DEAR News Of The Area,

I AM writing to reject the current Jetty Foreshores redevelopment proposal.

In particular the inclusion of housing in this sensitive area.

Prior to the NSW election, the leader of the NSW Labor party came to Coffs Harbour and said there would be no housing development in this area under a Labor government.

Tony Judge and Chris Minns featured on the front page saying this was going to be the line drawn in the sand for development.

But of course I should have had my eyes and ears wide open, this was a “political promise”, one that you state just to get votes, but you never mean it.

Now we must put up a fight about this current proposal.

I urge readers who supported no development of the foreshore to email the Planning Minister Paul Scully and Chris Minns, the Premier, to remind him of his promise.

Also email Tony Judge and Cate Faehrmann of the Greens.

The government is in a minority so pressure can be put on them by minor parties.

The social housing proposed there is just a furphy, getting us to think they are “caring about the homeless”.

It is nonsense.

The development there will be mostly for investors who can have high rents on their new properties – nothing has changed.

They could build social housing in Coffs and in places where there is easy access to transport and services.

Take a look at what Mission has done on Duke Street.

If this development does go ahead you will have construction going on for years.

It will not look like the lovely “artist impressions” we see on the proposals – don’t get fooled by that.

Remember another proposal to green the Jetty Strip?

The boulevard of trees?

Unless I missed it, that has not materialised.

Don’t forget if the government changes back to Liberal, who is to say that development plans can’t be changed to include more housing or buildings there?

Alteration of DAs.

If Frank Sartor could allow the building of apartment blocks right up to the front of the Sydney Opera House, how hard do you think it will be for the current planning minister to alter plans for the foreshore, once it’s signed off?

Once that open space is gone, there is no going back.

Yours sincerely,
Cyril WOOD,
Coffs Harbour.