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
MidCoast's plans are set out in its Community Strategic Plan, a 4-year Delivery Program and an annual Operational Plan & Budget. The council has flagged a $24 million-a-year federal-funding shortfall as a growing pressure on its ability to fund services and infrastructure across a large, dispersed LGA.
The council delivers services across roads, water and sewer, waste, libraries, community facilities and planning across four main centres (Taree, Forster–Tuncurry, Gloucester, Wingham) and many smaller towns. Its Delivery Program is the elected council's statement of commitment for its term.
The council approved the full IPART-permitted 3.10% general rate increase for 2026–27 after revealing a $24 million-a-year federal-funding shortfall; councillors have said the peg 'does not scratch the surface' of rising costs, and MidCoast hasn't had a community-approved Special Rate Variation since 2016.
Underway now
Draft MidCoast Local Environmental Plan (LEP)
with NSW Government for finalisation, expected late 2026A single planning-rules document to replace the three separate LEPs inherited from the pre-2016 merger, developed with community, industry and NSW Government input and endorsed by councillors in February 2025.
Source: MidCoast Council — Have Your Say
$24m funding shortfall response
2026–27 budgetFollowing a revealed $24 million-a-year federal-funding shortfall, the council applied the full 2026–27 IPART rate peg (3.10%) to general rates and is examining further budget measures, with councillors noting no community-approved Special Rate Variation since 2016.
Source: Great Lakes Advocate — rates hiked after $24m funding crisis revealed
Planned / committed
MidCoast Regional Organics Facility (FOGO)
targeted ~2028A proposed regional organics processing facility near Darawank that would let the council introduce a food-and-garden-organics (FOGO) service — moving red general-waste bins to fortnightly and adding a weekly FOGO green bin — ahead of the NSW Government's July 2030 statewide mandate. The project is a State Significant Development awaiting NSW Government approval.