MONDAY 13 June is the closing date for registering your opinions on the Jetty Foreshore Draft Masterplan.

The draft plan has been at the centre of much debate amongst the Coffs Harbour community, as witnessed in the impassioned submissions to the News Of The Area opinions page in recent weeks.

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The Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce is supportive of what the Jetty Revitalisation plan can bring to our region.

“People need to be able to see the potential of our city and be inspired by a strong vision in order to invest,” said the Chamber Board.

“With investment comes employment, education, transport and other infrastructure.

“All vital things for a city poised for a population of over 100,000 people by 2041.”

The Jetty Foreshore Draft Masterplan is one of 20 core objectives in the Coffs Harbour Regional City Action Plan 2036.

This planning strategy document shows both the NSW Government and Council have adopted a joint commitment to work collaboratively to develop and refine a concept plan for the Jetty Foreshores Precinct that supports the community vision, is financially viable and is able to be implemented.

“The Coffs Chamber is passionate about improving the business conditions, opportunities and economic benefit of not just businesses, but their staff and the broader community too.

“Much of the proposed development area has lay dormant as industrial rail land for many decades.

“We now have a chance to increase activity and activation in the foreshores.

“Something we see as a positive step in continuing to create a thriving and prosperous regional city,” said the Board.

The Sawtell Chamber of Commerce and Woolgoolga & Northern Beaches Chamber of Commerce shared similar sentiments, particularly regarding how important activation and tourism is for their towns too.

“During events and peak periods we have a critical accommodation shortage.

“A high quality hotel accommodation offering at the Jetty can only be seen as a win for our local economy and businesses too,” said Keith Bensley from the Sawtell Chamber of Commerce.

Sam Hill, President of the Woolgoolga & Northern Beaches Chamber of Commerce, commented regarding how critical visitors are to the Northern Beaches region.

“There is a multiplier at play when we attract visitors into our region, not only do they spend their tourism dollars in our local businesses like accommodation, cafes and restaurants, but also retail, personal services, attractions and events.

“Once this increase in local income is active, it then multiplies back into the community by a local audience and extends even further into non-tourism related businesses and services across the entire Coffs Harbour LGA.”

The Coffs Chamber of Commerce statement concluded, “With Coffs Harbour’s continued transition to a regional centre there is a responsibility and legacy to ensure the strategic direction for the Coffs Harbour region is recognised.

“Only a broad, inclusive consultation process can ensure the wider community’s needs are met with the Jetty Foreshore Revitalisation Plan.”

While local Chambers of Commerce have expressed support for the plan, many locals have voiced their concerns over the contents of the draft plan, and the community consultation process that helped develop it.

Gerry McGilvray is a life-long resident of Coffs Harbour and believes the design of the survey questions guides respondents to “a preferred predetermined outcome that we are being shepherded towards”.

“We have done consultation process after consultation process, survey after survey, only to get the same treatment.”

Gerry attended a community consultation workshop at the Deep Sea Fishing Club in May 2018 and said “overwhelmingly everyone was against residential and tourist accommodation east of the railway line”.

“We want increased and improved public open space just like those in Sydney,” she said.

“What we appear to be receiving is residential and tourist accommodation with a net loss of public open space and parking.”

As Coffs Harbour becomes more densely populated, Gerry believes open public spaces will have increasing importance and value – and as such should be held on to.

“Please respectfully listen to the community – please give us our improved public open space.

“We don’t want to lose our foreshores to residential development such as places like Foster because we will never get it back,” she said.

By Andrea FERRARI