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Petition calls on minister to reject waterfront rezoning

Community group Residents for Responsible Ettalong Development (RRED) say Ettalong is under attack from high rise buildings.

The group is urging residents to sign a petition against rezoning a foreshore area which would allow five-storey buildings instead of the current three storeys, as previously reported by PP.

RRED spokesperson, Peter Gillis, said Ettalong Beach was under extreme pressure from high density, high-rise developments which will have a huge impact on local infrastructure, life style, and character of the seaside village.

Central Coast Council is planning to rezone six foreshore lots in Ettalong Beach along The Esplanade between The Atlantis building and Picnic Parade.

The rezoning would increase the height of buildings from 11.5 metres to 17 metres and increase the Floor to Space Ratio from 1:1 to 1:75:1.

These lots currently contain a two-storey motel, a vacant block, and a two-storey brick residence and encompasses an area of about 3,200 square metres.

The Council has received a proposal, from an undisclosed developer, to build a five-storey shop-top unit block on this land.

Residents spoke strongly against this proposal at a June 29 Council meeting, Mr Gillis said.

“Notwithstanding, the Administrator chose to forward this proposal to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) for a Gateway Determination,” he said.

He said residents were opposed to the rezoning of this foreshore land because any high-rise units would cast significant, unavoidable shading on The Esplanade and the public open space in front of the beach.

He said the current threestorey limit reduces the impact of development on the waterfront.

“The properties are only 19 metres from the sand on Ettalong Beach, which has only plastic barriers erected to reduce sand erosion,” he said.

“Ettalong Beach has had two major beach erosion events in the last four years, one of which caused weeks of road closures due to the danger of the road and building collapse.

“There is still significant and continuing beach erosion close to this site which has not been secured by the Council, and is cordoned off by plastic fencing, with warning signs.”

He said the huge bulk and scale of a development of five storeys over 3,200 square metres, at a FSR of 1:75:1, would be out of character within the Ettalong Beach village, and without any redeeming features.

“Ettalong Beach is a village tourist centre, with severely limited parking and road infrastructure,” he said.

“This proposal will seriously impact local amenity and reduce tourist appeal.”

He said the current and proposed Ettalong Beach Development Control Plan specifically states that “Developments are to be designed to integrate the foreshore area to the village centre and residential development within the town centre should be able to enjoy view lines to the waterway, including Lion Island, and not be obscured by inappropriate bulky buildings.”

Gillis said the petition asks the State Minister for Planning, Rob Stokes, to reject the gateway proposal.

The petition also encourages Council to review the ongoing erosion to the foreshore.

The petition is the latest in a campaign from RRED to attempt to get new developments to comply with the local zoning guidelines.

It can be found at https:// www.change.org/p/robstokes-mp-reject-councilheight-rise-proposal-forettalong-foreshore.

On August 11 it had almost 800 signatures.

A map showing the height and bulk of proposed waterfront developments

Merilyn Vale

Hart gives update on maps, rates and lack of speakers

Central Coast Council now has a map on its website which shows residents in real time what water outages are impacting suburbs.

Administrator Rik Hart said residents could see what planned works, maintenance and emergency works were taking place and estimated times and severity of impact.

He was explaining the new map at the August 10 Council meeting.

At the start of each meeting Hart gives an overview of his work since the previous meeting.

He said non-urgent work had resumed around the Coast with staff working on footpaths and roadworks including the Tuggerawong and Umina foreshore shared tracks and Woy Woy wharf construction.

Hart said he had received about 80 emails from ratepayers after rate notices went out this month.

He said he would reply to all those emails.

The consistent concern was that rates had increased by more than the 15 per cent that IPART (the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal) had granted Council.

He explained the rates included harmonisation between the two former councils and the latest land valuations which had seen land in the Gosford area increase by an average of 27 per cent more than Wyong. (See separate story.)

Hart and CEO, David Farmer, had met IPART on July 27 electronically.

Hart had asked for the meeting as he wants IPART to agree to the Coast’s 15 per cent rate rise to continue after the three years that IPART has currently stipulated.

He said the Public Inquiry into Council’s financial mismanagement had released the list of the 97 people who had put in submissions.

Hart said he expected the first and last week of September would see public meetings being held and he knew that the Inquiry was contacting people it wanted to interview.

Both Hart and Farmer had put in submissions.

Since the last Council meeting Hart had met, again electronically, with Hardys Bay residents about issues in their community and he had met with Local Planning Panel (LPP) chair Donna Rygate.

He had called the meeting so he could ask how Council’s downsizing was impacting the LPP and Rygate admitted it wasn’t as fast as in the past and the support to the panel wasn’t as good as it had been but she understood the reasons why.

In an update on the proposed Referendum, Hart said it wouldn’t be proceeding on December 4.

A paper will come back to Council advising on the way forward: but the referendum would happen, he said.

He concluded his update by noting that no residents had requested to address the Council at either the public or open forum.

He said that was unfortunate.

We welcome people participating, he said.

Merilyn Vale

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The friends of a local woman who sadly passed away on Sunday, August 15, have launched a fundraiser to help support her grieving family.

The body of 42-year-old Maree Smith was found in Woy Woy on Sunday following a series of reports from passersby.

Emergency services attended Spike Milligan Bridge on Blackwall Rd at about 2:10pm on Sunday, with Maree found by a passer-by in mangroves about 250 metres south of the bridge in shallow waters near a bicycle.

A crime scene was established to be examined by specialist officers.

Loyal Maree will be missed by many

Fundraiser organiser and friend, Tina Navin, said the loss of her ‘dearest friend’ was a shock to all.

“Her passing was sudden and unexpected, and as you can imagine her husband Paul and young son Ryan as well as her family and friends are in shock,” she said on the GoFundMe page.

“Ryan is just six years old and in kindergarten, and Paul’s focus at this difficult time is to do whatever he can to help keep Ryan’s life as stable as possible after the loss of his mummy, the centre of his world.

“Maree was one of those people that reminded you what true friendship really is.

“She would drop everything to be there for you when you needed her, loyal, kind and generous.

“Maree would never forget a birthday or important event and no matter where you were in the world she would find a way to call or message you and she would always take the time to understand the real you, and loved you just the way you are.

“She will be missed greatly by everyone who knew her.

“Please help us to support Paul and Ryan as they grieve and learn how to live without the centre of their universe.”

The fundraiser was originally set at $10,000 but soon passed this mark and has now currently raised over $15,000.

Cristina thanked those who have ‘so generously’ donated so far.

“Let’s keep going, for Maree,” she said.

“Your generosity and kindness just goes to show how wonderful and loved Maree was.”

Officers from Brisbane Water Police District have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death and a brief will be prepared for the information of the coroner.

Police are appealing for anyone who was riding or walking along the cycleway and noticed the woman on a purple bike, or has dashcam vision, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

To donate to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe website and visit the ‘Help Support Maree Smith’s family’ page.

Maisy Rae

Train station to get facelift

Works to give Woy Woy Station some TLC are expected to commence ‘immediately’ after an $800,000 commitment from the NSW Government to renew platforms, the carpark and refresh line markings at the popular station.

The NSW Government, which funded the works through their transport renewal program, said the project was ‘shovel ready’.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said the funding would also focus on maintenance upgrades at Gosford and Koolewong Stations as part of a $10.8 million investment on the Coast.

“At Woy Woy Station, a total of $800,000 has been committed to refresh the platforms and concourse, improve the existing car park’s asphalt surface, renew line markings and install wheel and kerb stops,” Crouch said.

“A $9.5 million project is now underway to replace Gosford Station’s existing mechanical signalling system, which dates back to 1937, with a modern computer-based system.

“New signals and equipment as well as improvements to the track layout will enable trains to move through Gosford Station in a safer and more reliable way.

“A $531,250 refresh of the Koolewong Station facilities and its adjacent car park is also being funded.”

Crouch said the renewal project, which is not related to the Federal Government’s commitment of a new commuter carpark, would support a total of 63 local full time equivalent jobs.

Source: Media release, Aug 4 Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch

Rock bolting to stabilise sandstone

Council is currently undertaking stabilisation works on a section of sandstone escarpment within Greenhaven Drive Bush Reserve at Umina Beach to reduce the risk to nearby properties.

Council said it was needed to protect properties located below the escarpment from potential damage from a section of eroding escarpment.

The works, which started last month and are set to be completed by the end of August, weather-permitting, will include rock bolting – drilling and inserting steel rods into the rock to anchor into the bedrock, scaling – removing small fragments of sandstone from the escarpment face, collapsing – breaking up larger pieces of sandstone; and the installation of concrete piers to support rock overhangs.

Council said it has been liaising directly with residents impacted and some vegetation will need to be removed in order to complete the works.

A helicopter will be used to transport materials to the top of the escarpment from Woy Woy Waste Management Facility at the start and finish of the project.

Source: Website, Aug 2 Central Coast Council