MidCoast Council is seeking submissions on its draft open space and recreation strategy

MidCoast Council's draft Open Space and Recreation Strategy is currently on display on Council’s Have Your Say website, and Council is seeking community feedback on it until 27 June.

The draft strategy outlines how outdoor spaces in the region will be planned, maintained and delivered to 2035. It was developed from what the MidCoast communities told Council was important to them in their outdoor spaces.

These spaces include parks, gardens, sports fields, playgrounds, dog parks, foreshore areas, walkways, cycleways and other public places.

The draft strategy contains a comprehensive action plan, with both region wide actions and location specific actions. Actions are prioritised for short term (1-3 years), medium term (3-8 years), long term (8-13 years), and ongoing.

Pleasingly the draft contains the open space initiatives listed in the North Arm Cove and Carrington Local Community plan developed last year, as follows:

North Arm Cove actions

Develop the following projects:

a) Investigate boat launching facility at Beauty Point
b) Investigate enhancement opportunities at Heros Beach as per community developed Master Plan.

(These projects have a short term 1-3 year priority in the draft strategy.)

North Arm Cove and Carrington - Town wide actions

Develop the following projects:

a) Develop and put in place a plan for walking/exercise trails and exercise stations.

b) Casuarina Park upgrades in line with approved plans

c) Develop Medina Bay reserve landscaping plan

d) Assess the need for skateboard and BMX facilities, and put in place if feasible

e) Assess the need for children’s play facilities, and put in place if feasible

f) Determine the need and location for a protected swimming area, and if feasible, develop a plan to put in place

g) Determine the most appropriate location for an Emergency Evacuation jetty, and if feasible, develop a plan to put in place

h) Do a feasibility study to identify a suitable location for a community boat ramp outside of the NAC village

i) Survey public waterfront access pathways and build paths for pedestrian access to the water.

j) Do a feasibility study to identify a suitable location for a public boat ramp and jetty to service the Carrington and Tahlee communities, and if feasible, develop a plan to put in place.

(These projects have a medium term 3-8 year priority in the draft strategy.)

I think it is really important that the North Arm Cove and Carrington communities provide feedback to Council on this draft strategy, and particularly the projects listed above.

So if you feel that the strategy is a good idea, please lodge a submission to Council and tell them what you think.

Even more importantly, please lodge a submission in support of these projects, and if you think that there are other open space and recreation projects that should be considered for North Arm Cove and Carrington, put in a submission about them.

You can lodge submissions until Tuesday 27 June 2023 by clicking on the following link: Draft Open Space and Recreation Strategy.

You can download a copy of the summary of the draft strategy from the bottom of this post.