These studies will now be considered and discussed in the documentation submitted with any future planning proposals or development applications in the Hallidays Point area.

More than 875 visits were made to the Have Your Say page during the public exhibition period of the technical studies. The elected Council considered 101 submissions from the community. Not all submissions requested changes to the Draft Plan.

The plan was adopted by the elected Council at the 10 December 2025 Ordinary Meeting.

As a result, at the 10 December 2025 Council meeting, the technical studies were recognised as independent reference documents. These documents will now be considered and discussed in the documentation submitted with any future planning proposals or development applications in the Hallidays Point area.

View a summary of each individual submission and Council's response here.

There was mixed feedback received from the community about the future development of Hallidays Point:

• 38 submissions opposed further development given the infrastructure and bushfire requirements
• 31 submissions supported further development to cater for growth and think that current restrictions on rezonings should be lifted
• 40 submissions recognised that further development will provide better services and facilities to Hallidays Point.

There was also mixed feedback about traffic generation in future:

• 22 submissions indicated that the existing roads are inadequate to cater for future development, and that no development should occur until road upgrades are undertaken
• 36 submissions state that existing roads are adequate to cater for the future development
• three submissions indicate that Old Soldiers Road upgrades are needed to address bushfire management, while 11 submissions oppose an upgrade to Old Soldiers Road based on feasibility and biodiversity constraints.

On bushfire planning, the community feedback was more unified:

• 39 submissions support bushfire protection measures, with 31 of those supporting development of a Community Bushfire Action Plan
• 25 submissions indicate that the road network is inadequate for bushfire evacuation, given a lack of alternative and suitable routes.

Regarding the Biodiversity Study, submissions generally supported the recommendations. People noted the importance of biodiversity and its contribution to the character of Hallidays Point. These submissions stress the importance of protecting biodiversity. There were concerns raised that some recent development has impacted on biodiversity.

Owners of some of the Urban Release Areas (URAs) also lodged submissions regarding the impact of the technical studies on their sites.

Three submissions were received from NSW Government Departments:

• Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) – requests additional work to identify which sites are appropriate to develop, staging and infrastructure delivery
• Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) – provided suggested amendments to update data, clarifying discrepances and provide guidance for watercourses and riparian zones.
• Transport for NSW (TfNSW) – advised that The Lakes Way is classified as a regional road and that Council is the Roads Authority for this road, as such they have no comments

• The Hallidays Point Biodiversity Study and Local Conservation Action Plan, Hallidays Point Traffic Study and the Hallidays Point Strategic Bushfire Study were recognised as independent reference documents. These reference documents are to be considered and discussed in the documentation submitted with any future planning proposals and / or development applications for subdivision or manufactured home estates in the Hallidays Point area.
• The Hallidays Point section of the MidCoast Urban Release Area Report 2021 will now be reviewed with specific consideration given to Diamond Beach Urban Release Areas 2 and 3 and Tallwoods Urban Release Area 1 based on future infrastructure requirements and means of implementation. This review will be reported to Council and go on public exhibition.
• No planning proposals will be accepted or lodged before this review is completed.
• A notation has been added to the Hallidays Point Strategic Bushfire Study stating that the future upgrade of Old Soldiers Road is not a viable option at the current time based on constraints in relation to ownership, cost and the required revocation of the National Park.
• Council will work in conjunction with the NSW Rural Fire Service and Hallidays Point community to develop a Community Bushfire Action Plan.
• The infrastructure identified by the technical studies will be considered in the review of the MidCoast Development Contribution Plans.
• A planning proposal be prepared to implement suitable planning controls in the proposed MidCoast Local Environmental Plan to protect the wildlife corridors and the priority biodiversity attributes of Hallidays Point identified in the Hallidays Point Biodiversity Study and Local Conservation Action Plan.