Better if community had been involved

I refer to Peter Hale's letter claiming that the process underlying the Ettalong Foreshore Management Plan "was completely open and consultation extensive".

I would like to make the following comments.

The plan was approved by Gosford Council in May 2003 after two public meetings - in October 2001 and October 2002.

The second meeting was held in a hall which was entirely inadequate for the number of residents attending and it ended in utter confusion.

No further public meetings were held.

Requests for input to the plan made no reference to a Deed of Agreement already in place between Council and the Ettalong War Memorial Club.

This deed, signed in December 1998, and only made available by council in June this year as a result of a Freedom of Information request, committed council to certain works on the foreshore in front of the Club.

These works were to be partially funded by a contribution from the Club of $300,000 in lieu of a Section 94 contribution.

As well as other matters, the Deed of Agreement required council to widen the footpath promenade along The Esplanade between Picnic Pde and Beach St and to create viewing areas at intermittent locations on the dune area with platforms, seating and appropriate fencing.

The Deed required all works to be "designed in consultation with the owner (the Club) and the local community and to the satisfaction of the Council."

With a Deed of Agreement already in place, the plan recommended, in the area between Picnic Pde and Beach St, construction of viewing platforms and access ramps at suitable locations and the upgrade of Picnic Pde and Memorial Ave to integrate with the foreshore design.

Recently a firm of consultants has been given a brief to provide design plans for the Picnic Pde/Beach St area.

I understand that the brief for this firm was not provided by council, but by other parties, and that the contour maps for the area were also provided by other parties.

I am informed no meeting minutes have been kept by council of meetings with this firm.

A "Stakeholders Committee", consisting of representatives of the Club, the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and the Ettalong Beach Heritage Committee (nominee Debra Wales) are understood to have met with the consultants on a number of occasions to progress the brief.

It has been admitted that this committee is a "vested interests" committee.

No community or environmental representatives have been members of the committee.

While there will need to be community input into any plans proposed for the area before final council approval, it would have been far better if the community had been fully involved at all stages.

It is difficult to understand how the process can be claimed to have been "completely open and consultation extensive".

Michael Gillian, Ettalong Beach