Maitland’s first Community Infrastructure Strategy goes on public exhibition until 14 February 2026

newy.com.au – Maitland City Council has placed its first Community Infrastructure Strategy 2025–2045 on public exhibition, with submissions open until 14 February 2026.

The draft plan is intended to guide how Council plans, funds and delivers community infrastructure over the next 20 years, and to help prioritise projects alongside asset management and future capital works programs.

Council previously asked residents for feedback across 10 categories of community infrastructure, including aquatic facilities, playspaces, libraries and museum, community facilities, Maitland Regional Art Gallery and public art, public open spaces, outdoor recreation facilities, indoor sports facilities, outdoor sports facilities and public toilets.

Maitland City Council general manager Jeff Smith said early feedback highlighted how locals use and value everyday spaces and facilities. “During our initial engagement period, we heard lots of great feedback from the community including how much they value public open spaces like parks and reserves, community facilities and outdoor recreation,” Smith said.

He said that input had been used to draft the strategy and set the framework for future decisions. “We’ve taken that feedback and created Maitland’s first Community Infrastructure Strategy (CIS) which will help guide and prioritise how we plan, fund and deliver community infrastructure over the next 20 years,” he said.

Council’s public exhibition listing describes the draft as being supported by 10 supporting plans, covering networks such as aquatic centres, community facilities, indoor sports, libraries and museum, Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) and public art, outdoor recreation, outdoor sports, playspaces, public open space and public toilets.

On its community engagement website, Council said roads and road-related infrastructure were not included in the strategy and would instead be addressed through a separate Civil Asset Strategy.

Smith said earlier this year the work was aimed at managing growth and ageing assets. “Maitland is a growing city, home to some ageing infrastructure built for a different era with a different purpose in mind and is no longer meeting the community’s needs,” he said in June.

The draft strategy and supporting plan summaries can be viewed via mait.city/CISPublicExhibition, where Council is inviting feedback during the 60-day exhibition period. Council’s submission information also lists ask@maitland.nsw.gov.au
and a postal option for written submissions, and says submissions must include a completed political donations and gifts form.