Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan (CISP) Review

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The Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan 2017 – 2036 (CISP) provides a framework to guide the planning and strategic management of open space and community facilities owned and / or managed by Council.

Open space and community facilities are buildings and land which have been designed and / or designated for recreational activities. This includes:

  • Parks and play spaces
  • Sportsgrounds and sports courts
  • Showgrounds and equestrian facilities
  • Aquatic, leisure, and indoor sports centres
  • Skate parks, BMX tracks and pump tracks
  • Public halls and community centres
  • Cultural buildings (e.g. libraries, galleries, museums, arts and craft buildings)
  • Community gardens
  • Specialised community buildings (e.g. scouts / girl guides clubs, youth clubs, men’s sheds)
  • Foreshore and marine facilities (e.g. surf clubs, sailing clubs, jetties)
  • Tracks, trails, and boardwalks
  • Commercial facilities (e.g. the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre and the Shoalhaven City Turf Club).

CISP Review

The current CISP was adopted in 2017 and is due for review. It is important that the CISP is required to be reviewed regularly to ensure that the recommendations in the CISP are based on up-to-date population data and consider contemporary trends.

The CISP Review is an action in Council’s Development Program and Operational Plan 2023/24 (DPOP) and is being led by the Open Space and Recreation Planning team within the City Services directorate.

How can I get involved?

Council understands that open space and community facilities are important to a broad spectrum of the community. Open space and community facilities provide places for people to gather, socialise and engage in recreational activities. They contribute to physical and mental wellbeing, promote community connectedness, and enhance the liveability of the Shoalhaven Local Government Area.

Council is keen to hear from the community about the open space and community facilities that matter to you. 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.

There will be a further opportunity to provide feedback on the draft CISP during a planned public exhibition period in early 2026.

We will continue to publish updates to this webpage 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).

Financial sustainability

The CISP Review is being undertaken in the context of work to improve Council’s financial position.

The revised CISP will provide a guide to assist Council make strategic decisions on open space and community facilities across the Shoalhaven.

The CISP is a long-term plan which considers how open space and community facilities will be used over the next 30 years. The revised CISP will make recommendations for open space and community facilities in the short, medium and long-term and identify funding approaches where relevant.

Recommendations in the CISP will be based on the findings of a Community Infrastructure Audit, a comprehensive Needs Analysis, and the outcomes of community engagement.

For more information on the CISP Review timeline, including the community engagement phase, please see the Lifecycle on this page.

To learn how Council is addressing its financial challenges, please visit here.

The Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan 2017 – 2036 (CISP) provides a framework to guide the planning and strategic management of open space and community facilities owned and / or managed by Council.

Open space and community facilities are buildings and land which have been designed and / or designated for recreational activities. This includes:

  • Parks and play spaces
  • Sportsgrounds and sports courts
  • Showgrounds and equestrian facilities
  • Aquatic, leisure, and indoor sports centres
  • Skate parks, BMX tracks and pump tracks
  • Public halls and community centres
  • Cultural buildings (e.g. libraries, galleries, museums, arts and craft buildings)
  • Community gardens
  • Specialised community buildings (e.g. scouts / girl guides clubs, youth clubs, men’s sheds)
  • Foreshore and marine facilities (e.g. surf clubs, sailing clubs, jetties)
  • Tracks, trails, and boardwalks
  • Commercial facilities (e.g. the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre and the Shoalhaven City Turf Club).

CISP Review

The current CISP was adopted in 2017 and is due for review. It is important that the CISP is required to be reviewed regularly to ensure that the recommendations in the CISP are based on up-to-date population data and consider contemporary trends.

The CISP Review is an action in Council’s Development Program and Operational Plan 2023/24 (DPOP) and is being led by the Open Space and Recreation Planning team within the City Services directorate.

How can I get involved?

Council understands that open space and community facilities are important to a broad spectrum of the community. Open space and community facilities provide places for people to gather, socialise and engage in recreational activities. They contribute to physical and mental wellbeing, promote community connectedness, and enhance the liveability of the Shoalhaven Local Government Area.

Council is keen to hear from the community about the open space and community facilities that matter to you. 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.

There will be a further opportunity to provide feedback on the draft CISP during a planned public exhibition period in early 2026.

We will continue to publish updates to this webpage 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).

Financial sustainability

The CISP Review is being undertaken in the context of work to improve Council’s financial position.

The revised CISP will provide a guide to assist Council make strategic decisions on open space and community facilities across the Shoalhaven.

The CISP is a long-term plan which considers how open space and community facilities will be used over the next 30 years. The revised CISP will make recommendations for open space and community facilities in the short, medium and long-term and identify funding approaches where relevant.

Recommendations in the CISP will be based on the findings of a Community Infrastructure Audit, a comprehensive Needs Analysis, and the outcomes of community engagement.

For more information on the CISP Review timeline, including the community engagement phase, please see the Lifecycle on this page.

To learn how Council is addressing its financial challenges, please visit here.

  • Thank you for your feedback - CISP Comprehensive Engagement Activity

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    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 3,350 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 23 written submissions.

    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 3,305 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. Libraries.


    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, 69% 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.



  • Have your say: CISP community engagement kicks off

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    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).

  • Engagement summary report now available

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    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

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    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.

  • Next Stage of the Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan Engagement

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    Shoalhaven residents and visitors are invited to provide feedback on how they use selected parks and sporting facilities, including facilities located in holiday hotspots.

    To complete the survey, click this link: Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan - Survey 2 | Get Involved Shoalhaven

    Council is surveying another 25 sample sites as part of a wider review of community infrastructure. This work forms part of the Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan (CISP) Review, which commenced in February 2024.

    • Arthur Jones Reserve, Lake Conjola
    • Artie Smith Oval, Bomaderry
    • Clifton Park, Sanctuary Point
    • Curleys Bay Reserve, Culburra Beach
    • Elliot Reserve, Currarong
    • Endeavour Park, Nowra
    • Harry Sawkins Park, Nowra
    • Hyams Beach Reserve, Hyams Beach
    • Kangaroo Valley Pump Track, Kangaroo Valley
    • Malcom Moore BMX Track & Boat Ramp, Basin View
    • Mick Ryan Park, Milton
    • Milton Showground, Milton
    • Mollymook Beach Reserve, Mollymook
    • Moona Moona Creek Reserve, Huskisson
    • Plantation Point Reserve, Vincentia
    • Rannoch Drive Reserve, West Nowra
    • Ray Abood Village Green, Cambewarra
    • Sanctuary Point Oval, Sanctuary Point
    • Sussex Inlet Foreshore & Ellmoos Reserve, Sussex Inlet
    • Sussex Inlet Lions Park, Sussex Inlet
    • Titania Park, Greenwell Point
    • Ulladulla Foreshore Reserve, Ulladulla
    • Ulladulla Sports Park, Ulladulla
    • White Sands & Voyager Park, Huskisson
    • Yulunga Reserve, Manyana

    Feedback provided by the community will help Council to gather important seasonal data and information about community satisfaction with parks and sporting facilities. 

    Some of the sample sites were included in a previous survey, undertaken in May this year. The results have been published in the newsfeed below. The community can provide feedback on the above sites via an online survey until 5.00pm on 31 January 2025. 

    A QR code to access the survey will also be provided on signage at each of the facilities. 

    To complete the survey, click here Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan - Survey 2 | Get Involved Shoalhaven

  • Publication of the Community Infrastructure Audit

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    Council has completed an audit of community infrastructure, and the results have now been published.

    The Community Infrastructure Audit is the first major output of the Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan (CISP) Review and provides an overview of the provision, distribution, condition and use of open space and community facilities across the Shoalhaven.

    Council engaged with key stakeholders and the community to help inform the Audit, and summary reports from those engagement activities have also been published.

    About the Audit report

    The Audit presents information on 637 open space and community facilities, spread across 50 towns and villages.

    The 637 facilities are grouped into 5 Themes or ‘Asset Typologies’:

    1. Aquatics & Indoor Sport
    2. Sports Fields & Courts
    3. Open Space
    4. Cultural & Entertainment Facilities
    5. Community Buildings


    The 50 towns and villages have been grouped into 5 Planning Areas and 22 Planning Districts.

    How to read the Audit report

    The Audit report is broadly divided into two main sections:

    1. Open Space & Community Facilities by Theme / Asset Typology
    2. Open Space & Community Facilities by Village / Town (Planning District)


    To go to the section of the document that is of most interest to you, you can click on one of the hyperlinks in on the contents page

    The Audit report in context

    The Audit report is a working reference document that provides evidence to help inform the CISP Review.

    Due to the large number of in-scope facilities, minor errors may be present for some sites. Any errors will be corrected periodically throughout the CISP Review process.

    About the engagement summary reports

    Interested members of the community and key stakeholders were invited to complete a survey for a range of sites. These engagement activities were undertaken between 22 May – 12 June 2024.

    Data collected through the surveys has been incorporated into the Audit report and comprehensive summaries of the engagement activities have been published below.


    For a more condensed summary, please refer to the snapshots below.


    What happens next?

    Council will now prepare a Needs Analysis. The Needs Analysis will consider current and future demand for open space and community facilities using the findings of the Audit and other key inputs.

    If you would like to receive updates on the progress of the Needs Analysis, or to be notified about upcoming engagement activities, please subscribe to receive project updates by clicking the ‘Stay Informed’ box located in the top right-hand corner of the page.

  • Update on Community Infrastructure Audit

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    Thank you for your feedback

    Surveys for the Community Infrastructure Audit (Audit) have now closed.

    Council received 989 community survey responses and 105 stakeholder survey responses. In total 1,094 submissions were received. Thank you to all who participated.

    Community and stakeholder responses were received for all 25 selected sites. Responses were from a representative mix of the community: including children, teenagers, young people, families, workers, retirees, sporting groups and community groups.

    Feedback received through the surveys will be included in a Community Infrastructure Audit report. The Audit report will be submitted to an Ordinary Meeting of Council and published to the Document Library on this page. If you would like to receive a notification when the Audit report is published, please subscribe to receive project updates in the top right corner of this page.

    Community and stakeholder survey results will also be considered as part of the Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan (CISP) Review. For more information on the CISP Review, please see the FAQs and Lifecycle on this page.

    Will there be other opportunities to provide feedback?

    Yes, a comprehensive community engagement activity is expected to take place in early 2025. There will be opportunities during this engagement activity to provide feedback on all of Council’s open space and community facilities. The 2025 engagement activity will be well-publicised through Council’s communications networks.

    Thank you again to everyone who provided feedback and please look out for further CISP Review updates published to this page.

  • Open space and community facilities – have your say

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    If you use or have an interest in our open space and community facilities we’d love to get your feedback.

    Council is undertaking a Community Infrastructure Audit which will provide:

    1. Mapping of open space & community facilities owned / managed by Council and a register including:
      • Information about the condition of these facilities.
      • Information about how these facilities are managed.
      • Information on how these facilities are used by the community and by visitors.
    2. Mapping of open space & recreation facilities provided by the private sector and other levels of government.
    3. Customer satisfaction responses for 25 sites gathered from surveys.

    Click here to complete the survey

    About the surveys

    The community is invited to participate in a survey for 25 sites across the Shoalhaven.

    The 25 selected sites have been identified as facilities where more information is required to guide recommendations in the revised CISP.

    Council want to hear from you about how the facilities are used, and how people would like to use them in the future.

    All responses are confidential. The survey closes at 5pm on Wednesday 12 June.

    The 25 sites are:

    • Callala Bay Sporting Complex
    • Erowal Bay Public Hall
    • Francis Ryan Reserve, Sanctuary Point
    • Greenwell Point Memorial Community Hall
    • Ison Park, Nowra
    • Joe Hyam Reserve, North Nowra
    • Lighthouse Oval, Ulladulla
    • Lions Park, Burrill Lake
    • Lyrebird Sports Park, Nowra
    • Marriott Park, Nowra
    • Mollymook Beach Reserve
    • Moona Moona Creek Reserve, Huskisson
    • North Nowra Community Centre
    • Nowra Aquatic Park
    • Nowra School of Arts
    • Nowra Showground
    • Shoalhaven Community and Recreation Precinct, Bomaderry
      (includes the Shoalhaven Indoor Sport Centre, Bomaderry Aquatic Facility, Artie Smith Oval, Artie Smith Oval Croquet)
    • Shoalhaven Hockey Centre, North Nowra
    • Sussex Inlet Aquatic Centre
    • Thomson St Sporting Complex, Sussex Inlet
    • Ulladulla Leisure Centre & Ulladulla Tennis Centre
    • Ulladulla Sports Park
    • Vincentia Public Hall
    • White Sands Park & Voyager Park, Huskisson
    • Yulunga Public Hall & Yulunga Reserve Sportsfield, Manyana

    Surveys direct to key stakeholders

    Known stakeholders for the 25 sites will be invited to participate in a separate survey via direct email. These stakeholders include community and sporting groups who regularly hire these facilities through Council’s booking systems.

    What will happen with the survey results?

    Key findings from the surveys will be published in an Audit report. The Audit report will be available to read in the Document Library on this page.

    The Audit findings will inform further work undertaken as part of the CISP Review, including any recommendations for the 25 selected sites.

Page last updated: 09 Jul 2025, 03:37 PM