The online community forum for the Kingscliff Central Park concept plans will be extended for another fortnight to allow further investigation of a proposal for more car parking in the town’s centre.
Existing forum comments demanding additional car parking – and the emergence of a possible avenue for regional development funding – has prompted Council to give greater consideration of a proposal to create a partially underground car park as part of the Central Park.
The proposed facility would create up to 100 additional parking spaces at the Central Park site, while addressing opposition expressed by many community members to allocating more of the Kingscliff foreshore to car parking.
“The partially underground car park provides a clever solution to the conflicting demands of additional parking while protecting foreshore parkland – and had been earmarked for possible later inclusion once funds became available,” the Mayor of Tweed, Councillor Kevin Skinner, said.
“However, the current program of community engagement has reaffirmed the community’s demand for more parking along that section of Marine Parade. At the same time, Council will consider nominating Kingscliff Central Park as its top priority for funding through the Regional Development
Australia Fund.
“The Central Park project is Council’s best opportunity to take advantage of those Federal funds and enables Council to include the carpark as part of the initial central park concept plans.”
Kingscliff Ratepayers and Progress Association spokesperson and long-time local resident Julie Murray said the underground carpark had been “considered at length” in early discussions about the Central Park.
She said such a carpark would have to be built in the water-table and would require the level of the park itself to be lifted.
A recommendation to put Kingscliff Central Park on the top of its list of nominations for Regional Development Australia Fund assistance was due to be considered at the April 19
Council meeting.
The forum – at www.your saytweed.com.au/kingscliffpark – was due to finish April 12 and has attracted a substantial level of community input about the three-stage project, which includes:
* Restoring sand levels on the beach and dunes between the Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club and the Kingscliff
Beach Club.
* Redeveloping and reducing the size of the Kingscliff Beach Holiday Park.
* Creating Kingscliff Central Park on the land vacated by the
holiday park.
* Upgrading the Kingscliff Community Hall.
Cr Skinner said Council had decided the community should be given additional time to comment on the Kingscliff Central Park concept plan, now the carpark proposal had been brought to the fore.
“Draft designs and artists’ impressions of the carpark have been added to the website, to show how a section of it will be located beneath the Central Park,” Cr Skinner said.
“Its design, as opposed to an entirely underground car park, will enhance natural lighting and assist with security and surveillance of the carpark.”
