COFFS Harbour City Council has rejected the NSW Government’s draft Masterplan for the Jetty Foreshore Precinct, voting instead to carry a motion put forward by Mayor Paul Amos and Cr Tony Judge for the plan’s dismissal.

In explaining his opposition to the plan in its current format, Councillor Amos said his views reflect the community’s wishes on recreational land within the Jetty precinct.

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“I’ve made no secret of my concerns over the way the draft Masterplan has ignored the majority of residents who want to keep the public open spaces that are such a feature of the Foreshores.

“We’re a growing city and we have to safeguard our important public recreational areas for the future.”

The Council motion also raised other issues of concern with the plan, including inadequate parking, the potential impacts to open space from tall buildings, and conflicts with Local Growth Management strategies currently in place.

Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh has since voiced his disapproval of the Council decision, which he said went against council staff advice.

“The Council staff actually had quite sensible and constructive feedback that has been ignored by the councillors who voted for the motion.”

He said that, given a survey was still open to the public, Council had jumped the gun.

“I had wished that Council had listened to the views of their professional staff and waited for the views of the community to be in the survey before projecting their own views in regard to this project.”

Mr Singh said that the results of the survey data would now be assessed, and refinements will be made to the plan before a new round of community consultation is sought.

By Sam PARKER