Callala Beach Progress Association

20/05/2026

14/05/2026

The Callala Bay development community insight survey was open from Friday 28 November to Tuesday 23 December 2025. The purpose of the survey was to identify key issues and opportunities to be considered in the development of the masterplan for the project. 343 responses were received and an insights summary is now available on the Callala Bay development project page.

Read the insights summary:https://www.sealark.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Callala-Bay-insight-summary.pdf

08/05/2026

What is AusAlert?
AusAlert is a new Australian Government national warning system that uses the latest technology to send emergency messages to compatible mobile devices during local and national disasters. AusAlert messages keep communities informed so they can take action, saving lives and property. It’s another way we're helping to keep Australia safe.

AusAlert is a new national warning system that uses the latest technology to send emergency messages to compatible mobile devices.

22/04/2026

Hi Callala Beach, Callala Bay, Currarong and Myola Crew 🌊

It’s time to grab a glass of your favourite wine or pop the kettle on for a brew—maybe two teabags for this one—because you’re going to want to sit back and have a very thorough read of the Shoalhaven City Council’s 2026 Callala Bay, Callala Beach, Currarong, Myola & surrounds, Community Infrastructure Needs Analysis. 🍷☕

We’ve had a deep dive into the document, and while it’s a lot to digest, there are some pretty significant points that affect our neck of the woods.

NOTE: While Council is seeking feedback on the draft CISP 2056 and the CISP Action Plan, feedback is not being collected on the Needs Analysis itself.

📍 First Things First: A Little Geography Lesson
The cover currently lists our district as Planning Area 1: Ward 1. We are firmly planted in Ward 2!

📉 The "Over-Provision" Puzzle
According to the findings on page 15, Council believes that for a community of our size, we are actually "well-provisioned" or even "over-provisioned" in several areas (Needs Analysis, p. 15). Their benchmarks suggest we have "too much" of the following:

* 4 extra local recreation play spaces (Needs Analysis, p. 15).
* 7 extra passive recreation parks (Needs Analysis, p. 15).
* 3 extra community buildings (Needs Analysis, p. 15).
* An "excess" of local tennis facilities (Needs Analysis, p. 15).

🚫 What’s on the Chopping Block?
Because the report identifies this "over-provision," several of our local assets are being looked at for decommissioning or divestment (that’s Council-speak for potentially losing them):
Callala Bay Progress Hall: The recommendation on page 18 is to decommission the tennis court, hall, and playground, and investigate options to divest the asset entirely (Needs Analysis, p. 18, 20).

Local Playgrounds: Council plans to decommission the play equipment at Encounter Ave Reserve and Gowland Cres Reserve (Needs Analysis, p. 18, 22).

Reserves: Both Australia Avenue Reserve and Hollingsworth Reserve have been flagged for divestment (Needs Analysis, p. 20, 23).

Callala Beach Community Centre: While renewal works are mentioned, Council also wants to investigate "alternative governance" and "improved cost recovery" due to the alleged surplus of halls (Needs Analysis, p. 18). Our "on the ground" metrics for use of the Callala Beach Community Centre and Tennis Facility are notably higher than those described in the Needs Analysis.

🧐 We Have Questions
As a community, we’d like to question some of these outcomes. We are particularly interested in the source of the metrics used to develop these projections. For example, the report notes on page 5 that our district saw upwards of 30,000 online accommodation bookings in 2023 alone (Needs Analysis, p. 5).

How does the analysis account for this massive influx of visitors when deciding we have "too many" parks or "excess" facilities? We want to ensure our infrastructure meets the actual needs of our residents and visitors, not just a spreadsheet benchmark.

The link to the full document is below. Please take a look and let us know your thoughts!

Click the image above to return to the CISP Hub page The Community Infrastructure Strategic Plan 2017 – 2036 (CISP) provides a framework to guide the planning and strategic management of open space and community facilities owned and / or managed by Council. Open space

21/04/2026

A Night of Rewilding and Hope at Callala Beach 🌿🐾
Thank you to everyone who joined us at our April general meeting last night!

We were incredibly lucky to host Rob Brewster and Piper Lewis from the Invasive Species Council. They provided a stark but necessary look at the impact feral species—like cats, foxes, and rabbits—have on our local biodiversity. However, the true heart of the evening was the inspiring discussion on rewilding—the active restoration of our ecosystems to allow native wildlife to thrive once again.

Spotlight on Regional Rewilding
The speakers detailed several groundbreaking projects right here in our region:

Booderee National Park: Continued efforts to return "lost" species to the Jervis Bay territory.

The Bannockburn Rewilding Project: A massive local effort focusing on restoring complex habitats.

Shoalhaven City Council-Sholahaven Water - Coonamia Collaboration: An innovative partnership using the wastewater treatment plant site as a sanctuary for conservation efforts.

A Collaborative Effort
One of the most important takeaways from the night was that conservation doesn't happen in a vacuum. The success of the Bannockburn project, in particular, is built on a powerful collaboration between:

The Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land Council: Providing vital Traditional Owner knowledge and land stewardship.

The Halloran Trust / Sealark: Whose long-term vision and partnership have been instrumental in securing and managing the land for conservation.

The Scots College: Integrating education with active environmental restoration.

Special Guests: The Parma Wallabies 🦘
The absolute highlight was meeting two juvenile Parma wallabies! Once thought to be extinct on the Australian mainland, these wallabies are part of a crucial breeding and release program. Seeing these tiny, resilient creatures up close was a powerful reminder of what we are working to protect.

A massive thank you to Rob and Piper for their time, their expertise, and for introducing us to our furry neighbours!

17/04/2026

You can help protect dolphins into the future by registering to volunteer with Dolphin Research Australia for the first ever state-wide NSW Dolphin Census on 30 May 2026 🐬

Recorded sightings will help create a statewide snapshot of dolphin hotspots and key habitats. This will help fill knowledge gaps about dolphins and support long-term research and conservation efforts as part of the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy.

Anyone can get involved 🙌 Simply sign up to get trained and ready for the census at: https://www.dolphinresearchaustralia.org/dolphin-census/new-south-wales/

17/04/2026

Just a reminder that the current Shoalhaven City Council Community Consultation survey to support the maintenance of a place-based community voice for Callala Beach to the Shoalhaven City Council (SCC) closes on 19 April 2026.

Please review the Accredited Community Forum model document here: bit.ly/4vzDcdh before completing the survey.

Contribute to the SCC Place-based Engagement Review Survey here: bit.ly/42cOOFL or on the 🔗👇

The Callala Beach Progress Association (CBPA) is currently the Community Consultative Body (CCB) for Callala Beach & Myola, and is recognised by SCC. The CBPA has been representing the Callala Beach community since 1956, well before there was a formal framework for community group interaction with Council. We have worked with the Shoalhaven Shire Council from 1957 to 1979, and then with the Shoalhaven City Council from 1979 until the present. That's a solid 70 years of representing Callala Beach & Myola.

We are very happy to become an Accredited Community Forum, which is the suggested model to replace CCBs, and we meet all the requirements of the Council to be the local Accredited Community Forum. We would be proud to continue representing Callala Beach & Myola to Council, actively lobby for the best outcomes for Callala Beach amenities and maintenance, and represent the needs of community members.

Your support of the CBPA through completing this survey would be appreciated.

Please share and forward this email to interested parties.

Thanking you,
Anne Versitano
Secretary CBPA

Council is proposing to replace the current Community Consultative Body (CCB) model with a new Accredited Community Forum (ACF) model. Please review the Accredited Community Forum model document here before completing the survey. 

22/01/2026

🔴🔵𝗗𝗢𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗧 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗦🔴🔵
AUSTRALIA DAY PERIOD - 23 January 2025 to 26 January 2026
Drive and arrive safely for your holiday break