DEAR News Of The Area,

COUNCIL’S continued support of the Beach Street Cycle Way raises questions about its duty of care to residents and visitors to Woolgoolga and to Woolgoolga Village itself.

Lack of care has compromised the safety of bike riders, pedestrians and vehicles.

Lack of care has also undermined the “Vision” for Beach Street set out in the Woolgoolga Town Centre Master Plan (WTCMP).

Decisions to proceed and continue with the cycle path “trial” have been undertaken:
– Without an Environmental Impact Statement being made publicly available.
– Without a Traffic and Safety Report.
– With (or so it seems) a Traffic Audit completed on a desktop in Sydney with plans which are
different from what is on site.
– Disregarding express advice about safety issues from a Councillor (who is a cyclist).
– Without transparency or feedback of outcomes of surveys to your citizens.
– Without regard for wastefulness; a very significant failing in these current challenging times.
– Without consideration of the WTCMP where at Section 2.3 on page 100 of Part B there is the
following stated: “Promote Design Excellence and Maintain Village Atmosphere”.

Continued support of the WTCMP is essential.

Please confirm the “Vision” in the approved WTCMP still applies?

We look forward to Council’s response to this letter hoping Council has regard for the common sense of
Woolgoolga residents.

Please remove the cycleway as soon as possible and no later than the end of February 2023.

Please also confirm Council’s support of the “Vision” outlined in the WTCMP.

We are looking forward to the Movement and Place Strategy for Woolgoolga and environs.

Hopefully this strategy will satisfy residents’ aspirations for safety, design and effectiveness.

The “Vision” of the WTCMP also needs to be delivered.

Yours sincerely,
Ray WILLING,
President
Northern Beaches Residents’ Association Inc.