Eurobodalla's possible future outlined in draft plans

A vision of the Eurobodalla’s potential future has been released and residents are being asked what they think about it.

The Eurobodalla Shire Council’s Community Strategic Plan 2042 is now open for public comment.

Early last year, council put questions to the community, asking residents to share their ideas. More than 2700 of them gave feedback.

“These insights highlighted the natural environment, relaxed lifestyle, peace and quiet, clement weather and supportive community as the strengths that make Eurobodalla a great place to live,” a council spokesperson said.

“The highest-ranking challenges are housing affordability and availability, improvements to infrastructure, better health services, and balancing development with the needs of people and the environment.”

Council used the feedback to update its Community Strategic Plan (CSP). The draft version was presented to councillors in December 2024 and is now open for feedback until 9 February 2025.

“The people of Eurobodalla spoke and we listened,” Mayor Mathew Hatcher said.

“The CSP presents an inspiring roadmap up to 2042 and informs council’s decision making and agenda setting for long-term planning of our projects, infrastructure and services.

“Participation was impressive with a broad range of backgrounds and life experiences. This means council has high confidence the draft CSP really reflects the community’s hopes for the future and understands the challenges that concern them most.”

The Eurobodalla has a population of almost 41,000, has 143km of coastline, 83 beaches, 20 lakes and four major river system, according to council’s description in the CSP. More than three-quarters of its land area is open space, consisting of 10 national parks and 15 state forests.

Council describes the plan as a roadmap for the shire as it moves towards 2042, capturing a clear vision and compelling goals for residents, businesses, community organisations and many partners and collaborators.

“Priority was placed on housing being available and affordable for all, infrastructure improvements, enhanced health services, environmental preservation, and the development of sport and recreation facilities,” the plan says.

The first plan, developed more than a decade ago, was used by council to inform decisions and set the agenda for long-term planning of projects, infrastructure and services.

For more information on the new draft plan, head to the Eurobodalla Shire Council website.

Meanwhile, council’s draft Community Engagement Strategy and draft Community Participation Plan 2025-29 are also open for public comment.

“The draft engagement strategy shows how council should connect with community to shape big decisions, while the draft participation plan is a framework for meaningful participation in planning decisions,” Mayor Hatcher said.

“The three documents work together to empower the community through council’s decision-making processes.”

All the draft documents are on public exhibition until 9 February on council’s website and can be viewed by clicking here.

This link also provides instructions on how to give feedback on the documents.

The documents are also available as hard copy from council’s administration building in Moruya as well as the Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma libraries.