Patonga meeting hears latest news
The third community meeting on the Patonga Plan of Management prepared by Gosford Council and Crown Lands took place on Saturday, May 18, in the Patonga Progress Hall.
A moment of levity was provided by Patonga local Warren 'Wazza' Pickering with his cartoon of what the caravan park might look like if the Plans were implemented.
The cartoon forms part of his detailed submission on the Plan, one of over 50 submissions that have now been sent to Crown Lands, including support from Pearl Beach Progress Association, from an occasional visitor living in France as well as the young and the old members of the Patonga community.
There were 94 people registered to hear the Progress Association's consultant Andrew Minto outline the approach the Association's submission was taking, focusing on procedural issues and shortcomings in the way the Plans were prepared.
"There was strong support for the approach being taken which provides a basis for on-going negotiations with Lands and Council, through a working group to be established when submissions close, which will include community representatives," said Patonga Progress Association president Mr Dain Simpson.
The meeting also heard from Peter Henderson on the success of the Fighting Fund established at the first community meeting in April, and from Phil Doughty, who is chairing the Action Committee of the Association.
Mr Doughty outlined what action had been taken as well as the procedure going forward to ensure the community's views are heard.
Four precinct committees were formed at the meeting to enable members of the community to be consulted on the issues that affect them.
A website, www.patongaplan.com, provided by IT entrepreneur George May, of Patonga Creek, is also providing a forum for community views.
"The continuing sense of community united was evident at the meeting, a strong belief that as a community they are entitled to have their say and not just have a Plan of Management thrust upon them," said Mr Simpson.
Email, 23 May 2013
Dain Simpson, Patonga Progress Association