The imminent opening of the Coffs Harbour Bypass and the changing face of the CBD present some of the biggest opportunities – and challenges – for the fast-growing coastal city in generations.
To help coordinate the many projects and initiatives shaping Coffs Harbour’s future, a special program will be rolled out in 2026–27.
The Revitalisation Coordination Program will oversee and align a range of activities already underway or planned as the city transitions into a new era.
A dedicated coordinator will lead the pilot program, which will include a public dashboard enabling Council and the community to track progress.
“There are a lot of balls in the air. We have the Bypass due to open late this year and we have a renewal action plan to guide how we want our city to look in that new era,” Mayor Nikki Williams said.
“The existing highway will become a local road and that presents an opportunity to stitch the east and west of Coffs back together.
“We also have two major developments touted for the CBD including the State Government’s workplace hub and the Uniting Church mixed-use high rise set to include some 150 residential units. On top of that there’s the continuing work of the City Centre Masterplan and the Highway Bypass Integration committees.”
The Revitalisation Coordination Program will provide a strategic overview of current and planned activity, including city centre activation, business activity and confidence, public realm projects, and tourism and investment initiatives.
“Through a business lens, the program is focused on Bypass readiness actions already underway – helping local businesses to stay visible, to build capability and to adapt as travel patterns change,” City Economic Development and Tourism Section Leader Nicole McLennan said.
“Identifying future funding opportunities for placemaking is also part of the program to strengthen that foundation, because when businesses thrive the whole community benefits.”
At its April meeting, Council allocated $200,000 in the draft 2026–27 Operational Budget to deliver actions identified in the Post Bypass Renewal Action Plan. The proposed investment will support delivery of the Revitalisation Coordination Program.
At its meeting on 28 May, Council adopted the scope of the two-year program, which includes several key focus areas:
- Coordination and sequencing
- Dashboard and progress reporting
- Baseline data and monitoring
- Communication, promotion and public-facing narrative
- Business confidence, engagement and activation
- Committee and stakeholder alignment
- Grant funding and advocacy alignment
“Once established and road-tested, the coordination program could serve as a model for revitalisation of other precincts such as the Jetty Strip and Park Beach,” McLennan said.
City Planning and Communities Director Ian Fitzgibbon said the program would help demonstrate how current and future projects contribute to long-term economic development, tourism, placemaking and public realm outcomes.
“While the immediate focus is Bypass readiness and improving amenity in the City Centre and along what will become the old highway, the coordination program will have a far broader brief,” Fitzgibbon said.
“The program coordinator will complement and learn from the work of the relevant existing committees.”
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