Conjola Improvements

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The Conjola area was heavily impacted by the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires.

Immediately after the fires, the Conjola Community Recovery Association (CCRA) began working to support the community’s recovery.

The CCRA engaged TAKT Studio for Architecture to develop a series of draft master plans for the area. These draft plans are known as the:

Community consultation was undertaken, and the draft plans were presented to Shoalhaven City Council for endorsement. Councillors chose not to adopt the plans in full. However, some components of the plans did receive broad community support.

So

The Conjola area was heavily impacted by the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires.

Immediately after the fires, the Conjola Community Recovery Association (CCRA) began working to support the community’s recovery.

The CCRA engaged TAKT Studio for Architecture to develop a series of draft master plans for the area. These draft plans are known as the:

Community consultation was undertaken, and the draft plans were presented to Shoalhaven City Council for endorsement. Councillors chose not to adopt the plans in full. However, some components of the plans did receive broad community support.

So far, improvements have been made to Hoylake Grove Reserve (majority grant funded).

These include:

  • playground upgrades
  • new pathways
  • new picnic shelter with BBQ
  • landscaping.

A new boat launching facility has been developed on the shores of Lake Conjola, accessed from Havilland Street in Conjola Park (grant funded).

Check out the News Feed below to find out more about these projects and others.

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  • ANNOUNCEMENT - Decision to Transfer CCRA Donations to Agreed Infrastructure Projects

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    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.

  • Community Consultation Results – Jetty Replacement and Kayak Facility

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    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.

  • SURVEY RESULTS UPDATE

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    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.

  • Jetty Replacement and Kayak Facility – Yooralla Bay

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    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 2nd 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.


  • Open Space Improvements at Conjola Park - SURVEY NOW CLOSED

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    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.

  • Open Space Improvements at Conjola Park - SUBMISSIONS CLOSING SOON

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    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.

  • Have Your Say - Open Space Improvements at Conjola Park

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    Have your say about how funds donated to the Conjola community after the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires should be spent.

    $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 the funds should be spent.

    To find out more, and to have your say, complete the Online Survey.

    Hard copies of this survey will be available at Hoylake Grove Reserve from 12pm to 3pm on Saturday, 25 February 2023.

    Hard copies are also available for collection at the City Administration Centre in Nowra (36 Bridge Road, Nowra) and the Ulladulla Branch Office (14 Deering St, Ulladulla).

    This survey closes at 11:59pm on Sunday, 26 March 2023.

  • Conjola Park Community Gathering

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    A community event will be held at Hoylake Grove Reserve on Saturday, 25 February 2023.

    Shoalhaven City Council and the Conjola Community Association (CCA) invites the Conjola Park community to come together to enjoy good food, great company, conversations, and to provide input and ideas about upgrades to open spaces, to support the Conjola Park community.

    Key event details

    Date: Saturday, 25 February 2023

    Time: 12pm to 3pm

    Location: Hoylake Grove Reserve

    Bookings are essential for catering.

    Activities include:

    • Lunch (BBQ and dessert table).
    • Fun activities for the younger crew.
    • Opportunities to provide feedback about potential open space improvements in Conjola Park.
      • Council staff and Conjola Community Association representatives will be available on-site on the day to hear your ideas.
    • Survey launch: community members will be able to provide feedback on how funds donated to the CCRA after the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires should be utilised.
      • Hard copies of the survey will be available to complete on the day.
      • An Online Survey will remain open until Sunday 26 March 2023.

    Book your place here

    Background

    The Conjola Community Recovery Association (CCRA) was formed immediately following the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires. The CCRA received donations for the purpose of supporting the Conjola Park community by upgrading open space facilities.

    The CCRA members resolved that the donated funds should be distributed and to wind up. The Conjola Community Association worked with the CCRA to make this happen.

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

    • The Conjola Community Association formed a Sub-Committee in early 2023, which is made up of 5 CCA members. The Sub-Committee will work with the community and Council to ensure the donated funds are utilised well and supported by the community.
    • Council and the Conjola Community Association would like to hear from you about how the donated funds should be spent.
    • Come along to the community event to have a chat with Council staff and the Conjola Community Association about your ideas for the donated funds.
  • New Lake Conjola Boat Ramp

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    A new two-lane boat ramp and pontoon at Havilland Street, Conjola Park has been launched, providing a deep water boat launching facility on the western reaches of the lake.

    The brand new pontoon and car-trailer parking spaces will provide the local community and visitors with a much needed recreational facility where boats of all sizes can be launched and retrieved safely.

    The new facility provides safe and easy access to the water with plenty of room to launch and a large area for parking cars and trailers.

    The project was made possible through the support of the NSW Government’s Boating Now Grant Program which contributed $661,000 towards the project, in addition to Bushfire Local Economic Recovery funding (BLER) of $775,000.

    The grant funding works carried out:

    • A two-lane boat ramp with an intermediate floating pontoon
    • 26 sealed car-trailer spaces
    • Access road and boat launching manoeuvring area
    • Two accessible car spaces with a concrete path down to the boat ramp.

    The boat ramp is now ready for summer, with additional landscape planting to be completed soon.

    Stage two of the project will see additional car-trailer spaces and an amenities block.

    For more information, visit Lake Conjola Boat Launching Ramp | Shoalhaven City Council (nsw.gov.au)

  • Hoylake Grove Shelter and BBQ Installation Delayed

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    Due to the recent periods of wet weather and unforeseen circumstances, the construction of the new shelter and installation of the barbeque in Valley Drive Reserve at Hoylake Grove, Conjola Park has been delayed until the new year. Council apologise for any inconvenience.

Page last updated: 22 Dec 2023, 12:11 PM