A DRAFT Plan of Management has been established for Coffs Harbour Community Village and Cavanbah Centre reserves by Coffs Harbour City Council.

The Plan of Management will enable Council to manage the reserves into the future.

Council resolved at its meeting on 12 November to refer the draft Plan of Management for the Community Village and Cavanbah Centre to the Crown Lands Division of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) to obtain approval to place the plan on public exhibition for 42 days.

The Community Village and Cavanbah Centre buildings are located on Crown reserves that are classified as ‘community’ land to be used for ‘general community use’, and Council is the appointed land manager.

Both reserves have been and are currently used to provide affordable properties for the provision of health and community services.

It is intended that the reserves will continue to be used for these types of purposes.

The Cavanbah Centre reserve comprises the main Cavanbah Hall and meeting rooms.

The Community Village reserve in Curacoa Street is occupied by Community Care Options and contains an administration building, meeting rooms, Meals on Wheels, general office space, Waratah Respite Centre, and community laundry and bathroom facilities

The Cavanbah Centre reserve and Community Village reserve are utilised on a daily basis by members of the community of all ages for indoor leisure activities such as carpet bowls and table tennis, dance or yoga classes, meetings, functions including weddings and birthday parties, expos, conferences, workshops, educational courses/seminars, and community care services for the aged and disabled.

The draft Plan of Management authorises the wide variety of uses that the reserve has been, or is currently being used for, while also providing flexibility for Council to modify the use or management of the reserve into the future.

The reserves may be developed and managed to enable the land to be used for a range of community services and facilities, public open space and for recreation purposes and activities.

Future development may include extensions, renovations and improvements to existing buildings, upgrades to existing public facilities to accommodate appropriate community use, and development of infrastructure to meet the needs of the community.

There are no uses or management actions authorised in the draft Plan of Management that represent any form of reduced community access to the facilities located on the reserves.

A Plan of Management was adopted by Council in 1996, however it is not currently recognised by the DPIE as valid.

The new draft Plan of Management has been prepared to be consistent with the core objectives for land categorised as ‘general community use’, with the overall aim being that the reserve and its facilities will provide an ongoing benefit to the community.

The draft Plan of Management for the Community Village and Cavanbah Centre represents the first of many plans of management that cover Crown Land reserves classified as ‘community land’ under the management of Council that Council has a statutory requirement to prepare and adopt by 30 June 2021.

Council expects to create and adopt at least ten different plans of management within the region.

It may take up to six weeks for the DPIE to review and approve the draft Plan of Management for exhibition.

 

By Emma DARBIN