Community Needs Assessment - Hawkesbury City Council

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5 Stakeholder Consultations Consultations were conducted with the following: • City Planning Director, Manager, Community Partnerships, and Parks Manager, Hawkesbury Council; • Coordinator, North Richmond Neighbourhood Centre • Principal, North Richmond Primary School. (Note, attempts were made to interview the School Education Director for Hawkesbury as part of this study to clarify issues around capacity of the Colo High School and alternate secondary school locations, however this was not possible due to time constraints for completion of the study). A summary of the discussion and outcomes from the consultations is presented below. 5.1 DIRECTOR OF CITY PLANNING, HAWKESBURY COUNCIL The Director indicated that: • Social Planning information is now largely built into Council's Community Strategic Plan, including social justice principles • Council has a Community Planning Advisory Committee, while it does not meet currently, Council is seeking to reform the Committee with new Terms of Reference • Many of Council's functions in relation to aged care have been delegated to Peppercorn Services; Council has identified that, with the ageing of the population, more services for older people will be needed – hence the residential aged care and related facilities at the site are welcomed • The Residential Land Strategy identifies that there is insufficient public transport especially in North Richmond, and acknowledges there is not much that can be done to ensure more public transport, other than to increase densities to achieve viability for public transport routes and operators • Council is currently developing an Open Space Strategy. Council would like to maximise connectivity between the release area and existing transport routes and urban areas. As such Council would like opportunities arising from the proposed development, such as those associated with Peel Park, the Redbank creek line, and linkages to the North Richmond town centre and Redbank Road to be maximised • The Council Community Surveys are conducted every two years. The 2011 survey has been conducted but is not available yet. The 'character of the Hawkesbury' is often referred to, which is sometimes assumed to mean a rural character, not dense development. Some residents identify that 'they don't want to live in Kellyville/Rouse Hill' which Council assumes to equate with small blocks and large buildings. However some residents who live in North Richmond consider that they are living in a rural area, so it is all relative and dependent upon how you plan the open space. Council is keen to better understand how these „values‟ are represented. 5.2 MANAGER, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, HAWKESBURY COUNCIL The Manager of Community Partnerships with Council noted that the adequacy of community facilities and services depends extensively on the local context, with the following detailed comments: • In relation to aged care, Council is keen to promote ageing in place • The North Richmond Neighbourhood Centre has 2 Community Development workers (funded by the Department of Community Services). This is considered a good space , providing both child care centre and youth services 20 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS URBIS APPENDIX_O_COMMUNITY_NEEDS_ASSESSMENT
• Council‟s Mobility Plan is seeking to reinforce priority routes for Richmond and North Richmond, and to ensure family-friendly spaces, multipurpose facilities, and links between existing and proposed communities are provided – these will be critical in the proposed development • Council has no comment in relation to the adequacy of education facilities, but is keen to promote lifelong learning • With regard to child care, there is ongoing demand for places for 0-2 year olds in before/after school care facilities. The potential for the provision of child care facilities as part of an intergenerational facility related to the proposed seniors living is seen as an interesting prospect and supported inprinciple. The provision of additional facilities at the Aged Care Facility Clubhouse, such as Allied Health visits, is also regarded as representing a significant opportunity in the area • Council is keen to ensure Peel Park is fully accessible, with shade trees as part of preventative health and for any facilities or play equipment to adopt Universal Design principles • In relation to health care, there are currently 2 Doctors' surgeries in North Richmond • A constant complaint Council hears from young people is that there 'is not enough to do'. However, in terms of sport and recreation facilities, it is felt the community is well catered for, and therefore it is anticipated that this complaint may be from some disenchanted young people • There are two swimming pools in the local area, one in Richmond and one in Windsor. The swimming pool at University of Western Sydney Hawkesbury Campus has now been closed. It is felt that it would be unlikely that the population of the community (including proposed community) can sustain another swimming pool • Protection of the landscape is a strongly expressed value of the local community • There is also a strong „well‟ of social capital in the community which presents an opportunity to integrate and welcome communities, supported by strategies to assist integration of new communities. 5.3 PARKS MANAGER, HAWKESBURY COUNCIL The Parks Manager indicated that there were several current issues relating to open space which may be relevant considerations for the proposed development, and that the Recreation Plan, currently under development, would be a useful adjunct to more detailed planning for the site. In particular: • The regional significance of both Peel Park and Hawkesbury Park (leased by Council) were noted – the recent development of an off-leash dog area was considered positive • The importance of linkages (including walkways and cycleways) between existing and new communities was confirmed, and the potential for a linkage from the development across Redbank Creek was considered positive • Existing provisions of specific recreation types were considered adequate (these included tennis courts and activities for young people including a BMX track and skate park), however it was considered there may be specific future needs in relation to certain types of sporting fields • It was considered that small parks in specific areas of the proposed development may be required, although these would need to be rationalised • Council‟s Recreation Plan will be available in April 2012 – and it was considered that a strong opportunity to integrate recommendations for recreation facilities for the proposed development is presented. 5.4 COORDINATOR, NORTH RICHMOND NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE The Centre Coordinator made the following observations: URBIS APPENDIX_O_COMMUNITY_NEEDS_ASSESSMENT STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS 21
Page 1 and 2: Community Needs Assessment North Ri
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary
Page 5 and 6: Executive Summary Urbis Public Poli
Page 7 and 8: 1 Introduction 1.1 BACKGROUND Urbis
Page 9 and 10: • Capacity improvements to a key
Page 11 and 12: URBIS APPENDIX_O_COMMUNITY_NEEDS_AS
Page 13 and 14: 2 Review of Policy Context and Back
Page 15 and 16: • Safer roads. • More housing.
Page 17 and 18: • Be a place where we value, prot
Page 19 and 20: Clerical and Admin Workers 332 14.9
Page 21 and 22: Both the North Richmond Collection
Page 23 and 24: 4 Population Forecasting 4.1 POPULA
Page 25: TABLE 6 - CUMULATIVE POPULATION YEA
Page 29 and 30: • The school has no plans for exp
Page 31 and 32: 6 Social Infrastructure Audit 6.1 I
Page 33 and 34: Hawkesbury Village aged care, locat
Page 35 and 36: 6.7.2 OTHER ACTIVE RECREATION FACIL
Page 37 and 38: 7 Needs Assessment and Benchmarking
Page 39 and 40: FACILITY SERVICE EXISTING PROPOSED
Page 41 and 42: FACILITY SERVICE EXISTING PROPOSED
Page 43 and 44: 7.1 SUMMARY OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND
Page 45 and 46: 8.5 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS The
Page 49 and 50: Appendix A Facilities mapping URBIS

Community Needs Assessment - Hawkesbury City Council

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