Patonga dinner raises $35,000
The Patonga Beach Progress Association's Vision for Patonga community fundraising dinner saw over 250 guests turn out at Everglades Country Club on Saturday, November 16.
The evening saw world renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo and former Australian Test Cricket Captain Steve Waugh speak to guests, and local bands The Rewbies and Driftwood entertain the crowd.
Secretary of the Patonga Beach Progress Association Ms Judy Singer said over $35,000 was raised on the evening through ticket and raffle sales, donations and sponsorship.
All proceeds will go to the Patonga Progress Association Plan of Management Fighting Fund.
"The Fighting Fund has been set up to help the community pay for expert advice in its battle to preserve the simple, natural beauty of Patonga and put a stop to proposals in a draft plan of management for Crown land in Patonga that negatively impacts the town and its residents," Ms Singer said.
"A town planning expert has been engaged by the Progress Association to act as one of its community representatives on the Plan of Management Review Panel convened by Crown Lands.
"His expert advice has helped the ordinary people of Patonga confidently stand up to Gosford Council and Crown Lands.
"We are fighting to stop both the local and state governments imposing a plan on us that seeks to exploit the tiny village of Patonga by proposing ideas that encourage greater numbers of tourists and visitors without any regard for the impact this may have on residents.
"Not one proposal in the plan is designed to benefit the ratepayers of Patonga.
"The whole plan is geared towards encouraging more visitors to the area without providing any additional infrastructure needed to cope with more people.
"Our hope is that the community representatives on the review panel will be able to convince the council and state government that the 238 people who made an overwhelming number of objections to the various proposals in the draft plan should have their objections listened to and acted upon."
Email, 21 Nov 2013
Judy Singer, Patonga Beach Progress Association