Finance and Facilities Committee - 13 Apr 2026

Key decisions

• Lennox Head council land housing proposal endorsed
  Council endorsed preparing a planning proposal to amend Ballina Local Environmental Plan 2012 to allow the dwelling densities, numbers and types in Concepts 2 and 3 for council land at Lennox Head. An amendment seeking a report on a legally binding affordable housing mechanism for local key workers was lost.
  This could change the scale and type of housing developed on council land in Lennox Head.
• Draft fees, plans and long-term financial documents to be publicly exhibited
  Council approved exhibition of the draft 2026/27 Fees and Charges, Strategic Asset Management Plan, Workforce Management Strategy, General Fund Long Term Financial Plan, and the 2026/27 to 2029/30 Delivery Program and Operational Plan. It also included revised water financial planning and the Ballina Byron Gateway Airport long-term financial plan in the draft planning package.
  Residents will be able to review and comment on proposed fees, service priorities, workforce planning, asset management and long-term budgets.
• Declared business activity status removed for some operations
  Council resolved that Airport, Land Development and Landfill and Resource Recovery are no longer 'declared business activities' for preparation of Council’s Special Purpose Financial Statements.
  This changes how these activities are treated in council financial reporting.
• Community infrastructure recurrent capital program approved for exhibition, subject to SRV
  Council approved including recurrent capital expenditure priorities in the draft 2026/27 to 2029/30 plans for exhibition, based on IPART approving Council’s special rate variation application. If the SRV is not approved, a reduced program will be appended and reviewed again at the June 2026 Ordinary meeting.
  Future local works depend partly on whether the proposed rate increase is approved.
• Alstonville footpath funding reallocated
  Council approved transferring $112,000 allocated to South Street, Alstonville in 2027/28 to footpath works on Tanamera Drive, Alstonville ($56,000) and Whipps Avenue, Alstonville ($56,000).
  This changes which Alstonville footpath projects are prioritised for funding.
• Car park upgrade priorities confirmed
  Council confirmed priorities and possible funding sources for sealed car park upgrades, including Pop Denison Car Park in Ballina, Alstonville Tennis Centre/Lumley Park/Park Avenue, and listed Regatta Avenue, Keith Hall Boat Ramp, Chickiba Drive Sports Fields and Bicentennial Park for future capital works inventory with no current funding source.
  This indicates which car parking upgrades may proceed first and which sites remain unfunded.
• Further work approved on community infrastructure projects
  Council requested a report on allocating forecast Community Dividends for 2027/28 to 2029/30 that includes the Cumbalum Community Circle to shovel-ready stage, and approved $10,000 from the Property Development Reserve to investigate a Recovery Centre/Hydrotherapy Pool at the Alstonville and Ballina Aquatic Centres. A separate motion to fund roof replacement for the Ballina Players Shed was recorded as absent and did not proceed.
  This may shape future spending on major community projects and aquatic health facilities.

Important topics

• Special rate variation dependency
  Part of the community infrastructure recurrent capital works program is contingent on approval of Council’s application to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal for a special rate variation for 2026/27 to 2029/30.
  The scale of planned works may change depending on the outcome of the SRV process.
• Commercial property and reserve funding updates
  Council noted the commercial property development projects and cash reserves update, and approved including related financial information in draft long-term planning documents.
  These reserve and development funds influence what infrastructure and property projects Council may afford in future years.

Resident impacts

• Residents can review and comment on a broad package of draft 2026/27 fees, budgets and strategic plans during public exhibition.
• Housing controls on council land in Lennox Head may be amended to enable higher-density residential development options.
• Some future infrastructure works depend on IPART deciding Council’s special rate variation application.
• Alstonville footpath funding priorities changed from South Street to Tanamera Drive and Whipps Avenue.
• Car park improvements were prioritised for Ballina and Alstonville sites, but several listed locations still have no identified funding.
• Council will investigate whether hydrotherapy or recovery facilities could be delivered at Ballina and Alstonville aquatic centres without net cost to Council.

Places affected

• Lennox Head (locality)
  Council land subject to a proposed LEP amendment for medium-density housing concepts.
• Alstonville (town)
  Footpath funding was reallocated; aquatic centre and tennis centre car park projects were also discussed.
• South Street, Alstonville (road)
  Lost $112,000 in planned 2027/28 footpath funding through reallocation.
• Tanamera Drive, Alstonville (road)
  Received $56,000 for footpath works under the amended capital priorities.
• Whipps Avenue, Alstonville (road)
  Received $56,000 for footpath works under the amended capital priorities.
• Pop Denison Car Park, Ballina (facility)
  Identified as a priority sealed car park improvement area tied to existing and possible future funding.
• Ballina Byron Gateway Airport (facility)
  Its draft long-term financial plan was included in the broader draft planning documents.
• Cumbalum (locality)
  Community Circle project is to be considered in future Community Dividend allocation reporting.

Next steps

• Publicly exhibit the draft 2026/27 Fees and Charges
  As part of the draft 2026/27 Operational Plan exhibition
• Publicly exhibit the draft Strategic Asset Management Plan, Workforce Management Strategy, General Fund Long Term Financial Plan, and Delivery Program and Operational Plan
  During the 2026/27 to 2029/30 draft planning exhibition period
• Prepare a planning proposal to amend Ballina Local Environmental Plan 2012 for the Lennox Head council land housing project
  Following Council endorsement
• Append and review a reduced recurrent capital works program if the special rate variation is not approved
  Further review at the June 2026 Ordinary meeting
• Report on allocation of forecast Community Dividends including the Cumbalum Community Circle to shovel-ready stage
  In future draft Long Term Financial Plan reporting
• Investigate feasibility of a Recovery Centre / Hydrotherapy Pool at the Alstonville and Ballina Aquatic Centres
  Using the approved $10,000 allocation

Extracted minutes text

MINUTES OF THE FINANCE AND FACILITIES COMMITTEE MEETING` OF THE BALLINA SHIRE COUNCIL HELD IN THE BALLINA SHIRE COUNCIL CHAMBERS 40 CHERRY STREET, BALLINA, ON 13/04/26 AT 4:15 PM Ballina Shire Council Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting Minutes 13/04/26 of 7 Attendance Crs Sharon Cadwallader (Mayor - in the chair), Michelle Bailey, Simon Kinny, Damian Loone, Therese Crollick, Eva Ramsey, Erin Karsten and Kiri Dicker. Paul Hickey (General Manager), Troy Anderson (Director - Civil Services Division), Matthew Wood (Director - Planning and Environmental Health Division), Caroline Klose (Director - Corporate and Community Division) and Nikki Glassop (Executive Assistant - General Manager an...