Annual Report highlights Council’s commitment to residents: maximising resources and delivering outstanding outcomes

The report highlights Council’s commitment to addressing the immediate needs of the community through various projects and initiatives, alongside taking tangible steps toward delivering long-term plans – housing solutions through the Hornsby Town Centre Masterplan and long-term recreation needs with a destination parkland, Hornsby Park.

Across the Shire, projects included refurbishing Galston Aquatic and Leisure Centre, upgrades to the Great North Walk in the Berowra to Cowan area, The Lakes of Cherrybrook Park, Glenorie Community Centre Playground, access to Brooklyn Baths, a new Children’s Forest at Fagan Park, Beecroft Village Green and Wollundry Park Playground in Pennant Hills.

A number of vibrant community-building events and programs were delivered, from Taste of the World Multicultural Festival and Reconciliation Week concert to Council’s libraries’ summer reading programs and the 2023 Hornsby Art Prize. Council partnered with Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury Sydney to provide mental health support through drop-in sessions at Hornsby Library, continued to deliver the popular Hello Hornsby program for seniors, and for the first time held markets in Berowra and Hornsby to promote the local reuse economy.

Hornsby Shire Council Mayor Warren Waddell said the 2023-2024 Annual Report demonstrates Council’s commitment to transparency and efficiency, showcasing the hard work of Council and staff to make Hornsby Shire a better place to live.

“We operate with a remarkably lean team, with each staff member servicing 314 community members – about 30% more than our peer councils, where staff service 238 residents each on average,” said Mayor Waddell.

“We are committed to being frugal with every dollar we spend, ensuring we make the most of the community’s hard-earned money. We understand the pressures of the high cost of living, and we’re focussed on providing services and improvements that benefit residents.”

Some of the key operational and capital achievements for 2023/24 include:

• Repairing 2,650 potholes
• Constructing 1.89 kilometres of new footpaths
• Planting 1,930 trees
• Distributing 25,030 native plants for planting in the Shire
• Removing 696 tonnes of pollutants from waterways
• Collecting 190 tonnes of e-waste at the Community Recycling Centre

The 2023-2024 Annual Report is available to view at hornsby.nsw.gov.au. A copy of the final Report, including the 2023/24 Financial Statements, will be provided to the Office of Local Government by 30 November 2024.

Also at last night’s meeting, Council:

• Received and noted the 2024 State of the Shire Report
• Adopted the draft submission in response to the Discussion Paper – Councillor conduct and meeting practices
• Adopted the 2023/24 General Purpose Financial Statements and associated Auditor’s Report
• Received and noted the contents of the Director’s Report on investments and borrowings for the period ending 30 September 2024
• Received and noted the September 2024 quarter review of the Operational Plan (Budget) for 2024/25

The full agenda of the meeting, along with details of each item discussed, can be found at hornsby.nsw.gov.au. The video recording of the meeting will be available from Friday afternoon.