Foreshore plan a shock

With considerable interest I perused the proposed plan for the Ettalong Foreshore redevelopment on display at the Umina Library.

To say that I was shocked and angry would be an understatement.

Firstly, the following is a brief list of what is proposed.

Picnic Parade will terminate, that is blocked off at where it now converges with The Esplanade.

The Esplanade will terminate with a left turn only into Beach St.

Traffic from Beach St will only be able to make a right turn into The Esplanade.

A left turn can be made but only in a one-lane one-way flow, shared with pedestrians, to Memorial Ave.

The other lane of Memorial Ave will terminate at The Esplanade intersection.

The Esplanade between Beach St and Picnic Parade will be closed to road traffic and will be for pedestrians only.

The waterfront reserve opposite Beach St will now be occupied by a kiosk, surf club and a hire outlet.

The car park, as we know it, on the waterfront side of The Esplanade will disappear in favour of open space and a cycleway.

The existing toilet-shower unit at the end of Picnic Parade will be removed and be relocated to the Ferry Rd end of the reserve.

The toilet block opposite Bangalow St will be removed and included in the new, would-be, ferry terminal.

These road closures will require all traffic to and from Booker Bay from Umina to pass through the main shopping street at Ettalong.

It is now obvious that the plan is to develop the property between Memorial Ave and Picnic Parade, the old waterslide site, with an unrestricted waterfront reserve frontage to the beach.

Where will all those people, mainly elderly, who daily frequent The Esplanade carpark now go as parking already is scarce?

No doubt the pine trees will go: "Can't block the view from the blob of concrete opposite".

How will the Vietnam Vets view the relocation of their memorial to be replaced with a couple of shops on our land?

It can be seen now that this plan or ploy is nothing more than a land grab by business for nothing more than their and their mates' personal gain.

One wonders what is going on in our council to even consider these road closures and surrender of reserve waterfront land for business purposes.

At no time in all the articles published in recent newspapers were road closures mentioned.

Were you like me thinking that these plans were only for the redevelopment of the dunes area?

Are we being misled? If so, by whom?

This plan must not be allowed to proceed because if it does the precedent will be set for wholesale resumption of our land and access routes throughout our community.

We don't want another Terrigal or The Entrance here, or another Taj Mahal.

Arthur Cochrane, Umina