Like trying to solve all issues , we first need to be sure of where the blockage exists , then resolve the way to unblock it. CLEARLY the common blockage point for our Community to gain permission in order to be able to achieve construction is the CONSENT AUTHORITY which has blocked our efforts for so many years now. That Consent Authority has been the Great Lakes Council who now control the three Merged Councils that have become Mid Coast Council , still based in Forster .
Recently we were made aware of a Consultants Report which cost State Govt & Council some $60,000 in which they selected the Medina Bay area to be the best location for the boat ramp. Council owns some 5 waterfront blocks from which to choose for this purpose. The Consultants informed that two sites were deemed to be further investigated but came out strongly for Medina Bay location as easily the best choice. This is strongly in line with the Communities view that this was the best location. So far so good , we have both Community & Consultants in full agreement.
It would appear that Council has not yet accepted this advice on preferred location so this remains the #1 issue to be solved by having Council agree that Medina Bay is the preferred site. You would think that after 40 years trying to get consensus & some $60,000 spent on a Consultants independent assessment of the options available , that Council would need to accept that advice & officially approve of Medina Bay as the best possible option for a trailer boat ramp & jetty site .
Blog from Stephanie Hunter is quite correct in suggesting that the next move is to achieve a design & cost assessment for a ramp at this location suitable to the aspirations & operations for our small community & its likely usage. This issue is far from dead because in the past 2 weeks a small group of interested local residents took another step with authorities in order to progress this issue .
The Consultants report was constrained by the “minimum requirements of Government” when designing boat ramps. They came up with a projected cost of M$1.3 which is obviously” way out from reality” when applied to the needs of this small community, but no doubt necessary for heavily populated areas on Sydney Harbour , Pittwater, Georges River etc. So now it is a case of reinjecting reality in order to move this issue forward. Upon pointing this out to the Consultants they informed that a similar $ amount had recently been spent on such a ramp in NSW for an even smaller community than North Arm Cove & that there were a number of funding options available for a project of this size. Of course Council (the Consent Authority) immediately grabbed the high cost aspect as their best method of attacking the reality of this project going ahead . They then tried the usual “get out clause” in order to try to have the community think they were interested in the project , by suggesting that they would relook at a previous proposal located north of the village area on a block known as 1458 which they had previously slammed as being totally inappropriate & because they could not get title to this land , so it just couldn’t happen .We have now all moved ahead from here except Council who find it necessary to revert to their 2009 stance.
I am sure that this rejection of the obvious will not bluff the community from striving to achieve a trailer boat ramp & jetty for the Medina Bay location of North Arm Cove .
JAYBEE : (John Blackbourn) 8 August 2017 .
