Let's have a discussion and avoid wasting millions

Congratulations Lucy on becoming our local member.

Your support for the re-development of the Woy Woy Oval was, I am sure, a determining factor in many peoples' mind.

The big question is whether you are going to support mayor Cr Lawrie McKinna and his masterplan or request a review before committing millions of dollars to the project.

When Council established the committee to make recommendations for the site I think most people expected to see plans for a replacement grandstand along the lines of the existing structure.

This would include ground entry and ticket booth, players' change rooms, referee's room, public toilets, canteen (kiosk) and elevated seating for about 800 to 1000 spectators.

The proposed masterplan includes all of these facilities, with the exception of the elevated seating, but in a number of separate buildings.

Each purpose-built structure would require the extension of existing electricity, water and sewerage services.

Each would also have individual maintenance requirements and security concerns.

This surely must greatly increase the cost.

The plan also calls for the actual playing field to be moved closer to the existing tennis courts and Peninsula Plaza car park.

Just moving the lighting towers would be an enormous task.

This also reduces the space available to the teams to warm-up prior to the game, not to mention the loss of 50 car parking spaces.

The construction of another coffee shop might be the start of a "vibrant and accessible community hub", it might also mark the end of any chance of having a stadium in the City of Gosford which could service many sporting events throughout the year.

I recently called for Cr McKinna to hold a public meeting to discuss the plan, but he refused.

You are our last hope.

Before committing to this enormous expenditure and saddling the township with this totally inadequate sporting facility let's at least have an open discussion to allow both council and the real stakeholders to have their say.

There is plenty of time before the first sod is turned and we might just avoid wasting millions on a facility which turns out to be a white elephant and pleases nobody.

Email, 11 Sep 2013

Fred Charles, Woy Woy