State of Ettalong foreshore an embarrassment says Chamber

Despite assurances from Central Coast Council that it performed “selected pruning” and weed removal along the Ettalong foreshore over December and January, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce says the area remains an “embarrassment”.

Chamber President Matthew Wales has called on Council to “get serious” about lifting the maintenance standards for the stretch of foreshore between Beach St and Picnic Pde.

“Despite repeated requests to Council and numerous meetings with Council staff, the poor state of the Ettalong Beach foreshore remains an embarrassment for the town with only token maintenance being recently undertaken by Council,” Wales said.

“Any objective inspection of the town beach foreshore section between Beach St and Picnic Pde would make you wonder how Council believes this to be remotely satisfactory and is certainly inconsistent with Council’s own adopted Plan of Management.

“Despite the outstanding success of the foreshore south of The Box Restaurant, the town beach is overgrown, weed infested and poorly maintained.

“Trimming a few trees and picking up some bits of rubbish is hardly pro-active maintenance of the reserve.

“The underlying principle of the Plan of Management was to protect the view lines from The Esplanade whilst stabilising the beach.

“The coastal wattle has now grown so far down the beach that beachgoers were (recently) found clinging to a narrow strip of sand whilst trying to enjoy the beach.”

Businessman Larry Altavilla said work was also needed between Ferry Rd and Picnic Pde, with the unsafe state of vegetation making it “only a matter of time before someone gets hurt or a child is very seriously injured”.

A Council spokesperson said representatives met on site with community members last October and committed to a number of actions, delivering on the majority of those throughout December and January as promised.

“Works have included selected pruning in the vicinity of the viewing platforms in order to enhance views via sight lines and weed removal and treatment along the foreshore, the spokesperson said.

“Maintenance has also been undertaken on beach accessways including rubbish removal, selective pruning, removal and redistribution of excess sand and fence maintenance.

“The treated pine fencing located next to the Box on the Water Restaurant has also been removed.

“Further works are planned and ongoing, including the replacement of missing and damaged aluminium fencing panels, weed removal and selected pruning.”

The spokesperson said removing native vegetation that was advancing down the beach would “cause a negative impact on the dunes and so would not be undertaken”.

“It was explained the dune forms the backbone to the beach, and the native vegetation growing in this area is helping to stabilise and maintain the beach,” the spokesperson said.

“Loss of this vegetation would likely result in increased loss of sand from the beach area both decreasing beach amenity and the amenity of the township, as has been experienced in the years prior to the native vegetation establishing in the reserve.”

But Wales said Council seemed intent on doing as little as possible whilst “trotting out the same of rhetoric about protecting the dunes”.

“This doesn’t happen at other town beach locations such as Terrigal or The Entrance,” he said.

“The Chamber is calling on Council to get serious about maintaining and upgrading the town beach by making more serious commitments to beach front maintenance.

“At a time when we are looking to boost visitor numbers and promote Ettalong Beach as an attractive sought-after destination, Council is making it increasingly difficult to secure repeat visitation due to the poor state of the foreshore. “This is causing loss of business opportunities particularly in the conferencing and wedding sector.

“We want visitors and tourists to be stunned by our views not struggling to find pathways and viewing decks hidden in poorly maintained, weed infested overgrown vegetation.”

Terry Collins