Foreshore should shine like diamond

I'm an Irish commuter who lives in Sydney and has the great privilege to work on the beautiful Central Coast - in Woy Woy, affectionately now referred to by me in Sydney as "The Woy".

My 180 km daily commute via the F3 has just received a boost with the emergence of finding the "diamond in the rough" that is the Ettalong Beach foreshore.

What a revelation to a jaded suburban Sydneysider commuter to see this natural beauty now emerging from the years of neglect that has resulted in the dunes being covered by the proliferation of overgrowth.

There is now at least a fleeting glimpse of this faded beauty that hopefully will now be fully restored to her previous splendour.

Modesty is certainly a virtue, but in the case of the Ettalong Foreshore my view is that it has been clad in its matronly overgrowth for far too long, and now needs to come out into the sunshine and shine like the natural diamond that it is.

As a non-local, I am constantly amazed and in awe of the natural scenic beauty of this area that appears to be deliberately hidden as if to deny the community one of its greatest assets.

This natural beauty certainly needs to be carefully managed to maintain the amenity for all and in particular safeguard its environmental future for future generations of locals and non-locals alike.

But it should not be treated like a museum piece or some sacred relic off limits to the view of the community.

Responsible management of the Ettalong foreshore will enhance the appeal of the area for the local community as well as provide an incentive for non-locals like myself to visit and become entranced by the natural scenic beauty.

Surely this is an argument to return the area to its former glory and not the degradation of the current 'natural environment of overgrowth and neglect'.

Generally nostalgia is a lovely place to visit, but you can seldom live there.

It seems to me that in turning back the clock and reclaiming the Ettalong Foreshore to its former glory, locals in this instance can afford to be nostalgic, and can in fact have their cake and eat it too!

Michael Nesbitt Woy Woy