What the council is working on
Recent deliveries, what's underway now, and what's planned next — drawn from the council's own plans, budgets and project pages. We report what the council has publicly said it's doing; every item links to its source.
The council's stated direction
Bega Valley Shire Council's direction is set out in its Community Strategic Plan 2042 and a combined Delivery Program and Operational Plan with an annual budget, shaped heavily by recovery and resilience after the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires, major water and sewer upgrades, and the long-run challenge of funding a large, dispersed asset base.
The council manages local roads, waste, water and sewer, libraries, parks, planning and coastal management across a large Far South Coast shire anchored by Bega (the council seat), Merimbula and Eden. Its Delivery Program is the elected council's statement of commitment for its term, delivering the long-term vision in the Community Strategic Plan 2042.
The council manages roughly $2 billion in assets across a sparsely populated shire; its long-term financial plan weighs service levels against a structural funding gap, which drove the 2023–24/2024–25 special rate variation and continued debate about future rate options.
Underway now
Merimbula Sewage Treatment Plant upgrade & ocean outfall
State Significant Infrastructure assessment; PIR on exhibition Jun 2026A major upgrade of the Merimbula Sewage Treatment Plant with a new ocean outfall, being assessed by the NSW Government as State Significant Infrastructure. The Preferred Infrastructure Report was placed on public exhibition in June 2026, after which the Department of Planning finalises its assessment for the Minister's determination.
Bushfire recovery & resilience
Ongoing since 2020Following the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires (which severely affected Cobargo and other communities), the council's bushfire planning and recovery work supports rebuilding of the shire's built, community and natural environments, backed by state and federal recovery funding.
Source: Bega Valley Council — Bushfire Planning and Recovery
Planned / committed
Long-term financial sustainability & rates pathway
Long Term Financial Plan; future SRV flaggedThe council's Long Term Financial Plan sets out options for funding services and asset renewal against a structural gap. For now the council adopted the lower-cost 'Option C' pathway (staying within the rate peg) rather than a new special rate variation, while flagging that a further rate rise may need to be considered in coming years.