Welcome to the Berry Forum

The Berry Forum is the Accredited Community Forum (ACF) representing the views of the Berry area  to the  local government authority, Shoalhaven City Council. The goal of the Forum is to provide the community with an informed capability to influence the future of the Berry area.

Membership:
A member must be a ratepayer or resident in the Berry area.  We do not require membership fees.  Non-members are welcome, but they do not have voting rights.

Committee:
Ian Hendry (Chair), Stuart Coughlan (Secretary), Laurie Watson (Treasurer), Mary Beare (Minutes Secretary), Judith Ball, David Brawn, Gail Paton,  Peter Saul, John Morgan, Keith Brodie.

Objectives:

(1) To promote and protect the interests and welfare of residents and ratepayers, and maintain and foster the natural environment and heritage of the local area (2) To obtain information on local and State Government issues relevant to the local area and the Shoalhaven, and disseminate it to residents and ratepayers (3) To encourage the involvement and input of residents and ratepayers in relation to matters affecting our area, and Council’s decision-making process and policies (4) To facilitate discussion on issues of concern and represent to Council and the State Government the collective views of the community on a range of matters, including policy development, land rezoning, development applications and local infrastructure and services needs

Forum Involvement in the Development Planning process:
The Forum supports appropriate and sustainable development in the Berry region and offers assistance to proponents of new developments and objectors as follows:

    • Information about DAs – Council posts all Shoalhaven DAs monthly on its DA Tracking system website. The Forum Committee extracts the DAs in the Berry region and posts them on the Forum website.
    • Resident concerns – Residents concerned about a DA or draft planning proposal should make a submission to Council and encourage others to do so if they share the concerns. If the concerns are significant, a town planner should be engaged.
    • Requests for assistance – Residents  may request the Committee’s assistance with communications and navigating through Council planning processes. Proponents and resident groups are invited to present at Forum meetings.
    • When the Forum Committee may initiate action – If a development does not align with the intent of planning legislation, the Committee may choose to investigate and liaise with Council. If irregularities are discovered, the Committee will report its findings at a Forum meeting and seek endorsement for a course of action.
      The Committee may represent the views of Forum members to Council, our State MP, the Department of Planning or the Planning Minister. Outcomes resulting from action taken will be reported via Forum meetings, the Forum website and regular newsletters.

Treasurer’s Report: 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025

Constitution – The Constitution will be endorsed by the Forum meeting on 16 July 2025 –  Constitution

Berry ACF area