FAQs

Local character is what makes a place or area distinctive or unique. Local character is the combination of multiple factors, which relate to an area’s history, built form, public and private spaces, community values, and how they connect to a place. 

Local character is influenced by social, economic, and environmental factors (see image below). 

A Local Character Statement pulls together these factors to describe a locality.  The Statement can be used to inform land use planning decisions.

Public domain are those areas of a place which are generally visible from the street, and can include roads, laneways, road verges, pedestrian infrastructure (such as footpaths or shared pathways), parks, playgrounds and the like.

A Public Domain Plan identifies opportunities to improve these areas.

The villages/localities included in this project are:

• Abermain
• Abernethy
• Ellalong
• Greta
• Kearsley
• Kitchener
• Laguna
• Millfield
• Mulbring
• Neath
• North Rothbury
• Paxton
• Pelaw Main
• Stanford Merthyr
• Wollombi

Each village, while being its own discrete entity, is connected to other villages and towns by roads, formal and informal tracks, environmental corridors, heritage, and economic activity to form a hub and spoke wheel of interconnectedness.  Each village and its people combine to form the Cessnock LGA (see image below).

While each village is a discrete entity, some villages may exhibit similar features and characteristics to other villages, particularly those near each other.  For this reason, this project may 'group' villages with like characteristics for the purposes of preparing Local Character Statements. Additionally, some villages may not warrant a specific Local Character Statement. This is open for discussion.