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
Kempsey Shire Council's direction is set out in its Community Strategic Plan ('2042: Your Future', adopted 2022) and a Delivery Program 2025–2029 with an annual Operational Plan and budget, shaped heavily by flood recovery and resilience in the Macleay River valley, coastal-town foreshore plans and a push for financial sustainability.
The council manages local roads, waste, water, floodplain works, libraries, parks and planning across a large, largely rural Mid North Coast shire spanning the Macleay River valley and coastal towns. Its Delivery Program is the elected council's statement of commitment for its term, funded through the Operational Plan and long-term financial plan.
The Delivery Program funds the council's annual capital works alongside a permanent Special Rate Variation (approved by IPART in 2024) that the council has phased across 2025–26 and 2026–27 to support financial sustainability and asset renewal.
Underway now
Macleay River floodplain risk management & flood resilience
Ongoing; betterment works from Jan 2025The council is delivering flood-resilience work across the flood-prone Macleay River valley, guided by the Lower Macleay River Floodplain Risk Management Plan and a disaster Recovery Action Plan. Projects include replacing repeatedly flood-damaged causeways with higher, more resilient bridges (for example the Dungay Creek causeway at Yessabah, funded through natural-disaster betterment funding), plus drainage, flood-mitigation maintenance and water-quality monitoring.
Source: Kempsey Shire Council — Lower Macleay River Floodplain Risk Management plan
Coastal foreshore & tourism master plans
Endorsed Oct 2025; further stages in the draft 2026–27 Operational PlanThe council is progressing master plans for its coastal towns, including the Crescent Head Foreshore Master Plan (concept plans and detailed design endorsed at the October 2025 meeting) and the Horseshoe Bay foreshore at South West Rocks, alongside the Mulumun Trail coastal walk between Little Bay and Smoky Cape.
Source: Kempsey Shire Council — Crescent Head foreshore plans endorsed and community grants awarded
Financial sustainability & Special Rate Variation
SRV approved 2024; phased across 2025–26 and 2026–27Following IPART's 2024 approval of a permanent Special Rate Variation, the council is lifting rates on a phased basis (7.5% in 2025–26, 11.52% in 2026–27) to fund asset renewal and improve long-term financial sustainability, as set out in its Delivery Program and long-term financial plan.