Infrastructure is a key enabler for growth. Not surprisingly it's a focus for the Hunter Joint Organisation.
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The Hunter Region is large, disparate and beautiful, and through collaborative infrastructure planning and delivery we can bring greater connectedness, economic development and revitalisation benefiting every local government area.
The Hunter Joint Organisation is the collaboration of the 10 councils of the Hunter: Cessnock City Council, City of Newcastle, Dungog Shire Council, Lake Macquarie City Council, Maitland City Council, MidCoast Council, Muswellbrook Shire Council, Port Stephens Council, Singleton Council and Upper Hunter Shire Council.
Through its mayors, elected representatives from each region, the Hunter Joint Organisation is tasked with providing regional leadership for our communities.
We bring the deep and granular local knowledge of our member councils to bear on the issues and opportunities before our region.
The Committee for the Hunter's campaign for regional infrastructure provides a fantastic opportunity for our region to use its united voice to secure the best outcome for our communities.
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The three major projects the campaign is focused on include the Newcastle Airport Code E runway upgrade, the University of Newcastle STEMM Regional Transformation Hub, and the Port of Newcastle Multi-purpose Deepwater Terminal.
These trio of projects are important priorities that the Hunter Joint Organisation supports.
While they aren't the only infrastructure projects on the agenda for our 10 member councils, they are recognised as projects that will have fantastic outcomes for all of our communities.
The Hunter Joint Organisation, with the support of the committee, is championing stimulus in the October federal budget for shovel-ready local council infrastructure projects.
Local council infrastructure, spread across the region, benefits the needs of many over the needs of a few - from town centre revitalisation and destination/tourism development, to road safety, pedestrian and cycle accessibility, and community infrastructure and facilities.
By collaborating and uniting these local government priorities, our region will draw investment from other levels of government.
The aggregate capacity and capability of the local government sector represents an ideal strategic option for broad dispersal of stimulus funds across our local communities.
The funding that we hope to attract will not only create local jobs, but will kick-start recovery across our communities that have been impacted severely by drought, bushfires and more recently COVID-19.
Of course this sounds simple but genuine collaboration is hard work.
The Hunter Joint Organisation's legislative mandate and our commitment to our communities is to provide leadership and advocate for the good of the Hunter.
Working closely has its challenges, as our region is so diverse and each local government area has its own unique set of opportunities waiting to be unlocked.
The Hunter Region is large, disparate and beautiful, and through collaborative infrastructure planning and delivery we can bring greater connectedness, economic development and revitalisation benefiting every local government area
Our 10 mayors have a dual focus; they are committed to delivering outcomes for the region and for their local communities.
Only by respecting each other's independence and listening to our differing priorities can we work effectively together.
We don't always agree but true collaboration comes when we can feel comfortable disagreeing and, through dialogue and compromise, forging a way forward together.
This experience of the Hunter Joint Organisation tells us that, while it is hard, collaboration is rewarding and the only way to get enduring outcomes.
Unless we push-out together, local government will never be heard at the higher level by our state and federal government counterparts.
We know it is in the region's best interest that the Hunter Joint Organisation builds relationships and align with, where possible, other regional representatives across the public and private sector.
Working with the committee on this campaign is the Hunter Joint Organisation living its commitment to regional collaboration.
Only working together can we be 'Ready to Rebuild'.
Bob Pynsent is chair of the Hunter Joint Organisation and mayor of Cessnock
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