FAQs

Deepwater already has a strong identity - heritage character, a growing artisan economy, and a community with real energy and momentum. The Deepwater Masterplan is about revealing that identity more clearly and backing it with a robust plan, built together by Council and the Deepwater community.

This is the first project to commence under Council's Draft Precincts Activation Framework and Strategy, a collaborative, community-led and Council-supported approach to strengthening local identity, improving public spaces, supporting community activity, encouraging events, and creating more opportunities for local businesses, residents and visitors across the Glen Innes Highlands. Deepwater goes first because of its strong heritage character, an organised and ready community, and real momentum already building, including the Progress Association's recent success securing the historic railway station.

Going first also means responsibility: what's learned and built here will shape how the next thirteen precincts are approached, and how much trust communities across the Highlands place in the Precinct program as a whole. 

Place activation means making places easier to use, more welcoming and more enjoyable - so people, choose to spend time there.

Deepwater already has real strengths to build on: a genuinely distinctive heritage streetscape, the railway station, a growing artisan economy of galleries, makers and craft food and beverage, the Eclipse Theatre's striking heritage facade, and the Deepwater Races, one of Australia's oldest continuous racing traditions. The Deepwater River runs along the village's edge, drawing fossickers, fishers and kayakers. Deepwater sits on Ngarabal Country - Talgambuun - and that deep cultural connection to this place is foundational to the project.

What's missing isn't character, it's more chances for the people who already live here to come together, and for people driving the highway to actually see what Deepwater is and want to stop. Deepwater is emerging as the Highlands' artisan village, and this project is about drawing that identity out more clearly.

The Masterplan will capture three types of change. Community involvement matters because each one depends on what you tell us.

Quick wins: Rapid, low-cost, temporary actions like pop-up events, minor maintenance, or temporary signage that are fast to make happen and a great way to test ideas before bigger investment

Regular activity and events: Recurring, calendar-driven things like markets, festivals, performances, seasonal celebrations and coordinated programs. This is what gives a place its rhythm and social life

Staged capital works: Permanent, physical projects like upgraded paths, restored buildings, lighting, or public art. These are subject to successful grant funding applications, and take longer to deliver.

Both Council and the community have an important role in making these happen, some things Council delivers directly, others are led by community groups - with Council's support as needed. 

Funding pathways will need to be worked through for anything requiring real investment. 

The Masterplan document itself will be short, sharp and written in plain language, a usable document for community members and not a dense technical report.

Council brings the planning framework, funding pathways, and infrastructure investment.

The Deepwater Progress Association is the local project anchor given its strong track record of community leadership - most recently shown through securing the historic railway station - and ability to provide outreach to diverse community members for the project.

Residents, traders and visitors are invited to be part of shaping the Masterplan. Genuine engagement means going to where people already are - through Deepwater's own groups, businesses and gathering places, not just formal meetings. This isn't just about hearing from the people who always show up. We're deliberately reaching out to different groups - young people, older residents, newer arrivals, and those who don't usually get asked - so the Masterplan reflects Deepwater as it actually is, not just its loudest voices.

Traditional Owners Deepwater sits on Ngarabal Country, known as Talgambuun. This connection is foundational to the project with the approach to engaging Traditional Owners still being worked through.

Council's role operates across four areas: setting the strategic direction, investing in and maintaining public infrastructure, enabling community-led activity through clear approvals and support, and funding and advocating for grant investment.

The community's role is different, but just as essential: bringing local knowledge, leadership, and the energy to identify what matters most and help make things happen.

This is a genuine collaboration. Council is committing to incorporate community input to the maximum extent possible in shaping the Masterplan's vision, priorities and actions. Final adoption of the Masterplan remains a Council decision - but what that Masterplan actually contains is shaped by the community. 

Genuine collaboration asks something of both sides. Council's part is to listen properly and follow through. The community's part could look like running a regular market, leading a working bee, hosting a seasonal event, or taking on a piece of the village's story-telling and interpretation - the kind of things community groups are often best placed to lead, with Council providing support rather than running it all.

We know that "another round of consultation" can feel like an empty process if nothing visibly changes. Here's what we're committing to, specifically for Deepwater:

• A Quick Wins Register will be maintained throughout the project - small actions raised through engagement, tracked and actioned where possible
• A "What We Heard" summary will be published, reporting back what was said, what happens next, and which quick wins are already being progressed
• The Masterplan will be transparent about how community input shaped its priorities and actions - not just that engagement happened, but how it influenced the Plan
• Progress will be visible and not just reported - the measure of success is real physical improvements in places the community uses and cares about, not just a completed document

• 13 July - Project launch
• 20 July - 12 September - The main engagement period including kitchen table conversations, business door knocks, walks around the village, a community workshop, and other ways to have your say
• 18 September - The "What We Heard" engagement outcomes summary is published
• 21 September - 9 October - The community will be invited to provide feedback on the What We Heard summary
• 12 October - 30 October - Preparation of the Draft Deepwater Masterplan
• 6 November - Draft Masterplan delivered 
• 9 November onwards - Council reporting, public exhibition, and final adoption (dates to be confirmed)

Place activation - making public places easier to use, more welcoming, and more enjoyable, so people choose to live and spend time there.

Draft Glen Innes Highlands Precincts Activation Framework and Strategy - Council's five-year, region-wide plan identifying fourteen precincts across the Glen Innes Highlands for this kind of work, of which Deepwater is the first.

Quick wins - small, low-cost, fast-moving actions (like pop-ups or signage) that can happen early, without waiting for the full Masterplan.

Staged capital works - bigger, funded projects (like upgraded paths or restored buildings) delivered over time as grant funding becomes available.

"What We Heard" summary - a plain-language public report on what was said during engagement, what happens next, and which quick wins are already underway.