Karuah Place Plan
Karuah is moving forward with new housing developments, bringing an increasing number of young families to the town. Future planning is focused on driving social wellbeing, creating a more connected town centre, better accessibility to the waterfront and improved community facilities for all to enjoy.
The Karuah Place Plan recognises the values and priorities of Karuah community. It has been designed to support the Karuah Growth Strategy by identifying additional opportunities for residential development, employment lands and public infrastructure.
Key documents
- View the Council Meeting Minutes 26 October 2021 (PDF 15.3 MB) in which the Karuah Place Plan was endorsed
- Click to view submissions in the Attachments of Council Meeting Tuesday 22 March 2022 (PDF 6.2 MB)
Place plan timeline
Liveability score
In September 2020, we teamed up with Place Score to complete our first ever place census. Over 3,700 people across the LGA, including people who live, play and visit Karuah, told us what they value and how they rate their neighbourhood. The survey results helped us identify the priorities for the Karuah community and plan accordingly
Download the Liveability index for Karuah to learn more about what the residents value most in this area.
Place plan projects
The community of Karuah has embraced the adopted Place Plan and are in the process of completing some amazing projects for their town.
- View the downloadable report here.
It’s not too late to get involved with the next community project. We encourage you to reach out to your Town Team Leader and help us create an even better place for Karuah!
Ongoing:
Over recent months, we have been investigating short-term RV and motorhome parking sites in Karuah. Council has also been successful in obtaining a grant for the installation of a dump point at Memorial Park through the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA). Dump Points are sites specially designed for Recreational Vehicles (RV’s) to dispose of their waste, including Grey and Black Water, and Sewage in an environmentally safe way. We encourage you to visit the project page for full details of the proposed new RV parking area on Tarean Road.
This relates to Action 2.1 of the Karuah Place Plan.
Port Stephens Council have been working with Transport for NSW to install both north and south bypassed signage. The hero image for the sign was chosen by community consultation and features the iconic bridge, mural and foreshore area. The signs will encourage people to take a break from their journey, stop into Karuah and spend some time and money in the town.
This project is due to be completed end of February 2023.
This project relates to Actions 1.2, 1.8, 2.2 of the Karuah Place Plan.
Completed:
See some of the completed projects and events that have improved the vibrancy of the town.
Get involved
You’re the expert when it comes to your place – we need your local knowledge and passion for your place to help develop and implement your Place Plan. There are many ways in which you can get involved:
- If you want to get involved in planning for your place, head to our Have Your Say page.
- Download our Place Plan factsheet to learn more (PDF 3.7 MB).
- Discover more about the progress of the Karuah Place plan by subscribing to our newsletter that is sent out every 2 months. Get in touch if you want to be part of the emailing list.
- Contact our Vibrant Places Team today on 4988 0255 or via email on Vibrantplaces@portstephens.nsw.gov.au to arrange a time to talk about your place planning idea or project.
Community grants
Our funding program gives eligible individuals, artists, community organisations, not-for-profits, businesses, students and others the opportunity to apply for funds to deliver initiatives that make a real difference to local communities and our region. These funding programs play a pivotal role in building capacity by supporting initiatives which enhance the social, cultural, environmental and economic life of our communities.
The Karuah Place Plan provides lots of inspiration for projects that would qualify under the grants program. Visit our Grants page for more information.
Community champions
Toni says she is most proud of her town because of the amazing community members who work together to support all students to be able to engage in learning. She is also proud that the school can support local elders in keeping Gathang language alive. Toni has been recognized as a Karuah Community Champion for her assistance in getting the Garuwa Community markets up and running. Visit her Facebook page for more details.
Lisa is a passionate community member and currently is heading up the Mainstreet Beautification project to add some vibrancy back into a part of Karuah's main street. Lisa says she is most proud of her town because of the amazing people who constantly offer their time and support on a volunteer basis to make great things happen for Karuah!
Introducing Cheryl Crotty, organiser of the local Conservation Crew in Karuah. Cheryl, her hubby and volunteers have been busy cleaning up the riverbank from Memorial Park to Longworth Park, so that residents and visitors can enjoy a beautiful walk around the river.
Cheryl, pictured, is a passionate member of the Karuah community, caring deeply for the environment and the people who look after it.
Introducing Jean Keeley, long time Karuah resident and manager of The Karuah Centre.
Jean has been working at the centre for over 14 years and has managed in excess of 20 volunteers in that time. Jean is most proud of giving back to the community and donating to people in need.
Jean is a passionate member of the Karuah community and would love to see more people get involved in volunteering at the centre. If you are interested, please contact Jean via email at admin@karuahcentre.com.
Bre is a passionate member of the Karuah community stating: "It took me moving half way around the world to find a place that felt like home". The Karuah Progress Association are instrumental in many projects around the town with Bre providing her special skills to her community especially with her grant application writing skills.
The Karuah Progress Association meet on the last Wednesday of the month from 7pm at Karuah RSL. If you are interested in joining the Association, please contact Breanna via email blgonzales@gmail.com.
Fred McInerney is long time resident and dedicated volunteer for Karuah. He has made a huge impact in many of his volunteer roles with Karuah Working Together, Karuah Progress Association, Karuah Rural Fire Service and many more.
An avid traveller with his wife, Fred always looks forward to coming home to assist with community projects and doesn't mind getting in and swinging a hammer, painting or gardening to help beautify and enhance Karuah!
Fred we give you 3 cheers - thank you for the positive impact you make in Karuah, we very much appreciate you!
Chris Fraser is the General Manager of the Karuah RSL. Chris started with the club in his current position in August 2022 and loves supporting the board to deliver positive outcomes for the residents and visitors of Karuah.
Chris has made a dedicated effort to provide a warm and friendly experience to club patrons, ensuring quality music and offering a variety of activities such as raffles to keep people engaged. He has also worked closely on behalf of the club on the Karuah Konnect project, has been involved in events held in Longworth Park, and provides the printing of the Karuah News each month.
Marion Brown coordinates and distributes The Karuah News. Marion also works hard to keep Karuah updated on upcoming events and activations through a number of social media channels. She is a dedicated resident of Karuah who downsized from Vacy 5 years ago and is currently working on the development of a website specifically for Karuah.
Contact us
Contact our Vibrant Places Team on 4988 0255 or via email on Vibrantplaces@portstephens.nsw.gov.au to arrange a time to talk about your place planning idea or project.