Projects
With more than 500 successful projects under our belt, there are far too many to list here.
So, we’ve curated a selection of our recent projects to give you an idea of the breadth of our work.
Our clients include local councils, State government agencies, not-for-profit and community organisation across regional NSW. Our core focus is on creating positive outcomes for regional communities.
If you want to know more, we’d love to talk.
Our track record
With over a decade in business, we have a proven track record of delivering high quality work, within budget and on time.
This includes working across local government functions, understanding different levels of government and collaborating with regional communities to create positive change.
Congo Road Closure Community Engagement
When there is an impasse or sudden change in our communities, dialogue can be difficult. We are adept at assisting councils to step back and work with communities to understand and overcome difficult issues. The closure of Congo Road north was one such occasion. With commitments in place and an active community seeking answers, we facilitated an open and respectful workshop process to bring the process back on track.
Woodburn Riverside Park Master Plan and Grant Funding
Working with our associate landscape architect Stuart Drury, Locale prepared a master plan for Riverside Park and adjoining streetscape in the town of Woodburn. The project involved the upgrade and reconfiguration of the park to enable the area to be used for a wide range of sporting, tourism and community purposes. Locale also prepared a successful funding submission to assist the initial phases of implementation.
Berry Community-Led Strategic Plan
Working with the Council recognised community group, the Berry Forum, Locale undertook community-led planning processes to develop a series of strategic priorities for presentation to the Council and to assist in creating unified community directions. The engagement included surveys and community led workshops, with strategies developed for the town centre, tourism, assets, sustainability and youth.
Macleay Valley Holiday Parks Concept Plans
Locale was initially engaged to advise on the social and economic benefits of annual licence sites. Given their integral place within holiday parks, we were subsequently engaged to undertake a broader community engagement process for long-term park planning, resulting in the development of Master Plans across the five Macleay Valley Coast Holiday Parks and their inclusion within a generic plan of management.
Shoalhaven Waste Education Centre Business Case
Locale have worked with a range of council waste services areas. With this project, we worked with Council staff to develop a business case that demonstrated the tangible and intangible benefits of a dedicated waste education facility. We used standardised templates for the NSW Government that we adjust for greater impact and to highlight the key parts of projects – resulting in our strong record of grant application success.
Central Coast Cemeteries Strategy and Master Plans
We have completed numerous cemetery strategies for various councils, often with a master plan to assist in defining details on future directions. For Central Coast Council, we initially reviewed cemetery capacity, then prepared a cemetery services strategy and associated master plans for two key cemeteries. This set out a clear picture of capacity, land constraints to be overcome and the associated cost of development.
Coffs Harbour Community Strategic Plan Focus Groups
Locale designed and facilitated four focus group sessions for Coffs Harbour City Council on the refresh of the My Coffs Community Strategic Plan. The focus groups explored the current themes in the CSP and whether these remained relevant to the community over the next 10 years. We worked closely with Council staff to collaborate on the project.
Marriott Park Master Plan
Marriott Park is a large, centrally located public park in the regional centre of Nowra. Working with our associate landscape architect Stuart Drury, we undertook detailed consultation and preparation of a master plan. The area combined community facilities, recreational use and a need to activate the space to ensure ongoing community safety. A Livvi’s place playground was subsequently designed by Stuart.
Coffs Harbour Covid Recovery Plan
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Locale was engaged by Coffs Harbour City Council to assist in preparing a response and recovery plan. We worked closely with an Internal Working Group to establish the direction for the plan. We also designed and facilitated three online roundtables with key community, business and social services stakeholders to capture ideas and establish directions that were subsequently adopted by Council.
Crown Land Caravan Park Statewide Engagement
Working with Crown Lands newly formed tourism unit, Locale designed and implemented a statewide engagement process for Crown land managers that operate caravan parks. From local to state government, to volunteer showgrounds and large scale private enterprise, we explored the full range of park scale and operational capability. The project involved one-to-one interviews, online surveys and workshops across five regional centres.
Clarence Care + Support Divestment
Locale provided governance and project advice to Council on the potential formation of a not for profit entity to deliver community services including aged care. We subsequently prepared the tender documentation to enable Council to divest these services and transfer them to an existing community service provider.
Byron Short Term Rental Accommodation Planning Proposal
Locale designed and implemented an independent engagement process for the exhibition of this controversial planning proposal. Facing a housing crisis that has worsened over many years, Council sought to restrict the use of housing for short-term holiday letting. With a strong lobby and recognised industry impacts on one side and a frustrated community on the other, the project required careful and comprehensive engagement.
Bushfire Recovery Planning Assistance for Impacted Landowners
Locale was engaged to help property owners who were impacted by the 2019/2020 bushfires in the Shoalhaven region. These property owners had not rebuilt after the bushfires. We worked collaboratively with Shoalhaven City Council and the Rural Fire Service to understand the context and common challenges in rebuilding. We then provided tailored support and advice to property owners so they could progress in rebuilding their homes.
Batemans Bay Streetscape Master Plan
Locale was engaged by Council to undertake a consultation and design process for the Batemans Bay main street area. The project reinforced the core business district and integrated it with previous work undertaken by our associate land architect, Stuart Drury. The project sought to provide for the cyclical influx of tourism whilst being practical for local residents who use the area on a day to day basis throughout the year.
Bay & Basin Community Strategic Plan
We worked with eight villages within the Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin area to establish a community-led strategic plan across the area. The project was established through extensive community consultation designed by Locale and undertaken by the community. This has seen a series of strategic priorities established for presentation to Council and to assist in creating a united direction for the various individual communities.
Training for Council Staff + Committees
We have delivered whole of staff training on the Code of Conduct and dealing with difficult people for numerous councils. Our training is interactive and relevant, using case studies and real-life examples to engage with a wide range of participants from senior management, outdoor staff and volunteers.
Kempsey Aquatic Strategy
Locale undertook a high-level strategic review of Kempsey Shire Council’s four public swimming pool facilities. This considered key indicators for the pools, consulting via survey and targeted discussions to inform future directions that met both Council and community needs. High costs, ageing facilities and changing community preferences all highlighted the need for change. The Strategy set the direction for the next 5-10 years.
MidCoast Cemeteries Review Project
As the leading cemetery strategy advisor for regional councils in NSW, Locale have delivered more than a dozen cemetery strategies and related projects. The MidCoast project involves 34 cemeteries, across three former local government areas. Starting with an overarching strategy, the project includes maintenance and operational documents aimed at ensuring consistency and meeting newly introduced standards.
Statewide Cemetery Maintenance Guide
Locale developed an NSW industry-wide Cemetery Maintenance Guide that provides practical application of simple principles to assist the industry to improve the quality and safety of their cemetery sites. The Guide identifies 10 maintenance themes, establishing examples of opportunities to improve through a range of cemetery sizes. It provides a basis for maintenance requirements which are part of the NSW Interment Industry Scheme.
The Channon & Nimbin Community Resilience Plans
Following the 2019/2020 bushfires, Locale was engaged by Lismore City Council to deliver community-led and place based resilience plans in collaboration with the Nimbin and Channon communities. We co-designed the engagement, facilitated the engagement activities, organised an education event with State agencies and prepared and launched the plans with each community.
Catherine Hill Bay Precincts Master Plan
Locale has recently completed precinct master plans for two important public open space areas in Catherine Hill Bay. The area is both extremely popular for its heritage significance and scenic coastal appeal, as well as undergoing significant change resulting from rapid urban growth. Balancing community needs, heritage impacts and available resourcing through comprehensive engagement were key aspects of the project.
Casino Showground and Racecourse
Locale developed a Master Plan and Plan of Management for this key sporting and community facility in the regional town of Casino. The site planning integrated a number of existing potential future roles of the site. It reinforced its equine related activities, improved its flood free racecourse, and ensured future access for events and occasional camping. Projects are now being progressed with successful grant funding applications that we prepared.
Ben’s Walk and Hanging Rock Lookout
Following our detailed stakeholder consultation about the Nowra Showground Plan of Management and Master Plan, Locale were invited to create a detailed master plan and associated tourism grant application for the spectacular Ben’s Walk and Hanging Rock lookout area. Being integrated with the Showground and its available camping facilities, the project highlighted the potential role of showgrounds in tourism activities.
Public Hearings for Reclassification of Public Land
Reclassification of public land can be a controversial decision. We are highly experienced in acting as an independent chair of public hearings that propose the reclassification of public land in a range of different circumstances and specifically when there is a high degree of community interest and opposition. We have chaired hearings for Kiama, Nambucca, Byron, Shoalhaven and Clarence councils.
Agritourism Planning Reforms
Using our in-depth understanding of the NSW land-use planning system, we have worked over a number of years with DSSS to first understand the barriers to agritourism and to then develop balanced and informed responses. The project involved assisting DSSS with representations to ministers, the Department of Planning, and once traction was gained, providing education and advice to the broader Destination Networks.
Dapto Mall Activation Concepts
Sometimes small public areas have the biggest problems. For this project we worked with Wollongong City Council to prepare a series of options for the redevelopment of a small but important town centre square in Dapto. Council sought a series of interim, low-cost place-making ideas that could be used to test the long-term use of the area – resulting in short, medium and long-term plans.
Port Macquarie Crown Land Plan of Management
Locale have undertaken a range of site specific and generic plans of management under the Crown Land Management Act 2016 arrangements. At Port Macquarie, we developed a comprehensive generic plan of management that establishes a clear and simple framework, with locality-based plans providing the community with easily located and understood information on a full range of Council managed Crown lands.
Jervis Bay Maritime Museum Strategic Business Plan
Locale have completed a series of projects for this community facility and tourism attraction in Huskisson. We initially developed a business plan and long-term concept plans for the site, then a Plan of Management and detailed concepts for landscape and open space improvements. Our work in community facilities aims to maximise use from a range of activities, whilst harnessing community benefits and establishing greater sustainability.
Workplace Reviews + Complaint Handling
Locale has been engaged to assess workplace teams to map and understand the causes of conflict in order to address dysfunction and disharmony, including practical and actionable recommendations. We have also undertaken workplace and public mediations to restore and enhance working relationships within large organisations, small teams and the community.
Byron After the Floods: Settlement Discussion Paper
Following the devastating floods of early 2022, Locale worked with Council to develop a discussion paper, undertake comprehensive consultation and establish a findings report to understand and respond to community needs around long-term planning. The project sought to uncover difficult to reach community views during a period of uncertainty and high emotion.
Macleay Valley Holiday Parks Annual Van Impacts
Locale was engaged by Kempsey Shire Council to undertake consultation and advise on the social and economic benefits of annual licence sites. These sites, commonly known as ‘holiday vans’, are important to many regional towns and provide a steady income to caravan parks. But they also lock-up public land to those licence owners and can restrict access to tourists, meaning that a careful balance is needed.
Byron Community Strategic Plan + Delivery Program Workshops
Locale designed and facilitated two community workshops on the refresh of the Byron Shire Community Strategic Plan and a two-day programme with councillors on the new Delivery Program. The workshops involved deep engagement with community members on the vision for the Shire and explored the relevance of the existing objectives and strategies in the CSP. We worked closely with Council staff to collaborate on the project.
Shoalhaven Waste Focus Groups
Locale worked with Shoalhaven City Council’s Waste Services to undertake a series of focus groups to test and develop education and promotional materials. Waste management is a critical function of local government, but long gone are the days of simply disposing of waste to landfill. This project sought to ensure that Council’s cutting-edge technology and its circular economy objectives meet the needs of the community.
Rathmines Park Plan of Management and Master Plan
Locale prepared a Plan of Management and Master Plan for the former Rathmines Park RAAF base area on the foreshore of Lake Macquarie. The expansive area has a wide range of uses, heritage overlays and areas of environmental importance. With an active and engaged community, Rathmines Park provides important waterfront open space that is to be celebrated within its historical context.
Morisset Showground Plan of Management and Master Plan
Showgrounds play an integral part in community life, particularly in regional areas. Working with Lake Macquarie City, we developed a long-term master plan and plan of management to guide this centrally located facility. Comprehensive community engagement greatly assisted in recognising the role and needs of the facility, and to ultimately produce documents that puts steps in place to see these achieved.
Coffs Harbour Regional Athletics Workshop
With Council staff delivery of this project facing targeted opposition, Locale was engaged to design and facilitate a series of consultation events to gain a clear and independent view of the situation. This included a one-day workshop with Councillors, Council staff and sporting groups from local groups to State Sporting Organisation (SSO’s) about the proposed site options and future selection process.
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