Cultural Plan 2013-2016 final.pdf - Coffs Harbour City Council ...

As adopted by Council on 28 February 2013
Advantages and opportunities identified include:
The attraction offered by the Coffs Coast natural environment and beaches to new
residents and for tourists and the pride in this environment of existing residents;
Existence of a regional airport to facilitate national and international visitation to our
region;
Strong culture of volunteering in the cultural sphere - festivals, the Bunker and
Regional Art Galleries, Botanic Garden, the Regional Gallery and the Regional
Museum, the Council’s environmental volunteers and Community Ambassadors;
The National Broadband Network (NBN) which will precipitate a much higher usage
of technology, and reduce the economic costs associated with distance from large
metropolitan areas; and
The large numbers of community spaces which can be available for cultural activities,
from performances to craft activities. Apart from Council-owned halls, there are
substantial facilities at the CHEC and local state and private schools.
5.2. Constraints
While the Cultural Policy must be ambitious to engage the imagination and energies of the
community, the strategies selected to achieve its goals must be selected with a realistic
assessment of the resources available in and to the community as a whole:
Coffs Harbour has a lower median household income than NSW as a whole. In 2011,
the average weekly income in Coffs Harbour was $902 versus a NSW average of
$1,237 4 . This means that the median household income in Coffs Harbour is 73% of
the state average 5 ;
Measured by postcode, Coffs Harbour, and indeed all of the Mid North Coast, is in
the 20% most disadvantaged areas in NSW, scoring particularly poorly in terms of
disability, although education retention and internet access are slightly above
average 6 ;
4
ABS 2011 Census – Coffs Harbour LGA, usual residents
5
The unemployment rate has traditionally been significantly higher in Coffs Harbour but the gap is shrinking and
in June 2012 it was only 0.4% higher than NSW as a whole - at 5.8% in June 2012 versus 5.4%.
6
Dropping Off the Edge, Prof Tony Vinson, 2007
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