How delivery of PMHC projects fared in 2022-2023

Preliminary figures show that Port Macquarie-Hastings Council spent about $92 million in 2022-2023 on works program projects including land purchases and some flood impacted works.

A report to the August council meeting said this level of expenditure is higher than last year and more than the average over the past five years.

The 2022-2023 expenditure includes significant amounts on the progression or finalisation of some major projects.

They include the Ocean Drive duplication construction, Port Macquarie Airport parallel taxiway, Rainbow Beach sports fields, sewer pump station upgrades, Kew main street upgrade, Port Macquarie bicentennial walkway and Westport Park playground upgrade.

The council adopted the 2022-2023 carry-over projects for inclusion in the 2023-2024 budget.

They are projects, valued at more than $21 million, from the 2022-2023 budget but not completed in that financial year.

Cr Adam Roberts congratulated the staff for taking on a very ambitious target and delivering as much as possible in that 12-month period.

"I think we should on all occasions be aiming very high," he said.

Cr Roberts said weather and other issues have been a part of the story over the past two or three years but the council was moving into a period where delivery in the areas of parks, gardens, water, sewer and road infrastructure is starting to progress at a rate of knots.

Cr Lisa Intemann spoke out the need to have transparent tracking of works that have been dropped and or picked up during the year.

The council report said the delivery of some 2022-2023 projects has been delayed due to impacts associated with "exceptional operational challenges" during the financial year.

"This year has continued to see council and the community deal with the impacts of significant weather events, requiring council staff's direct involvement in operational responses as was necessary to support the immediate needs of the community, as well as a re-prioritisation of resources to remediation projects," the report said.

National and global events have led to significant cost escalations, economic volatility, rising interest rates and supply chain pressures, resourcing and contractor availability.

"Despite the particularly challenging circumstances during 2022-2023, the expenditure figures confirm that council has still been able to deliver a significant amount of works," the report said.

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