Coastal walkways, foreshore planting and amenities improvements were given the tick of approval by the Bonny Hills community as a part of the review of the draft Bonny Hills Reserves Masterplan.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will amend the draft plan with community input before presenting it for final adoption.
The draft Bonny Hills Reserves Masterplan was placed on public exhibition in October. Council received 50 submissions from the community, with half of those letters of concern about the impacts of proposed walkways and cycleways on paragliding at Bartletts Beach and a petition about planned inclusions at Community Hall Reserve, primarily the relocation of the tennis club and formalised parking in the area.
President of the Bonny Hills Progress Association, Mr Roger Barlow, congratulated Council on its program of community engagement and consultation on the issue, saying the ongoing feedback and communication has been appreciated.
“We feel like we have been listened to and actively engaged,” Mr Barlow said at the recent Council meeting.
The community supported the inclusion of more walkways and cycleways, the planting of more native trees along the foreshore at Rainbow Beach Reserve, the retention and upgrade of the existing toilet blocks at Rainbow Beach and Bartletts Reserves, the provision of amenities at Community Hall Reserve and car, boat and trailer parking improvements for Spooneys Bay.
Director of Infrastructure, Jeffery Sharp, said community support for the Masterplan was encouraging and Council has considered all feedback, particularly in relation to carparking.
The reserve area adjacent to the new Wauchope-Bonny Hills Surf Life Saving facility, which incorporates a function centre and café, is increasingly used informally as a parking area. Suggested inclusions for improvements to parking using this site will be further investigated in future consultation with the community.
“Improved access to all three reserves at Bonny Hills may encourage more people to walk or ride to these areas, reducing the demand for more parking space. However, we will continue to actively engage on the issue of carparking, particularly at Rainbow Beach Reserve,” Mr Sharp said.
