PORT Macquarie Hastings Council will sharpen its focus on core services including roads, rates and rubbish this year as the region continues to grapple with the pressures and opportunities of rapid growth, Mayor Adam Roberts says.
Speaking with News Of The Area shortly after the Australia Day awards ceremony on the Town Green, Mayor Roberts reflected on how the local community had evolved since his family moved to Port Macquarie four decades ago.
“When we moved here in 1986, the local population was around 30,000.
“We’re now at about 94,000, so there’s a lot more people that have moved here than were probably born here, which is a story in itself,” he said.
“We are a growing regional city and, with that, brings many more people from different places from around the world but also around the country.”
The citizen awards ceremony drew hundreds of locals and visitors to the Town Green on Monday morning, with the Mayor praising the strong turnout and community spirit on display.
“It was so good to see all these people come to the Town Green, which is a really special place for our community,” said Mayor Roberts, who was presented post-ceremony with an Australia-shaped lamington cake, made by the Port Macquarie branch of the Country Women’s Association.
Reflecting on Australia Day more broadly, Mayor Roberts said the occasion remained an important moment for unity and celebration.
“It’s an opportunity to celebrate all the great things about our nation, and it’s about bringing people together,” he said.
“So whatever our background is, whatever our journey’s been, it’s where we catch up together and just celebrate how good it is being in such a fantastic nation that we have right here.”
He said resilience and community spirit were defining characteristics of the region.
“My reflections are that we’re a community that’s very resilient.
“When the chips are down, we’re always there to offer support and I think that’s what I like to see fostered in this area: us staying together,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mayor Roberts said Council was now firmly in the delivery phase of its four-year term.
“We’re in our second year of the current term, so the first year we set all the plans and strategies, the second year we consolidate on that,” he said.
“The roads, rates and rubbish approach is really critical right now.”
He said he was also intensifying lobbying efforts ahead of the upcoming State Budget to secure funding for major infrastructure projects to keep pace with the region’s growth.
“I’ve spent most of the last 12 months lobbying state and federal governments for funding assistance for all the big projects and big programs,” Mayor Roberts said.
“We’ve got a State Budget coming up in the next couple of months so I’m going to be doing all the work that I can to make sure we are front and centre in the thinking.”
By Matt TAYLOR
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