Coffs Harbour uses ABS information in Strategic Planning
Coffs Harbour, on the New South Wales North Coast, has become a popular place to live, placing extreme pressure on its City Council to maintain adequate supplies of land and associated infrastructure, including roads, water, sewerage, schools, hospitals and commercial development. The Council has been able to meet this challenge through successful strategic planning.
The Council uses census information to review and update its policies and plans. Estimates of resident population and population projections, were used to forecast land and infrastructure requirements for future growth and development. These figures assisted the Council to prepare strategic urban and rural residential land release programs and identify appropriate zonings in its local environmental plan.
Information on occupancy rates, dwelling types, age distribution and household types was also used to predict land take-up
rates - which help determine the timing of land releases, and the level and scope of developer contributions to be levied.
In addition, the Council has an important role in supplying relevant demographic information to service providers to ensure that service levels are appropriate to Coffs Harbour's role as a regional centre.
Business and industry use demographic information supplied by the Council to assist them in preparation of business plans and in making location decisions. Coffs Harbour City Council also receives many requests for census information from community organisations, students and individuals for a variety of purposes. This is an important aspect of Council's service to the Coffs Harbour community.
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This case study is provided by Councillor John Essex-CIark
Chairman, Planning, Environment and Development Committee
Coffs Harbour City Council
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