DEAR News Of The Area,

WE are writing today as very concerned ratepayers of the Coffs Harbour Council for the last 35 years.

We are most concerned about the proposed plan the NSW Government has for the future of the Jetty Foreshore development area.

It is our understanding that on March 22 the ‘News of the Area’ newspaper reported that the state government proposes up to 450 dwellings for the site.

We are greatly concerned that these dwellings will result in multi-storey buildings as the only option offered in the community consultation was ‘how high and how much residential development should be included’.

There was no option for ‘no residential properties on the site’.

We firmly believe that the area of land should remain an area for the people, all people, and be kept and preserved as Coffs Harbour green space both for residents and visitors and generations to come.

Not only for a select few.

Once green space is lost it is lost forever.

It is our understanding that affordable housing will be encompassed into the dwellings referred to for this plan.

We believe Coffs Harbour Council has offered other areas of land for this purpose instead of building on the Jetty Foreshores which the government has rejected.

This piece of prime real estate should remain with Coffs Harbour Council and its future decided by the representatives of the people who live, work and pay rates in Coffs Harbour and should not be bullied by the State Government who have problems to solve quickly in the need for more housing.

Yours sincerely,
Grace and Ian BLACKIE,
Coffs Harbour.