The Bugle 9 March 2019
A fortnightly celebration of people and places on the Upper South Coast of NSW
Serving the communities of Kiama, Gerringong, Jamberoo, Kiama Downs, Minnamurra and Gerroa and now at www.thebugleonline.com
Inside this issue
Storm brewing on Seven Mile Beach safety on the road and beach, and issues of public access and amenity. She too wants to see an end to Zone A. “Expanding the activity of commercial surf schools at this end of Seven Mile Beach would seem to be promoting business at the expense of public access and amenity,” she says. The issue has arisen as the surf schools have submitted DAs to Council as part of a new process to obtain a short term allocation of the surf school places on Seven Mile Beach (see box, page 6). as a surf school area has The activation of Zone A become an issue with some locals since Rusty Moran’s Gerringong Surf School was granted a licence to use the beach late last year. This finally legitimised an activity he had been conducting there for around a year. Prior to his arrival, despite having permission to do so, other surf schools have only used Zone A on the odd occasion. The sub-committee has issue with the way Council’s Surf School Policy was replaced by Interim Surf School Guidelines in October last year, without community consultation, when each of the three surf schools were given interim licences (Gerringong Surf Will Kiama finally take out the state-wide title? See page 4 School, Surf Camp and
Sarah’s off to the Showgirl Finals
Will Boral fill come via Riverside Drive? p3
Photo: Surf Camp
A sub-committee of the Gerroa Community Association (Roy Schmidt, Brian Pickett and Stephen Brazier) and the Werri Boardriders are calling on Council to remove Zone A, the area of the beach between the river and Track 1 from Gerroa Road, as a designated surf school area. “We think allowing three surf schools in Zone A is too much of an imposition on the general public and we’d like to see Zone A abolished,” says Mr Brazier. Dr Leoni Degenhardt, a long term resident of Gerroa, also has concerns about
Boardwalk concerns aired p 3
Lands Edge). “The old policy was devised after years of consultation,” says Roy Schmidt. “It has been replaced with an abbreviated version that has taken out some very important aspects, and even changed the zone boundaries, without the community being involved.” The Interim Guidelines extend Zone A south by 150 metres, so it now stretches south from the river to Track 1, and includes the most popular take-off point for windsurfers. The Zone had previously stopped at the footbridge. Council says the Interim Guidelines will be replaced by a Plan of Management, the development of which will include community consulta-
tion (see box on page 6). With the Plan of Management not expected to be ready until June 2021, the sub-committee is concerned about what may happen in the meantime. While the surf schools say they are not looking to expand, Stephen Brazier says he can only go on what is allowable in the Guidelines. “The previous policy has been revoked and the Guidelines allow for significant expansion. “For example, the old policy said only three surf schools could operate on the beach, but now it says three schools can operate in each of the three zones, allowing for the potential of nine schools.
New Ambulance Station opens p7
Meet the candidates for Kiama P10-11 Find out more about the people wanting to get your vote on March 23.
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