Letter to the Editor: Show us the costings Opinion Property/Sports/Opinion - popup ad by News Of The Area - Modern Media - November 19, 2024 DEAR News Of The Area, A RESPONSE to Mayor Nikki Williams on the Jetty Foreshore development. We all want improvements at the Jetty Nikki, that we agree, however we do not believe Coffs Harbour should have to sell off its public land to get public recreation benefits. What are these $150m costings for recreational improvements from? It only cost $5m for the work you praised at Brelsford park. Does it cost another $145m for some walkways and your proposed waterpark? Surely not. Can you please ask PDNSW for a detailed list of costings please? You deserve to have this as your name and reputation will be attached to this development. We understand the $150m includes all the utilities to pay for the luxury private and tourist accommodation. So what is the balance of spending? Are we permanently losing all this public land and area zoned for public recreation and 249 -394 car spaces for $15m of improvements? That seems a poor deal? We can’t know because there is no detail for us. Where else would a town allow themselves to risk such a poor outcome for their community? Your community voted 68.68% no to multi-storey residential and your Council is now choosing to ignore this and risk our most beloved and highly used recreational space in the LGA. Now you are at the table Nikki, why not ask the Chris Minns state government to give us the public recreational improvements without selling off our public land? Huge amounts of money have just been spent in Sydney on the new metro, our costs would be a mere fraction of that. I would support you advocating for public recreation improvements being given to Coffs Harbour without the sell-off. Doesn’t Coffs Harbour deserve this? Regards, Gerry MCGILVRAY, Foreshore for All.
What you don’t get it is not ‘our’ public land. The land is owned by all of the NSW population. If you think that the $5m spent at Brelsford Park can in any way be comparable to what would be required to be spent at The Jetty then I would suggest that you stick to what it is that you do. The previously adopted plan by Council, drawn by the highly acclaimed previously employed service station manger, had such amazing vision which included a cafe at the end of the Jetty, realigning of Jordan Esplanade, Tourist Accommodation and bars up against Happy Valley, activation of the quarry space and the redevelopment of the old fishing club, both under LALC claims, railway carriages as restaurants. Now of course, keeping the land in public ownership means firstly we buy the land, valued as rezoned, then we update the services and infrastructure, then we build the buildings and all other infrastructure , because of course we are not selling anything, we,re keeping it. My only complaint as to the $150m that our Mayor suggests it may cost, will not go within a bulls roar of what the ex Mayors plan suggested was a good idea. The upgrading of infrastructure and realignment of Jordan Esplanade, will eat up at least 10 times that the part Brelsford Park upgrade cost. Another major difference of course with the comparison is that the improvements to Brelsford Park came from a Government grant. The proposals put forward and adopted by the previous Mayor and Council were to be at ratepayers cost. Next! Reply
