comment on draft policies, plans, and proposals.
Formal submissions can be made via the following channels:
- Email: coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au
- In person: City’s Customer Service Centre, Level 1, Yarrila Place, 27 Gordon Street, Coffs Harbour
- Post: Locked Bag 155, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450
- Online, via the City’s Have Your Say website: haveyoursay.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au
Formal submissions should include the following:
- Name and contact details (email, phone number or address)
- Details of the matter or proposal (e.g. application number or proposal title)
- Reasons for the submission
- If submitting in writing, the signature of each person making the submission
Note that the City does not use social media for collecting formal feedback on public exhibitions.
Consideration of submissions
Once received, submissions will be acknowledged and reviewed by relevant City staff and the matters raised will be considered as part of the decision-making process, in context with other factors.
If the matter is to be reported to Council for consideration, the author of the submission will be notified ahead of the meeting date.
Information collected in submissions may be made public. Requests can be made for all or parts of a submission to remain confidential, however, the City will release this information if required under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 or by court order.
Public participation timeframes
Timeframes for all public exhibitions and notifications are in calendar days, including weekends (excluding LEP amendments (planning proposals), which are in working days – refer to Appendix A).
Public participation will not occur between 20 December and 10 January (inclusive) and this period is excluded from the calculation of a public participation period.
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE AND STAY INFORMED
The community can stay updated and participate in the City’s decision-making through various channels:
Council meetings:
Meeting minutes:
Public forums:
Council committees:
When Council is considering a matter, community engagement outcomes are included in the meeting agenda, which is available online. Council meetings are open to the public, offering an opportunity for community members to stay informed and participate in public forums. All meetings are streamed live online, and past meetings are archived for later viewing on the website.
Council meeting minutes are made available on the City’s website within 24 hours of a meeting.
City’s website:
Any member of the community can register to speak on agenda items during a meeting. Detailed instructions for speaking at a Council meeting can be found on the City’s website.
Committees help the City make informed decisions about ongoing projects and issues in the local area and support the management of some community facilities. Community members are encouraged to become committee members and provide their expertise. Committee vacancies are advertised on the City’s website.
The City’s website includes the City’s latest media releases about engagement opportunities and outcomes, information about planned and current projects, and results from significant market research and community surveys (such as customer satisfaction and community wellbeing surveys).
Have Your Say Coffs Harbour:
Have Your Say is the City’s online engagement platform. This platform enables the community to view projects, participate in engagement initiatives, make submissions and stay informed about projects not open for public comment.
Social media:
The City uses social media to share updates on events, services, and decisions, and to promote engagement initiatives. The City does not use social media for collecting formal feedback on public exhibitions.
Public notices:
The City publishes advertisements and public notices to help inform the community of events, services, road closures, planning matters and other services. You can find public notices on the City’s website under the Public Notices Page. Additionally, notices may also be published in local media and City newsletters.
DA tracker:
The community can search for recent development applications received, advertised or finalised on the City’s ‘DA tracker’ on its website.
Media releases:
The City issues media releases about engagement opportunities and outcomes. Media releases are published on the City website and shared with media outlets, who may choose to publish the content.
Monitoring and review of the strategy
This Strategy will be reviewed on a periodic basis to ensure it is meeting its objectives and legislative requirements. The City will monitor outcomes from regular community wellbeing surveys to ensure that this Strategy is reflective of the current community sentiment.
APPENDIX A
City of Coffs Harbour Community Participation Plan
1.0 Community Participation Plan requirements
When exercising its planning functions, the elected Council of the City of Coffs Harbour is subject to mandatory community participation requirements under the NSW planning legislation.
This Community Participation Plan (Plan) has been prepared in accordance with Schedule 1 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act 1979) and details how and when the community can participate in the City’s planning functions.
As required by the NSW planning legislation, the Plan is based on the following principles:
- effective and on-going partnerships with the community to provide meaningful opportunities for community participation in planning
- provision of planning information in plain language, which is easily accessible and facilitates community participation in planning
- opportunities for the community to participate in strategic planning as early as possible to enable community views to be genuinely considered
- inclusive community participation, which actively seeks views that are representative of the community
- opportunities for consultation by proponents of major development with members of the community who are likely to be affected by such development before applications for planning approval is made
- open and transparent planning decisions, including the reasons for those decisions (including how community views have been considered)
- appropriate community participation methods having regard to the significance and likely impact of the proposed development.
2.1
Strategic planning
Table 1: Mandatory Community Participation Requirements - Strategic Planning Functions
Strategic planning process Description
Draft Community Participation Plan
Draft Local Strategic Planning Statement
Draft Local Environmental Plan (Planning Proposal)
Identifies how and when the City will engage the public as part of its planning functions.
Sets out a 20-year land use planning vision for the City, taking into consideration social, economic, and environmental factors within the community.
Shapes the future of our communities and ensures that local development is undertaken appropriately through land use zoning and development controls, which provide a framework for the way land can be used.
Minimum requirements Form of participation
28 Days
(Schedule 1 EP&A Act 1979)
Have Your Say Online Engagement Hub
Draft Development Control Plan
Draft Contributions Plan
As specified by the NSW Government (Gateway Determination) or 28 Days (Schedule 1 EP&A Act 1979)
Provides detailed planning and design guidelines that support the planning controls contained within the City’s Local Environmental Plan. 28 days
Sets out the local infrastructure required to meet the demand from new development and the contributions to be levied on new development to fund the necessary infrastructure.
(Schedule 1 EP&A Act 1979)
Have Your Say Online Engagement Hub
Public Notice (City’s Website)
Notification (Adjoining/ Adjacent Landowners)*
As specified by the NSW Government (Gateway Determination)
Have Your Say Online Engagement Hub
* Notification to adjoining/adjacent landowners may not be undertaken for applications that are of a significant geographic scale.
2.2 Development Applications
Application Type Description
Development Application (unless otherwise specified in this table).
Development Application – Nominated Integrated Development
Development Application – Designated Development
Development Application –Remediation Works
Development Application –Council-related
An application for consent under Part 4 of the EP&A Act 1979 to carry out development.
Applications that require one or more approvals under section 4.46 of the EP&A Act 1979 (i.e. aquaculture permit, mining lease, pollution licence or Aboriginal heritage impact permit). Development considered to be threatened species development under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 or Fisheries Management Act 1994
High-impact development (i.e. likely to generate pollution) or development that is in or near an environmentally sensitive area (i.e. wetland).
Development comprising remediation work under State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021.
Development on land (excluding a road) that is either vested in the control of the Council of the City of Coffs Harbour or that the Council is an owner, lessee, or licence holder.
Minimum Requirements
14 Days (Schedule 1 EP&A Act 1979)
28 Days (Schedule 1 EP&A Act 1979)
Table 2: Mandatory community participation requirements for Development Applications
Community participation process - Development Applications
Notified Development is all development, excluding minor development, and/or advertised development.
Minor development is development that will not detrimentally affect the enjoyment of adjoining land or locality or adversely impact adjoining development or local environment.
Examples of minor development include:
- new dwellings and alterations and additions to existing dwellings.
- ancillary residential structures such as decks, pools, garages, carports, outbuildings and farm buildings.
- subdivision of land for a boundary adjustment or strata title scheme.
- minor alterations and additions to commercial premises, retail premises.
- changes of use (where in the opinion of the consent authority the change of use is of minimal environmental impact).
Note:
- Notwithstanding the above, the City may elect to publicly exhibit/notify an application if it is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to do so (e.g. significant departure from a development standard or development control).
- Public exhibition and/or notification of a Section 4.55 (1) and (1A) application to modify a development consent post determination may be dispensed with if, in the opinion of the consent authority, the proposed modification is minor in nature and is unlikely to detrimentally affect the enjoyment of adjoining land or locality.
Table 3: Notified Development
Form of Participation –Notified Development Notification (Adjoining/Adjacent Landowners) Refer to Figure 1
Figure 1: Notification processAdjoining/adjacent property owners
Subject land
Property to be notified
Advertised Development is the following:
- Animal boarding or training establishments
- Camping grounds
- Centre-based childcare facility (excluding home-based childcare)
- Class 1 aquaculture development
- Commercial premises >1000m2 GFA
- Community facilities
- Demolition (including partial or relocation of an item of environmental heritage or a heritage listed item
- Designated development
- Eco-tourist facility
- Educational establishment
- Emergency services facilities
- Entertainment facilities
- Extractive industries
- Health Services facility (Hospitals)
- Heavy Industry
- Infill development within a Heritage Conservation Area
- Major road infrastructure facilities
- Nominated integrated development
- Places of public worship
- Pub
- Registered clubs
- Restricted premises
- Sex services premises
- Small bar
- Telecommunications facilities
- Tourist and visitor accommodation (excluding bed and breakfast accommodation and farm stay accommodation)
- Threatened species development
Note:
- Environmental Planning Instruments may nominate additional development as advertised development.
- Alterations and additions to advertised development may not be required to be advertised due to the minor nature or impact of the proposal.
Form of participation –Advertised Development
Notification
(Adjoining/Adjacent Landowners) Refer to Figure 1
DA Tracker
Notice exhibited on the subject land*
* this requirement only applies to Designated development.
Table 4: Advertised Development
Public exhibition and submissions
The City invites community feedback on both strategic planning matters and development applications through public exhibitions.
Strategic Planning:
• View and submit feedback via the City’s Have Your Say Page
You can also submit feedback through any of the following methods:
• Email: coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au
• In person: City’s Customer Service Centre
• By post: Locked Bag 155, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450
Development Applications:
• View notified and/or advertised Development Applications on the City’s DA Tracker
You can submit feedback through any of the following methods:
• Online: via the City’s website through the DA Submission Form
• Email: coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au
• In person: City’s Customer Service Centre
• By post: Locked Bag 155, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450
Please note:
• Strategic planning matters will not be finalised before the public participation period has finished.
• Development applications will not be determined before the public participation period has finished
• Late submissions may be accepted upon request.
• A Political Donations and Gifts Disclosure Statement may need to be completed to disclose any reportable political donations have been made within two years, available on the City’s website
• All submissions made in response to the public exhibition of strategic planning matters and development applications will be pubicly available either via the City’s website or disclosed to any person requesting information under the Government Informaiton (Public Access) Act 2009. Personal information may be redacted.
• Formal acknowledgement of submissions will be provided by City staff once received. If the application is to be reported to Council for determination, the author of the submission will be notified ahead of the meeting date.
• All persons who lodge a submission will be notified of Council’s determination of the application.
• All submissions must comply with the City’s Submissions and Petitions guidelines on the City’s website.
Public participation timeframes
• Timeframes for all public exhibitions and notifications are in calendar days, including weekends, except for LEP amendments (planning proposals), which are counted in working days.
• If the participation period ends on a weekend or public holiday, it may be extended to the next available workday.
• Public participation will not occur between 20 December and 10 January (inclusive) and is excluded from the calculation of a public participation period.
• If there are multiple public participation requirements for a matter, the longer period will apply.
haveyoursay.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au