Support sought for Patonga plan concerns

The Patonga Progress Association has met with Member for Robertson Ms Deborah O'Neill seeking support for community concerns about the Draft Crown Lands Plan of Management for the area.

Ms O'Neill attended an association meeting on Saturday, August 3, where the committee working on the plan reported on progress towards a review of the plan.

The meeting was told that two Progress Association representatives and two elected community representatives would work with Lands NSW and Gosford Council on a Community Reference Panel to review the Draft Plan.

The Progress Association representatives are Mr Phillip Doughty and Mr Andrew Minto and the community representatives are Mr Dain Simpson and Mr Mark Zwan, with Mr Paul Burgess as reserve.

The meeting unanimously endorsed the goals which the Association's representatives will seek to achieve through the review panel meetings.

These are to defend and maintain the beauty and charm of Patonga as a fishing village with history, address issues of parking, traffic and safety, prevent expansion and commercialisation of the Patonga caravan and camping area, retain the tennis courts in their present location, oppose parking on Eve Williams Memorial Oval and retain Patonga Creek-Water Access Only Residents Parking Spaces.

Other matters discussed at the meeting were the identification of maintenance requirements for the Patonga War Memorial which was built by the community and dedicated in 1948, notification of Gosford Council's Community Heritage forum to be held at the Patonga Hall on Sunday, August 25, the lack of maintenance and generally poor state of Patonga Dr with several residents reporting having tyre blowouts due to the large potholes and the upcoming fundraising barbecue to be held at Bunnings Umina on Saturday, August 31.

Also mentioned at the meeting was the fact that artist Jocelyn Maughan of the Patonga Bakehouse Gallery is taking orders for her limited edition 2014 calendars featuring prints of her paintings Fishermen of Patonga.

The calendars can be purchased for $20 with profits going to the Plan of Management Fighting Fund.

To order a calendar, phone Jocelyn on 4379 1102.

Media release, 15 Aug 2013

Joyce Chambers, Patonga Beach Progress Association