Council is building on its strong foundations for the future

4 December 2023

The Port Stephens Council 2022 to 2023 Annual Report, themed “Strong Foundations” was endorsed by Council at its meeting last Tuesday 28 November, along with the 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey Report.

Mayor Ryan Palmer stated that Council's strong foundations have enabled it to withstand several years of lockdowns and natural disasters. The stories featured in this year's Annual Report provide evidence of this resilience.

“We’ve achieved so much this year, including repairing 59,000+ potholes, planting 5,664 trees with the help of volunteers, rolling out 32,000 new garden organics waste bins and securing funding for the repair and rehabilitation of our local roads,” Mayor Palmer said.

General Manager Tim Crosdale said that this year has been about building on Council's strong foundations, continuing to make them stronger to set a path for the future.

“Our annual report is a key way we hold ourselves accountable to our community – where we report openly and honestly about our highlights and challenges for the year, and look ahead to what’s next,” Mr Crosdale said.

“The annual report is just one way we make sure we deliver accessible and transparent communication.

“It’s a great example of how we’ve turned a legislative requirement into an interesting and inclusive document, making it easy for our community to find out how we’ve performed.

“If you’ve never picked up an annual report before, I’d encourage you to take a look at this one! It’s easy to read, colourful and conveys key information quickly and easily,” he added.

The results of the 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey were also endorsed, with a report now available on Council’s website.

“The feedback we receive from our Community Satisfaction Survey helps us understand what’s working, and what isn’t, to facilitate improvements for the wellbeing and liveability of our community,” Mr Crosdale said.

“Over the next year, we’ll continue to work closely with our Council and the community, focusing on issues we know are a priority – I look forward to reporting on our progress in next year’s Annual Report,” he added.

To read the 2022 to 2023 Annual Report and supporting documents visit portstephens.nsw.gov.au/annual-report

To read the 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey Report visit portstephens.nsw.gov.au/community-satisfaction-survey