Action group founders step aside

It took over two years of lobbying for the Central Coast Council and the NSW Government to join to fund the complete upgrade of Greenfield Rd, Empire Bay.

The upgrade will include two new paths, one dual purpose, kerbing, guttering, on-street parking and resurfacing of the widened road.

Now that the campaign of the Empire Bay and Districts Roads Action Group has been successful, its founders Leeanne and Greg Olsen have decided to step aside.

They are hoping that other community members will now take up the cudgels and lobby for the upgrade of Rickard Rd, the next major concern for residents.

"Leeanne and I would like to thank the president of the Empire Bay Progress Association, Carolen Barripp, who has supported Group from day one.

We hope that Empire Bay residents, families and friends, will appreciate the safer pedestrian and bicycle access, as well as the pothole-free road surface, once work has been completed later this year," Mr Olsen concluded.

"The fact that there's State and Federal elections this year may be seen by some as an incentive for them to do what is really a fundamental role of Government, namely to provide for its constituents, and it's certainly a coincidence that the funding allocation has arrived at that time.

We're just pleased that something is finally being done to improve the amenity of Empire Bay", Mr Olsen added.

Mr Olsen said, having moved to this waterside suburb in December 2015, they soon discovered that the area had been overlooked for many years for road and drainage upgrades.

They formed the Empire Bay and Districts Roads Action Group and facilitated two public meetings, with the assistance of the Empire Bay Progress Association, to give voice to what the community wanted fixed first.

The two big issues identified were the terrible state of the only vehicular access into Empire Bay, Greenfield Rd, and the constant flooding of the Sher Close-Shelly Beach Rd area.

Last year, the blocked drains in were finally opened and Mr Olsen said reports from residents indicate a dramatic improvement.

Constant monitoring would be needed to make sure the problem did not re-emerge in the future, he said.

"It's been a hard slog to get the ball rolling on Greenfield Rd", Mr Olsen said.

"We've been in regular communication for a very long time with Council and our NSW Government representative, Mr Adam Crouch, both of whom have been very supportive. "However, without our lobbying, nothing would have been done, that's for sure."

SOURCE:

Media release, 13 Mar 2019

Greg Olsen, EDBRAG