This week we returned to the chambers for an in-person monthly council meeting - the first in eight months, and much anticipated by all.
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After settling into our seats again and a few stumbling blocks, we got back into the swing of standing to speak and raising our hands to vote!
There were many important items to discuss concerning our community future.
For me, perhaps the two most prominent relate to the creation of a Sustainability Advisory Sub-committee, plus the next step in adopting a Local Strategic Planning Statement.
The former follows from community representations made to council, expressing concern at the need for council to be environmentally, economically, socially and financially sustainable.
The latter item flows from a new requirement by the NSW government to establish headline values guiding land-use planning over the coming twenty years.
Collectively, they can completely re-orient council's forward strategic priorities, giving greater emphasis to human and natural values as capital.
They also put education and community contribution front and centre - both vital in ensuring a genuinely shared vision and future.
Working together, surely nothing fabulous is beyond us.
Our council is not alone in these developments.
With rapidly growing populations, there is serious concern both here and across coastal NSW to ensure greater environmental protection and to strengthen respect for human and community values.
I find that a very exciting move, which will nevertheless require serious and intense work by council staff and councillors in order to deliver the good outcomes desired.
We have, thankfully, a large number of very invested community members supporting this move - both social and environmental activists, and an excellent community of land developers locally.
Collectively I have great hopes we will be able to work together to produce a sterling new direction for council and the community in the coming months and for years ahead.
Honesty and teamwork - so important to good outcomes.
- Cr Intemann's opinions are not necessarily council's