The festive season is a time of great joy and anticipation as we look forward to time with family and friends as well as the beginning of a fresh New Year with a clean slate ahead of us.

Novocastrians have good reason to be excited about the possibilities of 2015.

As a community, we have made great strides in 2014, closing the gap in council finances while continuing to progress our priority projects: Hunter Street revitalisation, coastal revitalisation, Blackbutt Reserve, Newcastle Art Gallery and the cycleways program, and the council has much more in store come January.

With the council's sound financial management, it will be able to move even more quickly to meet the community's goals while balancing the city's budget and maintaining or improving vital council services.

From events including Australia Day, Asian Cup and Surfest 2015 to the next phases of the council's major projects, from improvements in its cultural offerings to continued economic growth and development, including the night time economy, the council is laying the foundation for Newcastle's future viability and success.

As we begin 2015, take some time to visit around our community and really look at all that has changed. Many visible improvements have been made in our infrastructure to make Newcastle a more inviting and attractive place to live, work, play and visit.

Other changes may not be as noticeable but are just as significant such as improved community engagement, increased support for start-ups and other new businesses, efforts to attract international tourism, and implementation of new technologies for a smart and innovative city.

On behalf of the staff and councillors, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.