Voice of Byron regular, Patricia Warren, urges the Byron Shire public to work with Shire Councillors to prevent the NSW Crown Holiday Parks Trust from conducting a land grab of our precious foreshores.
If you have been following the caravan park issue in Brunswick Heads, then please read the following, lobby Councillors and share this information. What NSWCHPT is intending to do, unless Councillors stop it, is to take prime foreshore public land into their commercial operation. The meeting on 17.1.17 will precede putting out on public exhibition amendments to the 2014 POM. It is critical that those amendments include the following. The amendments sought are consistent with Council’s resolutions and ignored by NSW Crown Holiday Parks Trust in the 2014 POM.
We are aware Council will be meeting with Steve Edmonds, CEO, NSWCHPT on Tuesday 17 January and would like to take this opportunity to present our proposed amendments to NSWCHPT’s draft POMs for Brunswick Heads Holiday Parks.
Community preferred outcomes remain consistent with previous submissions by BHPA & Foreshore Protection Group.
Re: AMENDMENTS TO NSWCHPT’s POM for Brunswick Heads Holiday Parks
1. Operational Boundary of Ferry Reserve Caravan Park
NSWCHPT’s draft POM 2016 seeks to resume Riverside Crescent a 20m wide strip of road reserve land (9m tarred road + 10m part of the grassed foreshore area) for 8 powered caravan sites and 5 permanent beach tents (quasi cabins).
This would effectively divide the existing grassed foreshore area in half (15m for public use/10m for park use) and narrow the roadway to just 4m wide, one way traffic.
Community preferred outcome is to maintain Riverside Cres as the caravan park boundary (along southern edge beside existing cabin precinct). This leaves the whole of the former road reserve and the E1 zoned land as shared open space and retains the grassy foreshore and boat ramp for shared public use.
Rationale:
a) Compulsory acquired lands valued at over $3 million were added to Crown Reserve parks in Brunswick Heads in May 2012. This includes the 1.2 hectare Old Pacific Hwy site added to Ferry Reserve, which the community has repeatedly argued is fair and reasonable compensation for any perceived loss of sites along the foreshore.
b) The former road reserve, Riverside Cres was excluded from the 2005 POM and use of the foreshore area was to be reviewed following the completion of Pacific Highway upgrade in 2007. NSW Parliamentary Schedule effective 1978 prohibits caravans on the riverbank.
c) The location of services along the former road reserve may also restrict the use of this land.
d) The foreshore sites are vulnerable to stormy weather and flooding – while potential new sites on old pacific hwy lands are raised and protected by bridge embankment and sound abatement strategies.
We urge Council to retain Riverside Cres as the holiday park boundary and protect the riverfront from commercial development and ensure it remains public open space for all to enjoy.
2. Operational Boundary for Massy Greene Caravan Park
Since 2012 Council resolutions have retained Lot 7005 for public use with a slight boundary variation to allow NSWCHPT to bring the existing amenities block into compliance and to protect the long term sites on the far south western corner. Community submissions support this position.
The recently erected fence is aligned to this new agreed western boundary however the fence line was not extended to the riverbank and the Trust’s draft POM does not include this agreed Western boundary.
NSWCHPT’s draft POM 2016 locates the Western boundary adjoining the Boat Harbour less than 10 metres from the waterfront and includes all of Lot 7005 within the caravan park.
The Trust’s POM seeks to significantly intensify the use of Lot 7005 with a new park entrance, Managers residence and cabins. Setbacks, including those for cabins have been measured from the top of the rock wall and not the designated park boundary.
a) There is clear intent in the both Caravan Park POMs and Harbour Masterplan for the ungazetted road adjoining the yacht precinct to continue to function as a two way road to launch watercraft, access car park and pedestrian pathway.
b) Along a large section of the ungazetted road the measured distance between the top of the rock wall to the park boundary is 7m – this is woefully inadequate by any standards.
It is imperative Council clearly identify the Western boundary and retain Lot 7005 to ensure much needed public land remains along the waterfront between the boat harbour and caravan park for public use.
3. Operational boundary and conditions of use, Terrace Caravan Park
Historically, use of the southern section of Terrace Park has been limited to primitive camping in peak holiday periods (Xmas & Easter only) as a condition of operation within S68 license agreements. The area remains outside the operational boundary of the caravan park.
Council’s Resolution 12-995 of 20 December, reaffirmed in Resolutions 13-25 of 14 Feb 2013, 13-237 of 9 May 2013, 15-323 of 16 July 2015 and 15-651 of 10 December 2015, restrict the use of the southern section to peak holiday periods
Community preferred outcome supports restricting use of the Southern section to peak holiday periods and retaining low impact sites.
NSWCHPT’s draft POM proposes new road works, installation of new amenities block, camp kitchen and 24/7 usage for short term sites (caravans, mobile homes, camper vans and tents). These types of uses are not consistent with Council’s resolution on ‘soft camping’.
a) WW1 Memorial Coastal Cypress Pines are located in this area. In January 2015 103 extant trees were ground-truthed of which 2 have since been lopped. Of the remaining trees most if not all have been severely impacted by lopping of lower branches, mowing the critical root system, trenching around tents, soil compaction and disposal of untreated grey water by the park’s clientele over the critical root system.
b) Proposed new works and continuous usage 24/7 would adversely impact on remaining vegetation and neighbourhood amenity. Restricting camping to peak holiday periods would reduce noise, traffic, parking and environmental impacts and provide the opportunity for rehabilitation and regeneration along this narrow, sensitive floodprone riverbank.
4. FORESHORE BOUNDARY
NSWCHPT’s POMs fail to clearly identify an operational boundary along the riverbank. Legally required setbacks are measured from the top of the rock walls. It remains unclear whether the proposed walkway is public land outside – or within – the operational area of the caravan parks.
We ask Council to clarify the status of the foreshore pathway/buffer zone and park boundaries.
Fencing and enclosing the parks has been a high priority for Park Management. The privatisation of public lands, future sale or long term leasing of crown holiday parks is certainly on the agenda.
It is Council’s responsibility to ensure our public pathways are identified, protected and retained for public use.
Michele Grant
Foreshore Protection Group
the current plan for massey greene retains around 7m-10m for public use alongside the yacht precinct yet proposes to include launching facilities for non powered water craft (canoes, paddle boards), a ramp for small boats, carparking (for cabins), a pedestrian pathway and emergency access for vehicles along the rock wall and a new park entrance and managers residence – all jammed in beside the caravan park. Lot 7005 is public land, and was zoned for marine purposes and public recreation before being “acquired” by Crown Lands is a very non-transparent land transfer process. Council determines the boundaries of commercial operations on crown lands, not North Coast Holiday Parks and I think the public has every right to retain public land for public use. It is outrageous Crown Trustees have illegally occupied this encroached land for so long and now propose to squash our “simple pleasures” along the harbourfront while retaining Lot 7005 (at no cost) to enhance their bottom line!
Please lobby councilors to encourage them to adopt the above community preferred amendments. Councilors email addresses are on the byron shire council website.
Leave lot 7005 as is …allow camping. No cabins though! There is plenty of land in Brunswick for public use. Why not utilise the land on the boat ramp side of the harbour? Campers bring $$ to Brunswick businesses and are
value to tourism.