Mayor's message

We had an exciting announcement by the NSW Government this week that will not only accelerate plans for our Nowra Riverfront Precinct but will also help increase the supply of homes in our city.   

The NSW Premier, the Hon. Chris Minns MP and Housing Minister, the Hon. Rose Jackson MP visited the Shoalhaven on Tuesday to announce that two major housing projects in the riverfront precinct will be fast tracked for development under the State Significant Rezoning pathway. 

It means several hectares of land along the waterfront will be rezoned to allow for increased residential density, paving the way for more than 600 dwellings. These two housing projects will deliver a mix of social, affordable and private dwellings – all of which are desperately needed in our city.  

I’m pleased these developments will also provide homes for our essential workers, supporting the much-needed redevelopment of the Shoalhaven Hospital. And, as I made the Premier aware, I expect to see shovels hit the ground for those projects in two years, once the concept plans are complete.  

Mowing is another issue I know you’re all passionate about, so you might want to keep an eye out on our website. Towards the end of March, we’ll have a dedicated page to provide details about our mowing schedule for all our open spaces.  

If you’re looking for an interesting outing later this month, Shoalhaven Water will be holding an open day at the Ulladulla (Kings Point) Wastewater Treatment Plant on 28 March. Tickets are free but spaces are limited so make sure you book now.  

I’ll be at the Milton Show from10am to 3pm today (Friday 7 March) for my Open Office session, so I hope you can come along for a chat. On Monday 10 March, I’ll be at the Dunn Lewis Centre in Ulladulla from 2pm to 4pm. If you can’t make either of those sessions, you can find more dates to meet me on the Council website.   

Mayor,  

Patricia White  

Today might be the last official day of summer, but we all know we’ll be swimming and enjoying our beaches for weeks to come. Being a coastal council, we are lucky to have 165km of beautiful coastline, but with this comes challenges. 

As a committee member of the Australian Coastal Council Association, I meet regularly with 40 other coastal councils from around Australia to discuss the issues impacting our towns. This includes climate change, coastal erosion, and meeting the demands of infrastructure and services. I’ll be representing the interests of the Shoalhaven and other coastal councils and will keep you updated on the group’s advocacy. 

I’m pleased to report that Council has recorded $1.7 million in cost-saving measures in the quarterly report from October to December 2024. The majority of money saved has come from job vacancies held across Council as a result of a more rigorous recruitment process. You can read the full report here. 

Salt Care have launched their fundraising drive to continue to do the invaluable work they provide to people across the region who are experiencing disadvantage. Salt has helped to transform the lives of thousands of people during times when they’re without a home, which sadly is a situation that many in our community are facing. I’d like to challenge everyone who can afford $10 or more, to the I Said Yes campaign, and help change the lives of people in our region for the better. Donate To The I Said Yes Campaign 

A welcome message for our residents and businesses who use The Wool Road in Old Erowal Bay – we’re now out to tender for construction and work will begin later this year. The good news is that as part of the reconstruction works, a special single-lane will be built to avoid lengthy detours. I’ll keep you updated as we get closer to the job starting.  

My next open office session is at the Milton Show. I’ll be there on Friday 7 March from 10am until 3pm and I'll be walking around all the stalls and activities so please come up and say hello. You can find a list of my upcoming sessions here and you’ll see there's a mix of locations and times so that everyone gets a chance to meet with me. It’s a first-come, first-served system but I always endeavor to get to everyone. Hope to see you soon. 

Mayor,  

Patricia White 

Can I hear a collective sigh of relief as the kids return to school? Maybe you’re already feeling the holiday blues? Either way, with the first school term of 2025 now underway, I implore you to drive safely around school zones and heed the signs at pick-up and drop off. Check out our Road Safety website to learn more about the rules and to access resources that will help keep our children safe. 

Earlier this week I attended a Bring Your Bills community event hosted by the Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre in Nowra. There were many residents there getting help with their energy and water bills and seeking information and tips on legal and financial matters. Along with other service providers, our Shoalhaven Water team was there to offer advice on water issues and payment assistance. EWON offer a great service, and I’m pleased that we could play a part on the day. 

I’m delighted to announce that nominations for this year’s Local Government Regional NAIDOC Awards are now open. We had the privilege of hosting the event last year, which recognises impressive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who make outstanding contributions to improve the lives of people in their community, and beyond.  

Shellharbour City Council will host the NAIDOC Awards ceremony this year. There are seven categories, so make sure you get your nominations in by Sunday 9 March. 

Clean Up Australia Day is just around the corner. The event will celebrate its 35th year running on Sunday 2 March. We’re pleased to support the initiative by providing additional equipment such as gloves, bags, vests and rubbish picks. We can also arrange free disposal at our Recycling and Waste Depots. To join a Clean Up group or register a new site, visit the Clean Up website.  

The Nowra Show kicks off Friday 7 February. If you’re heading along, why not come chat to me at my Open Office session? I’ll be at the Exhibition Hall from 9:30am. I hope to see you there.  

Mayor,  

Patricia White 

I had the privilege of hosting the Shoalhaven’s Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony in Sussex Inlet on Sunday.  

On hearing the 26 nominees read out, I certainly didn’t envy the job of the judging panel who had to narrow it down to just three award winners.  

Congratulations to David Vadre Jones who won the Shoalhaven Citizen Award for his tireless volunteer work and fundraising.  William Dewsbury-Love was awarded the Shoalhaven Young Citizen Award for being an integral member of the Shoalhaven High School community. The Proudly Shoalhaven Award was given to North Shoalhaven Meals on Wheels and the army of 250 volunteers who cook, pack and deliver meals each day, while Peter Williams, received highly commended for the Proudly Shoalhaven Award for keeping the spirit of the Anzacs alive and well in the Shoalhaven. 

I’d also like to congratulate the wonderful Aunty Nell Mooney who received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the Shoalhaven's Indigenous community.  

Thanks to Restart NSW funding, Council has been able to connect and upgrade existing paths to create a 20km walking route from Narrawallee Inlet to Blackburn Head at Burrill Lake. It combines stunning scenery, 10 beaches, wildflowers, cafes and accommodation options. Do the walk in short sections or take on the 20km challenge – a wonderful thing to do in any season Southern Headlands Walk. 

Speaking of seasons, with school returning and holidays coming to an end for many, some of the Shoalhaven’s daily beach patrols will also be ending. A few beaches will still have weekend patrols so head to SLSA Beachsafe where you can search your nearest patrolled beach and make sure you know how to identify and survive rip currents by visiting the Surf Life Saving NSW website. 

Finally, are you getting along to the Nowra Show next Friday 7 February or Saturday 8 February? There’s a full line-up of entertainment kicking off from 8am Friday and I’ll also be hosting my Open Office sessions in the Exhibition Hall from 9.30am. I look forward to seeing you there. 

Mayor,  

Patricia White 

I’m thrilled to host this year’s Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony in Sussex Inlet on the weekend. The event will see 32 conferees from Bangladesh, Canada, Germany, India, Iran, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States become Australian citizens.  

The event celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the Shoalhaven community, and once again, the awards ceremony will recognise the outstanding and selfless, contributions of many residents across the region.  

I encourage you to gather outside the Swordfish Brewery at Sussex Inlet from 10:30am on Sunday, Australia Day, to watch the event. There will be a community picnic from midday at Ellmoos Reserve where you can enjoy live music and food by the water.  

Further south, people with a strong connection to the Conjola community are being invited to join a local working group to help create a memorial that commemorates the Black Summer Bushfires of 2019-20. The group will guide the process including decision-making on the location and design. If you’d like to be involved, you have until Monday 3 March to fill out the expression of interest form.    

To discuss this, or any other Council matters with me in-person, don’t forget to head along to one of my Open Office sessions. My next session will be today (24 January) at the Vincentia Shopping Village on Burton Street from 10am to 3pm and then at Nowra Show on Friday 7 February in the Exhibition Hall. I look forward to meeting you.  

Mayor,  

Patricia White 

It was exciting to be part of a special event earlier this week where $5 million was announced for the Nowra Riverfront Precinct, during a visit from the Prime Minister. 

The precinct will reconnect Nowra city centre with the Shoalhaven River waterfront and create an integrated space incorporating parklands, accommodation, areas for commercial and social activities, as well as active transport links. 

Funded through the Commonwealth Government’s Regional Precincts and Partnership Program, the $5 million will allow us to complete planning investigations and finalise the masterplan designs for the flagship riverfront park and conduct further community consultation and a business case to facilitate investment. 

I’ll be back in Council chambers next Tuesday for our first meeting of the year. If you’re curious to know more about local government and how we make decisions, I encourage you to attend a council meeting or dial into the live stream.  

Congratulations to local veteran and leader Fred Dawson who has been recognised with the RSL's highest honour - the Meritorious Service Medal. Mr Dawson has been a vital member and leader of the Nowra-Greenwell Point RSL Sub-Branch for nearly 35 years, helping build its membership and funds. Well done on this achievement. 

If you need to speak to me in person, my Open Office will be on Friday 24 January at the Burton Street Mall in Vincentia between 10am and 3pm.  

Mayor,  

Patricia White  

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a safe and restful break with your loved ones. I was delighted to see our towns and villages bustling over the Christmas period. It’s an important reminder of how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful area with so many places to explore. Thank you to the local businesses who do a marvelous job each year, opening their doors and offering an exceptional service during the busy summer holidays.  

I’m excited to be back at work and am feeling positive about the direction of Council in 2025. I’ll be holding my first Open Office for the year, today (Friday 10 January) at the Nowra Administration building between 10am and 3pm. If you can’t make it today, my next session will be on Friday 24 January at the Vincentia Shopping Village on Burton Street from 10am to 3pm. I hope to see you there for a chat.  

There’s still plenty of activities on offer for the kids during January. The Shoalhaven Indoor Sports Centre has a fun-filled holiday program featuring indoor sports, jumping castles, arts and crafts, while our leisure centres have great swim intensives and clinics. Our libraries are also running workshops until the end of January. If you’d prefer to be in nature with your family, our visitor information website has some great ideas for a day out in the bush or at the beach.  

I’d like to finish this week by acknowledging the dedicated service and professionalism of our Director of Shoalhaven Water, Robert Horner. Rob has announced his retirement after three decades with the organisation. He joined Council’s water utility as a civil engineer in 1996, rising through the ranks to become director in 2019. During his distinguished career he has overseen the design and construction of Lake Tabourie, Conjola/Bendalong, Currarong and Kangaroo Valley sewerage schemes. His leadership also resulted in our water being crowned the best tasting in the NSW/ACT in 2019 and 2022. 

Congratulations on a stellar career, Rob. You will be missed.  

Mayor,  

Patricia White  

This week we voted to apply to the independent pricing regulator for a Special Rate Variation (SRV). Early in the new year we will submit our application to IPART seeking an increase of 12 per cent, including the 3.8 per cent rate peg, from 1 July 2025.  

Our decision was not taken lightly. We carefully considered the individual responses from more than two thousand residents and strongly believe this rate increase strikes the right balance. While the proposal will assist Council to prioritise some of the backlog of maintenance across the city, it also recognises the financial pressures being felt by many in our community at this time. We also remain committed to our work finding savings and revenue internally.  

As I reflect on the year, indeed the past three months, it has certainly been one of big change and big decisions. After 12 years as a Councillor, I was elected Mayor and it’s a role I’m very much relishing, even with the challenges that come with any leadership position.  

Every decision I’ve made in this short time, I’ve had the wellbeing of the community and the future of the Shoalhaven in mind. Each day I’m reminded that we live in one of the most special places on earth, and I certainly plan to keep it that way.  

There is much to celebrate in 2024 – we saw major landslips completed, we fixed roads, launched walks and opened playgrounds, we put our Reconciliation Action Plan out for exhibition, we supported community events and even celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Bamarang Water Treatment Plant. And when it comes to honouring the people who have made outstanding contributions to the Shoalhaven, I’m certainly looking forward to meeting you at our Australia Day Awards on 26 January.  

I’m also filled with great optimism for 2025 and I’d like to thank the new cohort of Councillors for their efforts to work collaboratively for the greater good of the Shoalhaven and I look forward to continuing along this path.  

I’d particularly like to extend my gratitude to our Council staff who work tirelessly to deliver services to the community. For those who are working to keep services going over Christmas, I’m doubly grateful.  

As I write this message I’m post-surgery to remove a melanoma and I’m feeling grateful that it was caught in time. I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and New Year and look forward to seeing many of you at Friday's Open Office or at one of my sessions next year.  

Thank you for all your support in 2024 and see you in the new year.  

Mayor,  

Patricia White