Council works with community representatives to shape the future of Katoomba

Blue Mountains City Council is working with representatives of the community to shape the vision for the Katoomba Masterplan.

Council established the Katoomba Masterplan Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) in November 2020 to represent the voices of different stakeholders in the master planning process. The SRG is working with Council to co-create a vision, principles and planning priorities for the town that reflect the community's interests.

There are 14 members of the SRG representing a variety of demographics and interests in the community. The members include residents, large and small business owners and two students and a teacher from Katoomba High School. 

Gus Connor, 17, one of the students involved in the SRG, helped Council representatives get the views of youth in Katoomba last week. 

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said: “It is fantastic to see a diverse range of community members participating in this important process.

“When applying to be on the SRG, members were asked to express their interest in the project and the local economy, community and environment, to ensure the group represented a range of perspectives. Council is also engaging representatives of the local Indigenous Land Use Agreement group and Aboriginal Advisory Council to seek their input into the SRG and planning process.”

In 2020, the SRG met twice to prioritise values and draft a vision for Katoomba. Council will meet with the SRG again in January and February to review input gathered through the community engagement process and use it to develop a shared vision, priorities and principles to apply when planning Katoomba. 

The SRG is part of a broader engagement process, designed to ask people who live, work and visit Katoomba what they like or would like to see changed in the area. 

The first stage of the planning process will run until 19 February 2021, and site-specific planning for Katoomba will follow. The second stage will cover critical sites, including the former Katoomba Golf Course. The Masterplan will outline the vision, principles and priorities for the future of Katoomba and places within it. 

For more information on the Katoomba Masterplan and to have your say by 19 February 2021, go to the Have Your Say website. 

Photo: Katoomba High School student Gus Connor out and about in Katoomba, as part of consultation for the Katoomba Masterplan.