Camden Haven Community in Collaboration With
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Camden Haven Community in collaboration with Camden Haven COMMUNITY PLAN November 2020 1. FOREWORD The crab is the Birpai totem for the Camden Haven area. Credit: Marion Hampton. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY The Camden Haven Community-Council Action Team acknowledges the Birpai people as the traditional custodians of the lands within its local boundaries. We acknowledge Elders both past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We also acknowledge that the area is represented by the Bunyah and Purfleet/Taree Local Aboriginal Land Councils. FROM THE MAYOR, PETA PINSON I am delighted to present the Camden Haven Community Plan, which sets out the vision, goals and priorities for improving the quality of life for the residents of Camden Haven area for the next five to ten years. This Community Plan reflects the community’s aspirations to create a vibrant and positive community which offers opportunities for everyone to prosper. The Camden Haven area is widely known for its stunning natural environment and beautiful coastal character that encourages a healthy and active lifestyle for both residents and visitors. The community celebrates its local stories and values its unique identity that is so important to the character and aesthetic of the area and inspires the community to be the best it can be. FROM THE CAMDEN HAVEN COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNITY-COUNCIL ACTION TEAM The Camden Haven Community-Council Action Team appreciates the opportunity to represent our local area through this new process of consultation, to highlight and inform the Council of our vision/ concerns for the future of the Camden Haven. This Community Plan provides strategic direction for Council and the community to deliver outcomes, which will preserve our environment and heritage; enhance connectivity (via our shared pathway network and rich social connections) and ensure a sustainable economy that will serve our community into the future. 2 PORT MACQUARIE-HASTINGS COUNCIL 1. FOREWORD ............................................................2 2. COMMUNITY PLANNING FOR THE CAMDEN HAVEN .......6 3. COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS .............................8 4. INTRODUCING THE CAMDEN HAVEN ......................... 10 5. HISTORY .............................................................. 14 6. COMMUNITY PROFILE ............................................ 16 BOUNDARIES ...................................................... 18 7. OUR COMMUNITY .................................................. 20 ZONING ............................................................. 22 8. FUTURE FOCUS ..................................................... 24 9. CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY ............................... 26 SHARED PATHWAYS ............................................. 28 10. OUR OBJECTIVES AND GOALS ............................... 30 11. COMMUNITY IDEAS AND DESIRED OUTCOMES ......... 32 12. THE FUTURE OF THE CAMDEN HAVEN ..................... 36 APPENDIX A: THE LAURIETON FLAG REPRESENTING THE CAMDEN HAVEN ....................................................... 37 APPENDIX B: COUNCIL’S STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND PROJECTS ................................................................ 38 Laurieton Flag representing the Camden Haven - developed by Carmel Dowse Refer Appendix A for further details. Cover page images: Top right: Bob Hope making a phone call in 1944 at Laurieton Post Office after his emergency landing in the Camden Haven inlet. Middle right - Joseph Laurie (1832-1904) - appointed first Postmaster in 1875 and after whom Laurieton is named. CONTENTS 3 CAMDEN HAVEN COMMUNITY PLAN OUR VISION TO MAINTAIN THE CHARM AND BEAUTY OF THE CAMDEN HAVEN IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE MANNER, WHILST GROWING A VIBRANT, EQUITABLE, CONNECTED COMMUNITY AND A GROWING ECONOMY. 4 PORT MACQUARIE-HASTINGS COUNCIL OUR VISION 5 CAMDEN HAVEN COMMUNITY PLAN 2. COMMUNITY PLANNING FOR THE CAMDEN HAVEN The Port Macquarie-Hastings Local Government Area (LGA) is home to a number of vibrant towns, villages and communities, each with its own unique history, character, urban amenity and vision for their future. Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (PMHC) is working with communities across the LGA to develop Community Plans. These plans are a community-led blueprint which reflect the aspirations, strengths and what is special or unique about a community; the character, lifestyle, social image, economy and environment. The Plans also outline a ‘vision’ that each community has for its future and ‘actions’ that the community would like to see delivered to help achieve this vision. The Community Plan is an important document that will inform and guide PMHC, NSW Government and other stakeholders in: a) understanding the issues and future priorities for the Camden Haven; b) supporting the vision and objectives determined by our community; c) having a deeper understanding of our community values; d) creating clear opportunities for working together effectively; e) catering for population demographics, especially building a future for our youth. At the heart of Community Planning is a dynamic, participatory and consultative process that allows communities to have their voice heard and enables them to identify priorities and actions to achieve their vision - the responsibility of which is to be shared between the community and Council. Community-Council Action Teams (CCATs) are being established in each community to help develop the Community Plan and then to work together with Council to prioritise, scope and deliver the identified actions. Council is looking to establish up to 18 such CCATS throughout the LGA. The CCAT is a genuine partnership between the Community and Council. The responsibility for the delivery of the actions detailed in this Community Plan are project dependent. Implementation will rest either with the Council or jointly with the Council and the Community. Consultation between the Council and the CCATs on local issues is imperative for the future operation and existence of the CCAT partnership with Council. 6 PORT MACQUARIE-HASTINGS COUNCIL The Camden Haven CCAT is made up of local people representing various groups and ages from our community who have been meeting regularly to develop the Community Plan. We would like to extend our thanks to the members of the Community-Council Action Team: Anna Battersby, April Saunders, Blair Maxwell, Cicely Snow, Greg Armstrong, Greg Mitchell, Hayley Proudfoot, Mike Dodkin, Neil Hosick, Pam Vine, Penny Small, Peter Nash, Peter West, Phillip Bowman, Janet Cohen, Shane Globits and Stuart Bate as well as Council staff Sandra Wallace and Felicity Staedter 7 CAMDEN HAVEN COMMUNITY PLAN 3. COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS Community-Council Action Team and Development of Draft Postcard Survey Community Plan and Action Plan In September 2018, Council delivered A Community-Council Action Team (CCAT) was then over 3,500 survey postcards to all formed. Community members were asked to apply in Camden Haven residents to solicit the writing to be part of this volunteer team for a 2-year communities’ feedback on what they term. The Camden Haven CCAT is made up of local love about their community and what people representing various groups and ages from they would like to see in the future for our community. They have been meeting regularly the Camden Haven. Over 110 survey to use the information from the THINK TANKS and submissions were received. This feedback further consultations to create this Community Plan formed the basis for the Think Tanks. for the Camden Haven. Community Think Tank Two THINK TANK forums were held by Council staff in October 2018 at the Laurieton School of Arts. These forums were open to all Camden Haven residents and were used to discuss and record, then prioritise values, issues and opportunities for planning the future of this area. Attendance at these forums was mixed with over 35 members of the public taking part. 8 PORT MACQUARIE-HASTINGS COUNCIL Community Plan and Action Plan Endorsement by Council This is the final step in making your Community Plan official by having it reported though to Council. Community Consultation Delivery of the Action This was the opportunity for the broader Plan community to provide feedback on this The Community Council Action Community Plan with the accompanied Action Team will continue to work on the Plan developed by the Community-Council delivery on the actions identified and Action Team. The Camden Haven Community prioritised by the community. Plan was on public exhibition for a period of 6 weeks in late 2019. 9 CAMDEN HAVEN COMMUNITY PLAN 4. INTRODUCING THE CAMDEN HAVEN The Camden Haven, with its coastal and semi-rural character, is a vibrant and connected community that celebrates local stories and values its natural environment and tranquil lifestyle. The area is attractive and unique due to a high proportion of protected land - bounded in all four points of the compass by natural environment retained in national parks and various reserves. The area’s natural attributes include expansive native forests, heathlands and waterways, which are overshadowed by the prominent Dooragan (North Brother) Mountain, one of the more dramatic landform features on the North Coast of NSW. It is this spectacular natural environment that draws many people to live here and will continue to provide a major draw card for tourism to the Port Macquarie-Hastings Local Government Area (LGA). Today the Camden Haven CCAT area comprises six villages, namely North