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21 November 2024

Tweed wins major award for planning excellence

Judges highlight ‘significant regional benefits’ in Scenic Landscape Protection Strategy

Tweed Coast panorama

Tweed's stunning landscape: A panoramic view of the Tweed Coast looking south from Fingal Head, with Wollumbin/Mt Warning standing out in the distance.  BELOW: Council’s Scenic Landscape Protection Policy is designed to protect the spectacular visual landscape of the Tweed.

Scenic Landscape Protection Policy

Tweed Shire Council has been recognised at the prestigious 2024 NSW Awards for Planning Excellence, taking out top honours in the ‘Strategic Planning Project’ category.

The Tweed Scenic Landscape Protection Policy was announced as the winning submission at the award ceremony in Sydney on Thursday 14 November 2024.

The Policy was awarded for its ‘comprehensive guidance in assessing scenic landscape qualities’ and ‘demonstrated vision’ for the region.

The judges noted that the Policy and its interactive mapping tool could be replicated by other councils and that it reinforced the protection of the Tweed’s spectacular scenic landscapes across all government areas.

Council was further congratulated for conducting a robust and diverse consultation process over a seven-year period as part of the development of the Strategy.

Council’s Director Planning and Regulation Denise Galle was excited by the award and congratulated staff involved in the delivery of the strategy.

“We are delighted to receive the PIA NSW Strategic Planning Project award, a huge achievement taking into account the high standard of submissions,” Ms Galle said.

“Anchored by the majestic Wollumbin/Mt Warning at the heart of our community, the Tweed is home to many spectacular landscapes and this Strategy aims to balance environmental, social and economic considerations to develop the Shire in a sustainable way and promote good design in the built environment.

“This Strategy has been years in the making and involved extensive collaboration across multiple Council teams.

“We also worked closely with the community to develop the Policy, running multiple conversations in Tyalgum, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah to hear what the community had to say about the Tweed’s scenic landscapes – it’s great to see these engagement efforts recognised at the awards.”

The Scenic Landscape Strategy was put on public exhibition in late 2022 and endorsed and implemented by Council in June this year.

Background information:

The Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) is the peak national body representing town planning and the planning profession in Australia and represents approximately 5,000 members nationally and internationally. Find out more about this year’s winners, including the Tweed’s entry, at planning.org.au/aboutpianew/nsw-2/congratulations-to-our-nsw-award-winners. Winners of the NSW awards will automatically be entered into the 2025 National Awards for Planning Excellence.

To find out more about the Scenic Landscape Protection Policy, visit tweed.nsw.gov.au/land-use-planning-controls#guidelines

Strategic planning team

Council's Strategic Planning team members Jonathan Lynch, Louise Bennett, Giselle Benitez Hetherington and Matthew Zenkteler were involved in the development of the award-winning Scenic Landscape Protection Strategy.

Downloads

Photo 1: Tweed Coast panorama
Caption: Tweed's stunning landscape: A panoramic view of the Tweed Coast looking south from Fingal Head, with Wollumbin/Mt Warning standing out in the distance.

Photo 2: Tweed River and hinterland
Caption: Council’s Scenic Landscape Protection Policy is designed to protect the spectacular visual landscape of the Tweed.

Photo 3: Strategic planning team
Caption: Council's Strategic Planning team members Jonathan Lynch, Louise Bennett, Giselle Benitez Hetherington and Matthew Zenkteler were involved in the development of the award-winning Scenic Landscape Protection Strategy.

Connection to Council’s Community Strategic Plan:

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Tweed Shire Council wishes to acknowledge the Ngandowal and Minyungbal speaking people of the Bundjalung Country, in particular the Goodjinburra, Tul-gi-gin and Moorung – Moobah clans, as being the traditional owners and custodians of the land and waters within the Tweed Shire boundaries. Council also acknowledges and respects the Tweed Aboriginal community’s right to speak for its Country and to care for its traditional Country in accordance with its lore, customs and traditions.
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