During March, the Hunter JO’s Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan Steering Committee, comprising of the Mayors and General Managers of the five Lower Hunter Councils came together in a workshop session to align expectations and directions around the ongoing focus and role of the Steering Committee in relation to delivery of the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan (GNMP), and to develop a shared objective on the governance outcome that needs to be achieved to ensure its successful delivery. The opportunity to come together for these discussions was particularly valuable at the time given the NSW Government had also recently announced Newcastle’s incorporation within the Greater Cities Commission.
Key outcomes arising from the discussions were that:
- Councils through the Hunter JO, advocate for a formal governance arrangement to be enshrined between the Greater Newcastle Cities Commissioner, and the five Mayors of the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Area, to provide for regular and meaningful communication and collaboration between the Greater Newcastle Cities Commissioner and the Mayors
- That the primary role of the GNMP Steering Committee moving forward, will be to provide a strong and united advocacy voice on agreed core priorities for the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Area, within the context of a broader shared regional narrative.
Head to our Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan Project page for more information!