Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan (CISP) Review

Thank you to everyone who participated in the public exhibition of the draft Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan 2056 (CISP). The Public Exhibition Summary Report is now available and provides an overview of the feedback received. The Public Exhibition Summary Report - Attachments is a supplementary document that presents the public consultation results in greater detail.

• To read the Public Exhibition Summary Report, please click here
• To read the Public Exhibition Summary Report - Attachments, please click here

There was significant community participation over the four-week public exhibition period from 20 April to 20 May 2026, including:

• More than 2,400 survey submissions
• Over 29,200 responses on individual recommendations
• 116 written submissions via email (final count)
• 118 attendees across stakeholder information sessions
• 18 participants at a dedicated workshop for disability service providers

Overall, the draft recommendations received strong support from the community, with 74% agreement, 15% disagreement and 11% neutral responses. This high level of support reflects the success of earlier engagement activities and demonstrates how community-identified priorities have been translated into proposed actions.

The project team is now carefully reviewing all feedback as we refine the recommendations in the draft CISP.

Keep an eye out for updates as the revised plan progresses to Council for consideration (we’re on track to present it to the September 2026 Ordinary Meeting of Council). Don’t forget, you can also subscribe to receive updates in the top right-hand corner of the page.

The public exhibition of Shoalhaven City Council’s draft Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan 2056 (CISP) has now closed.

Over 2,400 survey responses were received during the public exhibition period, including over 29,200 responses on individual draft recommendations via our survey and interactive mapping tool. 86 email submissions were also received.

118 people attended stakeholder information sessions held in Bomaderry, Huskisson and Ulladulla, and 18 people attended a targeted workshop for disability service providers to provide feedback on draft recommendations from an inclusion and access perspective.

Thank you to everybody who spread the word and provided their feedback.

The high volume of feedback received so far demonstrates the importance the community places on our pools, parks, sports facilities, community buildings and cultural facilities.

Feedback was received across all asset types, with all areas of the Shoalhaven and all age groups represented.

While initial results show that the level of overall agreement with draft recommendations was high at 74%, the project team will now process the feedback in detail, including analysing all free text responses and email submissions received to ensure the full nuance of community input is accurately represented and considered.

Next Steps

• Engagement Summary Report: The project team will now review community feedback received during the public exhibition period. Once complete, an engagement summary report will be published on Council’s website (anticipated July 2026).
• Final Draft CISP: All community feedback received during the public exhibition period will inform the preparation of the final draft CISP. Certain recommendations may be adjusted to account for feedback received. These adjustments will be peer reviewed, before the final draft CISP is submitted to the Elected Council for consideration later in 2026.
• Further Feedback Opportunities: There will be an opportunity to review the final draft CISP when it is published and to provide feedback to elected representatives or prepare a deputation at that time.
• Stay up to date: To receive project updates, please subscribe via the link at the top left-hand corner of this page.

Who we heard from

The project team is busy processing the feedback provided. Although it is still very early in this process, it is evident that survey input reflected the diversity of the community, spanning every age group, locality, and asset type.

The highest volume of survey responses received were on parks & open spaces, followed by sports & community precincts

Districts we heard the most from were Milton, Mollymook, Mollymook Beach, Narrawallee & Surrounds, and Nowra.

The largest group of respondents were people in their forties (21%), and overall nearly half of all participants (49%) were aged forty or under.

Following a comprehensive community consultation and months of detailed analysis, one of Council’s most significant strategic plans is now on exhibition for community feedback.

The Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan 2056 (CISP) establishes a 30-year vision for community facilities to help guide short, medium, and long-term planning and investment for pools, parks, sports fields and courts, community halls, and cultural venues.

A clear picture of where investment is needed over the next 30 years is featured in the document with recommendations directing funding where it will have the greatest impact.

The community is invited to explore the interactive map showcasing more than 600 community facilities open for feedback. This tool allows users to click on a location of interest, review the draft recommendations and provide comments.

The draft CISP is on exhibition from 20 April until 20 May 2026.

Don’t miss this fourth and final opportunity to have your say on the places and spaces that are important to you!

Go to the CISP Review Hub page to read the draft strategy and provide your feedback.

The newly developed draft Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan 2056 will be on public exhibition starting 22 April 2026. This long‑term strategy outlines more than 1,000 recommendations shaping the future of pools, parks, sporting facilities, community buildings, and cultural facilities.

Designed as a roadmap to guide development over the next 30 years, the draft plan represents a major step in planning for a growing and evolving community.

Keep an eye out for further announcements here or subscribe for updates to have the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Work is progressing on the review of Council’s Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan (CISP).

Feedback received through the comprehensive community engagement campaign held between May and June 2025 has been processed and incorporated. This included input from 3,363 survey responses, 19 email submissions, 6 workshops, and a dedicated focus group for people living with disability and their carers.

The project team has now finalised a Community Infrastructure Needs Analysis (Needs Analysis), which provides the evidence base for the new draft CISP.

The Needs Analysis covers 637 open space and community facilities owned and/or managed by Council and assesses whether these facilities meet the current and future needs of residents and visitors.

Both the Needs Analysis and the draft CISP strategy will be placed on public exhibition in April 2026. This will provide the community with an opportunity to review the strategic direction for community infrastructure over the next 30 years and offer further feedback on recommendations for individual facilities.

The Needs Analysis and draft CISP are informed by a wide range of data including a total of 5,448 survey responses received so far across three engagement campaigns - equivalent to around 4% of the Shoalhaven’s population.

Approximately 70% of recommendations in the draft CISP reflect community feedback.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far, and don’t miss the fourth and final opportunity to have your say on the community places and spaces that matter to you during the public exhibition period.

We will continue to publish updates on this page throughout the CISP Review process. You can also subscribe for updates by entering your email address in the ‘Stay Informed’ box located at the top right of this page.

Here’s the deep dive into what the community said about the places and spaces they love.

All the engagement data, for one of Council’s most successful community consultations on record, is included in this 80+ page report.

An overview can be found in the Executive Summary which sets out key insights and themes. Consistent feedback included the community’s desire for better maintenance and upgrades to existing facilities.

Where possible we’ve included graphs, charts and tables to ensure the detailed feedback from the surveys, workshops and focus groups is easy to understand. The report can be found here.

The Community Engagement Summary Report provides important data for the team to consider as they continue to work on the draft Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan, which is expected to be released for public exhibition in early 2026. There will be an opportunity to review and provide feedback during the exhibition period.

The latest and most extensive community engagement campaign for the CISP Review project closed on 30 June 2025. The campaign ran for 7 weeks, from 12 May 2025 to 30 June 2025. This campaign is emerging as one of our most successful community consultations to date, in terms of the quantity of feedback received.

Engagement Activities

A wide range of engagement methods were employed, including:

• Surveys – 3 surveys were used to gather feedback on 637 in-scope open space and community facilities. A total of 3,363 responses were received.
• Stakeholder Workshops – 6 workshops were held across the region, engaging 112 participants representing a broad range of interests.
• Focus Group – a focus group was hosted in collaboration with Flagstaff for 20 people living with a disability and their carers.
• Pop-up sessions – 10 pop-up sessions were held at sporting venues and local markets enabling over one hundred residents and visitors to provide feedback via our surveys.
• Email submissions – Council received 19 contributions via written submissions with representation of 23 facilities.

We sincerely thank everyone who spread the word and provided feedback to help shape the future of our open spaces and community facilities.

What We Heard

The project team is busy processing the feedback provided. Although it is still early in this process, several key themes are emerging (based on data from the 3,363 total survey responses):

Most Used Facilities: The types of facilities reported as being the most used were:

1. Parks and playgrounds
2. Natural areas (e.g., bushwalks, beaches, mountain bike trails)
3. Aquatic centres
4. Sports fields and courts
5. Showgrounds

Top Priorities for Facility Use: The top priorities reported for facilities across all asset types were:

1. Cleanliness and maintenance
2. Quality / fit for purpose
3. Appropriate amenities (e.g., toilets, change rooms).

Top Priorities for Future Investment: When asked what Council should focus future investment on, 74% of respondents preferred improving the quality of existing facilities.

For more information on these results, please see the graphs at the end of this news update.

What’s next?

• Engagement Summary Report: Community feedback received through the May-June 2025 engagement activity is being reviewed by the project team. Once completed, a community engagement summary report will be provided to Council and published to Council’s website (anticipated: September 2025).
• Draft CISP: All community feedback received will inform findings and recommendations in the draft CISP. The draft CISP is expected to be released for public exhibition in early 2026.
• Further Feedback Opportunities: There will be an opportunity to review and provide feedback on the draft CISP during a planned public exhibition period in early 2026.

Tell us what’s important to you when it comes to our places and spaces.

Engagement for the Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan (CISP) review is now live. The CISP is Council’s highest-level strategic plan for over 600 community facilities and open spaces across the Shoalhaven. So tell us, what do you want from the buildings, parks, pools, sportsgrounds, playgrounds and cultural facilities in your neighbourhood?

Have your say

1. Fill out our surveys: Click here to have your say.
2. Join our pop-up engagement sessions: We are conducting a number of pop-up engagement sessions at community and sporting events. Click here to find a list of events we will be attending and other ways you can have your say.
3. Look out for our signage: You may notice signage at your local park, library or community building. Scan the QR code on this signage to complete our two surveys.
4. Tell your friends: The more feedback we receive, the better we can plan for community places and spaces in the Shoalhaven and ensure that they meet the needs of residents and visitors now and into the future.

All feedback must be received by 5pm on Monday 30 June, 2025 to be considered.

What happens to your feedback

All feedback received during the engagement period will directly inform findings and recommendations in the revised CISP, guiding decision-making and planning for open space and community facilities over the next 30 years.

Stay updated

We will continue to publish updates to this page about the CISP Review process. You can also subscribe to receive updates on the CISP Review by providing your email address in the ‘Stay Informed’ box (located in the top right of this page).

Did you fill out our Summer Survey earlier this year?

You might be curious to know what other people said about the 25 sample sites – find the report here

We’ll use this feedback to help form recommendations in the final Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan (CISP). Stay tuned for more opportunities to have your say in mid-May when we look at all 637 sites covered by the CISP.

Make sure you subscribe for updates.

Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan (CISP) Review – Summer Survey

The latest survey for the CISP Review closed on 31 January 2025.

A total of 929 surveys were completed for the 25 sample sites by a broad cross-section of our community. Thank you to everyone who participated.

The five (5) sites which received the most responses were:

• Plantation Point Reserve, Vincentia
• Ray Abood Village Green, Cambewarra
• Malcom Moore BMX Track and Boat Ramp, Basin View
• Moona Moona Creek Reserve, Huskisson
• White Sands and Voyager Park, Huskisson

Some of the other key results include:

The majority of people who responded to the survey were using the listed sites for recreation. Each person who responded to this survey could nominate a variety of uses.

Over 72% of the people who responded to the survey were satisfied with the facility that they were using with over 49% being extremely satisfied or satisfied.

The feedback from this survey will be considered alongside over 1000 survey responses received in May-June 2024.

What will happen with the survey results?

The summer survey results will be reported to Council and considered as an input to the CISP Review. The CISP is Council's highest-level plan to guide the planning and strategic management of open space and community facilities owned and/or managed by Council. For more information on the CISP Review please see the FAQs and Lifecycle sections on this page.

Will the survey results be published?

Yes. A detailed report on the summer 2024-25 engagement activity will be published to the Document Library on this page. If you would like to receive a notification when this report is published, please subscribe to receive project updates in the top right corner of this page.

Will there be other opportunities to provide feedback?

Yes. A range of comprehensive community and stakeholder engagement activities are planned for May-June 2025. This engagement activity will provide an opportunity for community members to provide feedback on all open spaces and community facilities owned and/or managed by Council. There will also be opportunities to provide feedback on the draft CISP. The draft CISP is expected to be placed on public exhibition in early 2026.