Newcastle Hang Gliding Club

Regards,

Paul McConkey
Kilgour Ave

The meeting was split into 3 workgroups to discuss the three sections of the coast in the study area.
The “red” table was discussing the coast from Susan Gilmore beach to the cliff, and included Empire Park.
The “Green” table was discussing Dixon park Beach
The “Orange” table was discussing Merewether Beach.

The study’s scope seems to extend only to council & Lands dept land. Overall they’re looking at the whole coast from Merewether baths up to Stockton. The study does not include National parks lands like Burwood Beach, Hickson St. launch, nor Stockton Dunes.
They’ve picked a number of specific areas and Urbis have been engaged to create plans. Urbis have created some preliminary plans which they claim build on previous studies, but I can’t see where they’ve done that.

I sat at the Red table, and was joined by Harry. The principle designer from urbis chaired the meeting at our table, and we also had the president of Hunter Lifesaving, and the president of Bar Beach surfclub, another member of that club, and three “local concerned residents”

JOD sat at the Green table, and Conrad sat at the Orange table.

Before the individual tables commenced discussion, a presentation was given showing some ideas that the urbis planners had come up with so far. It was stated that these are not what they are planning to go with, and that it’s possible that they’ve got it very wrong, that the idea of these meetings was to let them know where they’ve got it wrong, and to help them understand what we, as locals users of the coast want.

The initial plans included a couple of options for Empire park, including one which has a one-way road cutting an arc through the park, curving around behind the cricket club buildings and through next to where the kids playground currently sits.
Initial plans for Dixon park Beach included a large water feature, many large trees throughout the park, removing/reducing the size of the lower parking area, and adding some “training facilities” (buildings) to the side of the hill behind the surf club parking area.
I saw nothing to concern us, as a hang gliding club in their plans for Merewether beach.

The discussion at my table included:
Design concepts proposed (still works in progress) include modifying the cricket pitch at empire park to be a multi-purpose sports field with a cricket pitch located between two rugby fields. I mentioned our desire to keep our landing area in the corner un-changed and expressed concern that works to make the lower area of the grounds lower would encroach on our landing area.

Also suggested was a small retail section at the south end of the park, and improving the surf club buildings perhaps incorporating a café/restaurant/gym.

Works to stabilise the cliff at bar beach were mentioned, but only as something that needs to be done, no concrete plans were given.

They discussed the idea of making memorial drive a slower road so as to incorporate the use of Empire park better with the use of the beach
Extending the coastal walk/cycleway from Merewether all the way through to King Edward park ( and through to Nobbys? ) was discussed, at the same time expanding it to 3m wide to accommodate both walkers and cyclists. A strong desire to extend it around the edge of the bar beach carpark was mentioned.
Re-instating access to Susan Gilmore beach.
The location of the bar beach surf club was discussed, and it was widely felt that it’s in the best location, but that the buildings could be improved/expanded.
Greening the dunes (I think the idea was to plant large bushes/trees)along memorial drive next to the beach was proposed, but did not receive wide support – the surf club reps particularly.
Funding of the plans was discussed, with funds generated through redevelopment being the main theme. The addition of retail at the south eastern end of empire park, the idea of a restaurant/café/gym incorporated in the surf club, and rezoning bar beach avenue to accommodate higher density dwellings were all listed.

After about an hour and a half, discussion was stopped so that each table could present what they’d discussed to the group as a whole.

The Orange (Merewether) table went first, and mostly seemed to have discussed ideas around making certain roads one-way, and removing the layered car park behind the baths, instead preferring parking facilities be formalised at Watkins st. The area currently used for car parking was proposed to be re-incorporated into the parklands. Re-orientating the bathhouse to face more north-east was proposed, and a curved track from the south end of the bath house, up to the south west, curving around to the north east to extend into the walking/cycling track along the coast. Conrad may have clarification, or additions/corrections he wishes to add to this.

The Green (Dixon Park Beach) table seemed to concur that a large water feature next to the ocean was not desired, and that the park was well used as it is, and adding trees was not a good idea. It was mentioned that trees had been planted there in the past, and had always failed, and that the natural environment there is more that of coastal dunes, so excluding trees. Our use of the off-leash area within the park to land was stated, and seemed to be supported by the other attendees. JOD may wish to elaborate on the conversation at his table.