DEAR News Of The Area,

I NOTE that in the last edition of NOTA there is a City of Coffs Harbour endorsed promotion to “Keep the Jetty Foreshores Public” with a link to Council’s website in which it refers to the “sale of community land” for residential development.

Both these statements which imply public ownership of the land in question are, at best, misleading and, at worst, irresponsible from a local government authority which undoubtedly is aware of the true status, in terms of ownership and usage history of the two parcels of land identified for residential development in the Jetty masterplan.

Surprisingly both parcels are clearly identified in Council’s Jetty Foreshores Plan of Management as owned by the railway authority ARTC and are excluded from that plan.

Just like oils ain’t oils, not all government owned land is public or community land, not all government land is Crown land and not all Crown land is for public recreation or allows public access.

Think schools, airports, military bases as well as foreshore land etc, all “owned” for example by the State of NSW, Property NSW or Commonwealth of Australia but the use thereof by various government bodies and public access to dictated by a myriad of agreements, leases, gazettals and management plans.

Regarding the land adjoining the railway, why is it that it is fenced by, coincidentally, the same type of fence that secures the railway corridor through urban Coffs Harbour and Sawtell?

This land was part of the railway and has been fenced off for around 30 years to keep the public out and to protect railway property and equipment and as such has never been used for public recreation.

The land to the north contained large loading sheds and fuel tanks and was effectively a railway shunting yard closed to the public.

It is now a gravel car park being home to illegal campers and RVs.

To imply or even state that this is the community’s land or “the people’s” land is totally false as is the notion that residential development of this land will result in a loss of public land to the community, land that was never public land in the first place.

Whatever the view surrounding the future use of these properties it can’t possibly be supported by the falsehood of current and historical community use and ownership of the land.

Regards,
Martin PUNDYK,
Coffs Harbour.