Conjola Improvements

We are pleased to provide an update on the process for establishing a memorial/commemorative feature in the Conjola area for the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. As directed by Council, staff have worked with the Australian Red Cross and an independent disaster recovery expert to design a process aligned with contemporary, best-practice approaches to memorials.

To develop the process, staff researched academic literature, memorial responses of Councils in Victoria to the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and consulted with subject matter experts. This best practice process was endorsed by Council during the Ordinary Council Meeting on 20 May 2024.

MIN24.280 reads:

1. Accept the Conjola Park – Best Practice Approach to Establishing a Memorial Outcome report for information regarding best practice approaches to establishing a memorial outcome in the aftermath of natural disaster events.
2. Endorse the proposed memorial process as outlined in the Proposed Process section of the Conjola Park – Best Practice Approach to Establishing a Memorial Outcome report.
3. Direct the Chief Executive Officer (Director – City Lifestyles) to:
   1. Commence Stage 1 of the proposed process (at part 2 of this resolution), to establish a Working Group that will:
      1. Establish the level of community support for a memorial outcome commemorating the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires as Conjola Park, and;
      2. Remain actively involved throughout the proposed process (as at part 2 of this resolution).

1. Progress to subsequent stages (pending completion of Stage 1) and prepare a future report to Council at the completion of Stage 3.

The next step in this process is to commence Stage 1 by establishing a Working Group. We will soon issue a call for expressions of interest to form this group. A panel will carefully consider all submissions to determine the membership of the working group. Further details will be provided in a future update.

We will continue to post regular updates here, so click on the SUBSCRIBE button at the top righthand corner of this page to stay up-to-date.

In accordance with MIN23.673, a portion of the CCRA's donated funds has been allocated for preliminary investigations regarding the installation of a half-court basketball facility at the Lake Conjola Community Hall Complex (Arthur Jones Reserve).

We are pleased to provide an update on this project. Currently, Council's design team is actively involved in developing concept designs for potential basketball court locations within the site.

We will continue to post regular updates here, so click on the SUBSCRIBE button at the top righthand corner of this page to stay up to date.

In accordance with MIN23.673, $50,000 of the CCRA’s donated funds has been allocated for preliminary investigations for a shared user pathway to connect Conjola Park to Lake Conjola (with option to be further extended to Fishermen’s Paradise).

We are pleased to provide an update on this project. Council has prepared a concept design and cost estimate for the pathway. An engagement activity will be scheduled soon, seeking the community’s input on the location of the pathway, potential speed limit reductions and construction staging options.

We will continue to post regular updates here, so click on the SUBSCRIBE button at the top righthand corner of this page to stay up to date.

Council has successfully completed Stage 1 of the Jetty Replacement and Kayak Facility project, funded by the Australian Government's Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program and a portion of the CCRA donated funds. This project aimed to enhance the Conjola Park foreshore at Yooralla Bay and improve amenities for the Conjola Park community.

The project has delivered:

• Replacement of the Existing Jetty: The existing timber jetty south of the boat ramp on Valley Drive has been replaced with a composite fibre (FRP) jetty, gangway, and floating pontoon structure.
• Shared User Path: A 2m wide shared user path has been built, connecting the new structure to the boat ramp on Valley Drive.

Next Steps:

A second stage is planned but currently unfunded and involves:

• Constructing a 30m long, 2.4m wide FRP kayak launching facility at the southern end of the Hoylake Grove Reserve, serviceable for all tidal planes.
• Constructing a 2m wide shared user path, connecting the kayak launching facility to the existing footpath on Hoylake Grove Reserve.

For further details please refer to the Stage 2 concept plans for the Jetty Replacement and Kayak Facility at Yooralla Bay in the 'Document Library' on this web page.

We will keep you informed by posting further updates to this web page.

Transfer of CCRA Donations to Agreed Infrastructure Projects

Shoalhaven City Council, the Conjola Community Recovery Association’s Interim Executive (CCRA), and the Conjola Community Association (CCA) are pleased to announce CCRA donations will be allocated to:

• $308k to Jetty Replacement Works at Hoylake Grove Reserve, Conjola Park. To be completed by mid-2024.
• $50k to preliminary investigations for a shared user pathway to link Lake Conjola to Conjola Park (with option to extend to Fishermans Paradise). To be commenced early 2024.
• $19k to preliminary investigations for a half-court basketball court at the Lake Conjola Community Hall complex (Arthur Jones Reserve, Lake Conjola). To be commenced early 2024.

The CCRA & CCA met regularly with Council officers throughout 2023 to discuss the results of community consultation undertaken in early 2023 about the list of 9 priority projects identified in a Memorandum of Agreement between the CCRA Interim Executive and Council.

The 9 priority projects consulted on were:

1. Memorial Garden at Hoylake Grove Reserve
2. Accessible toilet at Hoylake Grove Reserve
3. New pathway from Yooralla Bay Boat Ramp (Valley Drive) to Cottee Close (via Hoylake Grove Reserve)
4. Additional play equipment at Hoylake Grove Reserve playground
5. Water bubbler and interpretive signage at Hoylake Grove Reserve
6. Additional shelter with seating at Hoylake Grove Reserve
7. Halfcourt basketball court at Hoylake Grove Reserve
8. Exercise equipment at Hoylake Grove Reserve
9. Mural to pumping station at Hoylake Grove Reserve

The survey also included questions about a shared user pathway between Lake Conjola and Conjola Park.

CCRA and CCA representatives and Council officers considered the community’s feedback against the amount of funds available to deliver outcomes in Conjola Park using the CCRA donations. For more information about the community consultation results, see the post on this page dated 1 June 2023.

The cost of new accessible toilets at Hoylake Grove Reserve is greater than the funds available through the CCRA donations. Council has agreed to consider an application to fund an accessible amenities block in the draft budget for 2024/25.

Some of the 9 priority projects have been delivered by Council using other funds, such as the play equipment and shelter at Hoylake Grove Reserve.

Council has plans to deliver a water bubbler at Hoylake Grove Reserve in 2024 using other funds, and the mural did not receive support from the community.

Council officers will soon commence work to design a process in line with contemporary, best-practice approaches to establishing a commemorative feature (such as a memorial, memorial garden, or reflection bench) in the Conjola area, and in accordance with Council’s Plaques and Memorials Policy, under a resolution made by the Council at the Ordinary Council Meeting held on 9 October 2023 (ref. MIN23.604).

The CCRA donations will fund 100m of new footpath to connect Valley Drive to the loop pathway in Hoylake Grove Reserve, via the new jetty. It is expected this pathway will link up with the future shared user pathway (between Lake Conjola and Conjola Park), which is being seed funded by CCRA donations.

The joint decision to allocate CCRA donations to the jetty, shared user pathway between Lake Conjola & Conjola Park, and a half-court basketball court follows a resolution of Council made at the Ordinary Council Meeting held on 27 November 2023 (ref. MIN23.673). The resolution reads:

That Council:

1. Note the Conjola Park CCRA Interim Executive & Lake Conjola CCA are working with Council staff in relation to the use of monies donated to the CCRA in the aftermath of the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires, and may soon reach agreement that:

a) $308K be allocated to the completion of Stage 1 of the Conjola Park Jetty Replacement project

b) $50K be allocated for preliminary investigations for a shared user pathway to connect Conjola Park to Lake Conjola (with option to be further extended to Fishermen’s Paradise)

c) $19K be allocated for preliminary investigations for a half-court basketball court to be installed at the Lake Conjola Community Hall complex (Arthur Jones Reserve).

2. Note the release of funds for projects listed in part 1 of this recommendation may be agreed to by the CCRA Interim Executive and CCA on the condition that:

d) A report be provided to Council on the status of works at the Havilland Street Boat Ramp (stage 1 and stage 2) and related roadworks along Havilland Street and Lake Conjola Entrance Road.

e) Council gives further consideration to the allocation of sufficient funds in the Delivery Program Operational Plan 2024/25 to enable:

i. Commencement and completion of detailed design works for a shared user pathway between Conjola Park and Lake Conjola (with option to further extend to Fishermen’s Paradise), including consultation with directly affected property owners and communities along the proposed route.

ii. Commencement and completion of investigations and shovel ready detailed designs for a toilet at Hoylake Grove Reserve (including provision of a watering point for the picnic facilities at Hoylake Grove Reserve).

3. Direct the CEO (Director – City Services) to provide a report to Council in December 2023 in relation to Havilland Street Boat Ramp (stage 1 and stage 2) and related works along Havilland Street and Lake Conjola Entrance Road.

4. Direct the CEO (Director – City Services) to submit a budget bid for Council’s consideration to fund commencement and completion of detailed design works for a shared user pathway between Conjola Park and Lake Conjola (with option to further extend to Fishermen’s Paradise), including consultation with directly affected property owners and communities along the proposed route, in the draft Delivery Program Operational Plan 2024/25.

5. Direct the CEO (Director – City Lifestyles) to submit a budget bid for Council’s consideration for commencement and completion of investigations and shovel ready detailed designs for a toilet at Hoylake Grove Reserve (including provision of a watering point for the picnic facilities at Hoylake Grove Reserve) in the draft Delivery Program Operational Plan 2024/25.

6. Considers lessons learned in community recovery after disaster with regards to immediate, medium and longer term needs and delivery of these within appropriate time frames.

THANK YOU to everyone who shared feedback with us about these projects and the CCRA donations.

We will continue to post updates here, so click on the SUBSCRIBE button at the top righthand corner of this page to stay up-to-date.

Thank you for your input on the proposed Jetty Replacement and Kayak Facility in Conjola Park.

The Get Involved page had 209 visits with 38 people completing the survey.

Results

Of the 38 survey participants 66% are residents of Conjola Park.

95% of participants were supportive of the jetty replacement.

89% of participants were supportive of the kayak launching facility.

In terms of priority, 45% of participants see the jetty replacement as the highest priority, 31% see the kayak launching facility as the highest priority and 24% see other projects as higher priority than these.

Summary

The results show that there is strong community support for both stages of the proposed project.

Next Steps

Council is finalising the design for both the jetty replacement and kayak launching facility and incorporating comments received from the Get Involved survey, where appropriate. Council aims to tender the project in August 2023 and commence construction in September/October 2023 pending a favourable outcome from the tender process and sufficient budget.

Shoalhaven City Council and the Conjola Community Association (CCA) would like to thank everyone who participated in the Conjola Improvements survey. The purpose of the survey was for you to tell us how the money donated to the Conjola Community Recovery Association (CCRA) in the aftermath of the Black Summer bushfires should be used.

174 people completed the survey. This is a great result!

The survey was structured in two parts. Firstly, to allow you to tell us if you support the list of 9 Priority Projects and to identify the community’s top priorities from that list. Secondly, the survey included an additional question about an idea to establish a shared pathway connecting Conjola Park and Lake Conjola.

Results

The majority of people who completed the survey were from the Conjola area. 44% were from Conjola Park and 18% were from Lake Conjola.

We asked you to tell us if you support use of the donated funds on the 9 Priority Projects. 59% of respondents support this approach.

We then asked you to tell us which projects should be progressed by selecting from the list of 9 Priority Projects.

The top three results are:

1. Accessible toilet (65%)

2. New pathway from Yooralla Bay Boat Ramp (Valley Drive to Cottee Close, via Hoylake Grove Reserve) (55%)

3. Additional picnic shelter with seating (41%).

The remaining six projects are:

4. Halfcourt basketball court (24%)

5. Additional play equipment (24%)

6. Memorial garden (22%)

7. Water bubbler and interpretive signage (19%)

8. Exercise equipment (13%)

9. Mural to pumping station (4%).

The list was generated based on previous consultation undertaken in relation to the community-led master plan that was developed in 2020/21.

Summary

There is majority support for use of the donated funds on the list of 9 Priority Projects. The community’s top priorities are the accessible toilet, a new pathway at Hoylake Grove Reserve, and additional shelter at Hoylake Grove Reserve.

Results also indicate it is clear the community would ALSO like to see the donated funds spent on other initiatives, such as:

• A shared pathway from Fisherman’s Paradise, through Conjola Park, to Lake Conjola (31%) and;
• Alternative bushfire recovery-related initiatives in the Conjola Area (5%).

Additional Question

We asked you to tell us if you support the idea to establish the shared pathway between Conjola Park and Lake Conjola. 88% said they support the idea to establish a shared pathway from Conjola Park to Lake Conjola.

Several people also told us they would like to see this pathway continued to Fishermans Paradise.

Next Steps

Council is working with the Conjola Community Association (CCA) and the Interim Executive of the Conjola Community Recovery Association (CCRA) to develop a final proposal for the use of the donated funds that takes into consideration:

• The original intent of the donors
• The survey results
• Recently completed or planned Council projects.

We will keep you informed by posting further updates to this web page.

Shoalhaven City Council received $615,000 from the Australian Government under the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program to fund proposed improvements to the Conjola Park foreshore at Yooralla Bay.

This grant funding is in addition to, and separate from, funds donated to the Conjola Community Recovery Association in the aftermath of the bushfires. The donated funds continue to be held in trust by Council on behalf of the Conjola community, and were the subject of a survey which closed recently. The full results of that survey are being assessed now and will be released shortly.

Preliminary results from the recently completed CCRA Donations Survey indicate there is strong support for the establishment of a pathway from the Yooralla Bay Boat Ramp, along the Hoylake Grove Foreshore, to Cottee Close. This was ranked 2^nd out of the 9 projects presented in the survey.

The Jetty Replacement and Kayak Facility project will aid in establishing parts of that footpath, in line with feedback received from the Conjola Park community to date.

The Jetty Replacement and Kayak Facility project involves:

• Replacing the existing timber jetty south of the boat ramp on Valley Drive with a composite fibre (FRP) jetty, gangway and floating pontoon structure.
• Construct a 30m long, 2.4m wide FRP kayak launching facility at the southern end of the Hoylake Grove Reserve, serviceable for all tidal planes.
• Construct a 2m wide shared user path (SUP), connecting the two structures to the existing footpath on Hoylake Grove Reserve and to the boat ramp on Valley Drive.
• A pathway in this location received strong community support in the recently completed Hoylake Grove Reserve survey. Further details about the Hoylake Grove Reserve survey will be released soon.
• Provide an additional foreshore seat for the kayak launching facility.

The proposed works have been split into 2 stages:

• Stage 1: All deliverables north of the existing footpath on the Hoylake Grove Reserve, including:
  1. the SUP north to the jetty and the boat ramp on Valley Drive
  2. the proposed jetty.
• Stage 2: All deliverable south of the existing footpath on the Hoylake Grove Reserve, including:
  1. the SUP south to the kayak launching facility
  2. the proposed kayak launching facility
  3. the additional seat.

It is Council’s intention to deliver both stages of the works together early in the 2023/24 financial year, budget permitting.

Council would like to hear your opinion regarding this proposal. To assist us with this process, please complete the Online Survey on this web page by 5 pm Monday 15 May 2023.

For further details please refer to the Stage 1 and Stage 2 concept plans for the Jetty Replacement and Kayak Facility at Yooralla Bay in the 'Document Library' on this web page.

If you require any additional information, please contact ryleigh.bowman@shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Conjola Improvements survey and told us how you would like to see money used that was donated to the Conjola Community Recovery Association in the aftermath of the Black Summer bushfires.

In total, 180 submissions were received. Over 150 people completed the survey online, 14 hard copies were completed at the launch event, and a further 10 hard copies were returned in the mail. We also received telephone enquiries and detailed written responses via email.

The survey was launched at a community event held at Hoylake Grove Reserve on 25 February 2023, and closed at 11:59pm on Sunday, 26 March. The survey was live for 4 weeks.

Council staff will now work with the Conjola Community Association to review the feedback received and to identify projects for further investigation.

We will keep you informed about the outcome of this process by posting further updates to this page.

Have your say about how donations received by the Conjola Community Recovery Association, following the Black Summer bushfires, should be used.

$370,000 is held in trust by Shoalhaven City Council on behalf of the Conjola community.

Council, and the Conjola Community Association, would like to hear from you about how these funds should be used.

Please complete the survey here.

The feedback you provide will be used to determine which projects are progressed for further investigation.

Submissions close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, 26 March 2023.