The Katoomba Masterplan

Stage one of the Masterplan process is now complete, and we would like to thank everyone who participated in shaping the future of Katoomba so far. We are currently collating everyone's input and ideas into an engagement report, which will also be published on this site soon. In the meantime, you might like to see:

• The draft vision and planning priorities for Katoomba we co-created with the Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) based on community input.
• Engagement outputs and summaries from the SRG meetings and community workshops.

You can access these reports in the Document Library here.

Amelia and Nus from Engage2

Michelle and Kim and the Blue Mountains City Council team

Thank you to everyone who joined us for in-place engagement on 6 and 7 November.

Community events

Three community events were held at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in Katoomba, with optional virtual participation via Zoom.

• Tuesday 1 December, 3pm to 5pm
• Tuesday 8 December, 7pm to 9pm
• Friday 29 January, 3pm to 5pm

The Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) will work with Council to examine input from the community and use it to develop a vision for Katoomba, draft planning principles, and prioritise areas for place-making based masterplanning.

The SRG will be made up of 8-10 members and we are encouraging anyone with an interest in the project to apply. A selection criteria will be applied to all applications to ensure that the SRG represents different interests, demographics and areas of Katoomba. Members of the SRG will have their names published on this page, along with the outputs of all SRG meetings.

Click here to view meeting summaries and outputs from the Stakeholder Reference Group.

What is a Masterplan?

A long-term planning document. Masterplans outline the vision, principles and priorities for the future of an area and are used guide growth and development.

How can I participate in the master planning process?

If you live, work or play in Katoomba we would like your input to revitalise this town. To get started, you will need to register or log in to Have Your Say.

• Do the Katoomba Masterplan Survey. Let us know what you like and would like to see improved about Katoomba, and your hopes are for the town’s future.

For more information or to participate offline, call our Customer Contact Centre at 4780 5000.

What is happening now?

Stage one of the planning process began in October 2020 and will continue until 19 February 2021. We are currently engaging various stakeholders across the community and working with a Stakeholder Reference Group to co-create draft vision and planning principles for Katoomba for The Council to consider.

Engagements in stage one of the Katoomba Masterplan include:

• an online master planning survey
• a series of community workshops
• the opportunity to host your own conversation about Katoomba, and
• the facilitation of a Stakeholder Reference Group.

What will happen next?

Engagement for stage one will conclude on 19 February 2021. All input collected during this stage will be collated into a report for Council and publishing on Council's website. Council will use this input to inform Stage Two of the process.

Stage two of the planning process will focus on site-specific planning. During stage two, Council’s planning team will invite the community to participate in a design-led engagement process. A variety of locations (precincts) will be explored, and options will be presented to the community for feedback. At the end of stage two, a draft Masterplan document will be developed.

What is the purpose of the Masterplan?

The Masterplan will enhance the livability and vibrancy of the area. It will consider the character of the area, natural environment and function of key places like the town centre and the connections between them.

How will the master planning process work?

The process will be multi-staged with the first stage scheduled to conclude in February 2021, so site-specific planning can commence in early 2021.

What will be considered in the Masterplan?

The Masterplan will consider the housing, employment and transport options available in Katoomba and propose priorities for land use and site-specific planning, public space and streetscape enhancement. This includes the character of the area, natural environment, the function of key places like the town centre, and transport connections within and around Katoomba.

How is this different from past planning for Katoomba?

The Masterplan will draw on past work to develop a vision, planning principles and action to enhance the future livability and vibrancy of Katoomba.

The Masterplan will draw on the objectives outlined in the Community Strategic Plan and the Katoomba character statement developed during the Local Strategic Planning Statement process last year. Council’s Planning team are also reviewing community input and the status of activities discussed during the 1998 charette.

What is the Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG)?

The Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) is a representative sample of the community in Katoomba. They will work with Council to examine input from the community and use it to develop a vision for Katoomba, draft planning principles, and prioritise areas for place-making based master planning.

The SRG will meet four times between December 2020 and February 2021.

Who is in the SRG?

The SRG is made up of 14 people representing different interests, demographics and areas of Katoomba. An expression of interest was held in October 2020 and members were selected based on the criteria outlined here. Council asked engagement consultants, Engage2 to collect, review and make recommendations based on these criteria. Council reserves the right to supplement the SRG make-up by directly approaching stakeholders to increase representation.

Outputs from all SRG meetings, including a list of members, have been published in the Katoomba Masterplan Document Library.