What is the future of the Peninsula?

The recent news of Woy Woy Sporties' overdevelopment is not just about the future of an 84 year-old bowling club.

It's about the future of the Woy Woy Waterfront, our recreational precinct on this part of the Peninsula, and the Peninsula itself.

Until this proposal, this kind of overdevelopment was limited to the town centres, where suitable zoning and services exist.

What kind of developments do the people of the Peninsula want to see allowed?

I cannot fathom that anyone believes that this coastal strip is best served by four-storey developments akin to Sydney.

Where would it stop?

Do we rezone so that every house can be bought by cashed up Sydney or international development groups to build and sell off as profitably as possible, to the benefit of the few?

Perhaps the Council should rezone the entire Peninsula?

High density housing in every street, more and more people pushed into every corner from Woy Woy waterfront to Booker Bay down to Kiddies Corner?

It would certainly keep developers and the Chamber of Commerce happy.

Why stop at the loss of bowling greens? I don't bowl, who cares?

But what about the reserves, sports fields or playgrounds?

What about the humble folk of the Peninsula? Don't we have a say?

Surely councillors know what the people truly want.

I don't remember anyone at the recent council elections running on a ticket of mass development on community land.

Councillors, you were just elected to serve the people. Stand up for the people that elected you.

Woy Woy Sporties is just the start.

It's an area that everyone knows is a hub of community recreation, from the Bowling Club, Fishing Club, Sea Scouts, Dragon Boats, fishermen, holiday makers, a kid's playground, a community area for birthdays and barbecues, wakes and early morning walkers.

I see all of this and more every day.

If this development is approved on this scale, then a precedent will have been set and people will be left wondering what happened to the Woy Woy of yesteryear.

So object to developments like Sporties Redevelopment DA53119/2017, let Councillors, State and Federal Members know we want to do things differently to Sydney, because we aren't Sydney.

Because before you know it, you may just want to go have a bowl, and find it's too late.

Email, 22 Nov 2017

Ross Cochrane, Woy Woy