After a busy year, the November Ordinary Meeting of Lithgow City Council saw a number of important items discussed with the Council setting the agenda as it heads into 2025.
Mayor Cass Coleman spoke about recent advocacy efforts at the Central NSW Joint Organisation and Country Mayor’s Association meetings in Sydney where the Mayor and Council’s General Manager, Ross Gurney, met with NSW government ministers to advocate for the Lithgow area’s community. Topics discussed included the removal of grant funding programs, the Wolgan Valley Road reconstruction project, public housing needs, the requirement for improvements to road and rail services across the Central West, improvements to the Great Western Highway and unlocking the Marrangaroo Growth Precinct for future employment.
A contract for bitumen resealing works across the Council area was awarded to Country Wide Asphalt Pty Ltd for $1.6M. The contract will see 22km of high priority roads resealed, funded by the Special Rate Variation. The program will enable preventative works,
to improve the long-term stability of the road network.
The Council has approved the sourcing of a contract for the construction, operation and maintenance of a landfill gas collection system at the Lithgow Solid Waste Facility. The facility will reduce the city’s carbon footprint, reduce odour and improve safety. The system will also create a new source of income for the Council, improving financial sustainability.
To improve liveability and visual amenity for residents, the Council moved to seek greater assurance from both Transport for NSW and Housing NSW that they will fulfil their maintenance obligations on properties that the State Government manage.
The Council will also seek to ensure that compliance with Environmental legislation is upheld by rail transport operators undertaking maintenance activities of diesel locomotives in the Eskbank Rail Yards.
Councillors also nominated for a broad range of Council Committees and representative groups to support the community. A full list of these appointments will be provided in December.
The Council outlined and discussed a plan for the management of historic joint sewer systems which includes developing a position statement on how the issue can be addressed moving forward and referral to a Council Committee to determine a solution.
Items relating to the Lithgow Emerging Economy Plan (LEEP) were discussed, which resulted in the Council placing the LEEP action plan 2025 -2026 on public exhibition and approving the use of the former Centrelink building for an Adaptive Skills Hub. The Council also discussed the LEEP Communications and Engagement Strategy, with the matter deferred until January 2025 for Councillor review prior to going on public exhibition. The Council resolved to place a policy draft for a Lithgow Future Fund on public exhibition.
Several items will be placed on public exhibition for comment, including a draft policy for Categorisation of Land as Farmland for Rating, a review of Alcohol-Free Zones within the Lithgow LGA.
The Council agreed on the dates for Ordinary Meetings in 2025, a full list will be published on the Council website. The next Ordinary Meeting will take place on Tuesday 28 January 2025 at 6:30pm at the Lithgow City Council Chambers.