Hosted by the Coffs Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association (CCRRA), group chairman George Christinson was quick to inform the bumper crowd that the event was not a debate, as had been previously promoted.

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The reaction of the crowd however indicated that a debate was very much what many attendees were hoping for.

Speaking first in support of the State Government plan to redevelop the Jetty Foreshores was Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh.

Presenting to an at-times hostile crowd, Mr Singh was interrupted numerous times as he attempted to promote the benefits of the state-led proposal.

Mr Singh’s presentation covered the history of the site over the past 100 years, as well as the results of community consultation undertaken in recent years.

The Nationals Deputy Leader then walked attendees through a visual display of the December 2022 masterplan for the site, the basis of the proposal which is now being progressed by the Labor State Government.

According to Mr Singh, the plan “increases public open space by 2.5 football fields”, with just six percent of the site to be developed for residential, tourism and commercial uses.

Approximately 20 percent of the site will be used for parking and roads, 35 percent will be retained as open space/public domain, and 39 percent will consist of existing vegetation, according to the masterplan.

“The State Government proposal improves vast areas of the Jetty Foreshores; it increases open space,” Mr Singh told NOTA on Thursday.

“To do that, the most desirable places for recreation will be improved, and some of the least desirable places for recreation will be developed with mixed uses, including residential.”

Mr Singh argues that the Labor Government’s endorsement of the Coalition-created plan was evidence of the fact it “makes sense” for Coffs Harbour.

“It is the best thing for this area, considering how much additional foreshore space will be improved and how much economic activity it will drive.”

Speaking in support of the council’s alternative concept plan for the site was councillor Tony Judge, who ran against Mr Singh for the seat of Coffs Harbour in the 2023 state election as a Labor candidate.

During that election campaign, Mr Judge claims to have received assurances from senior party officials that residential development would be halted at the Jetty Foreshores should Labor win at the polls.

With the Labor Government now progressing the revitalisation plan developed by the Coalition, Mr Judge admitted feeling betrayed by his party’s backflip.

“The commitment said we (Labor) would work with local government in Coffs Harbour to keep the Jetty Foreshores in public hands,” Mr Judge said.

“A couple of months after the [Labor] government was elected, somebody rang me [from the party] and said the government was going to renege on that proposal.”

Mr Judge also slammed the government for a lack of transparency over the proposal, after plans for up to 250 residential dwellings and 200 short stay units were revealed during Budget Estimates in March.

“Governments are not secretive about things they are proud of,” Mr Judge said.

“We don’t know how much money has been spent already, we don’t know how much is going to be spent.”

Mr Judge explained the council’s reasoning for pushing back against the state-led plan, and highlighted the urgent need for affordable housing in Coffs Harbour.

“It is the resolved position of council to fight against residential development at the Jetty Foreshores.

“We made, I think, a generous offer to the State Government to buy that land back at the Valuer General’s value, and throw in two blocks of land in the centre of Coffs where we can have the sort of housing that Coffs actually needs – affordable housing.

“Instead of high end, high cost housing at the Jetty Foreshores that most people in this room won’t be able to afford.”

Mr Judge described the foreshores as an “iconic spot”, and expressed concern that potential six-storey development would “overpower the site”.

He said the community faced a “David and Goliath” fight to keep the site in public hands.

“Both sides of government want this to happen,” he said.

“The only people who don’t want this to happen are the people who live here.

“If you privatise it down there, it is privatised forever – it is lost.”

Audience questions came thick and fast following the presentations, with topics including public and affordable housing, future sea level rises, and the potential for dwelling numbers or building heights to dramatically increase after the foreshore land is rezoned.

On multiple occasions Mr Singh was asked to provide details about the redevelopment plan, which is now in the hands of the Labor Government to implement.

Previous opinion surveys were a consistent theme of questioning, with many in the audience expressing their frustration with the perceived limitations of consultation.

Declaring the State Government to be “hell bent on their plan for residential”, Mr Judge encouraged all Coffs Coast residents to have their say on the site’s future during the upcoming local government election.

On 14 September, when voting for the city’s next councillors and mayor, Coffs Harbour residents will be asked an additional question: ‘The Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore will be redeveloped. Do you agree that some of the foreshore land should be used for multi-level private residential development?’.

“Governments ignore public opinion at their peril,” Mr Judge said.

Speaking to NOTA following the meeting, Mr Singh said the referendum question is “only half a question at best”.

“It asks whether or not people would like to see residential development without any benefits or context of the wider plan for the precinct.

“It also doesn’t go into any detail at all about what the council’s resolved plan is.

“It seems like council is only trying to derail the State Government’s plan for the area rather than offering up a credible alternative.

“I think that approach is fundamentally dishonest and misleading.”

Having faced animosity from some sections of the audience, Mr Singh expressed disappointment the event “had been hijacked by people with vested interests”.

“The event had been widely shared by those who are not supportive of the State Government plan,” he said.

“I think the reaction of the majority of people in the crowd was exactly as expected.

“Those people have acted consistently throughout this whole process.

“Rather than being an information evening, they turned it into more of a rally-style situation.

“It was disappointing that people who genuinely came to hear information were subject to the kind of behaviour that was exhibited on the night by some people.”

In the crowd on the night was Coffs Harbour resident Pete Christie, who unfurled a banner which read ‘Public land in our hands’ during the meeting.

“Particularly when we look at development, we need to look at what is in the best interests of the most people,” Mr Christie told NOTA.

“If this goes ahead, we need to see affordable housing and long term affordable housing for people.

“Public land isn’t about the rich, it is about everyone.”

Coffs Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association chairman George Christinson said the event had been organised to improve community understanding of proposals for the Jetty Foreshores.

“There is a lot of disagreement in the community and probably a lot of understanding about what is going to happen down at the Jetty Foreshores,” Mr Christinson said prior to the meeting.

“We are hopeful people will go away from here tonight being able to make an informed decision on polling day, that will be the best thing for the Jetty Foreshore and for Coffs Harbour.”

Mr Christinson said the Ratepayers Association is taking a neutral stance on the issue.

By Doug CONNOR