MONEY from the sale, lease or development of the Port Macquarie Crown foreshore should be injected into improvements, the mayor believes.
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Mayor Peter Besseling said that approach would not only secure foreshore funding but would fast track public benefit works.
A draft vision, once adopted, will guide the future development and management of the Port Macquarie Crown foreshore and waterway.
Cr Besseling wants to attach a guiding principle to the state government’s plan of management in a bid to ensure money generated from foreshore crown lands covered by the plan goes into improving foreshore public assets and remains in the area.
He used the Plaza car park site, which is identified for redevelopment in the plan, as an example.
“It’s important we make sure any monies potentially generated from that site simply don’t go back into state government coffers,” Cr Besseling said.
“It’s a Port Macquarie asset and it should be used for the benefit of the Port Macquarie community.”
The draft plan of management identifies four focal areas and opportunities for improvement from extra shade to public pontoons and redevelopment opportunities.
The foreshore would be linked with an improved foreshore promenade and boaties would have access to a network of pontoons on the Hastings River.
The draft plan discusses funding.
Identified funding sources could include income and development contributions generated from commercial activities, and government funding, for example.
“All work will need to be staged having regard to funding availability and funding priorities,” the draft document said.
Cr Besseling stressed the importance of being able to fund the required improvements, once the plan was adopted.
He expressed concern at the proposal to relocate the commercial moorings to the western side of Kooloonbung Creek harbour, and added the location and design of the footbridge across Kooloonbung Creek should be consistent with the council’s approach.
Cr Besseling will lodge a mayoral submission to the draft plan of management.
The draft plan is available at www.crownland.nsw.gov.au