Council’s Strategic Directions - Integrated Planning and Reporting

Following the election of a new Council, it is a requirement under legislation that Council review its Community Plan (or Community Strategic Plan) and develop a four-year Delivery Program of initiatives that the Council will undertake during its elected term – its commitment to the community. The draft versions of these documents are currently available for public review, along with a Draft Resourcing Strategy outlining how Council will resource its proposed initiatives. There are also a number of documents that are required to be placed on public exhibition each year related to Council’s operational actions, budget, rates, fees and charges.

Council is seeking your feedback on these short, medium and long-term strategic documents by 8 June 2022.

Our Community Plan

The Advancing Our Region Community Plan sets out the vision and goals for our region. It is a 10-year plan that aims to clearly identify the community’s main priorities and future aspirations, and the strategies required to achieve them. Responsibility to deliver the Plan rests with entire community including Council, other levels of government, community organisations, industry, residents and ratepayers. The Plan has been guided and informed by more than 1,800 contributions from our community, through a program of community engagement, undertaken from October to November 2021. A summary of the feedback from the community can be found on the Integrated Planning and Reporting page of Council’s website. The Draft Plan can be viewed in the information panel on this webpage (to the right).

Advancing our Region - Our Challenges

Armidale Regional Council, similar to many NSW Councils, faces ongoing financial pressures, and must determine solutions to delivering quality programs and services within finite revenue and funding opportunities, as well as managing funding gaps in asset maintenance and renewals. This asset backlog will continue to grow if not addressed in the short-term and will continue to place enormous pressure on the Armidale Regional Council’s operating and capital budgets, while impeding the Council's ability to fund the initiatives that help our community grow, prosper and thrive.

Council has undertaken, and will continue to undertake, improvements in productivity, cost recovery and cost efficiencies, however these improvements will not be able to fully fund the asset backlog. To restore Council’s financial position and ensure that all assets are managed effectively, Council will need to seek a Special Rate Variation.

Council’s Draft Delivery Program 2022-2026, Draft Resourcing Strategy and Draft Operational Plan and Budget 2022-2023 have all been developed in consideration of these challenges, and with the assumption that Council will apply for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) for the 2023-2024 financial year. More information about the proposed SRV is available through the fact sheets and web video in the information panel.

The time is now to look to address the challenges that our region faces, and to chart the future course for our region.

Councillors considered many financial and operational scenarios in considerations about the Draft Delivery Program 2022-2026 and the Draft Operational Plan and Budget 2022-2023, and after extensive deliberations, have determined on the most responsible and viable for our region’s future.

This is a Restore and Thrive approach – where Council will restore financial viability and mitigate future funding gaps, in a financially responsible way in the short-term, and prepare Council and the region to create the growth and activation that will solidify the Armidale Region as a vibrant and popular major regional centre.

This will require a significant draw down into council reserves in the first year of the Delivery Program, before the implementation of the proposed SRV in mid-2023, which will set the course for appropriate asset maintenance and financial stability in the middle years of the Delivery Program, and will pave the way for growth initiatives in the final year of the Delivery Program.

The 2022-2023 Budget proposes a General Fund operating deficit of $3.2 million, a draw down on internal reserves of $2.4 million and includes the 2.5% Additional Special Variation endorsed by Council on 28 April 2022. More information about the Operational Plan and Budget can be found in the fact sheets in the information panel on this webpage.

What documents are currently on Public Exhibition?

How to participate:

Fact Sheets

Council has developed a number of fact sheets to explain the documents that are currently on exhibition, as well as some of the broader issues Council faces, including the proposed application for a Special Rate Variation in 2023-2024.

Can’t make it to a public consultation meeting?

Council will record the public consultation meeting presentation to ensure that, if you cannot make the Armidale or Guyra Meetings, you can still hear the presentation. Video's will be uploaded following the meetings.

Send in a submission:

Submissions are invited and must be addressed to the General Manager, Armidale Regional Council, PO Box 75A, Armidale NSW 2350 or sent by email to council@armidale.nsw.gov.au
Submissions can also be dropped off at either Armidale or Guyra Civic Administration Buildings

Submissions close Wednesday 8 June 2022.

Please be aware that if you make a submission, other people may have access to your comments and your name. This may be as a result of a report to a Council meeting. Reports to Council Meetings are available to the public.